Johnny Rivers (7 November 1942-), born John Henry Ramistella, was an American rock singer-songwriter who was known for his string of hit singles from 1964 to 1968. Born in New York City in 1942, he was raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and he was influenced by Louisiana's music style. In 1958, Alan Freed convinced him to change his stage name in honor of the Mississippi River which flowed through Louisiana, and he moved to Nashville in 1959 and became a songwriter. His 1966 ballad "Poor Side of Town" was his only number-one hit, but he founded the successful Soul City Records company and released several successful covers during the late 1960s. In 1972, amid that year's presidential election and the Vietnam War, he released two get-out-the-vote songs in support of Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern and also wrote a heartfelt antiwar song ("Come Home America"). In 1981, he converted to Christianity, and he went on to perform 50 to 60 shows a year as a touring artist even after he stopped recording original music.