JUST WALKIN' IN THE RAIN
by JOHNNIE RAY

Just Walkin' In The Rain was written in 1952 by Johnny Bragg and Robert Riley, two prisoners at Tennessee State Prison in Nashville. Bragg was unable to read or write, so asked Riley to write the song down for him in exchange for a songwriting credit. The duo were eventually released and recorded it for Sun Records under the name The Prisonaires and it was a small US hit. The second Number 1 for American-born singer and actor Johnnie Ray (born John Alvin Ray) following 1954’s Such A Night, Just Walkin’ In The Rain entered the chart in October 1956, and by late November the song begun a seven-week residency as the UK Official Singles Chart Number 1. Although he was half-deaf – he’d often wear a hearing aid on stage – Johnnie Ray was a precursor to Elvis Presley, deemed the future of Rock & Roll and massive teen heart throb. Johnnie would also be referenced on another chart-topper 25 years later in 1982 on Dexys Midnight Runners’ Come On Eileen.