Johnny Tillotson, the Voice of ‘Poetry in Motion,’ Passes Away

Johnny Tilltson’s Legacy

Veteran American pop and country singer Johnny Tilltson passed away at the age of 86.

Announcement of His Passing

Yesterday, his wife Nancy Tilltson shared the news of his death on social media (April 2). In an additional statement, PEOPLE, Nancy confirmed that his passing followed a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.

Tilltson was perhaps best known for his 1961 hit “Poetry in Motion,” along with other popular songs such as “Talking About You” and “He’ll Have to Go,” the latter of which was covered by Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, and Elvis Presley.

In a heartfelt post on Facebook, Nancy expressed: “Someone said that sometimes right in the middle of ordinary life you get a fairy tale. On the day I met him, I got mine. He was funny, generous and kind. A true gentleman.”

See the full post below.

Johnny Tillotson began his music career in 1958, and three years later, he soared to mainstream fame with the hit song “Poetry in Motion,” which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1962, he received the first of his two Grammy nominations for the song “He’ll Have to Go,” which reached third place on the Hot 100 and was covered by several icons, including Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, Wanda Jackson, and Conway Twitty.

His second Grammy nomination came from his 1965 song “Hearts of Stone.”

His other notable hits include “Judy, Judy, Judy,” “Send Me the Pillow You Dream On,” “You and I,” and “You Can Never Stop Me from Loving You.”

Tillotson was inducted into the American Pop Music Hall of Fame in 2014, and just days before his passing, he released the single “Everything That I Touch Turns to Blue.”