Johnny Horton’s last recording for Fabor Robison’s Abbott Records was a duet with Billy Barton, who had his own career variously promoting him as Hillbilly Barton, Billy Boy Barton, and Laurel London. This was a duo put together in the Abbott studios by Fabor Robison, who was always experimenting with various combinations of songs and artists. He could do this in the comfort of his own studio complex in Malibu, California, where he attracted songwriters, singers and musicians to work for his demanding but perfectionist goals. Billy Barton was the cousin of Robison’s partner, Russell Sims. Born in London, Kentucky (the origin of his pseudonym Laurel London), on November 21, 1929, Billy Barton started his career in Pasadena, California on KXLA at the age of 21.
At the time of their collaboration on February 13, 1952, Johnny Horton was 26 and Billy Barton was 22. Horton had already had five releases on Abbott Records; Billy Barton was just getting started. While Barton was just coming into the Abbott fold, Horton was just about to move on. Johnny Horton wanted Tillman Franks to manage him and get his career started in a new direction, while Billy Barton would go on to have releases on King Records, Stars Inc, Fire Records and Sims Records. Billy Barton had a separate career as a songwriter, writing songs he recorded like “You’re You” and “What’s the Matter With Me” as well as those sung by others, including “A Dear John Letter.” He also collaborated with his wife Wanda Wayne. The Johnny Horton-Billy Barton collaboration produced “Bawlin’ Baby” b/w “Somebody’s Rockin’ My Broken Heart” (Abbott 109).
