| Birth Date: | 24 October 1945 |
| Birth Place: | Havertown, Pennsylvania, US |
| Death Place: | Cape May Court House, New Jersey, US |
| Genre: | Country rock |
| Years Active: | 1970–1972 (as musician); 1986–2008 (as actor) |
| Label: | ABC Records |
John Henry Kurtz (October 24, 1945 – March 8, 2008) was an American singer-songwriter and actor best known for performing the song "Drift Away", though the most popular version of it is recorded by Dobie Gray.
John Henry Kurtz was born on October 24, 1945, in Havertown, Pennsylvania. He released his first and only studio album, Reunion, in 1972. The album contains "Drift Away", which was written by Mentor Williams but performed by Kurtz.[1]
While Kurtz's musical career was unsuccessful, he later turned to acting. He lived most of his life in Vail, Colorado, and moved to New York City in 1981. He also served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam era.[2] A resident of Cape May, New Jersey, Kurtz died of cancer at Cape Regional Medical Center on March 8, 2008.[3] [4]
| Year | Title | Role | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The Cosby Mysteries | Mr. Poppy | TV movie | |
| 2006 | Exiled | Newscaster | ||
| 2009 | Frame of Mind | Man on the phone | Posthumous role |
| Year | Title | Role | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986–1994 | Saturday Night Live | Announcer; The Global Warming Christmas Special Announcer; Colon Blow announcer; Dan Quayle: President narrator; Announcer: Pork commercials (voice) | 5 episodes | |
| 1990 | H.E.L.P. | Calwin | 1 episode | |
| 1991 | Law & Order | Pelletier | 1 episode | |
| 1994 | The Cosby Mysteries | Mr. Poppy | 1 episode | |
| 1996 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | Voice Announcer | 1 episode | |
| 2000–2004 | Little Bill | TV Announcer; Newscaster; Baseball Announcer | 3 episodes | |
| 2001 | 100 Centre Street | Hostage | 1 episode | |
| 2007 | Power, Privilege & Justice | Narrator | 1 episode |