Johnny Standley (December 6, 1912 â€" May 27, 1992) was an American
musician, actor, and comedian.Born in Oklahoma City, Standley moved to
Milwaukee at a young age, touring the Midwest and Southwest for many
years as an actor and comedian with his parents' tent show called "The
Standley Players". During World War II, he served in the US Army and
entertained the troops with Red Skelton and Dave Brubeck for the USO.
Standley frequently worked with Horace Heidt, touring with the
bandleader and occasionally appearing on his television program.In
1952, Standley wrote (with Art Thorsen) a song/comedy routine called
"It's in the Book". In it, Standley plays a revivalist preacher who
gives a (possibly inebriated) take on the children's tale Little Bo
Peep, claiming his interpretation is in the Bible: "It's in the book!"
The number (featuring Heidt's orchestra) continues in that vein, with
Standley praising, among other things, lye soap, while the audience
cheers. "It's in the Book" was released by the small Magnolia label as
a single in the fall of 1952, then picked up by Capitol Records. The
routine (which at over six minutes long, was placed on both sides of
the record) shocked industry observers as it hit the Billboard charts
in October and raced all the way to the number-one spot for the week
ending November 22, 1952. Aided by radio airplay and TV appearances,
the record sold over two million copies, making it perhaps the mostly
unlikely recording ever to receive a gold record.Standley continued
touring with Heidt's stage show, but would release only two more
records, neither of them hits: "Proud New Father" b/w "Clap Your
Hands" (Capitol 2569) in 1953, and "Get Out and Vote" (with Jimmy
Sheldon's Orchestra; Capitol 3544) in 1956. (The latter was later
re-released by the California Republican Party, of which Standley was
a member.)
musician, actor, and comedian.Born in Oklahoma City, Standley moved to
Milwaukee at a young age, touring the Midwest and Southwest for many
years as an actor and comedian with his parents' tent show called "The
Standley Players". During World War II, he served in the US Army and
entertained the troops with Red Skelton and Dave Brubeck for the USO.
Standley frequently worked with Horace Heidt, touring with the
bandleader and occasionally appearing on his television program.In
1952, Standley wrote (with Art Thorsen) a song/comedy routine called
"It's in the Book". In it, Standley plays a revivalist preacher who
gives a (possibly inebriated) take on the children's tale Little Bo
Peep, claiming his interpretation is in the Bible: "It's in the book!"
The number (featuring Heidt's orchestra) continues in that vein, with
Standley praising, among other things, lye soap, while the audience
cheers. "It's in the Book" was released by the small Magnolia label as
a single in the fall of 1952, then picked up by Capitol Records. The
routine (which at over six minutes long, was placed on both sides of
the record) shocked industry observers as it hit the Billboard charts
in October and raced all the way to the number-one spot for the week
ending November 22, 1952. Aided by radio airplay and TV appearances,
the record sold over two million copies, making it perhaps the mostly
unlikely recording ever to receive a gold record.Standley continued
touring with Heidt's stage show, but would release only two more
records, neither of them hits: "Proud New Father" b/w "Clap Your
Hands" (Capitol 2569) in 1953, and "Get Out and Vote" (with Jimmy
Sheldon's Orchestra; Capitol 3544) in 1956. (The latter was later
re-released by the California Republican Party, of which Standley was
a member.)
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