Johnny Duncan

The American-born British skiffle star Johnny Duncan (not to be confused with the Texas-born country singer of the same name from the 1970s) brought a brand of country music to England during the late 1950s, enjoying considerable success in the process. His popularity lasted only for the duration of the British skiffle boom, from the summer of 1957 to the end of that year, beginning with "Last Train to San Fernando" (a British number two hit) and ending with "Blue Blue Heartache" and "Footprints in the Snow." The latter had been a hit for bluegrass legend Bill Monroe, and Duncan claimed to have been a member of Monroe's band, but the doubts about that claim were only one area of mystery behind this most elusive figure ever to achieve stardom in country music (after a fashion) or to become a recording star England. Duncan claimed Tennessee as his place of birth, and gave his year of birth as Sept. 7, 1931, but none of this information could ever be verified. The date may have been real, but the Tennessee birthplace was later deemed to be a complete fabrication, to make his status as a singer of folk- and country-style music more authentic. He was probably born in Michigan, and was stationed in England during his American military service. He married in England, and Duncan and his wife apparently went to America in the mid-1950s, after the end of his military service, but they came back to England in 1955 when his wife fell ill. He'd done some singing, and on seeing the new level of interest in American music, Duncan decided to try his luck at a musical career. The "Southern" accent with which he presented himself was later deemed to be an affectation, but it fooled many Britishers at the time. In 1956, he was spotted singing American country songs by jazz band leader...