Johnny and Jonie Mosby

Johnny and Jonie Mosby was an American husband-and-wife country music vocal duo. They placed seventeen singles on the country music charts between 1963 and 1973, and released six albums for various labels. Five of the duo's singles made top 20 on the Hot Country Songs charts, with the highest peaks being "Trouble in My Arms" and "Just Hold My Hand", both at number twelve.

Johnny and Jonie Mosby
The duo in 1970
Background information
OriginU.S.
GenresCountry
Years active1963–1973
LabelsColumbia
Starday
Capitol
Past membersJohnny Mosby
Jonie Mosby

Biography

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John Robert "Johnny" Mosby (born in Fort Smith, Arkansas; April 26, 1929 – February 19, 2018)[1] and Janice Irene "Jonie" Shields (born in Van Nuys, California on August 10, 1940)[2] met in California when she auditioned for his orchestra.[3] They married in 1958.[2] They started recording for Challenge records that same year. In 1959, they made the first recording of "Tijuana Jail".

Signed to Columbia Records, the duo released its debut single, "Don't Call Me from a Honky Tonk", in 1963. It went to number thirteen on the country music charts and was followed by another Top 20 hit, the number twelve "Trouble in My Arms".[2] By 1965, the duo released Mr. and Mrs. Country Music through Columbia, followed by The New Sweethearts of Country on the Starday Records label.[3]

From 1967 to 1972, the Mosbys recorded for Capitol Records, reaching top 20 again with "Just Hold My Hand" and "I'm Leavin' It Up to You" at numbers twelve and eighteen.[3] In the same timespan, the duo recorded several albums for the label. In 1971, Jonie released a solo single, "I've Been There", which peaked at number 72 on the country charts.[2] They filed for divorce in 1973.

In 1992 at age 52, Jonie Mosby became the oldest woman to have a baby through in vitro fertilization as she gave birth to a son Morgan Bradford Mitchell by second husband, Donald Mitchell.[3][4]

Johnny Mosby died on February 19, 2018, at age 88.[1]

Discography

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Albums

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Year Album details Peak chart positions[5]
US Country US
1965 Mr. and Mrs. Country Music 18
The New Sweethearts of Country Music
1968 Make a Left and Then a Right
1969 Just Hold My Hand
  • Label: Capitol Records
41
Hold Me
  • Label: Capitol Records
33 197
I'll Never Be Free
  • Label: Capitol Records
1970 My Happiness
  • Label: Capitol Records

Singles

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Year Single Chart Positions Album
US
Country

[2]
1963 "Don't Call Me from a Honky Tonk" 13 Mr. and Mrs. Country Music
"Trouble in My Arms" 12
"Who's Been Cheatin' Who"[A] 27
1964 "Keep Those Cards and Letters Comin' In" 16
"How the Other Half Lives" 21
1967 "Make a Left and Then a Right" 36 Make a Left and Then a Right
1968 "Mr. and Mrs. John Smith" 53
"Our Golden Wedding Day" 68 Just Hold My Hand
1969 "Just Hold My Hand" 12
"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" 38 Hold Me
"I'll Never Be Free" 26 I'll Never Be Free
1970 "Third World" 34 My Happiness
"I'm Leavin' It Up to You"[B] 18
"My Happiness" 47
1971 "Oh, Love of Mine" 41 non-album singles
"Just One More Time" 70
1973 "I've Been There" (Jonie Mosby) 72
Notes
  • A^ B-side to "Trouble in My Arms".
  • B^ Peaked at No. 21 on RPM Country Tracks.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b "John Robert Mosby Obituary 1929 - 2018". Ventura County Star. March 4, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. pp. 288–289. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
  3. ^ a b c d Brennan, Sandra. "Johnny and Jonie Mosby biography". AllMusic. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
  4. ^ Joe, Sherry (April 2, 1992). "Woman, 52, Gives Birth to In-Vitro Baby : Ventura: Jonie Mosby Mitchell is believed to be the oldest American to have a child through the fertilization process". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  5. ^ "Johnny and Jonie Mosby charted albums". AllMusic. Retrieved October 5, 2010.
  6. ^ "RPM Country Tracks for June 27, 1970". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved October 5, 2010.