Johnny Western
(1934- )
Inducted 2011
Johnny Westerlund, country singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and radio show host, was born in Two Harbors, MN but was primarily raised in Northfield, Minnesota. When he was five years old, Western’s parents took him to see the western film Guns and Guitar, which starred legendary actor and singer Gene Autry. The young boy decided he wanted to be a singing cowboy. At the age of 12 he received a guitar. Within a year, he was performing professionally. At the age of 13 he got a job in radio which got him named in Billboard magazine as “the youngest disc jockey and singer on American radio”. At 16 he was performing with legendary western vocal group The Sons of The Pioneers. He performed with Gene Autry and for 30 years was a part of the Johnny Cash road show. Western wrote and performed the theme song “The Ballad of Paladin” for the television show Have Gun – Will Travel (it was also used in 1980s blockbuster movie Stand by Me) and co-wrote songs for TV shows The Rebel and Bonanza.
