Floyd Johnson

Floyd "Candy" Johnson (born May 1, 1922 in Madison (Illinois) , † June 28, 1981 in Framingham ) was an American jazz saxophonist.

Johnson started out as a drummer before switching to the saxophone (initially alto, later tenor and baritone). He also played drums in blues bands. As a professional musician, he first played in a band of Chuck Finney in St. Louis before studying saxophone at Wilberforce University and playing in the university band. He then played in bands by Ernie Fields , Tiny Bradshaw and from 1942 to 1947 in Andy Kirk's (Twelve Clouds of Joy), with whose band he also recorded at Decca. According to his own statements, his musical role model was Ben Webster , but like many other saxophonists he was also strongly influenced by Coleman Hawkins . In 1951 he was in the Count Basie Orchestra (recordings with Clef Records), had a band Peppermint Sticks in Detroit and played rhythm and blues and funk jazz in Bill Doggett's band in the late 1950s , where they had hits such as Honky Tonk and Night Train , and Blip Blop . In the 1960s, he began studying music at Bowling Green State University. In 1971 and 1973 he toured France with Milt Buckner (saxophonist Arnett Cobb also took part in the 1973 tour , which was recorded for Black & Blue, The Midnight Shows ). In 1974 he played as a replacement for Paul Gonsalves briefly in the Duke Ellington Orchestra, again in the Count Basie Orchestra and with his friend Clark Terry and recorded in New York with Helen Humes and Roy Eldridge . In 1975 he played at the Bix Beiderbecke Festival in Iowa with the New McKinney's Cotton Pickers . In retirement he lived in Toledo, Ohio and taught in schools.

He got his nickname Candy from a penchant for sweets, but had to go back to his real first name Floyd for recordings in the 1960s when a go-go dancer named Candy Johnson became popular.

Jimmy Forrest was his cousin.

1973 saw his debut album Candy's Mood (Black & Blue).

Web links

• Eugene Chadbourne, Floyd Johnson , All Music