Candy Johnson

Who was Candy Johnson?

Candy Johnson was an American singer and dancer who appeared in several films in the 1960s.

She was born Born Victoria Jean Hulstead in Los Angeles, California, and graduated from San Gabriel High School. Her most notable films are the American International Pictures Beach Party films, in which she played Candy a girl who could dance so hard it would literally knock the guys off their feet. In the first film in the series, Beach Party, she is credited as the "perpetual motion dancer. She remained a part of the series for the next three films, with her last appearance in it being in 1964 in Pajama Party, where she had a small cameo role.

She also recorded under the name "Candy Johnson and her Exciters." The Exciters were a band her agent Red Gilson managed and partnered her with. The recordings of Candy and the Exciters were released by Canjo records, a private label started by Johnson and Gilson in 1964 to capitalize on her club and film appearances. Canjo was in business for only one year and released two albums and seven singles.

She also appeared at the 1964 World's Fair in Flushing, Queens, New York. After seeing her show, the New York rock group The Strangeloves were inspired to write their hit single "I Want Candy," which reached #11 on the Billboard charts. The song would be rerecorded by a number of artists over the following decades including The Tremoles, Bow Wow Wow and Aaron Carter.