He comes from a family of musicians and was performing
from the time he could walk. In 1955 his singing impersonation of
Johnnie Ray led to a contract with Disney, where he became one of the original
Mouseketeers. As an actor, Johnny Crawford has appeared in over 250
television productions, 15 movies, and 12 plays. He received an Emmy
Nomination at the age of 13 for his role in the western television series,
"The Rifleman."
Signed by Del-Fi Records in 1961, Johnny had five
hits in the 1960s: Cindy's Birthday, Rumors, Your Nose Is Gonna Grow, Proud,
and Patti Ann. During that period Del-Fi released five Johnny Crawford albums. Most of his Del-Fi recordings are now available on iTunes and Amazon.com.
Johnny has long been a fan of dance records from
the first half of the 20th century. After making occasional appearances
during the 1980s singing songs of that period to his own guitar accompaniment,
Johnny spent two years in New York (1987-1989) as the vocalist in Vince
Giordano's Nighthawks Orchestra. With The Nighthawks, Johnny was
seen in numerous appearances on the East Coast, including a Garrison Keillor
TV Special from Radio City Music Hall, and the George Bush Inaugural Ball
of 1989.
Now Johnny enjoys singing with his own vintage dance orchestra, while also
providing authentic period music for film, special events and education. Since 1990 The Johnny Crawford Dance Orchestra
has gathered an enthusiastic following in Southern California from concerts and dances to private and corporate events.
Performances at The Hollywood
Athletic Club (1997-98) are even referred to
in Elmor Leonardís 1999 novel, Be Cool (the sequel to Get Shorty).
His first CD with the Vintage Dance Orchestra is being prepared for a fall release.
