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.
A Story About Barbara
Lonnie Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yes, Barbara ‘s the kind of woman, a man don't find every day.
She ‘s got a way of stealin' in your heart, just don't want her to get away.
She ‘s so good lookin', when I need her she ‘s always ‘round.
Yes, she ‘s so good lookin', when I need her she ‘s always ‘round.
And when she says, “Daddy, did you call me?” She made my love come fallin' down.
Yes, so fine and mella, with coal black curly hair.
And every part spells love, oh Jack, and it's really there.
Man, you ain't seen nothing, till you dig Barbara from her head on down.
Man, you ain't seen nothin', till you dig Barbara from her head on down.
Jack, she can bring a dead man back to life, and make a hound dog root up the ground.
Yes, Barbara ‘s so fine and mella, I'm afraid to leave her home.
Yes, my baby ‘s so fine and mella, I'm afraid to leave her home.
‘Cause I know I would drop dead, if I'd come home and find my baby gone.
The lyrics to Lonnie Johnson's song "A Story About Barbara" describe the singer's deep admiration and infatuation for a woman named Barbara. They emphasize how special and rare Barbara is, stating that she's not a woman a man finds every day. The singer is captivated by Barbara's physical appearance, describing her as good looking with coal black curly hair. They also praise her personality and charm, noting that she has a way of stealing into one's heart. Barbara seems to hold a powerful presence in the singer's life, always being there when needed and evoking a strong emotional response from them.
Line by Line Meaning
Man, Barbara ‘s a kind of woman, a man don't find every day.
Barbara is an extraordinary woman, she stands out and is not easily found by any man.
Yes, Barbara ‘s the kind of woman, a man don't find every day.
Indeed, Barbara possesses unique qualities that are rare to come across in women.
She ‘s got a way of stealin' in your heart, just don't want her to get away.
She has a captivating charm that makes you fall for her, and you never want to lose her.
She ‘s so good lookin', when I need her she ‘s always ‘round.
She has a stunning appearance, and whenever I need her, she is always by my side.
Yes, she ‘s so good lookin', when I need her she ‘s always ‘round.
Indeed, she is incredibly attractive, and whenever I require her presence, she promptly comes to me.
And when she says, “Daddy, did you call me?” She made my love come fallin' down.
When she lovingly addresses me as 'Daddy' and asks if I called her, it melts my heart and makes my love for her grow even stronger.
She ‘s so fine, so mella, with coal black curly hair.
She is extremely beautiful, calm, and composed, with luscious black curls.
Yes, so fine and mella, with coal black curly hair.
Indeed, she possesses extraordinary beauty and an air of tranquility, with her curly black hair.
And every part spells love, oh Jack, and it's really there.
Every aspect of her being exudes love, my dear Jack, and it is absolutely genuine.
Man, you ain't seen nothing, till you dig Barbara from her head on down.
You haven't witnessed anything truly remarkable until you explore every aspect of Barbara, starting from her head down to her toes.
Man, you ain't seen nothin', till you dig Barbara from her head on down.
Indeed, you haven't experienced anything extraordinary until you delve deep into exploring every detail of Barbara, from her head to her feet.
Jack, she can bring a dead man back to life, and make a hound dog root up the ground.
My dear Jack, she has the power to revive a lifeless soul and make a lethargic hound dog enthusiastically dig up the earth.
Yes, Barbara ‘s so fine and mella, I'm afraid to leave her home.
Undoubtedly, my beloved Barbara is incredibly exquisite and gentle, and I fear being away from her.
Yes, my baby ‘s so fine and mella, I'm afraid to leave her home.
Certainly, my darling is exceptionally elegant and calm, and I am hesitant to be apart from her.
‘Cause I know I would drop dead, if I'd come home and find my baby gone.
The reason being, I am certain that if I were to return home and discover my sweetheart missing, the shock would be so great that it could potentially cause my demise.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind