The Original Guitar Hero and the Power of Music: The Legendary Lonnie Johnson, Music, and Civil Rights

384 Pages·2014·5.53 MB·English

by  Dean Alger

THE ORIGINAL GUITAR HERO
and THE POWER OF MUSIC
The Legendary
Lonnie Johnson
Music and Civil Rights
The historic musical progression: Lonnie Johnson to B. B. King CREDITS: LONNIE JOHNSON PHOTO BY VAL
WILMER; B.B. KING PHOTO BY DICK WATERMAN
THE ORIGINAL GUITAR HERO
and THE POWER OF MUSIC
The Legendary
Lonnie Johnson
Music and Civil Rights
Number 8 in the North Texas Lives of Musicians Series
Dean Alger
University of North Texas Press
Denton, Texas
©2014 Dean Alger
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
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Permissions:
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle #311336
Denton, TX 76203-5017
The paper used in this book meets the minimum requirements of the American National
Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, z39.48.1984. Binding mate-
rials have been chosen for durability.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Alger, Dean, author.
The original guitar hero and the power of music : the legendary Lonnie
Johnson, music, and civil rights / Dean Alger.
pages cm. -- (North Texas lives of musicians series ; number 8)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-57441-546-9 (cloth : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-1-57441-556-8
(ebook)
1. Johnson, Lonnie, 1899-1970. 2. African American
guitarists--Biography. 3. Blues musicians--United States--Biography. 4.
African American musicians--Biography. 5. African Americans--Civil
rights 6. Music and race--United States. I. Title. II. Series: North
Texas lives of musicians series ; no. 8.
ML419.J625A44 2014
782.421643092--dc23
[B]
2013050120
The Original Guitar Hero and the Power of Music is Number 8 in the North Texas Lives
of Musicians Series
The electronic edition of this book was made possible by the support of the Vick Family
Foundation.
To B. B. King
who took the guitar virtuosity and impassioned singing,
the profound musical feeling, and the deep dignity of Lonnie Johnson, developed
his own superb style, and brought this great music to the world, eventually
becoming the universally beloved “Ambassador of the Blues”
3
and to
Bernie Strassberg and Roberta Barrett
who understood the greatness of Lonnie’s music,
transcended societal barriers and backgrounds,
and were there for him as friends and foundations
(and they’re marvelous characters, as well!)
3
“. . . I knew that some day, somehow, somebody would find me.”
— Lonnie J, 
Well, the fact that I rediscovered you in the 21st Century
has enriched my life, Lonnie; I hope that this book
will be the pathway to discovery of you by many others.
— Dean Alger, 
3

Contents
List of Illustrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
1. The Legendary Lonnie Johnson—One of the Most Important Musicians
of the 20th Century; Musicians and Progress on Civil Rights . . . . . . 1
2. New Orleans Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
3. St. Louis Blues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
4. Playing with the Strings, Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
5. Playing with the Strings, Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
6. Workin’ Man; Chicago Blues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
7. Rhythm & Blues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
8. Blues Revival in the ’60s: Comeback Again . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
9. The Legacy of Lonnie J: The Guitar in 20th Century Music . . . . . . 254
Appendix I: Lyrics to Alger tribute song: “The Legendary
Lonnie J” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Appendix II: Blues, Jazz, and Their Significance; Musicians
and Civil Rights and Alger’s review of Sidney Bechet’s
instrumental recording of “Strange Fruit” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Appendix III: Guide to Recordings by Lonnie Johnson
and Relevant Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Subject Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Song Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
List of Illustrations
1 and 2. 1886 map of section of New Orleans 14. Flyer for Lonnie Johnson and Victoria
showing the former Wall Street (now Prytania) Spivey, then Bob Dylan appearances
where Lonnie was born. Two duplex houses at Gerdes Folk City, Greenwich Village,
from the 1890s just off this street, probably 1961. 236
like the house of Lonnie’s earliest years. 35
15. Lonnie Johnson with Bernie Strassberg,
3. Mount Moriah Baptist Church, just off old about 1965. 238
Wall Street, New Orleans. 37
16. Lonnie Johnson performing in Fairfield
4. The St. Paul Mississippi riverboat, on Hall, Croydon, England, 18 October
which Lonnie Johnson played with Charlie 1963. 249
Creath band. 62
17. Design and mock-up of the album cover
5. Lonnie’s probable son Clarence Johnson, for the original Canadian LP of Stompin’
Leroy Pierson, Fred Grant, and Henry at the Penny with Jim McHarg’s Metro
Townsend. 70 Stompers featuring Lonnie Johnson (fall
1965). 255
6. 78 record, “Mr. Johnson’s Blues,” with
stick-on label from De Luxe Music Shoppe, 18. Lonnie Johnson and Louis Armstrong
St. Louis. 79 reunion in a Toronto concert hall dressing
room, 1965. 260
7. Pair of newspaper ads from Chicago
Defender, with images of Lonnie Johnson 19. Close-up of Lonnie Johnson with
and Louis Armstrong. 103 guitar and showing guitar diamond
stick-pin. 263
8. Ad for OKeh Race Record, with only
known photo of Lonnie playing violin. 115 20. Lonnie Johnson in wheelchair with
Roberta Richards and child. 285
9. Lonnie Johnson and Eddie Lang about the
time of their historic duets. 138 21. “Passing the Torch of Guitar Greatness.”
Historic photo of Lonnie Johnson perform-
10. Lonnie’s trio performing at Square’s
ing at his final concert with Buddy Guy,
Boulevard Lounge, Chicago, in 1941, Lonnie
February 1970. 289
playing a Martin guitar. 179
22. Lonnie Johnson walking off the stage
11. Lonnie’s house in Cincinnati,
at the end of his performance in his “final
1940s. 201
concert.” 290
12. King Records ad in Billboard, Dec.
23. Gennett Records “Walk of Fame”
1948. 206
Medallion of Lonnie. 293
13. Second page of letter to Playboy
Club members, signed by Hugh Heffner,
1960. 222
viii
Preface
Blues music has long moved me, and jazz and all that it signifies has
intrigued me. Starting in the 1990s, I more deeply explored the history
of the blues and jazz, reading widely and listening intensively.
But as I read more and more I had concerns about the fact that a
number of books on jazz and blues were written in a way that discour-
aged reading by a broader audience than core specialists. I hope that the
way I’ve written this book exemplifies a better approach, one that’s more
accessible, yet with ample serious substance.
Frankly, I was shocked by the responses to the book by a series of
editors (and literary agents); if this book gets the reception suggested
by early reviews, I hope it will help move more editors and agents to
deepen their understanding of figures like Lonnie Johnson, and to think
in terms beyond a simple, standard old musician biography, including
the importance of incorporating broader perspectives.
Blues and jazz are great art forms of major cultural and societal
importance, and a wider range of people deserves accessible, signifi-
cant books on them. I was determined to write this book in a manner
that could reach more people, and to include ample material, analy-
sis and insight of value to specialists. I hope the evidence, logic and
wider musical perspectives in this book add significant elements to the
appreciation and discussion of popular music, and that the broader
societal theme adds to our understanding of the development of
American society.
As a “child” of the ’60s I saw “The Power of Music” strikingly demon-
strated in my youth; so it was natural to see that concept as highly rele-
vant to the present book.
Early in the process of finishing the manuscript and starting to find a
publisher for the book, I sent materials to a senior editor for music at
a major press, who rejected the book for this primary reason: “Lonnie
ix