Johnnie & Joe
Encyclopedia
Johnnie & Joe were an American R&B vocal duo from The Bronx
, who were best known for their 1957 hit "Over the Mountain, Across the Sea."
Johnnie Louise Richardson (June 29, 1935, Montgomery, Alabama
- October 25, 1988, New York City
) and Joe Rivers (b. 1937, Charleston, South Carolina
) began singing together in 1957 and released several singles on Chess Records
, which were leased from J & S Records
, to whom the duo were under contract. Richardson was the daughter of the J&S label owner, Zelma "Zell" Sanders, who had been a touring member of The Hearts.
Three of the songs hit the U.S. singles charts. "Over the Mountain, Across the Sea", written by Rex Garvin
, went to #3 on the R&B chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100
, and "I'll Be Spinning", written by Freddie Scott
, went Top 10 R&B, both in 1957. "My Baby's Gone", a #15 R&B hit, was their last, although "Over the Mountain, Across the Sea" returned to the pop charts in 1960, peaking at #89 the second time around.
Richardson and Rivers resumed their professional partnership later in the 1960s. During the 1970s and 80s they performed in oldies concerts, and made a critically acclaimed album, Kingdom of Love, in 1982. Johnnie Richardson died of complications from a stroke in 1988.
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, who were best known for their 1957 hit "Over the Mountain, Across the Sea."
Johnnie Louise Richardson (June 29, 1935, Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
- October 25, 1988, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) and Joe Rivers (b. 1937, Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
) began singing together in 1957 and released several singles on Chess Records
Chess Records
Chess Records was an American record label based in Chicago, Illinois. It specialized in blues, R&B, soul, gospel music, early rock and roll, and occasional jazz releases....
, which were leased from J & S Records
J & S Records
J & S Records was a New York record label started in 1956 and continued through to the 1960s. The owner was Zelma “Zell” Sanders , one of the few woman label owners in the record business....
, to whom the duo were under contract. Richardson was the daughter of the J&S label owner, Zelma "Zell" Sanders, who had been a touring member of The Hearts.
Three of the songs hit the U.S. singles charts. "Over the Mountain, Across the Sea", written by Rex Garvin
Rex Garvin
Rex Garvin is an American former R&B singer, songwriter, keyboard player and arranger. His writing credits include the 1957 US chart hit "Over The Mountain, Across The Sea", by Johnnie and Joe, and his own 1966 recording "Sock It To 'Em J.B.", later recorded by The Specials.-Life and career:He was...
, went to #3 on the R&B chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and "I'll Be Spinning", written by Freddie Scott
Freddie Scott
Freddie Scott was an American soul singer and songwriter. His biggest hits were "Hey, Girl", a top ten US pop hit in 1963, and "Are You Lonely For Me", a no.1 hit on the R&B chart in early 1967.-Life and career:...
, went Top 10 R&B, both in 1957. "My Baby's Gone", a #15 R&B hit, was their last, although "Over the Mountain, Across the Sea" returned to the pop charts in 1960, peaking at #89 the second time around.
Richardson and Rivers resumed their professional partnership later in the 1960s. During the 1970s and 80s they performed in oldies concerts, and made a critically acclaimed album, Kingdom of Love, in 1982. Johnnie Richardson died of complications from a stroke in 1988.