| John Fred | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Fred Gourrier |
| Born | May 8, 1941 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States |
| Died | April 14, 2005 (aged 63) New Orleans, Louisiana, United States[1] |
| Genres | Blue-eyed soul, swamp pop, bubble-gum pop |
| Occupations | Musician, singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1956–2002 |
| Labels | Paula, Montell |
| Associated acts | John Fred & His Playboy Band |
John Fred (born as John Fred Gourrier; May 8, 1941 – April 14, 2005) was a blue-eyed soul, Cajun swamp pop and bubble-gum pop performer from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, best known for the song, "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)".[2]
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His group, John Fred and the Playboys, was formed in 1956; their first hit single was 1958's "Shirley". He appeared on Alan Freed's show, but when Dick Clark asked him to sing on American Bandstand, Fred had to turn him down because he had to play in a basketball game.
In 1967, Fred and band member Andrew Bernard co-wrote "Judy in Disguise", whose name is a parodic play on the title of The Beatles' song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds". The song, issued by Louisiana-based Jewel Records on the Paula label, became successful, knocking another Beatles song ("Hello, Goodbye") out of the #1 chart position on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in January 1968.[3] It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.[4] Although Fred actually had a well-rehearsed and talented group honed by years on the road, now known as John Fred & His Playboy Band, he was branded as a novelty act and never had another success. Only after years of struggles did Fred obtain full legal rights to "Judy in Disguise" and its royalties. They also covered "You're On My Mind" by The Animals.
Fred continued to perform in bands, coached high school basketball and baseball, remained a fixture at concerts and shows in his hometown, and hosted a popular local radio show, The Roots of Rock 'n' Roll. In 2002, he released his final album, Somebody's Knockin. In 2004, his health began to fail and he received a kidney transplant. Complications ensued, culminating in a long hospital stay and death. He died on April 14, 2005, aged 63, in New Orleans, he was survived by his wife, Sandra, and a son.
In April 2007, John Fred (Gourrier) was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.[5] He has been inducted into the Delta Music Museum in Ferriday, Louisiana.