3 Musicians Who Made It Big in 1969 (And Then Disappeared Without a Trace)

The year 1969 produced some amazing music and marked the end of one of the greatest eras of rock and pop music. And, unfortunately, quite a few musicians and bands who made it big in 1969 disappeared without a trace, seemingly, after their chart-topping hits faded. And while those names might have disappeared from the top of the charts, they didn’t really disappear entirely. Many of them went on to pursue new ventures. Let’s take a look at what happened to three hitmakers from that year, shall we?

Derek/Johnny Cymbal

This singer/songwriter is a bit of an enigma. To be honest, I had never heard of him until I started putting together this list. But after a bit of research, I found that he hit it big, under two different names, in 1963 and 1969, respectively. Under the name Johnny Cymbal, this Scottish-American musician became a teen star with the song “Mr. Bass Man”. And in 1969, he scored a similarly big hit in the US and Canada with the song “Cinnamon” under the name “Derek.” “Cinnamon” was technically released in 1968, but became a charting hit by 1969.

After that, though, Derek/Johnny Cymbal virtually disappeared from the charts, sans just two minor hits. What happened? Well, it looks like this enigmatic pop star continued to produce music under a variety of names with producer George Tobin. He continued to make music until his tragic death in 1993, but you’d never guess, as he used names such as “Brother John”, “Taurus”, and “Milk,” among others.

Tony Joe White/Swamp Fox

Good ol’ Swamp Fox. Also known as Tony Joe White, this American singer/songwriter and swamp rock pioneer found success in 1969 with the song “Polk Salad Annie”, which hit No. 8 on the Hot 100 chart.

Tony Joe White might not have made it to the charts in a big way after his 1969 hit, but he didn’t really “disappear.” He enjoyed a handful of hits through 1970, though none of them were Top 40 hits like “Polk Salad Annie”. White enjoyed a few additional minor hits in 1976 and 1980, and a few more on the country charts through the early 80s. He made a comeback in the 90s and even toured with Joe Cocker and Eric Clapton. White may have noticeably disappeared from the charts for a time, but he continued to make good music through the 2000s before his passing in 2018.

Keith Barbour

Most would remember Keith Barbour as an actor. He is best known for his roles in television series like McCloud and The Fall Guy. However, he was also a singer/songwriter. Barbour was once a member of the bands The Jabberwocks and New Christy Minstrels, but his biggest claim to musical fame came in 1969. The song “Echo Park”, along with its album of the same name, became a hefty hit that year on the pop charts. He released a follow-up single in 1970, but never scored as big a hit again.

Keith Barbour makes it to our list of musicians who disappeared after 1969 for good reason. I can’t find anything about him, at least musically, after 1970. His last television role was in 1989 on the series Chameleons. After that, it really does seem like Barbour disappeared without a trace, though it appears he is still alive today.

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