Luther "Georgia Boy" Johnson
Lucious Brinson Johnson (August 30, 1934 – March 18, 1976),[1][2][3] known as Luther "Georgia Boy" Johnson, was an American Chicago blues and electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. AllMusic journalist Ron Wynn stated, "Johnson's own inimitable vocals, raspy lines and tart guitar eventually create his own aura... a good, occasionally outstanding blues artist."[4]
Luther "Georgia Boy" Johnson | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lucious Brinson Johnson |
| Also known as | Luther "Snake" Johnson |
| Born | August 30, 1934 Davisboro, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | March 18, 1976 (aged 34) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1950s–1976 |
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Life and career
Johnson was born Lucious Brinson Johnson in Davisboro, Georgia.[1] He was raised on a farm and taught himself to play guitar.[5] After completing his service in the US Army,[5] Johnson played guitar with the Milwaukee Supreme Angels, a local gospel group in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. However, he gravitated towards blues and formed his own trio in Milwaukee. He relocated to Chicago, Illinois, in the early 1960s.[1][5] He backed Elmore James prior to James's death in 1963, and joined Muddy Waters' backing band in 1966. Johnson worked with various musicians during this period, including Chicago Bob Nelson. He recorded his debut album, Come On Home, in 1968, with Muddy Waters' band.[6][1][5]
In 1970, Johnson moved to Boston, Massachusetts, and found work on the blues festival and college circuits for the next few years.[1] His album Born in Georgia was released by Black & Blue Records. It was followed by Chicken Shack (1974), Lonesome in My Bedroom (1975), and the final album issued in his lifetime, Get Down to the Nitty Gritty (1976).[5][7] On records issued in his lifetime, he was credited as either Luther Johnson or Luther "Georgia Boy" Johnson, though he was also known to contemporaries as Luther "Snake" Johnson.[6]
Johnson died of cancer in Boston on March 18, 1976.[1][8] He was interred at the Mount Hope Cemetery, in Mattapan, Massachusetts.[5]
Discography
| Year | Title | Record label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Live at Cafe Au Go Go | BluesWay | With John Lee Hooker |
| 1966 | The Blues Is Where It's At | BluesWay | With Otis Spann |
| 1967 | The Bottom of the Blues | BluesWay | With Otis Spann |
| 1968 | Cryin' Time | Vanguard | With Otis Spann |
| 1969 | Come On Home | Douglas Music | |
| 1969 | The Muddy Waters Blues Band | Transatlantic | With the Muddy Waters Blues Band |
| 1972 | Born in Georgia | Black & Blue | |
| 1974 | Chicken Shack | Muse | With the Muddy Waters Blues Band |
| 1975 | Lonesome in My Bedroom | Evidence | |
| 1976 | Get Down to the Nitty Gritty | New Rose Records | |
| 1992 | They Call Me the Snake | New Rose Records | |
| 2002 | They Call Me the Popcorn Man | Black & Blue Records |
References
- Cub Koda. "Luther "Snake Boy" Johnson | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
- Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues - A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 105. ISBN 978-0313344237.
- Komara, Edward; Lee, Peter (July 1, 2004). "The Blues Encyclopedia". Routledge. Retrieved June 18, 2023 – via Google Books.
- "Lonesome in My Bedroom > Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
- Anita Pravits (2012). "Luther Johnson". Keeponliving.at. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
- Stefan Wirz, Illustrated Luther Johnson Discography. Retrieved 21 April 2020
- "Luther "Snake Boy" Johnson | Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
- "Muddy Waters sideman Luther 'Snake Boy' Johnson had his career cut short by brain cancer". Chicagoreader.com. Retrieved May 22, 2017.