J.C. Johnson

J.C. JOHNSON (1896-1981) was a central member of the Harlem Renaissance whose work is woven into the fabric of American musical history.

He began his career around 1920, when he moved from his birthplace of Chicago to New York City and became a session pianist for singer Ethel Waters. In 1923, she was the first to record one of his songs, ultimately following with 10 more of his pieces including the premiere recording of TRAV’LIN ALL ALONE, subsequently covered by dozens of artists.

His most productive association with a singer came with Bessie Smith, for whom he wrote more than 10 hit releases. Best known is the classic EMPTY BED BLUES, which has had over 100 recordings.

By the mid-'20s, he had moved into professional songwriting on a regular basis. He wrote or cowrote hundreds of songs for artists such as Billie Holiday (legend has it she performed TRAV’LIN ALL ALONE at her first singing audition), Duke Ellington, Connee Boswell, Bing Crosby and one of the first three songs recorded by a young Ella Fitzgerald.

His many writing collaborators included Fats Waller (“The Joint Is Jumpin” and dozens more), Andy Razaf, George Whiting, Nat Schwartz, Claude Hopkins, Chick Webb and Fletcher Henderson.

In late 20s and early 30s, J.C. wrote for numerous reviews and shows on Broadway and on tour, including material for Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson. He also co-wrote the theme song for the 1934 NAACP convention.

In 1929, he took part as a musician in a collaboration between Italian-American guitarist Eddie Lang and the blues guitarist Lonnie Johnson together with King Oliver and Hoagy Carmichael. The group took the name "Blind Willie Dunn & His Gin Bottle Four" in order to camouflage its inter-racial nature.

Around this period, he briefly had his own band, J.C. Johnson and his Five Hot Sparks, and frequently played piano on other artists’ recordings. Later he wrote for the famed Ink Spots and for a time acted as their manager.

During World War II, J.C. volunteered as an ambulance driver. With Andy Razaf he wrote YANKEE DOODLE TAN honoring African American soldiers, performed in the movie HIT PARADE OF 1943.

In 1953, J.C. collaborated on the revue JAZZ TRAIN. The show ran in New York and London’s West End, where it gave two command performances for Queen Elizabeth II, and then toured Europe for three years.

More recently, J.C.’s songs have enjoyed renewed interest, appearing in a number of movies and Broadway revues (AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’, ME AND BESSIE, BUBBLIN’ BROWN SUGAR, the West End’s RENT PARTY and COTTON CLUB). Many modern artists have also recorded his work, including Bette Midler, Bobby Short and Della Reese to name a few.