Mary Johnson (singer)
Encyclopedia
Mary Johnson was an American
classic female blues
singer, accordionist and songwriter. Her most noted tracks were "Dream Daddy Blues" and "Western Union Blues." She wrote a number of her own tracks including "Barrel House Flat Blues", "Key To The Mountain Blues" and "Black Men Blues." Johnson variously worked with Peetie Wheatstraw
, Tampa Red
, Kokomo Arnold
and Roosevelt Sykes
, and was married to her fellow blues musician, Lonnie Johnson
.
, United States
, she ultimately recorded twenty two tracks between 1929 and 1936. These comprised eight songs in 1929, six in 1930, a couple more in 1932, four in 1934, and her final two recordings in 1936. Over that timespan her accompanists included Henry Brown, Judson Brown, Roosevelt Sykes, Peetie Wheatstraw, Ike Rodgers, Tampa Red, Artie Mosby, and Kokomo Arnold.
Prior to her recording career, Johnson relocated to St. Louis, Missouri
in 1915, where in her teenage years she worked with several of that time's leading blues musicians. She married Lonnie Johnson
, although their marriage only lasted from 1925 to 1932. Nevertheless, they had six children. Johnson worked in the St. Louis area until the mid-1940s. Her song, "Key To The Mountain Blues", was recorded in 1948 by Jess Thomas as "Mountain Key Blues."
By the 1950s, Johnson had long since given up a music career, and concentrated on her religion and worked in a hospital. In 1960, Johnson was interviewed by Paul Oliver
with extracts in his book, Conversation With The Blues. Oliver stated "Living with her mother Emma Williams in an apartment on Biddle Street, St. Louis, Johnson has known considerable poverty for many years."
Johnson died in 1970.
In 1995, her entire known recordings were released by Document Records
on the compilation album
, Complete Works in Chronological Order (1929-1936).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
classic female blues
Classic female blues
Classic female blues was an early form of blues music, popular in the 1920s. An amalgam of traditional folk blues and urban theater music, the style is also known as vaudeville blues. Classic blues were performed by female vocalists accompanied by pianists or small jazz ensembles, and were the...
singer, accordionist and songwriter. Her most noted tracks were "Dream Daddy Blues" and "Western Union Blues." She wrote a number of her own tracks including "Barrel House Flat Blues", "Key To The Mountain Blues" and "Black Men Blues." Johnson variously worked with Peetie Wheatstraw
Peetie Wheatstraw
Peetie Wheatstraw was the name adopted by the singer William Bunch, an influential figure among 1930s blues singers...
, Tampa Red
Tampa Red
Tampa Red , born Hudson Woodbridge but known from childhood as Hudson Whittaker, was an American Chicago blues musician....
, Kokomo Arnold
Kokomo Arnold
Kokomo Arnold was an American blues musician.Born as James Arnold in Lovejoy's Station, Georgia, he got his nickname in 1934 after releasing "Old Original Kokomo Blues" for the Decca label; it was a cover of the Scrapper Blackwell blues song about the city of Kokomo, Indiana...
and Roosevelt Sykes
Roosevelt Sykes
Roosevelt Sykes was an American blues musician, also known as "The Honeydripper". He was a successful and prolific cigar-chomping blues piano player, whose rollicking thundering boogie-woogie was highly influential.-Career:Born in Elmar, Arkansas, Sykes grew up near Helena but at age 15, went on...
, and was married to her fellow blues musician, Lonnie Johnson
Lonnie Johnson
Alonzo "Lonnie" Johnson was an American blues and jazz singer/guitarist and songwriter who pioneered the role of jazz guitar and is recognized as the first to play single-string guitar solos...
.
Biography
Born Mary Williams, in Yazoo City, MississippiYazoo City, Mississippi
Yazoo City is a city in Yazoo County, Mississippi, United States. It was named after the Yazoo River, which, in turn was named by the French explorer Robert La Salle. It is the county seat of Yazoo County and the principal city of the Yazoo City Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, she ultimately recorded twenty two tracks between 1929 and 1936. These comprised eight songs in 1929, six in 1930, a couple more in 1932, four in 1934, and her final two recordings in 1936. Over that timespan her accompanists included Henry Brown, Judson Brown, Roosevelt Sykes, Peetie Wheatstraw, Ike Rodgers, Tampa Red, Artie Mosby, and Kokomo Arnold.
Prior to her recording career, Johnson relocated to St. Louis, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
in 1915, where in her teenage years she worked with several of that time's leading blues musicians. She married Lonnie Johnson
Lonnie Johnson
Alonzo "Lonnie" Johnson was an American blues and jazz singer/guitarist and songwriter who pioneered the role of jazz guitar and is recognized as the first to play single-string guitar solos...
, although their marriage only lasted from 1925 to 1932. Nevertheless, they had six children. Johnson worked in the St. Louis area until the mid-1940s. Her song, "Key To The Mountain Blues", was recorded in 1948 by Jess Thomas as "Mountain Key Blues."
By the 1950s, Johnson had long since given up a music career, and concentrated on her religion and worked in a hospital. In 1960, Johnson was interviewed by Paul Oliver
Paul Oliver
-Biography:Oliver was a researcher at the Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development , and from 1978-88 was Associate Head of the School of Architecture. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Gloucestershire...
with extracts in his book, Conversation With The Blues. Oliver stated "Living with her mother Emma Williams in an apartment on Biddle Street, St. Louis, Johnson has known considerable poverty for many years."
Johnson died in 1970.
In 1995, her entire known recordings were released by Document Records
Document Records
Document Records is a British record label that specializes in early American blues, bluegrass, gospel, spirituals jazz, and other rural American genres , generally made between 1900 and 1945...
on the compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Complete Works in Chronological Order (1929-1936).