BOTOX RIVER, SAVE MY VOICE

After a thirty year struggle with his voice, "Whiskey River" author Johnny Bush is performing once again, thanks to an unlikely remedy. Back in 1972, while starting to promote "Whiskey River" after a string of successful singles, Bush realized his voice was becoming strained and he could no longer hit the high notes that garnered him the nickname "the country Caruso." At first he thought God was taking away his talent because of his adulterous relationships with women. "I thought because of my promiscuous behavior and bad choices and being raised as a Baptist, that it was a punishment from God," Bush says. University doctors could find nothing wrong with his vocal cords, such as cancer, polyps or nodules. It was finally discovered that his problem was a neurological condition called spasmodic dysphonia that stems from involuntary spasms around the vocal cords. Since doctors could find nothing physically wrong, Bush thought, "Well, I'll wake up tomorrow and it'll be gone. That's what kept me going." Years of perseverance paid off when it was discovered that the spasms could be controlled by injecting Botox directly into the throat muscles.

Now Johnny's career is back in full swing. University of Texas Press recently published his autobiography, Whiskey River (Take My Mind), co-written with Rick Mitchell. In addition, a companion cd entitled Kashmere Gardens Mud has been released. The cd honors the traditional country music heritage of his native Houston, with the title referencing the dusty neighborhood where he grew up.

When asked recently about his current disposition, Johnny says, "I'm at the top of my game. I'm the healthiest I've ever been."