10 Essential Johnny Stark Songs

Feature Photo of Johnny Stark in 1956, courtesy of his son Giovanni Sticco

My father, Johnny Stark, was just a kid from Jersey who came out to Hollywood with big dreams. He loved music, loved to sing, and was determined to make something of himself.

Johnny could never be pigeonholed into one style. His musical foundation began with opera training, giving him an extraordinary vocal range and the ability to sing almost anything, from blues, rock and roll, and opera to pop, country, and hard rock. His voice was remarkably versatile, powerful, and, to me, flawless.

He eventually influenced other young musicians. One remarkable example was a young Gordon Lightfoot, who sang background vocals with his group, the Four Winds, on four of Johnny’s Crystalette recordings: “Rockin’ Billy,” “Drivin’ Me Out of My Mind,” “Cold Coffee,” and “Feeling Like a Fool.”

Johnny’s talent was also admired by some of music’s biggest names. His very good friend Eddie Cochran was one of his biggest supporters, and the two remained close from the late nineteen-fifties until Eddie’s tragic death in nineteen-sixty. His work earned the respect of Tony Bennett, Elvis Presley, and Gene Vincent, with whom Johnny opened at the Louisiana Hayride during the nineteen-fifties, as well as Ritchie Valens, with whom he shared a bill in Los Angeles around nineteen-fifty-eight.

The list could go on, but the remarkable thing is that my father really did live his dream. He came to Hollywood as a kid from Jersey, pursued a career in music, and earned the friendships, respect, and admiration of some of the most important names of his generation.

These are my personal choices for the ten Johnny Stark songs I love most. They are not necessarily his biggest hits or best-known recordings; rather, they are the tracks that mean the most to me and together represent the different sides of him as a singer and performer.

Rockin’ Billy

Released in nineteen-fifty-seven, “Rockin’ Billy” captures the raw excitement and energy of the early rockabilly era. It is one of my favorites because it represents my father as the young, hungry rock and roll singer he was at the beginning of his recording career.

Drivin’ Me Out of My Mind

Also released in nineteen-fifty-seven as the flip side of “Rockin’ Billy,” this is another great example of Johnny’s early rock and roll sound. Together, those two recordings capture an exciting moment at the dawn of his career.

Cold Coffee

“Cold Coffee” has always been one of my personal favorites from my father’s catalog. It highlights another dimension of his voice and reminds me that Johnny possessed a distinct musical personality from the very beginning, with that touch of Elvis sound to it.

Gotta Get Back to My Baby

A lively rock and roll number with the kind of infectious energy that suited Johnny perfectly. It captures the fun and direct spirit of the music he loved to perform.

If You Come Back

Released around nineteen-seventy-one, “If You Come Back” is a slow, soulful R&B song that showcases a completely different side of Johnny Stark. With its smooth, emotional feel, it evokes the great soul recordings of the early nineteen-seventies in the vein of Marvin Gaye. It demonstrates just how versatile my father was across genres, from wild rockabilly to soulful R&B.

I Don’t Need No Doctor

This track allowed Johnny to flex a tougher, grittier side of his voice, further proving his ability to move comfortably between diverse musical styles.

Am I Wasting My Time

A more upbeat psychedelic rock song , “Am I Wasting My Time” highlights Johnny’s singing to its highest level.

I’m on Your Side

A straight-ahead rock song packed with energy and attitude, this track reminds me why Johnny was always so naturally connected to rock and roll.

Finger Licking Good

One of Johnny’s later recordings from the nineteen-seventies, “Finger Licking Good” is a fun soulful rock song representing a later chapter of his musical life. It proves he continued recording and performing long after the first wave of rock and roll.

Good Good Woman

Released on Crescendo Records, “Good Good Woman” represents another important milestone in Johnny’s recording career. It is a fitting final choice because it underscores that his life in music extended far beyond his earliest rock and roll records.

Why These Songs Matter to Me

These ten songs represent different periods of my father’s life, from a young kid from Jersey with big dreams to the seasoned performer he became over the years. To me, they are more than old records; they are part of my family’s history and a testament to a man who never stopped loving music.

For anyone interested in discovering more of Johnny Stark’s work, I have included links below to his fan page and Spotify collections. One features his earlier recordings from the nineteen-fifties, while the other highlights his rawer nineteen-seventies recordings, giving listeners a chance to hear two very different sides of him as an artist.

Johnny’s story will also be featured in my upcoming book, I Am Johnny Stark: My Memoir, releasing next month. I will share the link on its exact release date so readers can follow his remarkable journey in greater detail. He also appears near the beginning of my book, A Single Rose: The Life and Times of Rudolph Valentino and the Lady in Black, another connection to the extraordinary life he lived and the people who became part of our family’s history.

I hope this list encourages people to listen to these songs and discover Johnny Stark for themselves. More than anything, that is what I want: for people to hear his voice and understand why his music has always meant so much to me.

Giovanni Sticco