ADVERTISEMENT

AOL Radio

Listen to AOL Radio Now
play arrow
Top Country - Today's Hottest Hits
Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts
play arrow
'90s Country - '90s Biggest Hits
Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, George Strait
play arrow
New Country First - Today's new country hits
Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Sugarland
Online Radio Guide

Exclusive Interviews

Chats with your favorite country stars.

Exclusive Performances

Watch live, in-studio performances.

Blogroll

Sammy Johns Dead: 'Chevy Van' Singer Dies at 66

Sammy Johns DeadAmazon

Sammy Johns has died of unknown causes at the age of 66. The North Carolina native was best known for his 1975 hit, "Chevy Van," which sold three million copies and was dubbed the "Song of the Seventies" by Rolling Stone magazine. The tune pushed musical boundaries at the time, as its lyrics tell the story of a one-night stand, but it was embraced by pop and country fans alike.

Johns was playing guitar by age 9 and formed his own band, the Devilles, as a teenager. He scored his first solo record deal in 1973, releasing his self-titled debut album that same year.

While "Chevy Van" was Johns' only big hit as a solo artist, he scored major songwriting success with other artists, most notably penning the classic "America," recorded by Waylon Jennings, "Common Man" by John Conlee and "Desperado Love" for Conway Twitty. The latest album in Johns' own discography was 2000's Honky Tonk Moon.

Johns died Friday, Jan. 4, at a hospital in Gaston, N.C. His funeral services will be held Wednesday (Jan. 9) in nearby Belmont.

See Photos of Stars We've Recently Lost
See All The Boot Galleries »


All the AOL Music info you want to know

Blake Shelton's 'Healing in the…

The Boot

Andrew H. Walker, Getty Images Nine days after the deadly tornado that touched…

Chief Keef Receives Apology From Katy…

The Boombox

Facebook Will Chief Keef accept an apology from one of pop music's biggest stars?…

2 Chainz Prepares Sophomore Album for…

The Boombox

Kevin Winter, Getty Images 2 Chainz will be a busy man this summer. The rap titan…

See all AOL Music »

Add a Comment

Sign in »
*0 / 3000 Character Maximum

34 Comments

Filter by:
dansha

That song causes vivid memories of the best times of my life every time I hear it. I was 20 years old when it came out.

January 11 2013 at 10:45 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
investrman

OMG. We live right up the road from Gaston too and NEVER knew he was here all these years later.

Great 1970's song and it was even used in a movie by same title too if any of you remember that?

Another great singer of our time passing away. RIP

January 11 2013 at 11:16 AM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
stephanie.freeman10

He actually died at Gaston Memorial hospital in Gastonia.

January 10 2013 at 10:59 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
stephanie.freeman10

Hi! I am the niece of Sammy and just wanted ya'll to know that the "unknown" causes, according to the Dr was electrocution. Just a correction

January 10 2013 at 10:58 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to stephanie.freeman10's comment
investrman

Thank you for this. I just heard his hit Chevy Van a few weeks ago when my youngest son was playing my cd's and played one I purchased years ago off a TV ad then titled "AM Top 20" and Sammy's song was on it as one of the top 20 songs played on Am radio of the entire 1970's.

January 11 2013 at 11:18 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
agranon2

I am Sammy and your not my niece.

January 12 2013 at 5:20 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
stephanie.freeman10

I am a niece of Sammy. The "unknown" causes would be electrocution.. As per the Dr.

January 10 2013 at 10:57 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
brennemanbelkin

How sad. RIP Mr. Johns.

January 10 2013 at 10:16 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
Ab

That song is a national treasure. There is no doubt the man who wrote it will be missed by those he knew and loved. RIP brother.

January 10 2013 at 9:02 AM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Ab's comment
investrman

I for one would have no problem if this nation could go back to what it was like for us all back then when that song first came on. We no longer have songs or artists like this today.

Sammy, though he may not have had tons of top selling songs, I personally rank him in there with Jim Croce, John Denver and others of that genre of "truly Americana" song writing.

January 11 2013 at 11:22 AM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
Raejean

Recently lost? Some of these folks have been dead fifty years.

January 09 2013 at 10:55 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jimmyv033

When people write articles it would be nice if they get their facts right. He died in a hospital in Gastonia NC not Gaston.

January 09 2013 at 7:02 PM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to jimmyv033's comment
stephanie.freeman10

He died at Gaston memorial hospital which is in Gastonia which is in Gaston county.

January 10 2013 at 11:03 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
investrman

Gaston is the County which Gastonia resides within.

January 11 2013 at 11:22 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
mattie2310

Sad to hear this. Wondered what happened to him over the year. Loved Chevy Van. Not sure if this was him, but some band played a club in the 70's one Saturday night and they sang a song about a Chey Van. They were selling records after the show. Someplace I have a copy of that song signed by the man who sang it, I'll have to look for it and see if that was him.

January 09 2013 at 3:03 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply

Your Settings

{email}

Subscriptions

Weekly Newsletter

The Boot news in your mailbox. Top Articles, reviews, photos & more.

Realtime alerts

Daily alerts


Update
Cancel