Johnnie & Joe

Johnnie & Joe were an American R&B vocal duo from The Bronx, New York, United States, who were best known for their 1957 hit "Over the Mountain; Across the Sea."

Johnnie Louise Richardson (June 29, 1935, Montgomery, Alabama - October 25, 1988, New York City)[1] and Joe Rivers (March 20, 1937, Charleston, South Carolina)[2] began singing together in 1957 and released several singles on Chess Records,[3] which were leased from J & S Records, to whom the duo were under contract. Richardson was the daughter of the J&S label owner, Zelma "Zell" Sanders, who had been a touring member of The Hearts.[2]

Three of the songs hit the U.S. singles charts. "Over the Mountain, Across the Sea", written by Rex Garvin, went to #3 on the R&B chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100,[4] and "I'll Be Spinning", written by Freddie Scott, went Top 10 R&B, both in 1957.[3][5] "My Baby's Gone", a #15 R&B hit, was their last,[3] although "Over the Mountain, Across the Sea" returned to the pop charts in 1960, peaking at #89 the second time around.[4]

Richardson and Rivers resumed their professional partnership later in the 1960s. During the 1970s and 80s they performed in oldies concerts, and made a critically acclaimed album, Kingdom of Love, in 1982.[6] Johnnie Richardson died of complications from a stroke in 1988.

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Johnnie & Joe among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.[7]