Alfonzo "Lonnie" Johnson (February 8, 1894 – June 6, 1970) was a pioneering… Read Full Bio ↴Alfonzo "Lonnie" Johnson (February 8, 1894 – June 6, 1970) was a pioneering blues and jazz singer/guitarist born in New Orleans, Louisiana. There is some dispute over the year of his birth, but 1894 is what appears on his passport.
Lonnie Johnson's early recordings are the first guitar recordings that display a single-note soloing style with use of string bending and vibrato. While it cannot be proven that this contains the influence of earlier players who did not record, it is the origin of Blues and Rock solo guitar. Johnson's influence is obvious in Django Reinhardt, T-Bone Walker and virtually all electric blues guitar players.
[citation needed] Raised in a family of musicians, Johnson studied violin and guitar as a child, but concentrated on the latter throughout his professional career. A 1917 tour to England with a revue may have saved his life, for he returned to New Orleans in 1919 to find that most of his family had died in the 1918 influenza epidemic.
In the early 1920s, Johnson worked with the orchestras of Charlie Creath and Fate Marable on riverboats, but he made St. Louis his home in 1925. There he entered and won an Okeh Records blues contest that resulted in his making a series of memorable recordings for the label between 1925 and 1932, including guitar duets with Eddie Lang and vocal duets with Victoria Spivey. In the 1920s, Johnson also made guest appearances on records by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five, the Duke Ellington orchestra, and The Chocolate Dandies, playing 12-string guitar solos in an extraordinary, pioneering single-string style that greatly influenced such future jazz guitarists as Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt, and gave the instrument new meaning as a jazz voice.
Lonnie Johnson's career was a rollercoaster ride that sometimes took him away from music. In between great musical accomplishments, he found it necessary to take menial jobs that ranged from working in a steel foundry to mopping floors as a janitor. He was working at Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Hotel in 1959 when WHAT-FM disc jockey Chris Albertson happened upon him. Albertson succeeded in securing for Johnson a Chicago engagement at the Playboy Club, which launched yet another comeback. Johnson subsequently performed with Duke Ellington and his orchestra and with an all-star folk concert, both at Town Hall, New York City.
He also toured Europe and recorded several albums for the Prestige Bluesville label, some with Elmer Snowden, and one with his Okeh vocal partner, Victoria Spivey. To his great regret, Johnson was always tagged as a blues artist, and he found it difficult to be regarded as anything else. "I had done some singing by then," he explained when asked why he entered the Okeh contest, "but I still didn't take it as seriously as my guitar playing, and I guess I would have done anything to get recorded--it just happened to be a blues contest, so I sang the blues."
Johnson died in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, June 16, 1970 of complications resulting from a 1969 auto accident. He was posthumously inducted into the Louisiana Blues Hall of Fame in 1997.
One of Elvis Presley's earliest recordings was Johnson's blues ballad, "Tomorrow Night", which was also recorded by LaVern Baker
Bob Dylan wrote about the performing method he learned from Johnson in Chronicles, Vol. 1. Dylan thinks Robert Johnson had learned a lot from Lonnie.
Lonnie Johnson's early recordings are the first guitar recordings that display a single-note soloing style with use of string bending and vibrato. While it cannot be proven that this contains the influence of earlier players who did not record, it is the origin of Blues and Rock solo guitar. Johnson's influence is obvious in Django Reinhardt, T-Bone Walker and virtually all electric blues guitar players.
[citation needed] Raised in a family of musicians, Johnson studied violin and guitar as a child, but concentrated on the latter throughout his professional career. A 1917 tour to England with a revue may have saved his life, for he returned to New Orleans in 1919 to find that most of his family had died in the 1918 influenza epidemic.
In the early 1920s, Johnson worked with the orchestras of Charlie Creath and Fate Marable on riverboats, but he made St. Louis his home in 1925. There he entered and won an Okeh Records blues contest that resulted in his making a series of memorable recordings for the label between 1925 and 1932, including guitar duets with Eddie Lang and vocal duets with Victoria Spivey. In the 1920s, Johnson also made guest appearances on records by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five, the Duke Ellington orchestra, and The Chocolate Dandies, playing 12-string guitar solos in an extraordinary, pioneering single-string style that greatly influenced such future jazz guitarists as Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt, and gave the instrument new meaning as a jazz voice.
Lonnie Johnson's career was a rollercoaster ride that sometimes took him away from music. In between great musical accomplishments, he found it necessary to take menial jobs that ranged from working in a steel foundry to mopping floors as a janitor. He was working at Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Hotel in 1959 when WHAT-FM disc jockey Chris Albertson happened upon him. Albertson succeeded in securing for Johnson a Chicago engagement at the Playboy Club, which launched yet another comeback. Johnson subsequently performed with Duke Ellington and his orchestra and with an all-star folk concert, both at Town Hall, New York City.
He also toured Europe and recorded several albums for the Prestige Bluesville label, some with Elmer Snowden, and one with his Okeh vocal partner, Victoria Spivey. To his great regret, Johnson was always tagged as a blues artist, and he found it difficult to be regarded as anything else. "I had done some singing by then," he explained when asked why he entered the Okeh contest, "but I still didn't take it as seriously as my guitar playing, and I guess I would have done anything to get recorded--it just happened to be a blues contest, so I sang the blues."
Johnson died in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, June 16, 1970 of complications resulting from a 1969 auto accident. He was posthumously inducted into the Louisiana Blues Hall of Fame in 1997.
One of Elvis Presley's earliest recordings was Johnson's blues ballad, "Tomorrow Night", which was also recorded by LaVern Baker
Bob Dylan wrote about the performing method he learned from Johnson in Chronicles, Vol. 1. Dylan thinks Robert Johnson had learned a lot from Lonnie.
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A Life In Music Selected Sides 1925 - 1953
Lonnie Johnson Lyrics
Another Woman Booked And Bound To Go I'll tell you sweet woman like I tol' my usta…
Blue Blood Blues Mmmmmm, I feel myself sinkin' down. Mmmmmm, I feel myself si…
Blues for Everybody Down in old Mexico, where a child will slap your…
Blues For Lonnie How can I love you woman, when she stays out…
Blues Stay Away From Me Blues stay away from me. Blues why don't you let me…
Can't sleep any more I been so good to you, and you been so…
Careless Love Love oh love oh careless love Love, love oh careless love Yo…
Chicago Blues Chicago's alright to visit, but please don't hang around Y…
Crowing Rooster Blues What makes a rooster crow every mornin' 'fore day? What make…
Deep Sea Blues I followed my woman, from the station to the train. I…
Drifting Along Blues I'm drifting and drifting, just like a rolling stone I'm dr…
Falling Rain Blues The storm is risin', the rains begin to fall. The storm…
Four-O-Three Blues Relief is all right for some people, PW ‘s work…
Friendless blues Dont the world seem lonesome, battlin by yourself. Dont the …
From 22 To 44 Stay close by me baby, don't leave me for a…
Got The Blues For Murder Only Down in old Mexico where a child will slap your…
Hard Times Ain't Gone No Where People is ravin' 'bout hard times, tell me what it's…
He's a Jelly Roll Baker "Mr. Jelly Roll Baker, let me be your slave When Gabriel…
How Could You Be So Mean How can you be so mean to me baby, when…
I Done Told You VS: Who is that? …
I Found A Dream I found a dream and it really came true I found…
I Love You Mary Lou I’ve done just as you said, dear I’ll give you a…
I'm Guilty If lovin' you ‘s a crime then I'm guilty, there's…
I'm Not Rough Now I ain′t rough And I don't bite But the woman that…
I'm Nuts About That Gal Now she aint good lookin, she dont dress fine. The way…
It Was All In Vain I tried so hard to make you love me, but…
It's Too Late to Cry It's too late to cry baby, you brought it all…
Jersey Belle Blues My nights is so lonely, days is so dog gone…
Jet Black Blues A black cat's full of trouble and I know he…
Just Another Day Just another day for me to love you my dear. Just…
Kansas City Man Blues I'm was first on Main and I started down Beale,…
Keep What You Got Take care of the woman you've got, let your best…
Lazy Woman Blues She was workin' on the project eleven long hours a…
Life Saver Blues It's raining and storming on the sea, we're miles and…
Love is the answer Only those in love, is the ones can understand. Only those…
Love Story Blues I've read love stories, read all kinds of news. I've read…
Man Killing Broad You've got a hatchet under your pillow, baby, you've got'n…
Me And My Crazy Self Me and my crazy self, and a woman make a…
Mr. Johnson's Blues I want all you people, to listen to my song. I…
My My Baby My baby, my baby, don't break your daddy's heart. My baby,…
My Woman Is Gone Well, my baby ‘s gone, and I'm left here to…
Newport Blues Oh, people in this world, is sure hard on me Ah,…
No Good Blues Trouble 's gonna leave, my back door someday. Trouble 's gon…
Nothing but trouble Trouble, trouble, I wonder will it ever end? Trouble, troubl…
Old Fashioned Love I've got that ol' fashioned love in my heart. And there…
Playing With The Strings Malawak ang isip, matalas ang diwa Yun nga lang kakaiba ang…
Racketeers Blues If you've got over fifteen grand's, better split it ninety-n…
Rambler's Blues I'm a roamin' rambler, my home is in no one…
Rocks In My Bed I've rocks in my bed, and I just can't lay…
Seven Long Days It was on last Sunday mornin', when you first told…
She's Makin' Whoopee In Hell Tonight Baby, you've been gone all day, ‘cept to make whoopee…
South Bound Water I live down in the valley, people come from miles…
St. Louis Cyclone Blues I was sitting in my kitchen, lookin' 'way out cross…
Star Dust And now the purple dusk of twilight time Steals across the…
Stay Out Of Walnut Street Alley Mmmmmmmm, I'm drunk as I can be. Mmmmmmmm, I'm drunk as…
The Best Jockey In Town You say you're a race horse mama, your jockey ain't…
The Dirty Dozen Want all you women, to fall in line. Shake your shimmy,…
Tomorrow Night Tomorrow night Will you remember what you said tonight? Tomo…
Trouble Ain't Nothing But The Blues Trouble, trouble ain't nothin' but the blues. Trouble, troub…
Uncle Ned Don't Lose Your Head I'll be glad when you dead, ol' man Ned. I'll be…
Watch Shorty When you come from home in the mornin', you can't…
What A Woman Ive got a big leg woman, that sends my very…
Why Should I Cry Another day gone by darlin', what am I goin' to…
Why Women Go Wrong Man, the reason why, so many women has done gone…
Will You Remember Yes, you don't know how much you gonna need me Until…
Wipe It Off LJ: Sister Kate told Mr. Neal, you can't ride in…
Won't Don't Blues Ah, people, you don't see into the blues like me. Ahhhhh,…
You can't buy love Man, its one thing for sure, you never can tell…
You Only Want Me When You're Lonely You only want me when you're lonely. You only want me…
Your Last Time Out Baby, you've been gone all night long, and the sun…