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The epitome of tall, dark and handsome, Wayne Massey made his television debut as country/rock superstar Johnny Drummond on the daytime soap opera One Life to Live (1968) in the winter of 1979, attracting the immediate attention of viewers for his striking appearance as well as gentle sex appeal and sensuous singing voice. Quickly paired with songbird Becky Lee Abbott, portrayed by the popular Mary Gordon Murray, the couple promptly captured the daytime audience with their romantic duets and star-crossed lover story line. Landing this role was a new and unexpected adventure for the multi-talented Wayne Massey who never intended a career in show business.
Born Donald Wayne Massey, the youngest son of Floy and Georgia Massey, in Glendale, California, "Don" enjoyed an ideal childhood with his traditionally close family on a little ranch about 50 miles north of Glendale, not far from Palmdale, in rural Leona Valley. From an early age, he and older brother Warren were instructed in the various entertainment arts (singing, dancing, guitar, drama, etc.) by their well-respected and talented mother who owned and operated a professional school ("Georgia Massey's School of Song and Dance" in the San Fernando Valley), and from whom successful artists such as Connie Stevens, The Lettermen, Bobby Sherman, and the The Osmonds also received vocal training.
Just as his sophomore year at Palmdale High School ended in the summer of 1963, Wayne's family relocated to the San Fernando Valley. There, he enrolled as a junior at James Monroe High School that Fall and signed up for the choir as well as the varsity baseball team. Popularity came swiftly as he joined the ranks of campus "jocks" and drew attention for his size, looks, quick sense of humor, gentlemanly ways and distinctive John Wayne-like walk. Encouraged by his mother while a senior in high school, Wayne (still called Don), his brother, two cousins and a schoolmate, formed a group called "The Bompers" and released a 45rpm single called "Do The Bomp" on the Hanna-Barbera Records label. The record was a co-production with Coca-Cola and KFWB radio for the station's teen-oriented "Bomp Club" and was a local hit. Around that same time, and under an alternate moniker "The Dukes", the two brothers and a cousin also released another local hit record called "Surf Bird".
Wayne's first love and chosen career path, however, was baseball. His outstanding athletic talent was confirmed when he was drafted as a pitcher by the Anaheim Angels right out of high school. But, just as this promising career began, it was abruptly destroyed by a near deadly car accident. Suffering severe injuries, it ended all dreams of becoming a professional baseball star.
After many months of hospitalization and physical therapy, Wayne re-focused his attention towards his Mormon Church, and spent the next 2 1/2 years as a missionary in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela, where he also learned to speak fluent Spanish. After returning home, he hurriedly married for the first time, moved from his home in southern California to Provo, Utah, became the proud father of a son named Judd, and met the personal challenge of earning a Master's Degree in business from Brigham Young University.
Wayne was subsequently building a career as a Production Analyst ("Efficiency Expert") for a manufacturing company back in California, when it was suggested during a recreational drama class he was taking in late 1979 that he should attend an audition. As it turned out, his singing talent, extraordinary looks, movie idol smile, and natural way of delivering a line instantly landed him a role on the soap opera One Life to Live (1968). In fact, instead of the role of Bo Buchanan, which went to Robert S. Woods, Wayne was quickly contacted and informed by ace casting director Mary Jo Slater, that the singing character of Johnny Drummond was being created just for him as a result of this first ever audition. Wayne was quite surprised, but the timing of this unexpected opportunity was perfect, because, as he revealed in an interview on the The Merv Griffin Show (1962) in 1980, he had recently received personal threats in the form of his car being blown up because of the effects of his current occupation. As he also related to Merv and his amused audience, "After that, I said to myself; 'Self', this probably isn't what I want to do for a livelihood!". So, being a single father, the decision to change careers wasn't too difficult under the circumstances.
Soon after joining the cast of One Life to Live (1968) and taking the studio execs' advise to start going by his middle name, Wayne signed with Polydor Records and released his first record album "Wayne Massey: One Life To Live" in 1980. Additionally during the early 1980's he guested on various TV programs such as The Merv Griffin Show (1962), Hee Haw (1969), Dinah! (1974), and Nashville Now (1983). He also hosted 100 episodes of "Nashville After Hours", a popular country music interview show on The Nashville Network (TNN), as well as starring in, and performing the theme song for the made-for-TV movie pilot "Crossfire".
After opting to leave One Life to Live (1968) as a regular recurring character in 1984, Wayne spent the next several years pursuing a career in country music, both singing and producing. Between 1985 and 1986, he and country music artist Charly McClain topped the charts with four hit duets and released a collaborative duets album entitled "When Love Is Right" under the Epic Records label. Under successive labels Polydor, Epic, MCA, and Mercury, he released nine solo singles between 1980 and 1989, as well as his critically acclaimed second solo album "Wayne Massey & Black Hawk" in 1989. He was also nominated as the Academy of Country Music "Top New Male Vocalist" for his 1983 single "Say You'll Stay".
Weary of the politics in the music industry, Wayne exited the field of entertainment in the early 1990s and very successfully redirected his diverse talents back into the business world.
By: C.D.S.
