Lil Johnson ( fl. 1920s–1930s, born 1900, date of death and places of birth and death unknown) was an American singer who recorded

dirty blues Dirty blues encompasses forms of blues music that deal with socially taboo and obscene subjects, often referring to sexual acts and drug use. Due to the sometimes graphic subject matter, such music was often banned from radio and only available on ...

and

hokum Hokum is a particular song type of American blues music—a humorous song which uses extended analogies or euphemistic terms to make sexual innuendos. This trope goes back to early blues recordings and is used from time to time in modern Ameri ...

songs in the 1920s and 1930s.

Career

Her origins and early life are not known. She first recorded in Chicago in 1929, accompanied by the pianists

Montana Taylor Arthur "Montana" Taylor (1903 – c.1958) was an American boogie-woogie and piano blues pianist, best known for his recordings in the 1940s, and regarded as the leading exponent of the " barrelhouse" style of playing. Life and career Taylor was bo ...

and Charles Avery on five songs, including "Rock That Thing". She did not return to the recording studio until 1935, when her more risqué songs included " Get 'Em from the Peanut Man (Hot Nuts)", " Anybody Want to Buy My Cabbage?", and "Press My Button (Ring My Bell)" (''"Come on baby, let's have some fun / Just put your hot dog in my bun"''). She also recorded a version of "

Keep A-Knockin' "Keep A-Knockin' (But You Can't Come In)" is a popular song that has been recorded by a variety of musicians over the years. The lyrics concern a lover at the door who will not be admitted; some versions because someone else is already there, but ...

", which later became a hit for

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...

. From her second session onwards, she formed a partnership with the

ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott ...

-influenced pianist Black Bob, who provided ebullient support for her increasingly suggestive lyrics. In 1936 and 1937, she recorded over 40 songs, mostly for

Vocalion Records Vocalion Records is an American record company and label. History The label was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Company, a maker of pianos and organs, as Aeolian-Vocalion; the company also sold phonographs under the Vocalion name. "Aeolian" was ...

, some featuring

Big Bill Broonzy Big Bill Broonzy (born Lee Conley Bradley; June 26, 1903 – August 14, 1958) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s, when he played country music to mostly African American audiences. In the 1930s ...

on guitar and Lee Collins on trumpet. In November 1936, Johnson recorded " New Shave 'Em Dry", with Alfred Bell (trumpet) and Black Bob (piano). Her other songs included "Was I?", "My Stove's in Good Condition", "Take Your Hand Off It" and "Buck Naked Blues". She sang in a vigorous and sometimes abrasive manner. All her songs have been anthologized on later blues collections. There is no record of what became of Johnson after her recording career ended in 1937.

Recordings

*''Lil Johnson Vols 1–3'',

Document Records Document Records is an independent record label, founded in Austria and now based in Scotland, that specializes in reissuing vintage blues and jazz. The company has been recognised by The Blues Foundation, being honoured with a Keeping the ...

References

External links

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Lil 1900 births Year of death missing 20th-century African-American women singers American blues singers Classic female blues singers Dirty blues musicians