Johnny Bush
HonkyTonic
BGM Records
By Greg Yost
 Johnny Bush is a
real survivor. After losing a significant part of his career
due to a disease that rendered his vocal chords nearly useless,
Bush returns to country music with a revitalized passion for
performing and HonkyTonic, a top-notch album of hard-hitting
country music.
Bush, a native of Houston, Texas, began his career in country
music in the 1960s as a drummer for Ray Price's famed Cherokee
Cowboys. During this time, Bush joined forces with Willie Nelson
-- a musical and personal friendship that would stand the test
of time. As Bush continued to perform as a backing musician for
other artists, he worked on honing his songwriting skills. Bush's
talents as a vocalist and a songwriter lead to a contract with
RCA and a 1972 breakout single, "Whiskey River." As
the song continued to gain momentum on the charts, Bush felt
the first symptoms of the disease that would alter his life.
Spasmodic dysphonia is a rare neurological condition that
inflicts uncontrollable spasms on the vocal chords and ruins
a person's ability to both sing and speak. Bush fought the disease
with various treatments over the years and he slowly regained
his ability to perform. Over the years, Willie Nelson recorded
"Whiskey River" almost 20 times, providing financial
support through royalties during some very lean times.
A string of albums in the 1990s and early 2000s would lay
the groundwork for a career comeback that was completed when
he received a revolutionary treatment involving Botox injections
that allowed Bush to fully regain his voice.
Bush's saga came full circle this year with the release of
his new album, HonkyTonic. The 13 songs on this album
show that Bush is better than ever and fully cements his status
as a living legend in country music.
Bush has also proven to be a source of inspiration for other
artists in country music, as evidenced by the number of people
that lent their talents to this project. Willie Nelson adds his
distinctive vocals to standards like "I Gotta Get Drunk"
and "Whiskey River," while fellow Texas music icon
Tommy Alverson also makes an appearance. Up-and-comers like Kevin
Fowler, Cooder Graw and Stephanie Urbina Jones also contribute
to the album.
As suggested by the title, this album is full of rough and
rowdy honky tonk music that gets to the heart of Bush's talent
and background. Tearjerkers like "Tonight Her Memory's Raisin'
Hell" and "Puttin' Out an Old Flame" mix well
with roadhouse rockers like "Jones on the Jukebox"
and "I'll Be There."
While Bush may have been robbed of a good portion of his career,
he is certainly making up for lost time with HonkTonic.
Bush's current fans will be reminded of his early glory and a
whole new crop of authentic country music fans will discover
why Bush is considered a living legend.
www.johnnybush.com
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