Johnny Denis

“Sheriff” Johnny Denis, novelty and country music performer was born on 27 February 1913 in Willesden, London, England. He emigrated to America and died on 5 January 2010, aged 96, in Palatka, Putnam County, Florida, USA. He was active in Britain during the 1940s and early 1950s. He moved to the United States in 1955 and shortly afterwards he was based in Las Vegas. Denis was English and became a semi-professional musician in the mid-1930s, accomplished on guitar and steel as well as being a whistler (some of his recordings here suggest a new genre, Whistling Western Swing). He adopted a fully ‘cowboy’ image in the 1950s through his BBC series Way Out West, and he owned several horses, which he incorporated into his act. Denis moved to the US in 1954, achieving some popularity, especially in Vegas and Reno, and issuing three LPs. A CD was compiled, mainly focusing on his 1940s recordings, mostly in the small-band western swing style. It includes versions of Sweet Georgia Brown and Sweet Sue, featuring Danny Levan’s fiddling and Canadian/British bass player Jack Fallon. Liner notes were written by Kevin Coffee, who managed to track Denis down, long resident in the US and well into his 90s. Denis was survived by his wife, Emily Wheeler (neé Hartnett).