Johnny PayCheck’s Son John Gets Back Into Family Business
Pedigree is just too important of a demarcation for talent in the lineage of country music to ever overlook it. If someone’s carrying around a famous name, they deserve a little bit of extra consideration. Usually this comes in handy when you have a young and scrappy performer that comes down the pike showing the promise of being a chip off the old block.
With a wife and three daughters, and a life well lived already, Johnny PayCheck’s son Jonathan is not exactly looking for your adulation to help support a fledgling career as he couch surfs and cuts his teeth at open mics. Nonetheless, he’s here to leave his own mark on music, and to help carry on his father’s name.
John PayCheck is no stranger or newcomer to the music industry. When he was growing up, he would spend summers in service to his famous father on the road, working his way up from a roadie to road manager. He played in bands as well throughout young adulthood. But life took John in the direction of pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Computer Information Systems, and a Masters in Military Strategy and Diplomacy. Working for IBM and flying both helicopters and fixed winged aircraft ended up being young John PayCheck’s calling.
John PayCheck is also a combat veteran and a small business owner, but now that he has a little more free time and found a renewed passion, he’s gotten back in the music game, and just released a couple of new songs. With a name like PayCheck, you don’t have to worry about him straying too far from his country roots. In fact the first song he’s released called “Where Did Our Country Go” is all about renouncing the current direction of the genre his dad help build.
Where did our country go?
Turned our backs and she was gone
Pop stars n false troubadours is all they know
Stole it from our legends long ago
The other new song “Lone Stars” takes a much more upbeat outlook, and is a great traditional country honky tonk song. It showcases some great guitar and fiddle, and a confident delivery by the 2nd generation performer.
“I would like to give people what they feel they have been missing the past 15 years, more traditional country music based off the 90’s sound; with an updated return to a more country western feel that people can dance to,” John PayCheck says. “I believe my widely diverse and unique personal experiences allow me to reach out to many different people and understand them in some small way.”
Though Donald Eugene Lytle was Johnny PayCheck’s birth name, he legally changed it to Johnny PayCheck later, so Jonathan PayCheck is Johnny’s son’s real name. Along with releasing his own music, John has always done what he can to keep his father’s legacy alive. Now he’s re-entered the music game officially, and it will be interesting to see what he has in store.
February 27, 2021 @ 10:02 am
Johnny Paycheck is my all time favorite Country singer period. He grew up an hour away from where i live. In fact that area of Ohio produced an unbelievable group of talented pickers, singers and songwriters. The Adams Boys came from there and became The original Jones Boys as well as backing Paycheck for decades. They also backed Tammy Wynette. To this day Paycheck has numerous cousins still living in the Greenfield area.
Ive eagerly been awaiting his sons album. It was recorded in Nashville with some greats playing on it including Steve Hinson on pedal steel. He has his own voice and style. Hes not a clone of his dad in any way, but hes bringing honor to his dads legacy nonetheless. This is terrific. The 2nd song about Country music is a winner in my book. Cant wait to see John play live.
February 27, 2021 @ 1:40 pm
Paycheck is one of my favorites as well. Highly underrated, and for some reason his back catalogue is a mess. Last I did a tally, about 60% of his studio album discography isn’t in print on a modern format (digital or CD). But there’s a million bargain bin compilations cluttering up the marketplace, most featuring re-recordings of his biggest hits, not the originals. I keep hoping Bear Family will put out a box set of his material, but apparently they’ve encountered licensing issues.
February 27, 2021 @ 3:24 pm
Acca, i agree his catalog needs a big re-release. Im accumulating all the good stuff on vinyl. Original copies of course. Theres a real trove between the Little Darlin label and his Epic label albums with Billy Sherrill producing. Most of those are pretty great. Bear Family has reissued the Little Darlin stuff but its again out of print. Johnny was one of the greatest writer, singer musicisns all in one guys ever.
February 28, 2021 @ 9:02 am
Well I grew up in a era where beer drinking and honky tonkin was the American staple for good old boys and good times period. Mr. Paycheck sang about the truth rather it be about getting locked up to losing the one you love ,only to fall to the wayside and NOT be recognized as one of the greatest ever to play and sing the songs that reflected the times I remember all to well. Today’s country music appeals to a different kind of listener..it seems todays”good ol boys” hear a lot of fluff from fancy ,well groomed pretty boys who wouldn’t understand the struggles, that only the greats of country could sing about. I really hope you :” young paycheck:” can find a way to talk right to the fans hearts but what from what you have to sing about it’s going to be tough. I mean who can write a song about, storming the capital,or making sure you got your mask on in public or how true love of your neighbor or fellow man has become a joke…its going to be tough like I said but you have the blood of one of the greatest performers to ever hit the airwaves so good luck to you sir. I’m pulling for you.
March 6, 2021 @ 8:05 pm
Bear Family only reissued some recordings that Paycheck made under the name Donny Young. They’ve yet to release anything substantial from the Little Darlin’ sessions. Koch started to do that in 2004 and 2005 and the grand plan at the time was supposedly to reissue everything. Not sure why that didn’t happen, but I’d imagine it had something to do with poor sales.
I find Johnny’s albums on Epic to be hit or miss. Personally, I don’t have much use for his albums like She’s All I Got, Loving You Beats All I’ve Ever Seen, Somebody Loves Me, etc. because 10 love ballads in a row is a little too much for me. I much prefer his “outlaw” albums, if only because the subject matter broadened up again and began to more closely resemble his earlier recordings. Slide Off Of Your Satin Sheets, 11 Months and 29 Days, Modern Times and The Last Outlaw are some of my favorite albums of his. But the latter two are only available on vinyl and cassette, respectively, and I have no use for either of those formats. I do most of my listening in the car and at work.
March 8, 2021 @ 11:58 am
Acca, do a search for this: Nowhere to Run : Johnny Paycheck, The Little Darlin Years. Its a big compilation Bear Family put out on CD years back. Its what you are seeking. You may find used copies out there. Unfortunately , its long out of print.. They also released a pared down Little Darlin Paycheck compilation, and it too is out of print. For me, its vinyl all the way, here in Ohio he sold tons of records, so they are plentiful on the used market. I do have the Shakin The Blues- Donny Young CD from Bear Family, it aint bad but not as conpelling as the Little Darlin stuff.
As for Epic, i like ALL the Billy Sherrill albums, but the ones you name are strong for sure. The one called The Hag Told My Story i recently found, its a rarer find, but worth having. Merle sings on it. Heres hoping we get a grand reissue!
March 8, 2021 @ 1:43 pm
Kevin, Nowhere to Run: The Little Darlin’ Years is indeed a great compilation, but I already own it and it’s not Bear Family. It was released by Omni Recording Corporation. I’m assuming the “pared down” compilation you’re talking about is The Real Mr. Heartache, which was put out by the Country Music Foundation. Shakin’ the Blues is the only set of Johnny Paycheck that has been put out by Bear Family. I know this because about five years ago I dug deep into his catalogue and researched it extensively. I even cleaned up his discography page on Wikipedia just like I did for David Allan Coe.
I want the original studio albums, or at least a sequencing of studio tracks (a la Bear Family’s Merle Haggard sets), not more samplings of the “best” songs. I forgot about Mr. Hag Told My Story, that is a great album!
February 28, 2021 @ 12:24 am
There never be another johnny paycheck a true pioneer in phasing his words to everything else he did should have been in country music hall of fame.i remember bck n the day my pops was a steel guitar picker and knew john .one night we were on the bus after his show then we all went to knights inn sat around with band passing guitar around besides other stuff til bout 5am .bck n the day when haywood (bass and john ele lead)and chuck(steel guitar he had a great sound then to???? my favorite country singer RIP
February 28, 2021 @ 8:04 pm
Ive heard similar stories from a picker i used to know about Paycheck staying up all night aftet shows and doing guitar pulls in the motel. My friend got invited to hang with him one night and they jammed and sang songs for hours. My buddy said he came away convinced Paycheck was a genius and had enormous talent like nobody else. The deeper ive got into his story, the more convinced i become that he has been sadly overlooked as one of the greatest ever. This was a guy who actually inspired George Jones to sing better. Not many people have done that.
June 17, 2021 @ 9:51 pm
Luckily I have a couple of his LP’s. He was always one of the best and my favorites
March 7, 2022 @ 5:01 pm
Hello my name is Joshua Wilson and I’m from the Greenfield/Hillsboro area as well my biological mom was Rikki Richardson. I now live in Portland Oregon and always tell people how I’m from the same place he is. You should see my Jonny Paycheck t-shirt!
February 27, 2021 @ 10:03 am
It’s good to see that, considering he is a pilot, the younger Paycheck apparently never spiraled out of control like his dad did on numerous occasions.
February 27, 2021 @ 10:20 am
Paycheck and Coe are ridiculously underrated. Good on John for slinging guitar and sangin.
I could do without the who’s gonna fill their shoes lament. Just stand up, take the fallen’s place, and put it out there.
Everything else is over.
February 27, 2021 @ 11:43 am
Good stuff.
Man, I wish there was a term for ’90s country as a genre rather than just referring to ’90s country when you’re actually just making music with that kind of sound a new today. There are tons of smaller artists doing that and it really needs its own term. Much of the time that’s not really honky tonk, either, it needs it’s own name..
February 27, 2021 @ 2:23 pm
Well, the 90s sound came from the Neotraditional movement in country… so new 90s style country should maybe be neoneotraditional?
February 28, 2021 @ 2:27 am
I personally group 90s-style country in under “strait country” on my music player.
February 28, 2021 @ 3:13 am
Colorado kool aid and take this job and shove it
February 28, 2021 @ 11:41 am
I listen to his music and he is very talented glad I checked it out
March 1, 2021 @ 2:58 pm
Yeah, but was he ever a hit man for the Hell’s Angels?
March 1, 2021 @ 7:08 pm
Johnny Paycheck also went by and recorded under the name: Donny Young. He was known by that when he played Bass Guitar and did Harmony with George Jones as a member of his Band.
Bear Family in Germany, has a Box Set out on Mr Paycheck-Donny Young. Please play -A 11, a big hit for him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64Rtrpg0LIY
March 2, 2021 @ 1:07 pm
I have always thought that Johnny Paycheck had one of the most magnificent voices in country music.
If Trig ever does a post on the best voices in country music, Johnny would have to be in the top 10, along with George Jones, Johnny Bush, Ray Price, Johnny Cash, Dolly and others.
I wish his son the best.
March 2, 2021 @ 6:13 pm
Johnny Paycheck is my favorite outlaw country singer, and he sang good songs! Waylon is great, David Allan coe is great, hank junior was great, but paycheck lived it, he had soul, and he was great!
I am not sure about his son though. I’ll be honest, I’m biased about new country singers like George Strait, Alan Jackson, or whoever. Maybe his son keeps with the tradition, or sounds good, but time will tell.Yeah they might have steel and fiddle, but their voices are too R&B or poppy for me. Paycheck, hank senior, Ernest Tubb, hank snow, and all of the old timers had a distinctive voice, that had a raw sound that no one except Dale Watson, Wayne Hancock, and only a few others can really get close to!
March 25, 2021 @ 10:02 am
i have been a Paycheck fan for many many years
i got a Paycheck T Shirt I have several of the OLD Paycheck CDs “the Little Darlin Years” & Paycheck aka Donny Young–Shakin The Blues & both”I,m A Survivor” CDs one is an original & one a black market. all the same songs but in differant order. & Eddie Stubbs told me about how that came about. at one time i was e mailing his old manager.
i want to know if you will be in west central illinois or eastern Mo
nothing like Real Classical Traditional Country Music
April 18, 2021 @ 7:08 am
I was john’s first road manager after his release from prison. His management company was out of Parkersburg, WV. Dan Mitchell and I wrote the single, plus two other songs on his “The Last Outlaw” album. Johnny’s ma managers also asked
me to write his biography while we were on the road. It has never been published but I still have the manuscript. I knew John Jr. as Beau, when he went on the road with us, and he is the only person I would ever give that manuscript to. John gave me a hell of a look into his life has he wanted for people to see. He told me that all the sensationalism had been written a hundred times before and he wanted to give them an introspective look at himself . I think it should be made into a movie
M
Ed.
April 29, 2021 @ 3:19 am
Hi can you recall who the musicians where who played on the last outlaw album? Where they the same guys who went on the road with him or where they Nashville musicians like Brent Mason, Rob Hajacos, etc?
January 29, 2023 @ 8:25 pm
Was the Parkersburg connection Nina Miller? I played with Mike Cutright along with Gary Adams around Chillicothe years ago.