20 years after his passing, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Johnnie Johnson, whose piano work graced so many of Chuck Berry’s classic recordings, will have a new album, I’m Just Johnnie, releasing August 1st on Missouri Morning Records, featuring special guests including Bruce Hornsby, Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Rivers and John Sebastian. The two-CD set also includes a second disc of interviews with Johnson and Radio Hall of Fame and SiriusXM DJ Pat St. John discussing Johnnie’s career in one of the last interviews before his passing on April 13, 2005. Bonnie Raitt is also on the second disc talking about Johnnie.
Other musicians of note performing on I’m Just Johnnie include former Mama’s Pride band members Max Baker (guitar), Dickie Steltenpohl (bass), Paul Willett (Hammond B3 organ) and Pat Liston (backing vocals); plus Henry Lawrence, former Oakland Raiders All-Pro offensive tackle, who does lead vocals on two songs with Johnnie - “Lo Down” and “Stagger Lee;” and Charles Glenn, best-known as the St. Louis Hockey Blues anthem singer of 19 years, who sings lead vocals on two songs with Johnnie - “I Get Weary” and “Heebie Jeebies.” Finally, Kenny Rice (drums) and Gus Thornton (bass), long-time members of Johnnie’s band, also play on the album. Kenny and Gus were both in Albert King’s band along with Johnnie. Kenny also does the lead vocals on “Let the Good Times Roll.”
Among the many classic Chuck Berry rock ’n’ roll records Johnnie Johnson’s piano playing can be heard on include, “Maybellene,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Brown-Eyed Handsome Man,” “School Days,” “Almost Grown,” “Back in the USA,” “Carol,” “Wee We Hours,” and “Too Much Monkey Business.” Johnson and Berry started playing together in late 1952. The two collaborated on many of Berry's songs, and the song “Johnny B. Goode" was reportedly a tribute to Johnson. Berry and Johnson played and toured together on and off, until 1973.
“Johnnie Johnson and I had been friends since 1979, when I saw him playing in a small blues club in St. Louis,” remembers producer Gene Ackmann. “We struck up a friendship and over the years he would come out and play with my band often. That was always a big thrill for all of us in the band. He recorded on some of our band CDs and played on my St. Louis sports team’s songs that I wrote for the Cardinals, Blues, and Rams when they were in St. Louis. We played at the Rams Super Bowl Victory Parade in January, 2000, and Johnnie was onstage with us playing our song and Rams mantra ‘Gotta Go to Work.’ More than 250,000 people filled the streets singing along as Rams players joined us onstage. Johnnie loved his St. Louis sports! My band always played for the Cardinals home opener and Johnnie would come down and play with us there too. He came down one last time and played at the opener with us in front of thousands at Busch Stadium on April 8th, 2005, and got a huge ovation from the crowd. Just five days later, he died and that was his last public performance – at a Cardinals game.
“The other thing Johnnie was really fond of was fishing. He knew I had a lake at my house in the country, and it was pretty much a Friday routine for us to fish together. Johnnie didn’t drive, so I would pick him up in the city and drive back to my house. We always had the same routine: stopping to get coffee and donuts and then a stop at the bait shop. We would fish all day, and I’d clean the fish and then drive Johnnie back to his house. It was a long day, but I loved every minute of it because I was making Johnnie’s day and that was making mine. He would tell fantastic stories about the old days and it was like getting to spend the day with my grandpa one more time.
“One day we were fishing and it was nice and quiet and birds were singing. The sun was shining and Johnnie said, ‘This is almost as good as playing blues in the key of G.’ I loved that! Everyone knows Johnnie could tear it up in G – check out Johnnie and Eric Clapton and Chuck Berry on ‘Wee Wee Hours’ in the key of G from the Hail! Hail! Rock and Roll movie when Eric gives Johnnie that piano solo.
“On our drive home that day, Johnnie said to me, ‘You are one of the most creative people I know. I want to do a new CD but don’t know how to go about it or have the money to do it. Would you help me?’ I said, ‘sure I would love to,’ and that was how it came about. I told him I'd help him write some songs for it and we began our project in 2003. The first person to come to St. Louis to record was Johnny Rivers. Bruce Hornsby, Bonnie Raitt and John Sebastian also played on it. This music was all recorded in St. Louis when Johnnie was 80 years old and the last stuff he recorded. Johnnie and I would sit in my music room overlooking the lake and work out our music for the project.”
