Here's a bit of music trivia for you. Which Beatles song has its origins in Fresno? Here's a hint - it also has a strong connection to Bakersfield and to one of country music's biggest stars. Today on KVPR's Central Valley Roots the story of Johnny Russell and the song Act Naturally.
Johnny Russell was born in Mississippi but his family moved to Fresno when he was 11, where he attended Fresno High School. He developed his talent as a songwriter, early on writing a hit song for country star Jim Reeves. In 1961 Russell was back in Fresno visiting his mother when he got a call to record a session in Hollywood.
According to Russell, when he learned of the session, he called his girlfriend of the time to cancel a planned date – and their conversation inspired the lyrics of what would become Act Naturally. "They’re going to put me in the movies, they’re going to make a big star out of me, goes the lyric."
Russell claims he wrote the song himself, but he actually shared the songwriting credit with Fresno singer Voni Morrison who worked with Buck Owens’ band at the music venue known as the Fresno Barn. Morrison pitched the song to the Bakersfield country star in 1963 and it became a number one hit on the country charts for Owens. That recording caught the ear of the Beatles who recorded their version in 1965, as a featured vocal for drummer Ringo Starr. Their version of Act Naturally was the flip side of the single Yesterday.
