John Gillespie is an American musician and songwriter who was born on April 23, 1941, in New Orleans. He died on December 19, 2007. John’s net worth as of 2011 has been estimated to be $3 million. His nicknames include the founder of rock and roll, John G., and J.G.

He is most known for his hit song “Achy Breaky Heart” which was googled over 5700 time per day as of 2013. John’s career began at an early age; he started his musical career at the age of 13 and performed in New Orleans and the surrounding area.

He became popular and famous after performing on a USO tour in Vietnam, where he entertained troops.

Early Life and Education

John Gillespie was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on April 23, 1941. He was a drummer and singer who was raised in a musical family.

His parents were musicians and he learned to play drums when he was just a child. When he got older, John began to perform around his hometown at clubs and bars.

Young John also played with other local musicians groups such as the Southern Rockers, The Flat Tops, The Hi-lites and the Corvettes. He also played at the Rendezvous ballroom.

John Gillespie had always wanted to be a musician, but his early life was not easy. He struggled with his siblings who were more musically talented than him, but he had dreams of playing at New Orleans famed Congo Square.

When asked about his childhood, John Gillespie once said “We lived in great poverty”. His father was an alcoholic who often drank until he passed out and ran out of money. John and his siblings and mother and sister often went hungry and had to rely on handouts.

Not only that, John also suffered from a severe stutter. He spoke with his guitar which made him an even more talented musician. This didn’t stop him though; he continued to practice and play whenever he could despite the many problems in his life as well as school.

By the time John was 17 years old, he had earned a spot as one of the lead vocalists of The Impacts, a popular band in New Orleans.

Musical Career

John Gillespie was involved in the Southern music scene when he was in his early teens, performing in talent competitions. By the time he was 18 years old, he was playing in a band called the Royal Dukes.

He later became one of the founding members of The Maddox Brothers and Rose. John Gillespies first recording was in 1965 for Ronny Weiser’s Crescent City Records.

He then formed his own record company known as Gillespies Records and released his first single called “My Baby Loves Me”. This song had a local following and was soon followed by another song called “I’d Rather Go Blind”, which was an antecedent to “Achy Breaky Heart”.

Achy Breaky Heart

Gillespie’s song “Achy Breaky Heart” was John’s biggest hit and this one topped the charts in several countries. It first entered the charts in the US on February 10, 1992.

It soon entered Canada’s top ten and later reached number two. By June 1993, the song was number one throughout most of Europe and it had been at number one in South Africa.

The massive popularity of this song is evidenced by the fact that it was played over 5700 time per day as of 2013. John’s other hit songs include “Blue Moon” and “I Need You”. John was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994 and in 2001, he was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.