Jimmy Johnson (guitarist)

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Jimmy Ray Johnson (born February 4, 1943 in Sheffield , Alabama , † September 5, 2019 in Florence , Alabama) was an American guitarist .

Career

Johnson grew up as the son of a factory worker and was inspired to play guitar by the music of Chuck Berry at the age of about twelve , while his parents tried in vain to inspire him to play country music . He earned his first money at a sock hop at the age of 15 and played numerous live performances in Alabama as a teenager. In 1962 he got a permanent position at FAME Studios , he was Rick Hall's first employee. Initially, telephone service and other office work belonged to his field of activity, from the mid-1960s he worked as a studio musician and sound engineer . Among other things, he mixed the classic When a Man Loves a Woman by Percy Sledge .

Johnson played as a rhythm guitarist on the number one hit Respect by Aretha Franklin and the top 10 hits Funky Broadway and Land of 1,000 Dances by Wilson Pickett . In 1969 Johnson left FAME Studios with drummer Roger Hawkins , keyboardist Barry Beckett and bassist David Hood ; They founded their own recording studio, Muscle Shoals Sound Studio , in which numerous well-known artists such as Paul Simon , Cher and Lynyrd Skynyrd made their recordings. Johnson continued to sit behind the mixer a lot, mixing Bob Seger's hit single Old Time Rock and Roll and the Rolling Stones ' Brown Sugar , which the music magazine Rolling Stone included in their 2004 list of the 500 best songs of all time .

Johnson, who in addition to Chuck Berry and Jimmy Reed and Bo Diddley and Chet Atkins was one of (the favorite guitarist of his father) to his major early influences, played mainly Telecaster models from Fender , 6120 by Gretsch and Martin D-28 - Western guitars . At the beginning of his career he played a string gauge of 13 and changed to 12. As he got older, he used a gauge of 11. After selling Muscle Shoals Studios in 2005, he founded his own recording studio with Swamper Sound . He also served on the Board of Directors of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.

Johnson died aged 76 at Northwest Alabama Medical Center, where he was being treated for kidney failure. He left behind his wife, two children of his own and a stepdaughter.

Discography (excerpt)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Q&A with Jimmy Johnson , Gretsch Blog (English)
  2. ↑ a b Jimmy Johnson, Muscle Shoals Guitarist Who Backed Soul & Rock Giants, Dead at 76 , Rolling Stone (English)
  3. ↑ a b Muscle Shoals co-founder Jimmy Johnson dies aged 76 , the Guardian (English)
  4. ↑ a b c Muscle Shoals guitarist Jimmy Johnson dead at 76 , Guitar World (English)
  5. ↑ a b Jimmy Johnson, studio musician who backed the Stones, Aretha Franklin and others, dies , The Los Angeles Times (English)
  6. ↑ a b Jimmy Johnson, Studio Staple of Southern Soul and Pop, Dies at 76 in The New York Times (English)
personal data
SURNAME Johnson, Jimmy
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Johnson, Jimmy Ray
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American guitarist
DATE OF BIRTH February 4, 1943
PLACE OF BIRTH Sheffield , Alabama
DATE OF DEATH 5th September 2019
Place of death Florence , Alabama