John J. Huhta

Real name: John J. Huhta
Born: October 9, 1934, Duluth, Minnesota
Died: July 14, 2012, Minnesota
 
 

SINGLES MERCURY 71232X45 (45 rpm, black/blue label) – JOHNNY JAY Sugar Doll / Tears (Keep On Falling)  (10/1957 US) MERCURY 71232X (45 rpm) – JOHNNY JAY Sugar Doll / Tears (Keep On Falling)  (1957 CAN) MERCURY 71232 (78 rpm) – JOHNNY JAY Sugar Doll / Tears (Keep On Falling)  (1957 CAN) MERCURY 45208 (45 rpm) – JOHNNY JAY Sugar Doll / Tears (Keep On Falling)  (3/1958 AUS) MERCURY MER 438 (78 rpm) – JOHNNY JAY Sugar Doll / Tears (Keep On Falling)  (1958 S-AFR) MERCURY 70266X45 (45 rpm) – JOHNNY JAY Sugar Doll / Tears (Keep On Falling)  (1957 ITA) MERCURY 71267X45 – JOHNNY JAY Send Me Love / I’m Gonna Keep It  (2/1958 US) MERCURY 45222 – JOHNNY JAY Send Me Love / I’m Gonna Keep It  (7/1958 AUS) PLAY PL 1006X45 – JOHNNY JAY That’s What I Like About Love / Let Me Keep You Company  (11/1958 US) NATIONAL SOUNDS # – JOHN JAY (same artist?) Red River Shore / Ballad Of The Hounds  (5/1962 US) STOP ST-115 – JOHNNY JAY Buck $2.80 / Rosy Glow  (1967 US) STOP S 133 (promo)- JOHNNY JAY Reasonable Facsimile Thereof / One Way Ticket  (11/1967 US) D-E-K DK-101/102 – JOHN J. HUHTA Tears (Keep On Falling) / The Bartender’s Song  (1970 US) PARAGON P 1501 – AARON JAY (both sides produced and written by John J. Huhta) Blue Rendevous / It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over  (1988 US) Note: There are several other “Johnny Jays” as well. For instance, Johnny Jay and The Gangbusters on Josie Records in 1967 (“You Get Your Kicks” / “Gangbusters Blues”, J 980) is a soul group. Also Texan artist Johnny Carter recorded various 45’s under the aliases/band names Johnny Jay (“If You Really Cared” / “Let Me Know You Care”, Cherokeeland 113, 1966, “My Heart Has Been Broken Again” / “Fort Polk, Louisiana Hero”, Odle Recording Company 129, 1973), Johnny Jay and The Pompadors (“You Drive Me Crazy (You Drive Me Wild)” / “I Feel So Lonely”, Pharaoh P-103, 1962, “I Want You So I Need You So” / “She’s Gone And I’m All Alone”, Pharaoh P-105, 1962, “Just You And Me” / “You Lied”, Benja B-102) and Johnny Jay and The Shays (“Hey Little Girl” / “How Could You Go Away”, Cherokeeland 103, 1965). In addition, John J. Huhta is credited as a co-writer of “It Takes Time” along with Dave Dudley who also recorded the song in 1972 (45 rpm single Mercury 73404). Both sides of a 45 rpm single by Denny Bloom and The Sidemen from 1967 (“Hair Of The Dog” / “The Chase”, Jaybird 815N-1000) are written or co-written by J. Huhta. It’s assumed that Huhta was also somehow involved with the this Wisconsin group’s later 1969 Jaybird release “Don’t Be Afraid To Cry” / “That’s What I’m Gonna Do”, Jaybird 815N-735). In 1989, he co-produced (with Lonnie Knight) one 45 rpm single by Debi Arnestad (“I Ain’t Very Good At Feelin’ Bad” / “Sweet Dreams”, Paragon P 1503). The a-side is also written by John J. Huhta. _____________________________________________ ALBUMS BLUE SWAN RECORDS BS-2021-1 [CD] – JOHNNY J. HUHTA: BACK IN THE GAME (2006 US) I Never Did Not Love You / Chloe / I Think Of You / Just One Time / Storms Never Last / Couple More Years / Lady Blue / Too Many Rainy Days / I Still Miss Someone / Tiptoe Away / Never Ending Song Of Love / Stop The World BLUE SWAN RECORDS BS 2021-3 [CD] – JOHNNY JAY HUHTA: A ROAD WELL TRAVELED – A COLLECTION (2007 US) One Way Ticket / I’m Gonna Keep It / When The Blues Come Along / Tears / Let Me Keep You Company / The Bartender Song / I Don’t Leave Home Without It / Buck $2.80 / Touch My World / I Think Of You / Reasonable Facsimile Thereof / That’s What I Like About Love / Rosy Glow / Sugar Doll/ Brown Bottle BLUE SWAN # [CD] – JOHNNY JAY HUHTA: HIS LOVE (2009 US) All Around / Unworthy / While You Wait / His Love / When Prayer Goes Up / Oh Jesus / Touch A Heart Today / God Got To Me / The Old Rugged Cross / Lord I Hope This Day Is Good _____________________________________________ COMPILATIONS MERCURY MEP-36 [7″ EP, radio promo, p/s] – V/A: DISC JOCKEY SIXTY SECOND SPECIAL (1957 US) Sugar Doll REDITA LP 112 [LP] – V/A: I WANT A ROCK & ROLL GUITAR (1975 HOL) Sugar Doll – reissue: Redita RLP 112, 1980 HOL – TOPS L1510TOPS [LP] – V/A: HIGH SCHOOL ROCK’N’ROLL (1979 US) Tears (Keep On Falling) EAGLE 317 [LP] – V/A: AT THE ROCKHOUSE, VOL. 7 (1982 GER) Sugar Doll BEAVER BLP 3309 [LP] – V/A: THAT’S ROCK & ROLL, VOL. 9 (1994 BEL) I’m Gonna Keep It COLLECTOR CLCD 4428 [CD] – V/A: MINNESOTA ROCKERS, VOL. 1 (1995 HOL) Sugar Doll BEAR FAMILY BCD 16101 AH [CD] – V/A: THAT’LL FLAT… GIT IT! VOL. 11: ROCKABILLY FROM THE VAULTS OF MERCURY RECORDS (1998 GER) Sugar Doll COLLECTOR CLCD 4445 [CD] – V/A: ROCK & ROLL WITH PIANO, VOL. 3 (1998 HOL) The Bartender’s Song CAR CDCAR 200 [CD] – V/A: ROCK’N’ROLL HOP – TEENAGE STYLE (1999 BEL) Tears (Keep On Falling) DIG 9620 [CD] – V/A: THE BIG BEAT, VOL. 4 (200? US) I’m Gonna Keep It BIG TONE BTCD 6001 [CD] – V/A: MERCURY ROCKABILLY, VOLUME 1 (200? UK) Sugar Doll BIG TONE BTCD 6010 [CD] – V/A: MERCURY ROCKK’N’ROLL, VOLUME 2 (200? UK) I’m Gonna Keep It CACTUS HOGCD-10 [CD] – V/A: HIGH ON THE HOG, VOL. TEN (200?) Ballad Of The Hounds GOLDEN RING GRCD 172100-2 [CD] – V/A: MORE GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS (200? SPA) Sugar Doll CLASSICS CD 752 [CD] – V/A: TEEN ROCKIN’ PARTY, VOLUME 10 (200? SWE) That’s What I Like About Love PAN-AMERICAN RECORDINGS P-A-R 1956011 [CD] – V/A: SUGAR DOLL (200? SWI) Sugar Doll PAN-AMERICAN RECORDINGS P-A-R 1956028 [CD] – V/A: YOU’RE KILLIN’ ME (200? SWI) Tears (Keep On Falling) THE INTENSE MEDIA 600146 [10-CD] – V/A: SUPER RARE TEENAGE ROCK & ROLL (200? GER) I’m Gonna Keep It ARFFYTUNE AR-1023 [CD] – V/A: DULUTH ROCKED, VOL. 2 – SENSATIONAL 60’S (200? US) Sugar Doll # [CD] – V/A: MINNESOTA ROCK & COUNTRY STARS, VOL. 10 (200? US) One Way Ticket MERCURY CDMER0001 [CD] – V/A: MERCURY ROCKABILLIES (200?) Sugar Doll SUB ROSA SR286 [CD] – V/A: DR. BOOGIE PRESENTS 26 DERANGED AND SMOKIN’ COOL CATS (2007 BEL) Sugar Doll SUB ROSA SRV286 [LP] – V/A: DR. BOOGIE PRESENTS 20 DERANGED AND SMOKIN’ COOL CATS (2008 BEL) Sugar Doll LESLEY LES CD5 [CD] – V/A: MERCURY ROCK & ROLL PARTY (2010 EU) Sugar Doll STAG-O-LEE STAG-O-030 [10″ LP]/STAG-O-044 [CD] – V/A: BEAT FROM BADSVILLE, VOL. 1 (2012 GER) Sugar Doll ONE DAY MUSIC DAY2CD147 [2-CD] – V/A: ESSENTIAL ROCKABILLY – THE MERCURY STORY (2012 UK) Sugar Doll RHYTHM BOMB 2405 [CD] – V/A: ROCKABILLY RULED UK, VOL. 5 (2013 GER) Sugar Doll 201 HITS 201BOX003 [10-CD] – V/A: 201 FIFTIES HITS (2013 EU) Sugar Doll RETROWORLD BLUE176 [6-CD] – V/A: BIG BOX OF ROCKABILLY (2014 EU) Sugar Doll FANTASTIC VOYAGE FVDV098 [2-LP]/FVTD098 [3-CD] – V/A: SASSY SUGAR – THE PURE ESSENCE OF NASHVILLE ROCK & ROLL (2015 UK) Sugar Doll TEENIE WEENIE FR 1047 [CD] – V/A: TEEN-AGE DREAMS, VOL. 40 (2019 GER) Let Me Keep You Company ATOMICAT ACCD064 [CD] – V/A: HOODLUM’S WILDEST WINGDING! (2020 EU) Sugar Doll BEAR FAMILY BCD 17604 [CD] – V/A: THAT’LL FLAT… GIT IT! VOL. 35: ROCKABILLY & ROCK’N’ROLL FROM THE VAULTS OF MERCURY AND LIMELIGHT RECORDS (2020 GER) I’m Gonna Keep It _____________________________________________ © Compiled by Pete Hoppula Published sources: Do You Hear That Beat (Gary Myers, 1994) Online sources: http://www.allmusic.com | http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/search.php?type=acode&key=huht5000 | http://www.singlesdb.com | http://www.ebay.com | http://www.gemm.com | http://www.musicstack.com | http://www.rockabillyhall.com/johnnyjay.html | http://www.radiorumpusroom.com | http://www.arffytunes.com | http://johnnyjayhuhta.com | http://www.cdbaby.com | https://www.discogs.com/artist/3836400-John-J-Huhta | https://www.discogs.com/artist/1959304-Johnny-Jay-3 | https://www.rocky-52.net/chanteursh/huhta_John_J.htm | https://www.45cat.com/artist/johnny-jay-john-j-huhta | http://countrydiscoghraphy2.blogspot.com/2015/01/johnny-jay-huhta.html Note: The contents of this website are informative only! All the corrections/additions are welcome. E-mail: petehoppula @ hotmail.com Revised on January 19, 2022