Bill Johnson

Pianist Expenses Johnson shouldn’t be confused using the guitarist Willie Johnson, though any such thing will be sure to occur if somebody shouted away “Johnson!” at a gathering of the initial Memphis edition of Howlin’ Wolf’s 1st combo. Perhaps this is the electrical blues version from the notorious Johnson clan that forced for dominance from the Crazy Western. Neither Johnson wished to go with Wolf when he relocated to Chicago; both had been from the Memphis blues picture for some of their professions and made a good quantity of recordings under their personal titles. Johnson the pianist was especially from the start of Sun Information, site of Wolf’s first recordings aswell as much various other historic activity. Ike Turner was the pianist Johnson changed in another of Junior Parker’s early rings, Small Junior’s Blue Flames. This cooperation continuing, deepening to the main point where in 1954 the outcomes of an excellent recording session had been issued beneath the cooperative music group name of Small Junior Parker & Costs Johnson’s Blue Flames. Paths such as for example “Can’t Understand” and “Dirty Friend Blues,” released on Duke, do well in areas such as for example Tx and Louisiana because of almost relentless touring. Small Richard got one of is own first frontman gigs dealing with this group. Aside from the aforementioned Willie Johnson and undoubtedly Blind Willie Johnson, there are many other people called Costs Johnson in blues that pianist continues to be confused with. There’s a bassist; gleam youthful blues guitarist in United kingdom Columbia. There is certainly a good blues lyric that could be interpreted being a complaint concerning this circumstance: “Early this mornin’ ’bout fifty percent past four, I noticed Costs Johnson comin’ out your door.” Yes, but which? There is also a Chicago guitarist called Expenses Johnson who performed on the roads, beneath the name of Gray Haired Expenses. Big Expenses Broonzy became a member of in the madness, producing some contract-dodging recordings beneath the pseudonym of Big Expenses Johnson.