A prolific composer of rhythm and blues who stayed on the road in his bus playing well over 125 one nighters a year throughout the 1940’s thriving and surviving until finally slowing down in the latter 50’s.
He first appeared on Decca's "race music" imprint in 1939, and he stayed with the label until 1953, then recording for Mercury until 1958, and his last album was on Roulette in 1958. When not on the road, or in the studio, he had a long standing gig at the Savoy Ballroom in New York City where his popular 17 member band held numerous box office records. Johnson's musical style was primarily swinging R&B directed towards black audiences, characterized by exhuberant, driving and danceable sounds, often aided by his little sister Ella on vocals or male singer Arthur Prysock who left for a solo career in 1952. His touring group at it's peak had 4 trumpets including Gil Askey, four trombones including Slide Hampton, five saxophones, string bass, guitar, drums and Johnson directing matters, often from the piano.
As brassy big band R&B sounds fell out of favor, Johnson fought the times and kept a steady road retinue up, particularly in the south, but his sound was perhaps too sophisticated to ever crossover to the modern teeny bop rock n roll crowd. In 1950, at his commercial apex, he told an interviewer of his apathy about the music he had to play to please crowds "Personally I like the classics, but i can't eat classics."
Johnson's band was known as the "Walk 'Em Rhythm" orchestra which desribed the relaxed pace that encouraged patrons to dance. His music was recorded by other artists as well including The Ink Spots, The Harptones, Lenny Welch, The Sonics, and Nina Simone.
Johnson's death after a painful battle with a cancerous brain tumor in 1977 triggered an acrimonius legal battle for control of publishing that was lost by his sister and son vs a new common law wife he lived with near the end of his life in Georgia. Buddy's impoverished sister Ella Johnson who had sung numerous hit Buddy Johnson records and toured with him for two decades, received scant royalties, and lived in public housing until her death in 2004.
from wikipedia:
Johnson took piano lessons as a child, and classical music remained one of his passions. In 1938 he moved to New York, and the following year toured Europe with the Cotton Club Revue, being expelled from Nazi Germany. Later in 1939 he first recorded for Decca Records with his band, soon afterwards being joined by his sister Ella as vocalist.
By 1941 he had assembled a nine-piece orchestra, and soon began a series of R&B and pop chart hits. These included "Let's Beat Out Some Love" (#2 R&B, 1943, with Johnson on vocals), "Baby Don't You Cry" (#3 R&B, 1943, with Warren Evans on vocals), his biggest hit "When My Man Comes Home" (#1 R&B, No. 18 pop, 1944, with Ella Johnson on vocals), and "They All Say I'm The Biggest Fool" (#5 R&B, 1946, with Arthur Prysock on vocals). Ella Johnson recorded her version of "Since I Fell for You" in 1945, but it did not become a major hit until recorded by Lenny Welch in the early 1960s.
In 1946 Johnson composed a Blues Concerto, which he performed at Carnegie Hall in 1948. His orchestra remained a major touring attraction through the late 1940s and early 1950s, and continued to record in the jump blues style with some success on record on the Mercury label like "Hittin' on Me" and "I'm Just Your Fool". Rock and roll eventually halted Johnson's momentum, but his band (tenor saxophonist Purvis Henson was a constant presence in the reed section) kept recording for Mercury through 1958, switched to Roulette the next year, and bowed out with a solitary session for Hy Weiss's Old Town label in 1964.
Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?
Buddy Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It went zoomin′ cross the left field wall.
Yeah boy!
Yes, yes. Jackie hits that ball.
And when he swung his bat,
The crowd went wild,
Because he knocked that ball a solid mile.
Yes, yes. Jackie hit that ball.
Satchel Paige is mellow,
So is Campanella,
Newcombe and Doby, too.
But it's a natural fact,
When Jackie comes to bat,
The other team is through. Boy.
Did you see Jackie Robinson hit that ball?
Did he hit it? Boy, and that ain′t all.
He stole home.
Yes, yes, Jackie's real gone.
Satchel Paige is mellow,
So is Campanella,
Newcombe and Doby, too.
But it's a natural fact,
When Jackie comes to bat,
The other team is through. Boy.
Did you see Jackie Robinson hit that ball?
Did he hit it? Boy, and that ain′t all.
He stole home.
Yes, yes, Jackie′s real gone.
Jackie's is a real gone guy.
Buddy Johnson's song "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?" is an ode to Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play in Major League Baseball. The song celebrates Robinson's talent and the impact he had on the game, as well as his role in breaking down barriers for other black athletes.
The lyrics focus on Robinson's skills as a batter and base runner, with lines like "Did he hit it? Boy, and that ain't all. He stole home." The song also mentions other black baseball players of the time, such as Satchel Paige and Roy Campanella, but emphasizes Robinson's unique ability to change the game.
In addition to its cultural significance, the song has also been praised for its musical qualities. The lively tune and catchy lyrics have made it a favorite of baseball fans and music lovers alike, and it has been covered by artists such as Nat King Cole and Count Basie.
Line by Line Meaning
Did you see Jackie Robinson hit that ball?
Did you witness Jackie Robinson hitting that ball?
It went zoomin' cross the left field wall.
The ball went flying over the left field wall.
Yeah boy!
Affirmative.
Yes, yes. Jackie hits that ball.
Indeed, Jackie Robinson hits the ball.
And when he swung his bat,
At the time he swung his bat,
The crowd went wild,
The spectators went crazy,
Because he knocked that ball a solid mile.
Because he hit the ball a tremendous distance.
Satchel Paige is mellow,
Satchel Paige is calm,
So is Campanella,
So is Campanella,
Newcombe and Doby, too.
As well as Newcombe and Doby.
But it's a natural fact,
It's an undeniable truth,
When Jackie comes to bat,
When Jackie is up to bat,
The other team is through. Boy.
The other team has no chance of winning.
Did he hit it? Boy, and that ain't all.
Did he hit it? Absolutely, and there's more to it.
He stole home.
He successfully stole the home base.
Yes, yes, Jackie's real gone.
Indeed, Jackie Robinson is truly remarkable.
Jackie's is a real gone guy.
Jackie is an exceptional person.
Writer(s): Woodrow Buddy Johnson
Contributed by Ava P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Daniel Ippolito
Absolutely beautiful tune, they don’t make ‘em like this no more.
John Douglas
Love this song based on "Rhythm" changes, and other great Buddy Johnson tunes. Great "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" quotes in intro and coda. Jackie Robinson had immense courage. Fortunately, some of his teammates and Dodger manager Leo Durocher were in his corner 100%. Unfortunately, some weren't, and some players on other teams were just as racist as the baseball fans that tried to make his life miserable on the field and off. He always held his head high, with the exception when he was ducking tags while stealing second base. Great tribute song.
Bob Poet
Count Basie's version featured during credits for the movie 42.
Read somewhere that Jackie himself didn't care for this song. Perhaps he was just being modest..... what do you think??
Bob Poet
4 Hall of Famers mentioned in this song, maybe a 5th coming...
lakemen50
David Van Dyke on Saxophone.
Jake
No comments for this piece of history?
surferpam1
Too solid for words, pops.
Alfonso Salgado
Heard on Ken Burns Baseball documentary
Michael Scourby
Not Buddy, Louis Jordan
Paul Luchter
Wrong and Ella Johnson was his wife.