From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Mon Jul 8, 2002  1:16 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Johnnie Johnson
 
JOHNNIE JOHNSON

Born 8 July 1924, Fairmont, West Virginia; died 13 April 2005, St. Louis, MO

Pianist / singer.
Johnson's name may not be well known but his sound has been
heard by millions: he was the piano player on most of Chuck Berry's
classic Chess Records tracks. Johnson began learning to play piano
at the age of seven without the benefit of lessons, influenced by jazz
and boogie-woogie musicians such as Earl Hines, Meade 'Lux' Lewis
and Clarence 'Pinetop' Smith. After a spell in the US Army Johnson
began performing professionally in 1946, and in 1952, leading the Johnnie
Johnson Trio, he hired the young Berry as his singer/guitarist. Berry soon
began writing the group's songs and became its leader. Chess artist Muddy
Waters suggested the group audition for that label and Berry was signed in
1955. Johnson can be heard on Berry hits such as 'Maybellene', 'Roll Over
Beethoven', 'School Day' and, after Chuck's release from prison, 'You Never
Can Tell'. Johnson also played in Berry's road band but left in the 60s, working
with blues guitarist Albert King, among others. Johnson led his own band in
the 70s but still worked with Berry on occasion.
But through it all - the birth of rock and roll with Chuck Berry and the
inspired
recordings with Albert King, Johnnie toiled largely unrecognized by the public.
That is, until 1986, when Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards sought out
Johnnie for the documentary Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll. Richards observed that
many of Chuck Berry's songs were written in piano keys and that without
Johnnie's melodies, the most influential songs in rock and roll history
would be "just a lot of words on paper." Moreover, Johnnie's performance
during the film left no doubts as to his unequaled prowess at the keyboard.
Since the film, Johnnie has begun to receive the public acclaim he so justly
deserves. Widely recognized by the industry as one of the world's greatest
living blues pianists, he has released five solo albums and contributed his
considerable talent to recordings by John Lee Hooker, Eric Clapton, Buddy
Guy, Bo Diddley and the late Jimmy Rogers.

CD recommendation : Though none of his solo CD's is really satisfying,
I would probably pick "Johnnie B. Bad" (Elektra, 1991) as first choice.
Biography: Travis Fitzpatrick, Father Of Rock & Roll : The Story Of Johnnie
Johnson. Houston : Thomas, Cooke and Company, 1999.

Updated 23 April 2005