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 Johnny
Catania was born in Msida, Malta on June 22, 1925.
At an early age he showed his father’s and uncle’s
love for the stage. He participated in Maltese
dramas that had the character of a little boy in
them. Then when he was around 10 years of age his
uncle Carmelo Catania wrote a skit for him called, "It-Trabixu"
(The Corkscrew). This was so highly received by the
audience that he had to do three encores because
they would not stop clapping. From then on he
continued to sing and entertain all over Malta and
Gozo, with various theatrical companies.
When WWII broke out, he was working at the
dockyards. Together with other workers, Johnny
started to entertain his co-workers in the shelters
during the air raids. After the war ended, Johnny
and his cohorts formed a theatrical company called "The
Stage Commandos" which became one of the most
successful stories in the history of show business
in Malta. Johnny was part of the "Radju
Muskettieri" which enjoyed huge success on
Maltese Radio (Rediffusion). He was a co-founder of
"Is-sigha tal-morda" with Monsignor Mikiel
Azzopardi, an hour on the radio dedicated to the
sick. This program was both humorous and religious.
When television came to Malta, Johnny was part of a
very popular show called, "Popping the Pops".
When his sister and her family emigrated to Canada
in 1964, Johnny followed them there and worked at
the Post Office. In his free time he entertained
Maltese emigrants in Windsor, London, Toronto,
Detroit, New York, California, England, and
Australia. He visited Malta often, and usually while
over there he performed with his pal of many years
Charlie Clews.
Johnny wrote many songs which he sang where ever he
travelled, including the current theme song for the
Malta Carnival. He taught traditional Maltese folk
dances and "Il-Parata" to various Maltese
communities in Canada and the United States. He
worked tirelessly in raising money for the
handicapped at "Id-Dar Tal-Providenza" in
Malta.
In 1991, soon after returning from a vacation in
Malta, Johnny suffered a stroke and a few days later
on November 10th he passed away. Johnny was 66 years
old. He always said he was proud to be Maltese and
his heart was always in Malta. |
