Bill Johnson (banjo player)
William K. "Bill" Johnson (* 1905 in Lexington (Kentucky) , † 1955 there) was an American jazz musician ( banjo , guitar , vocals).
Johnson first worked with local groups in his hometown and in Louisville before 1926 New York City moved. There he first played with the Dixie Ramblers and in 1927 in George Howe's band , then stayed longer with Luis Russell (1927-1932). During these years he also made recordings with the Syncopators of King Oliver , with Jelly Roll Morton , Regina "Queen" Spivey and Addie "Sweet Pease" Spivey. He can also be heard in recordings by Fats Waller , JC Higginbotham . Vocally he appeared on records by Jack Purvis and Red Allen ("You Might Get Better, But You'll Never Get Well"). He worked for Fess Williams in 1933 and 1934 , and then became a freelance guitarist in the later 1930s. Then he retired to Lexington and ended his career as a professional musician.
Lexigraphic entries
- Leonard Feather , Ira Gitler : The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. Oxford University Press, New York 1999, ISBN 0-19-532000-X .
- Wolf Kampmann (Ed.), With the assistance of Ekkehard Jost : Reclams Jazzlexikon . Reclam, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-15-010528-5 .
Web links
- Bill Johnson at Allmusic (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Johnson, Bill |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Johnson, William K .; Johnson, Billie |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American jazz musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1905 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Lexington, Kentucky |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1955 |
| Place of death | Lexington, Kentucky |