[1] Born in Greenwood, South Carolina, United States,[1] he studied at Brewer High School but left to join the armed services before graduating.
He joined a local gospel vocal group associated with the Macedonia Baptist Church, and while rehearsing was heard by a fellow churchgoer and nearby neighbor, the record producer and songwriter Jesse James.
[2] Corley began performing in Philadelphia, on bills with Sam Cooke and Joe Simon among others, and James wrote the song "Boogaloo Down Broadway" for him.
[2][5] The Fantastic Johnny C released one album, Boogaloo Down Broadway, which was described by an AllMusic reviewer as "a mini-masterpiece of gritty soul" and contained a number of popular dance tunes.
Continuing to work with Jesse James and the same studio musicians, he released two further singles, credited simply as Johnny C, but failed to find further commercial success.