Johnny Patterson -- Published: Friday, April 16, 2010 - Daily Journal. LONGVIEW, TX — Memorial service for Country Music Great John Alvin “Johnny” Patterson will be held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, April 13, 2010 with Chaplain Jerry Haymes officiating at Lakeview Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Lakeview Memorial Gardens. Johnny passed away on April 8, 2010 in Longview. He was born March 28, 1935 in Cantwell, Missouri to John and Nora Belle Patterson. His sister gave him his first guitar when Johnny was eight and at the age of ten he was already picking and singing on KFMO Radio in Flat River, Missouri. He got his first job with Al Roberts and the Missouri Playboys, and his first bit job was with Skett Yancy when he was thirteen. Johnny went on to play with such greats as Charley Pride, Vonnie Mack, Roy Meese, Minnie Pearl, Jimmy Dean and other Country Music Greats. His most memorable moment came when he was one of Bob Willis’ Texas Playboy’s. The band was recording a record at Liberty Records in California and Bob pointed to Johnny with his legendary bow and Johnny immediately started his solo, combining two of Bob’s biggest hits, Faded Love and A Maidens Prayer, which was the first time that it had ever been done. Johnny leaves behind to cherish his memory, his daughter Deborah Sterling, granddaughter Mitzi Dixon, great grandchildren, Cody Dixon, Andrew Bailey, Jewel Marie Bailey, Skyler Bailey and William Tyler Bailey.