R.I.P. Johnnie Johnson

[jashley]

Hoy Hoy All,

I hate to be the bearer of truly sad tidings but Johnnie Johnson passed away last Wednesday, April13, 2005. For those of you who don't know, Johnnie was Chuck Berry's keyboard player or you could say, since Chuck originaly joined Johnnie's band, that Chuck was Johnnie's guitar player. Johnnie was THE originator of rock and roll piano and since Chuck's playing was based on copying Johnnie's truly unique chord structures to guitar the author of most of the music on Chuck's songs was really Johnnie. To be more accurate than the accepted credits Johnnie wrote the music and Chuck was the lyricist. I may be prejudiced in Johnnie's favor because Johnnie is one of my keyboard playing heros but that is the way it appears to me.

The jam session in heaven just got one more GREAT player but Johnnie will be sorely missed here. I hope Johnnie, Lowell, Jimi, Robert, Janice, Kieth, Jaco, the Wolf, and the whole gang are tearin' it up .

Johnnie will never really die because his music and life will be replayed and remembered forever.

Peace
j

[Mike]

I noticed that you had "showed your respect" back in November on American Piano Boogie. I read something about Johnnie on another site and it seems that Chuck Berry never paid him the respect ($$$) that he deserved. Shame!

[jashley]

Mike,

Unfortunately you are correct. Recently I read a news report that Johnnie was suing Chuck for past royalties and credit on some of their recordings. It is a shame that two men who worked and lived together for so many years got to the place where one had to sue the other. This is one reason I was so impressed when I went to Bill's web site and read the additional credits for his recent solo effort. Not only did he seem to want to give full credit for everyone involved in the production of his albumn his thanks seemed to be heartfelt. It's bad enough when one businessman steals from another but for one artist to steal from another makes me sad, we're supposed to be better than that.

Peace
j

P.S. I am getting a little nervous about mentioning anyone on this forum, I posted about Hunter Thompson a few days before he died and now right after I mentioned Johnnie he passed away. Is that black hole after me again ? Scully, Muldur where are you? j