Ken Johnson (musician)

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Kenrick Reginald Hymans "Snakehips" Johnson (born September 10, 1910 in British Guiana , † March 8, 1941 in London ) was a British musician and dancer; He was the first black Swing - Bandleader Britain .

Johnson came from the former colony of British Guiana ; when he was 15, his parents sent Kenrick to England for training, where he attended Sir William Borlase's Grammar School in Marlow, Buckinghamshire . He then studied medicine at Edinburgh University ; he also took dance lessons from the American choreographer Buddy Bradley. Johnson's agile dance style led to his nickname Snakehips. Initially, he was a member of the Leslie Tompson Band before founding his own formation, Ken Johnson and his Rhythm Swingers , which was later renamed The West Indian Orchestra . His band , to which the young guitarist Pete Chilver belonged at times , played jazz and swing and between 1938 and 1940 recorded some records such as Snakehips Swing for Decca Records . The band had an engagement in the London nightclub Café de Paris ; During an air raid on London on March 8, 1941, two bombs fell on the building, killing 34 people, including Ken Johnson and most of his band members. After cremation at Golders Green Crematorium , his ashes were interred in the chapel of his old school in Marlow.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Marlow History ( Memento of the original from February 18, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.marlowtown.co.uk
  2. ↑ The Ken SnakeHips Johnson Story
  3. ↑ Tom Lord Jazz Discography
  4. ↑ Ken "Snakehips" Johnson at westendatwar.org
  5. ↑ Book reveals dark side of The Blitz, Daily Mail , October 5, 2006.
personal data
SURNAME Johnson, Ken
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Johnson, Kenrick Reginald Hymans (full name); Johnson, Snakehips (nickname)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British musician, dancer and swing band leader
DATE OF BIRTH September 10, 1910
PLACE OF BIRTH British Guiana
DATE OF DEATH March 8, 1941
Place of death London