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Johnny Horton ( April 30 , 1925 – November 5 , 1960 ) was an American Country Music singer who was most famous for his semi-folk, so-called "saga songs". With them, he had several major Crossover hits, most notably in 1959 with " The Battle Of New Orleans " which won the 1960 Grammy Award For Best Country & Western Recording . The song was honored with a Grammy Hall Of Fame Award and in 2001 was named number 333 of the Songs Of The Century . In 1960, Horton had two other crossover hits with " Sink The Bismarck " and " North To Alaska ". Horton was also a Rockabilly singer, and was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall Of Fame . CAREER Horton was born John Gale Horton in Los Angeles but raised in the town of Rusk in east Texas . His family trekked back and forth from California often as migrant fruit pickers but always returned to the Rusk/Gallatin area in East Texas. After graduation from Gallatin High School in 1944 , he attended on a Basketball scholarship the Methodist -affiliated Lon Morris College (then called "Lon Morris Junior College") in Jacksonville, Texas , the oldest junior college in the state. Although he did not graduate from Lon Morris or any other college, he later attended Seattle University. Thereafter, he worked in California and Alaska . He returned to Texas and won a talent contest hosted by then-radio announcer Jim Reeves at the Reo Palm Isle club in Longview , the seat of Gregg County , and soon starred in the popular Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, Louisiana . He remained a member of the Hayride until his death. In September 1953 , he married Billie Jean Jones, who, in late 1952 , had also been married to the late country music star Hank Williams , for two and a half months prior to his death. Horton's first marriage to Donna Cook ended in a divorce granted in Rusk. With Billie Jean, Johnny had two daughters, Yanina (Nina) and Melody. Billie Jean's daughter, Jerry, was also part of the family. Horton was killed instantly while he was returning home from a performance in Austin (Skyline Club) in a head-on collision with a Drunk Driver on Highway 79 at Milano, Texas . There is no truth to the rumor that Horton was on his way to , who portrayed the fictitious scout "Flint McCullough." Johnny Horton is buried in the Hillcrest Cemetery in Haughton east of Bossier City . He loved fishing as much, if not more, than singing and was once billed as "The Singing Fisherman." His favorite fishing holes abound through the Piney Woods of East Texas and northern Louisiana. Today, on . COINCIDENCES
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