Our next “forgotten” artist is a product of my own home state of Florida. Johnny Tillotson was born in Jacksonville, spent his childhood in Palatka, and attended the University of Florida in Gainesville.

While at UF, a local DJ entered the aspiring singer-songwriter into a contest. As a finalist, he captured the attention of a Nashville publisher and was signed to a record deal. He left Florida for New York, but not before graduating with a degree in journalism (good for him!).

As a country pop crooner, Tillotson eventually landed three singles in the Billboard Top 10, and another seven in the Top 40. His biggest hit was a recording of ‘Poetry in Motion,’ which made it all the way to #2.

He found crossover success, and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country & Western Recording, for ‘It Keeps Right On a-Hurtin’,’ a song he wrote about his father’s terminal illness. That track peaked at #3 on the pop chart and #4 on the country chart. It was eventually recorded by over 100 other artists, including Elvis Presley.

Tillotson died earlier this year at 86. A plaque acknowledging his entrance into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame hangs in the state capitol.