Bill Johnson

Pianist Bill Johnson should not be confused with the guitarist Willie Johnson, though such a thing would be sure to happen if someone shouted out "Johnson!" at a meeting of the original Memphis version of Howlin' Wolf's first combo. Perhaps this was the electric blues version of the notorious Johnson clan that pushed for dominance of the Wild West. Neither Johnson wanted to go along with Wolf when he moved to Chicago; both were associated with the Memphis blues scene for most of their careers and made a respectable amount of recordings under their own names. Johnson the pianist was particularly associated with the early days of Sun Records, site of Wolf's first recordings as well as much other historic activity. Ike Turner was the pianist Johnson replaced in one of Junior Parker's early bands, Little Junior's Blue Flames. This collaboration continued, deepening to the point where in 1954 the results of a superb recording session were issued under the cooperative band name of Little Junior Parker & Bill Johnson's Blue Flames. Tracks such as "Can't Understand" and "Dirty Friend Blues," released on Duke, did well in areas such as Texas and Louisiana thanks to nearly relentless touring. Little Richard got one of his first frontman gigs working with this group. Besides the aforementioned Willie Johnson and of course Blind Willie Johnson, there are plenty of other people named Bill Johnson in blues that this pianist has been confused with. There is a bassist; there is also a young blues guitarist in British Columbia. There is even a blues lyric that might be interpreted as a complaint about this situation: "Early this mornin' 'bout half past four, I seen Bill Johnson comin' out your door." Yes, but which one? There was also a Chicago guitarist named Bill Johnson who played on the streets, under the name of Grey Haired Bill. Big Bill Broonzy joined in the madness, making some contract-dodging recordings under the pseudonym of Big Bill Johnson. ~ Eugene Chadbourne