Woodrow Wilson "Buddy" Johnson (January 10, 1915 – February 9, 1977) was an American

jump blues Jump blues is an up-tempo style of blues, usually played by small groups and featuring horn instruments. It was popular in the 1940s and was a precursor of rhythm and blues and rock and roll. Appreciation of jump blues was renewed in the 1990s as ...

pianist and bandleader active from the 1930s through the 1960s. His songs were often performed by his sister

Ella Johnson Ella Johnson (June 22, 1919 – February 16, 2004) was an American jazz and rhythm and blues singer. Music career Born Ella Mae Jackson in Darlington, South Carolina, United States, she joined her brother Buddy Johnson in New York as a teenag ...

, most notably "

Since I Fell for You "Since I Fell for You" is a blues ballad composed by Buddy Johnson in 1945 that was first popularized by his sister, Ella Johnson, with Buddy Johnson and His Orchestra. A version by Annie Laurie with Paul Gayten and His Trio in 1947 led to its ...

", which became a

jazz standard Jazz standards are musical compositions that are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive lis ...

Life and career

Born in

Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...

, South Carolina, United States, Johnson took piano lessons as a child, and

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

remained one of his passions. In 1938, he moved to New York City, and the following year toured Europe with the

Cotton Club The Cotton Club was a New York City nightclub from 1923 to 1940. It was located on 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue (1923–1936), then briefly in the midtown Theater District (1936–1940).Elizabeth Winter"Cotton Club of Harlem (1923- )" Blac ...

Revue, being expelled from

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

. Later in 1939, he first recorded for

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

with his band, soon afterwards being joined by his sister Ella as vocalist. By 1941, he had assembled a nine-piece orchestra, and soon began a series of R&B and pop chart hits. These included "Let's Beat Out Some Love" (No. 2 R&B, 1943, with Johnson on vocals), "Baby Don't You Cry" (No. 3 R&B, 1943, with Warren Evans on vocals), his biggest hit "When My Man Comes Home" (No. 1 R&B, No. 18 pop, 1944, with Ella Johnson on vocals), and "They All Say I'm The Biggest Fool" (No. 5 R&B, 1946, with

Arthur Prysock Arthur Prysock Jr. (January 1, 1924 According to his obituary in ''The New York Times'', "his heavy, deep voice projected a calm, reassuring virility." Life and career Prysock was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Many sources give his bir ...

on vocals). Ella Johnson recorded her

version Version may refer to: Computing * Software version, a set of numbers that identify a unique evolution of a computer program * VERSION (CONFIG.SYS directive), a configuration directive in FreeDOS Music * Cover version * Dub version * Remix * ''Ve ...

of "Since I Fell for You" in 1945, but it did not become a major hit until recorded by

Lenny Welch Leon "Lenny" Welch (born May 31, 1938) is an American MOR and pop singer. Early years He was born in New York City, United States, and raised in Asbury Park, New Jersey, by his godparents, Eva and Robert Richardson. He attended Asbury Park ...

in the early 1960s. In 1946, Johnson composed a Blues Concerto, which he performed at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

in 1948. His orchestra remained a major touring attraction through the late 1940s and early 1950s, and continued to record in the

style with some success on record on the Mercury label like "Hittin' on Me" and "

I'm Just Your Fool "Just Your Fool" (or "I'm Just Your Fool" as it was first titled) is a rhythm and blues-style song written and recorded by the American jazz and jump blues bandleader/pianist Buddy Johnson and His Orchestra in 1953. Called an "R&B anthem", the s ...

". His song "Bring It Home to Me" appears on the 1996 Rocket Sixty-Nine release ''Jump Shot''. "Personally, I like classics," Buddy Johnson told ''

Down Beat ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...

'', "but our bread and butter is in the south. The music I play has a southern tinge to it. They understand it down there." In 1977, Johnson died at the age of 62 from a

brain tumor A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and seconda ...

and

sickle cell anemia Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of blood disorders typically inherited from a person's parents. The most common type is known as sickle cell anaemia. It results in an abnormality in the oxygen-carrying protein haemoglobin found in red blo ...

in New York.

Awards

* Induction, South Carolina Music Hall of Fame, 2001

Discography

Albums

* ''Rock and Roll with Buddy Johnson'' (

Wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...

, 1956; Mercury, 1957) * ''Walkin' ''(Mercury, 1957) * ''Buddy Johnson Wails'' (Mercury, 1958; Wing, 1963) * ''Swing Me'' (Mercury, 1958;

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...

, 1989) * ''Go Ahead & Rock Rock Rock'' (

Roulette Roulette is a casino game named after the French word meaning ''little wheel'' which was likely developed from the Italian game Biribi''.'' In the game, a player may choose to place a bet on a single number, various groupings of numbers, the ...

, 1959; Collectables, 1991) * ''Rock 'n' Roll Stage Show'' (Wing) reissue of ''Rock and Roll with Buddy Johnson''

Singles

* 7684: Stop Pretending (So Hip You See) // Jammin' in Georgia (1939) * 7700: When You're Out with Me // Reese's Idea (1939) * 8507: Please, Mister Johnson // Swing Along with Me (1940) * 8518: You Won't Let Me Go // Southern Echoes (1940) * 8546: Boogie Woogie's Ma-in-Law // (I'd Be) Ever So Grateful (1941) * 8555: New Please, Mr. Johnson // In There (1941) * 8562: Southern Exposure // Troyon Swing (1941) * 8573: It's the Gold // I'm My Baby's Baby (1941) * 8599: I'm Stepping Out // Toodle-Oodle-Oo (1941) * 8611: I Wonder Who's Boogiein' My Woogie Now // You'll Get Them Blues (1942) * 8616: Deep Down in the Miz // Without the One You Love (1942) * 8632: Stand Back and Smile (Say Ella) // Baby, Don't You Cry (1942) * 8640: I Ain't Mad with You // My Lonely Cabin (1942) * 8647: I Done Found Out // Let's Beat Out Some Love (1942) * 8655: When My Man Comes Home // I'll Always Be with You (1942) * 8671: That's the Stuff You Gotta Watch // One of Them Good Ones (1944) * 11000: Fine Brown Frame // They All Say I'm the Biggest Fool (1944) * 48012: I Still Love You // Walk 'Em (1945) * 48016: They All Say I'm the Biggest Fool // Since I Fell for You (1945) * 48019: Fine Brown Frame // That's the Stuff You Gotta Watch (1946) reissues * 48028: Hey, Sweet Potato // One Thing I Never Could Do (1947) * 48040: You'll Get Them Blues // (I Wonder) Where Our Love Has Gone (1947) * 48052: Please, Mister Johnson // Stop Pretending (So Hip You See) (1947) reissues * 48060: Serves Me Right // You Can't Tell Who's Lovin' Who (1947) * 48076: Far Cry // Li'l Dog (1947) * 48088: I Don't Care Who Knows // You Had Better Change Your Ways (1948) * 24543: I Don't Care Who Knows // You Had Better Change Your Ways (1948) re-release * 24596: (No, There'll Never Be) Someone So Sweet As You // Pullamo (1948) * 24641: If You Never Return // If I Ever Find You, Baby (1949) * 24641: Somebody's Knocking at My Door // If I Ever Find You, Baby (1949) re-release * 24675: Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball // Down Yonder (1949) * 24716: As I Love You // Lovely in Her Evening Gown (1949) * 24817: It Was Swell Knowing You // I'm Tired of Crying Over You (1949) * 24842: Because (Pt. 1) // Because (Pt. 2) (1949) * 24920: When Day Is Done // That's What My Baby Says (1950) * 24996: You Got to Walk the Chalk Line // Keep Me Close to You (1950) * 25684: When Day Is Done // What Will I Tell My Heart (1950) re-release * 27087: Tell Me What They're Saying (Can't Be True) // Shake 'Em Up (1950) * 27330: Satisfy My Soul // I Cry (1950) * 27416: Jet (My Love) // No More Love (1951) * 27486: What Will I Tell My Heart // Dr. Jive Jives (1951) * 27567: My Reverie // Am I Blue (1951) * 27627: We'd Only Start It All Over Again // I Need You (1951) * 27711: I'm in Your Power // Stormy Weather (1951) * 27814: Ever Since the One I Love's Been Gone // Be Careful (If You Can't Be Good) (1951) * 27947: I'm Gonna Jump in the River // Till My Baby Comes Back (1952) * 27998: Root Man Blues // At Last (1952) * 28165: I Don't Know What's Troublin' Your Mind // My Aching Heart (1952) * 28293: Baby You're Always on My Mind // Shufflin' and Rollin' (1952) * 28378: This New Situation // Be Reasonable (1952) * 28530: Just to Be Yours // Somehow, Somewhere (1953) * 28907: Talkin' About Another Man's Wife // Jeanette (1953) * 29058: Two Cigarettes in the Dark // A Handful of Stars (1953)

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...

* 70116: Hittin' n Me // Ecstasy (1953) * 70173: That's How I Feel About You // Jit Jit (1953) * 70251: I'm Just Your Fool // A-12 (1953) * 70321: One More Time // Mush Mouth (1954) * 70377: Ain't Cha Got Me (Where You Want Me) // Let's Start All Over Again (1954) * 70421: Any Day Now // A Pretty Girl (A Cadillac and Some Money) (1954) * 70488: There's No One Like You // I Never Had It So Good (1954) * 70523: Crazy 'Bout a Saxophone // (Gotta Go) Upside Your Head (1955) * 70656: Bitter Sweet // Send Out for a Bottle of Beer (1955) * 70695: It's Obdacious // Save Your Love for Me (1955) * 70775: Doot Doot Dow // I Don't Want Nobody (To Have My Love but You) (1955) * 70912: You Got It Made // Bring It Home to Me (1956) * 71017: Why Don't Cha Stop It // Kool Kitty (1956) * 71068: Oh! Baby Don't You Know // Rock On (1957) * 71159: I've Surrendered // Slide's Mambo (1957) * 71262: I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone // Minglin' (1958) * 71723: I Don't Want Nobody (To Have My Love But You) // I'm Just Your Fool (1960) reissues * 71799: (Ha! Ha! Baby) The Last Laugh's on You // Good-Time Man (1961)

* 90064: Doot Doot Dow // I Don't Want Nobody (To Have My Love But You) (1956) re-release * 90074: Buddy's Boogie // I'll Dearly Love You (1956) * 90084: Goodbye Baby // I Still Love You (1956)

Roulette Records Roulette Records was an American record company and label founded in 1957 by George Goldner, Joe Kolsky, Morris Levy and Phil Kahl, with creative control given to producers and songwriters Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore. Levy was appointed ...

* 4134: Don't Fail Me Baby // Tuke No. 1 (1959) * 4188: Keeping My Love for You // A Woman, a Lover, a Friend (1959)

References

External links

*
Buddy Johnson recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Buddy 1915 births 1977 deaths People from Darlington, South Carolina Big band bandleaders Swing pianists Bebop pianists Rhythm and blues pianists American blues pianists American male pianists American jazz composers American male jazz composers Jump blues musicians Mercury Records artists New York blues musicians 20th-century American composers 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century jazz composers