JOHNNY TILLOTSON

Johnny Tillotson (born April 20, 1940) is an American singer and songwriter.

He enjoyed his greatest success in the early 1960s, when he scored nine top-ten hits on the pop, country, and adult contemporary charts, including “Poetry in Motion” and “It Keeps Right on A-Hurtin'”.

As a teenager, Tillotson began writing songs and performing in talent shows. After graduating from high school, he enrolled in the University of Florida, where he studied business administration.

After graduating from college, Tillotson moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he began working with Chet Atkins, the head of RCA Victor’s country music division. In 1960, Tillotson scored his first major hit with “It Keeps Right on A-Hurtin'”. The song reached the top of the country chart and also crossed over to the pop chart, where it peaked at number three.

Tillotson’s success continued with a string of hits over the next few years, including “Poetry in Motion” (a number two pop hit) and “Heartaches by the Number”.

In 1963, Tillotson was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for his version of “Poetry in Motion”.

In the late 1960s, Tillotson’s career began to wane, and he only had one minor hit in the 1970s. He continued to perform and tour throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and in 2000, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Johnny Tillotson Backing Tracks – It Keeps Right On A Hurtin’ … Poetry In Motion