Inspired by movies and recordings from the first half of the 20th century, especially from the 1920s and 1930s. For their talent, taste and craftsmanship, my heroes include Ray Noble, Paul Whiteman, Leo Reisman, Duke Ellington, Abe Lyman, Jimmie Grier, Earl Burtnett, Johann Strauss Jr., Bix Beiderbecke, Claude Debussy, Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, the Dorsey Brothers, the Nicholas Brothers, the Gershwins, Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson, Lester Young, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Lee Wiley, Ethel Waters, Mildred Bailey, Edith Piaf, Django Reinhardt, Stephan Grapelli, and many, many others.
Jean Harlow, sweeping the clouds away.
Sounds Like
I love singing; in the car, in the shower, anywhere really. Especially when I'm being paid to do it, although that doesn't happen very often in the shower. Depending on my mood, some of the late, great singers I may emulate include Fred Astaire, Smith Ballew, Al Bowlly, Buddy Clark, Russ Columbo, Bing Crosby, Dick Powell, Rudy Vallee, Harry Barris, Cliff Edwards, Phil Neeley, Lew Conrad, Dick Todd, Tino Rossi, Jean Sablon, Maurice Chevalier, Bob Dylan and Sophie Tucker.
I was a very happy Mouseketeer when I was given a brief solo at our first recording session in 1955. Later, I enjoyed recording for Del-Fi Records. But what I loved most during my youth, was acting in a western tv series, having my own horse, learning to rope, and playing Red River Valley on my harmonica. In my head, I was actually living in the 1880s, and I continued to live there even after two years in the army; as a young veteran, I couldn't resist the allure of rural America, and the excitement of participating in cowboy events at dusty arenas. My family was a little concerned.
Then, in my 26th year, I began a road trip from which I have never returned.
An antique automobile put me in touch with the spirit of my grandfather, Bobby Crawford (1889-1941). A former jockey from Chicago, the "dynamo song plugger" married the young pianist at Woolworth's and soon became vice president of Irving Berlin's music publishing company. Not satisfied, he left Berlin to form De Sylva, Brown & Henderson as well as Crawford Music Corporation, and moved his office into the penthouse of New York's famous Brill Building ("Tin Pan Alley"). He made a quick fortune. Then he lost it, even quicker, about the time my old car was rolling off the assembly line, in the "fall" of 1929.
I became possessed by my grandfather's spirit. I would find myself driving around in the middle of the night, hearing forgotten dance bands and singing songs I didn't even know I knew. Instead of the 1880s, suddenly I was living in the 1920s. I thought this was considerable progress, but my family was still a little concerned. So, after word got around, arrangements were made and two years were spent in an institution on the east coast known as Vince Giordano's Nighthawks, the notorious asylum for musicians lost in time (see top friends).
When I got back to LA, the brakes on the old car were frozen, but grandpa's spirit kept me moving. Crawford Music Services, now in it's 16th year, stays quite busy doing special events for a list of clients that includes Paramount Pictures, Fox Television, the Academy Foundation, the Art Directors Guild, UCLA and USC. The flagship of the company is the Johnny Crawford Dance Orchestra, from which a long promised CD can be expected this spring.
In the meantime, you can download some live performance tracks at our Snocap Music Store (above). I hope you enjoy our treatment of these AUTHENTIC VINTAGE DANCE BAND ARRANGEMENTS, and the spirit of my grandpa, as much as I do.
...for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
“Do not destroy that immortal emblem of humanity, the Declaration of Independence. ”
Hi Johnny, this is the picture of you wearing the chaps John Wayne gave you from the newspaper article I mentioned. You were right about it being Old Tucson. This article is dated June 1997.
I think the comment Charity made on the 5th is so sweet. I haven't seen The Restless Ones yet, but I plan to soon. I'm unable to send a message to her, but I wanted to let Charity know about another movie. Johnny plays twin brothers (one good and one bad) in Rupert Patterson Wants to be a Super Hero. It's a nice family movie and I think she would really enjoy it.
Thank you for adding me as a friend. I am Retired/Disabled from S.C. Law Enforcement and stay home a lot. I have sung in many bands and enjoy your music. I was born May 01, 1953 and watched The Rifleman with my Dad every time it came on TV. Thanks again, Robert
