CMT News

Funeral services for singer-songwriter Sammy Johns, best known for writing and recording "Chevy Van," will be held Wednesday (Jan. 9) in Belmont, N.C. He died Friday at a Gastonia, N.C., hospital at age 66. Born in Charlotte, N.C., Johns achieved national success in 1975 when "Chevy Van" became a Top 10 pop hit. The song was later covered on albums by Waylon Jennings and Sammy Kershaw. It was also featured on Eric Church's Caldwell County EP released by Capitol Nashville in 2011. Jennings' recording of Johns' "America" reached No. 6 on Billboard's country songs chart 1984. Johns' songwriting credits also included two No. 1 country singles -- John Conlee's "Common Man" in 1983 and Conway Twitty's "Desperado Love" in 1986. The latter was Twitty's last No. 1 single.