As Johnny Johnson the legendary piano man,  announced that he would retire from touring the world, have you ever thought that there are certain names and nicknames that continually arise in the history of blues. Before looking at the life of Johnny, one of the earliest and perhaps the most well known and loved was Robert Johnson.

On Suite101 blues we have discussed Robert many times, more has been written about Robert than any other blues singer, largely because he has taken on an almost mythical quality. He was the son of a slave and was born in Hazlehurst Mississipi in 1911. His lyrics suggest a tortured man driven by fear of the devil, a frightened man pursued by hell hounds. What a surprise when a photograph of him was finally published in 1986 and showed an elegant young man in a pinstripe suit, button down shirt, waist coat, polished shoes and a jauntily tilted hat. Suddenly the hell hounds seemed like lapdogs.

Tommy Johnson was an alcoholic wanderer with a gentle tremulous voice that used high falsetto to great effect over a walking bass rhythm perfectly integrated. His songs were recorded on the Victor label, enormously influential and in many ways unique. They were certainly far removed from the rough vigor of the Delta style. By the time he was signed up by Paramount in 1929 he had exhausted his best material and was virtually disabled by alcohol.

Pete Johnson was a boogie pianist with Big Joe Turner, in fact the Turner-Johnson showcase ‘Roll Em Pete’ from 1938 had many of the trademarks that would be developed as R and B. Johnson and Turner had a swinging set of bands between 1944 and 1954, mainly recording on the West Coast.

Lonnie Johnson who first recorded in 1925 as a violinist, was the ultimate city entertainer. He was slick intelligent, well dressed and the master of a remarkable number of different styles on both fiddle and guitar. Lonnie made hundreds of records in a broad range of syles, his voice was sweet and smarmy. He acted as a house guitarist for Okeh, accompanying numerous singers of various merit. He also joined Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, providing guitar breaks of dazzling virtuosity far beyond the imagination of most blues singers. Apart from a break in 1930s, he recorded almost continuously through to the end of the 1960s, perhaps a longer career than any other bluesman. Jesse Johnson, a black record distributor and talent scout discovered many of the St Louis bluesmen.

Blind Willie Johnson was an influential and magnificent gospel shouter and superb guitarist who was amongst those who recorded from the country blues centre, Dallas, Texas from 1927. He had seven records issued in 1930, but by 1931 along with Bessie Smith and others, were finding it hard to sell more than a few hundred records, caused by the ‘depression’.

Lil Johnson, a Chicago entertainer, survived the depression and toned down the popular blatant sexual song verses of the period with her suggestive hymns like ‘Hot Nuts’ and ‘Press My Button’ and ‘Lets Get Drunk and Truck’. And of course there was Merline Johnson, the Yas Yas Girl, who made dozens of records with small jazz groups throughout the 1930s.

Theres Alec, and James ‘Stump’ Johnson, and lets not forget Louise, who was a fine barrelhouse pianist with friends Son House and Charley Patton being her biggest fans.

We can see that the history of the blues was littered with the Johnson dynasty. And now read about Johnny Johnson.

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