Fortune, Johnny
Life Goes On
In the early years Johnny Fortune did session work playing guitar or bass for big names like Sam Cooke, Barbara George, Glen Campbell, and he even toured with the Beach Boys. In 1963, when Fortune was only 16, he recorded Soul Surfer under the Park Avenue Records label. The album held popular surf tracks like "Sunset" and "Surf Rider." Sax player Jim O'Keith and ten-year-old drummer Joey Sudetta both lent their talents to the album. Soul Surfer received good reviews and earned Fortune an invitation from Johnny Burnette to tour through England. Unfortunately, due to his young age, Fortune was not able to go. Switching over to country music, Fortune was nominated for a Nashville Music Trailblazer award in 1997 and released "Life Goes On" in 1999.