Johnny, Originally from Bradford, Yorkshire, UK, was signed to appear in a Levis show with a bunch of other local acts. This was followed, the next year, by a radio show and a TV date - then a starring spot in a TV show called Roundup of Stars.
Just before leaving school in 1954 he was persuaded to join Francis Langford's Singing Songsters - an original if somewhat obvious name - and began a career touring the country and even making a film, Fun at St Fanny's, with comedians Nat Jackley and Cardew Robinson. It was not a world-shaking hit.
For two years Johnny toured with the Songsters before branching out on his own at the age of 17 as a crooner.
It was a patchy career, involving nudie shows and third-rate theatres, which started to take off after he discovered the northern clubs, which were enjoying a bit of a boom.
He then entered the most successful phase of his working life and in 1961 he made his first record, Galway Bay, for Fontana.
A press release described him as 'a singing phenomenon whose voice has never broken, singing with a full round tone'.
The money came in handy, and Johnny bought a house for his parents. His estimated earnings were maybe 2,000 a year, which was a sizeable income at the time. But within a couple of years he had money troubles and ended up bankrupt.
He stayed in the business, clearing his debts, and singing in Blackpool's nightspots.