By Andrew Hoxha 
There are times when a song comes our way and it is known by almost everybody because of his catchy tune. The singer may not always be known, but they have affected us because of their talent.
One of those songs was ‘Poetry in Motion’ and it was sung by Johnny Tillotson. Unfortunately, we have the sad news that he has passed away at the age of 86.
Johnny Tillotson certainly did make his mark on rock ‘n’ roll and pop music and he even did some country music as well. He was a talented songwriter but he was able to sing those songs also, which made him a star on several levels.
He was born in 1938 in Jacksonville, Florida, and when he wrote the song, ‘Poetry in Motion’, he became a well-known individual. That was back in 1961 and the song quickly rose to the number two position on the charts.
In 1962, he followed it up with the hit song, Without You which also made the top 10 list. It helped to cement him as one of the most talented teen idols in the 1960s.
One thing that Johnny was able to do that many of his peers were unable to do was to make the crossover from pop music to country music and to get listed on the charts.
Eventually, his release of a studio album in 1977 would be his last. He still continued to tour in various areas of the world, including Australia, Southeast Asia, and New Zealand. This final single would be released in 2010, Not Enough.
A final song was released just a few days before he died. It is entitled, Everything I Touch Turns to Blue.
His wife, Nancy, said that he passed away due to complications from Parkinson’s disease at the age of 86. He is survived by his wife, his son and his wife, his stepdaughter, grandchildren, a brother, sister-in-law, and nieces and nephews.
Nancy wrote: “It is with a broken heart that I write to let you know that the sweetest, kindest man I ever met Johnny Tillotson, left earth for Heaven yesterday. He was my best beloved, Champion of my realm, Knight of my heart.
“Someone said, that sometimes right in the middle of an ordinary life you get a fairy tale. The day I met him I got mine. He was funny, generous and kind. A gentleman through and through. He loved and was grateful to his fans, as he once said, they made every dream I ever had come true. Once again on his behalf I say thank you for that.