Lil Johnson (blues singer)
Encyclopedia
Lil Johnson was an African American
singer, who recorded
bawdy blues
and hokum
song
s in the 1920s and 1930s.
Her origins and early life are not known. She first recorded in Chicago
in 1929, accompanied by pianist
s Montana Taylor
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'
", a song that later became a hit for Little Richard
.
From her second session onwards, she hit up a striking partnership with the ragtime
influenced pianist "Black Bob" Hudson, who provided ebullient support to Johnson's increasingly suggestive lyrics
. In 1936 and 1937, she recorded over 40 songs, mostly on the Vocalion
label
, some featuring Big Bill Broonzy
on guitar
and Lee Collins on trumpet
.
Her other songs included "Was I Drunk", "My Stove's in Good Condition", "Take Your Hand Off It" and "Buck Naked Blues".
All her songs were sung in a vigorous and sometimes abrasive way, and have been anthologised on many later blues collections. There is no record of what became of Johnson after her recording career ended in 1937.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
singer, who recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
bawdy blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and hokum
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...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s in the 1920s and 1930s.
Her origins and early life are not known. She first recorded in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1929, accompanied by pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
s Montana Taylor
Montana Taylor
Arthur "Montana" Taylor was an American boogie-woogie pianist best known for his recordings in the 1940s and regarded as the leading exponent of the "barrelhouse" style of playing....
and Charles Avery on five songs including "Rock That Thing". She did not return to the recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
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'
"Keep A-Knockin' " is a popular song from the late 1920s, possibly written by Perry Bradford. Variations were recorded by James "Boodle It" Wiggins in 1928, Lil Johnson in 1935, Milton Brown in 1936 and Louis Jordan in 1939...
", a song that later became a hit for Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
.
From her second session onwards, she hit up a striking partnership with the ragtime
Ragtime
Ragtime is an original musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918. Its main characteristic trait is its syncopated, or "ragged," rhythm. It began as dance music in the red-light districts of American cities such as St. Louis and New Orleans years before being published...
influenced pianist "Black Bob" Hudson, who provided ebullient support to Johnson's increasingly suggestive lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
. In 1936 and 1937, she recorded over 40 songs, mostly on the Vocalion
Vocalion Records
Vocalion Records is a record label active for many years in the United States and in the United Kingdom.-History:Vocalion was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Piano Company of New York City, which introduced a retail line of phonographs at the same time. The name was derived from one of their...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, some featuring Big Bill Broonzy
Big Bill Broonzy
Big Bill Broonzy was a prolific American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s when he played country blues to mostly black audiences. Through the ‘30s and ‘40s he successfully navigated a transition in style to a more urban blues sound popular with white audiences...
on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and Lee Collins on trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
.
Her other songs included "Was I Drunk", "My Stove's in Good Condition", "Take Your Hand Off It" and "Buck Naked Blues".
All her songs were sung in a vigorous and sometimes abrasive way, and have been anthologised on many later blues collections. There is no record of what became of Johnson after her recording career ended in 1937.
External links
- [ Allmusic]
- Lyrics to Lil Johnson songs