Lonnie Johnson (February 8, 1899 – June 16, 1970)was a pioneering Blues and Jazz guitarist and banjoist. He started playing in cafes in New Orleans and in 1917 he traveled in Europe, playing in revues and briefly with Will Marion Cook’s Southern Syncopated Orchestra. When he returned home to New Orleans in 1918 he discovered that his entire family had been killed by a flu epidemic except for one brother.
He and his surviving brother, James “Steady Roll” Johnson moved to St. Louis in 1920 where Lonnie played with Charlie Creath’s Jazz-O-Maniacs and with Fate Marable in their Mississippi riverboat bands. In 1925 Johnson married Blues singer Mary Johnson and won a Blues contest sponsored by the Okeh record company. Part of the prize was a recording deal with the company.
Throughout the rest of the 1920s he recorded with a variety of bands and musicians, including Eddie Lang, Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five and the Duke Ellington Orchestra. In the 1930s Johnson moved to Cleveland, Ohio and worked with the Putney Dandridge Orchestra, and then in a tire factory and steel mill. In 1937 he moved back to Chicago and played with Johnny Dodds, and Jimmie Noone. Johnson continued to play for the rest of his life, but was often forced to leave the music business for periods to make a living. In 1963 he once again appeared briefly with Duke Ellington.
| Blind Willie Dunn and his Gin Bottle Four | Blind Willie Dunn and Lonnie Johnson |
The MP3 files will open a new tab. The .ra files will download.| Title | Recording Date | Recording Location | Company |
| A Broken Heart That Never Smiles (Lonnie Johnson) |
4-27-1927 | St. Louis, Missouri | Okeh 8601 |
| A Good Happy Home | 5-14-1926 | St. Louis, Missouri | Okeh 8340 |
| Another Woman Booked Out And Bound To Go | 1-7-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8886 |
| Away Down In The Alley Blues (Lonnie Johnson) |
2-21-1928 | Memphis, Tennessee | Okeh 8575 |
| Baby Please Don’t Leave Home No More (Lonnie Johnson) |
6-11-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh 8754 |
| Baby, Please Tell Me | 8-13-1926 | New York, New York | Okeh 8376 |
| Baby, Remember Me (Lonnie Johnson) |
2-13-1942 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird 34-0714-B |
| Baby, Will You Please Come Home (Lonnie Johnson) |
4-25-1927 | St. Louis, Missouri | Okeh 8484 |
| Baby You Don’t Know My Mind | 5-14-1926 | St. Louis, Missouri | Okeh 8340 |
| Back Water Blues | 5-3-1927 | St. Louis, Missouri | Okeh 8466 |
| Ball And Chain Blues (Lonnie Johnson) |
8-13-1926 | New York, New York | Okeh 8435-B |
| Be Careful | 5-22-1940 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8564 |
| Bearcat Blues | 12-14-1927 | Chicago, Illinois | Gennett 6378 |
| Beautiful But Dumb (Lonnie Johnson) |
3-16-1931 | New York, New York | Okeh 8898 |
| Bed Of Sand Piano Accompaniment by James P. Johnson (Lonnie Johnson) |
1-19-1926 | New York, New York | Okeh 8291-B |
| Bedbug Blues Part 2 (Porter Grainger) |
10-3-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 8586 |
| Best Jockey In Town (Lonnie Johnson) |
8-21-1931 | New York, New York | Okeh 8916 |
| Bitin’ Fleas Blues | 11-9-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 8524 |
| Blue Ghost Blues (Lonnie Johnson) |
11-9-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 8557 |
| Blue Ghost Blues | 3-31-1938 | New York, New York | Decca 7537 B |
| Blues and Trouble Has Got Me Down | 4-25-1927 | St. Louis, Missouri | Okeh Unissued |
| Blues In G (Lonnie Johnson) |
2-21-1928 | Memphis, Tennessee | Okeh 8575 |
| Blues Is Only A Ghost | 2-11-1931 | New York, New York | Okeh 8875 |
| Broken Levee Blues | 3-13-1928 | San Antonio, Texas | Okeh 8618 |
| Careless Love (Johnson) |
11-16-1928 | New York, New York | Okeh 8635 |
| Cat You Been Messin’ Aroun’ | 1-12-1932 | New York, New York | Columbia 14647-D |
| Chicago Blues (Lonnie Johnson) |
2-7-1941 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8779-B |
| Crowing Rooster | 2-7-1941 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8804 |
| Crowing Rooster Blues | 3-13-1928 | San Antonio, Texas | Okeh 8574 |
| Death Is On Your Track Piano Accompaniment by Jimmy Foster (take A) (Williams) |
3-19-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh 8691 |
| Death Is On Your Track Piano Accompaniment by Jimmy Foster (take C) (Williams) |
3-19-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh Unissued |
| Death Valley Is Just Half Way To My Home | 1-23-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8768 |
| Deep Sea Blues | 4-26-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8822 |
| Devil’s Got The Blues | 3-31-1938 | New York, New York | Decca 7487 |
| Don’t Be No Fool | 5-22-1940 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8530-B |
| Don’t Drive Me From Your Door | 1-23-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8796 |
| Falling Rain Blues Piano Accompaniment by John Arnold (Jessie Johnson / Lonnie Johnson) |
11-4-1925 | St. Louis, Missouri | Okeh 8253-B |
| Fickle Mama Blues | 8-11-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 8505 |
| Five O’ Clock Blues | 1-20-1926 | New York, New York | Okeh 8417 |
| Flood Water Blues | 11-8-1937 | Chicago, Illinois | Decca 7397 |
| Fly Right, Baby (Lonnie Johnson) |
2-13-1942 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird 34-0708-A |
| Four Hands Are Better Than Two | 5-1-1927 | St. Louis, Missouri | Okeh Unissued |
| Four-O-Three Blues (Lonnie Johnson) |
11-2-1939 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8338 |
| Friendless And Blue | 3-31-1938 | New York, New York | Decca 7487 |
| From 20 To 44 | 2-13-1942 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8980 |
| From A Wash Woman On Up (Lonnie Johnson) |
3-16-1931 | New York, New York | Okeh 8898 |
| From Now On Make Your Whoopee At Home (Lonnie Johnson) |
6-11-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh 8722 |
| Fussing And Fretting | 11-9-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh Unissued |
| Get Yourself Together (Lonnie Johnson) |
5-22-1940 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8530-A |
| Go Back To Your No Good Man | 8-12-1932 | New York, New York | Okeh Unissued |
| Good Old Wagon | 5-14-1926 | St. Louis, Missouri | Okeh 8358-B |
| Got The Blues For Murder Only (Lonnie Johnson) |
11-22-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8846 |
| Got The Blues For The West End | 11-8-1937 | Chicago, Illinois | Decca 7445 |
| Handfull O’ Keys | 12-6-1927 | Chicago, Illinois | Gennett Unissued |
| Hard Times Ain’t Gone No Where (Lonnie Johnson) |
11-8-1937 | Chicago, Illinois | Decca 7388 A |
| Headed For Southland | 1-23-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh |
| Heart Of Iron (Lonnie Johnson) |
2-13-1942 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-9022-A |
| Hell Is A Name For All Sinners | 7-6-1931 | New York, New York | Columbia 14667-D |
| He’s A Jelly-Roll Baker (Lonnie Johnson) |
2-13-1942 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-9006-A |
| Home Wreckers Blues | 7-6-1931 | New York, New York | Columbia 14667-D |
| I Ain’t Gonna Be Your Fool | 3-31-1938 | New York, New York | Decca 7509 |
| I Did All I Could | 2-7-1941 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8779-A |
| I Done Tole You | 4-25-1927 | St. Louis, Missouri | Okeh Unissued |
| I Got The Best Jelly Roll In Town – Part 1 (Lonnie Johnson) |
1-23-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8786 |
| I Got The Best Jelly Roll In Town – Part 2 (Lonnie Johnson) |
1-23-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8786 |
| I Have No Sweet Woman Now (Lonnie Johnson) |
5-14-1926 | St. Louis, Missouri | Okeh 8411-A |
| I Have To Do My Time | 8-5-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8909 |
| I Just Can’t Stand These Blues | 4-23-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8886 |
| I Love You, Mary Lou | 8-5-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh Unissued |
| I Want A Little Some O’ That What You Got Piano Accompaniment by Jimmy Foster (Jimmy Foster) |
2-27-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh 8691 |
| I’m Gonna Dodge the Blues Just Wait and See | 8-13-1926 | New York, New York | Okeh 8391 |
| I’m Just Dumb | 5-22-1940 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8564 |
| I’m Nuts About That Gal (Lonnie Johnson) |
8-12-1932 | New York, New York | Okeh 8946 |
| I’m Nuts Over You (But You Just A Teaser) |
11-8-1937 | Chicago, Illinois | Decca 7397 Decca 48078 B |
| I’m So Tired Of Living All Alone (Lonnie Johnson) |
3-9-1928 | San Antonio, Texas | Okeh 8677 |
| In Love Again | 2-7-1941 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8748-B |
| It Ain’t What You Usta Be (Lonnie Johnson) |
11-8-1937 | Chicago, Illinois | Decca 7427 Decca 48078 A |
| It Feels So Good – Part 1 (Spencer Williams) |
2-18-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh 8664 |
| It Feels So Good – Part 2 (Spencer Williams) |
2-18-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh 8664 |
| It Feels So Good – Part 3 (Spencer Williams) |
5-24-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh 8697 |
| It Feels So Good – Part 4 (Spencer Williams) |
5-24-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh 8697 |
| It’s Hot – Let It Alone | 12-14-1927 | Chicago, Illinois | Gennett 6423 |
| Jelly Killed Old Sam | 7-6-1931 | New York, New York | Columbia 14622-D |
| Jersey Belle Blues | 11-2-1939 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8387 |
| Johnson Trio Stomp | 1-20-1926 | New York, New York | Okeh 8417 |
| Just A Roaming Man (take A) |
2-11-1931 | New York, New York | Okeh 8875 |
| Just A Roaming Man (take C) |
3-10-1931 | New York, New York | Okeh 8875 |
| Kansas City Blues – Part 1 | 12-17-1927 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8537 |
| Kansas City Blues – Part 2 | 12-17-1927 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8537 |
| Keep It To Yourself | 2-7-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8812 |
| Laplegged Drunk Again (Lonnie Johnson) |
3-31-1938 | New York, New York | Decca 7537 A |
| Layin’ On The Strings | 11-10-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh Unissued |
| Lazy Woman Blues (Lonnie Johnson) |
2-7-1941 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8748-A |
| Let All Married Women Alone (Lonnie Johnson) |
11-22-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8846 |
| Life Saver Blues (Lonnie Johnson) |
11-9-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 8557 |
| Lonesome Ghost Blues | 8-11-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 8505 |
| Lonesome Jail Blues (Lonnie Johnson) |
1-19-1926 | New York, New York | Okeh 8309-A |
| Lonesome Road (Lonnie Johnson) |
2-13-1942 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird 34-0714-A |
| Long Black Train | 8-5-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8822 |
| Lonnie’s Got The Blues | 5-13-1926 | St. Louis, Missouri | Okeh 8411-B |
| Love Is A Song | 8-12-1932 | New York, New York | Okeh Unissued |
| Love Story Blues (Lonnie Johnson) |
1-20-1926 | New York, New York | Okeh 8282-B |
| Low Down St. Louis Blues (take C) |
2-11-1931 | New York, New York | Okeh Unissued |
| Low Down St. Louis Blues (take E) |
3-10-1931 | New York, New York | Okeh Unissued |
| Low Land Moan (Lonnie Johnson) |
12-12-1927 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8677 |
| Man Killing Broad | 11-8-1937 | Chicago, Illinois | Decca 7445 |
| Mean Old Bed Bug Blues (Wood) |
8-11-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 8497 |
| Men, Get Wise To Yourself | 2-9-1932 | New York, New York | Okeh 8937 |
| Monkey And The Baboon (Spencer Williams) |
1-8-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8762 |
| Monkey And The Baboon – Part 2 (take B) (Spencer Williams) |
5-24-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh Unissued |
| Monkey And The Baboon – Part 2 (take F) (Spencer Williams) |
6-5-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8802 |
| Mr. Johnson Swing (Lonnie Johnson) |
3-31-1938 | New York, New York | Decca 7509 |
| Mr. Johnson’s Blues Piano Accompaniment by John Arnold (Jessie J. Johnson) |
11-4-1925 | St. Louis, Missouri | Okeh 8253-A |
| Mr. Johnson’s Blues No. 2 (Lonnie Johnson) |
6-11-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh 8709 |
| My Heart Don’t Cry Out For You Any More | 3-14-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh Unissued |
| My Love Don’t Belong To You | 8-12-1932 | New York, New York | Columbia 14674-D |
| My Love Is Down (Lonnie Johnson) |
2-7-1941 | New York, New York | Victor 20-1890-A |
| New Falling Rain Blues (Lonnie Johnson) |
3-31-1938 | New York, New York | Decca 7461 A |
| Nile Of Genago (Lonnie Johnson) |
1-20-1926 | New York, New York | Okeh 40695-B |
| No More Troubles Now | 9-11-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8831 |
| Not The Chump I Used To Be (Lonnie Johnson) |
8-21-1931 | New York, New York | Okeh 8916 |
| Nothing But A Rat (Lonnie Johnson) |
11-2-1939 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8322-A |
| Oh! Doctor The Blues | 8-13-1926 | New York, New York | Okeh 8391 |
| Once Or Twice | 1-8-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8812 |
| Playing With The Strings | 2-21-1928 | Memphis, Tennessee | Okeh 8558 |
| Racketeers Blues (Lonnie Johnson) |
8-12-1932 | New York, New York | Okeh 8946 |
| Rambler’s Blues (Lonnie Johnson) |
2-13-1942 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird 34-0708-B |
| Roaming Rambler Blues (Wood) |
8-12-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 8497 |
| Sam, You Can’t Do That To Me (Lonnie Johnson) |
9-11-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8831 |
| Sam, You’re Just A Rat | 2-9-1932 | New York, New York | Okeh 8937 |
| Searchin’ For Flats | 12-6-1927 | Chicago, Illinois | Gennett Unissued |
| She Ain’t Right | 2-7-1941 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8684 |
| She Don’t Know Who She Wants | 1-23-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8775 |
| She Just Won’t Don’t | 2-27-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh unissued |
| She’s Dangerous With That Thing | 1-12-1932 | New York, New York | Columbia 14647-D |
| She’s Making Whoopee In Hell Tonight (Lonnie Johnson) |
1-7-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8768 |
| She’s My Mary | 11-2-1939 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8322-B |
| She’s Only A Woman | 11-2-1939 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8363-B |
| 6/88 Glide | 10-31-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh Unissued |
| Sleepy Water Blues | 12-3-1931 | New York, New York | Okeh 8926 |
| Somebody’s Got To Go (Lonnie Johnson) |
2-7-1941 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8684-A Victor 20-1890-B |
| Some Day Baby (Lonnie Johnson) |
Bluebird 24-0732-B |
||
| Something Fishy (Don’t Lie To Me) (Lonnie Johnson) |
11-8-1937 | Chicago, Illinois | Decca 7388 B |
| South Bound Backwater (Lonnie Johnson) |
3-31-1938 | New York, New York | Decca 7461 B |
| South Bound Water | 4-25-1927 | St. Louis, Missouri | Okeh 8466 |
| Southland Is All Right With Me | 2-11-1931 | New York, New York | Okeh 8909 |
| St. Louis Cyclone Blues (Porter Grainger) |
10-3-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 8512 |
| Stay Out Of Walnut Street Alley | 8-12-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 8618 |
| Steppin’ On The Blues | 4-25-1927 | St. Louis, Missouri | Okeh Unissued |
| Stompin’ Em Along Slow | 2-21-1928 | Memphis, Tennessee | Okeh 8558 |
| String Along With Lonnie | 11-9-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh Unissued |
| Sun To Sun Blues Piano Accompaniment by James P. Johnson |
1-19-1926 | New York, New York | Okeh 8291-A |
| Sundown Blues (Williams) |
6-11-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh 8754 |
| Sweet Potato Blues (Smith) |
12-13-1927 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8586 |
| Sweet Woman You Can’t Go Wrong (Lonnie Johnson) |
8-5-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 8512 |
| Sweet Woman, See For Yourself (Lonnie Johnson) |
8-13-1926 | New York, New York | Okeh 8435-A |
| Swing Out Rhythm | 11-8-1937 | Chicago, Illinois | Decca 7427 |
| That’s Love | 2-7-1941 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8804 |
| The Bull Frog And The Toad (take C) |
5-24-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh Unissued |
| The Bull Frog And The Toad (take F) |
6-5-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8802 |
| The Devil’s Woman (Lonnie Johnson) |
2-13-1942 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-9022-B |
| The Dirty Dozen | 2-7-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8775 |
| The Faults Of All Women And Men | 7-6-1931 | New York, New York | Columbia 14622-D |
| The Last Call | 2-13-1942 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8980 |
| The Loveless Blues | 11-2-1939 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8338 |
| The New Fallin’ Rain Blues | 6-11-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh 8709 |
| The St. Louis Train Kept Passing By | 12-6-1927 | Chicago, Illinois | Gennett 6366 |
| The Sun Will Shine In My Doorway Someday | 4-25-1927 | St. Louis, Missouri | Okeh Unissued |
| There Is No Justice | 3-17-1932 | New York, New York | Columbia 14655-D |
| There’s No Use of Lovin’ (Lonnie Johnson) |
8-13-1926 | New York, New York | Okeh 8376-A |
| Tin Can Alley Blues | 10-31-1927 | New York, New York | Okeh 8524 |
| To Do This, You Got To Know How (Lonnie Johnson) |
8-14-1926 | New York, New York | Okeh 40695-A |
| Tombstone Blues | 12-13-1927 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh Unissued |
| Treat ‘Em Right (Lonnie Johnson) |
4-25-1927 | St. Louis, Missouri | Okeh 8484 |
| Trust Your Husband | 11-2-1939 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8387 |
| Uncle Ned, Don’t Use Your Head | 12-3-1931 | New York, New York | Okeh 8926 |
| Unselfish Love | 8-12-1932 | New York, New York | Columbia 14674-D |
| Very Lonesome Blues Fiddling by James Johnson, Piano by De Loise Searcy (Lonnie Johnson) |
1-19-1926 | New York, New York | Okeh 8282-A |
| Watch Shorty (Lonnie Johnson) |
Bluebird 24-0732-A |
||
| Way Down That Lonesome Road | 3-13-1928 | San Antonio, Texas | Okeh 8574 |
| When A Man Is Treated Like A Dog | 12-6-1927 | Chicago, Illinois | Gennett 6366 |
| When I Was Lovin’ Changed My Mind Blues | 1-19-1926 | New York, New York | Okeh 8309-B |
| When You Fall For Some One That’s Not Your Own (Lonnie Johnson) |
11-16-1928 | New York, New York | Okeh 8635 |
| When You Feel Low Down (Lonnie Johnson) |
2-13-1942 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-9006-B |
| Why Should I Grieve After You’re Gone | 12-8-1927 | Chicago, Illinois | Gennett 6423 |
| Why Women Go Wrong (Lonnie Johnson) |
11-2-1939 | Chicago, Illinois | Bluebird B-8363-A |
| Winnie The Wailer | 3-17-1932 | New York, New York | Columbia 14655-D |
| Wipe It Off (Clarence Williams / Lonnie Johnson) |
1-8-1930 | New York, New York | Okeh 8762 |
| Woke Up With The Blues In My Fingers | 5-2-1927 | St. Louis, Missouri | Okeh Unissued |
| Woman Changed My Life With Piano By James Johnson (Lonnie Johnson) |
5-13-1926 | St. Louis, Missouri | Okeh 8358-A |
| Wrong Woman Blues (Lonnie Johnson) |
3-13-1928 | San Antonio, Texas | Okeh 8601 |
| You Can’t Give A Woman Everything She Needs (Lonnie Johnson) |
6-11-1929 | New York, New York | Okeh 8722 |
| You Don’t See Into the Blues Like Me (Lonnie Johnson) |
8-13-1926 | New York, New York | Okeh 8451 |
| You Drove A Good Man Away | 8-13-1926 | New York, New York | Okeh 8451 |
| Artist | Instrument |
| Josh Altheimer | Piano |
| Lil Armstrong | Piano |
| John Arnold | Piano |
| Jimmy Blythe | Piano |
| Blind John Davis | Piano |
| John Erby | Piano |
| Jimmy Foster | Vocals |
| Porter Grainger | Piano |
| Andrew Harris | String Bass |
| Lazy Harris | Piano |
| J. C. Johnson | Piano |
| James Johnson | Banjo, Guitar, Piano, Violin |
| James P. Johnson | Piano |
| Lonnie Johnson | Vocals, Guitar, Harmonium, Kazoo, Violin |
| Jimmy Jordan | Vocals |
| Fred Longshaw | Piano |
| De Loise Searcy | Piano |
| Victoria Spivey | Vocals |
| Roosevelt Sykes | Piano |
| Clarence Williams | Piano, Washboard |
| Spencer Williams | Vocals, Percussion, Scraper |
Redhotjazz.com was a pioneering website during the "Information wants to be Free" era of the 1990s. In that spirit we are recovering the lost data from the now defunct site and sharing it with you.
Most of the music in the archive is in the form of MP3s hosted on Archive.org or the French servers of Jazz-on-line.com where this music is all in the public domain.
Files unavailable from those sources we host ourselves. They were made from original 78 RPM records in the hands of private collectors in the 1990s who contributed to the original redhotjazz.com. They were hosted as .ra files originally and we have converted them into the more modern MP3 format. They are of inferior quality to what is available commercially and are intended for reference purposes only. In some cases a Real Audio (.ra) file from Archive.org will download. Don't be scared! Those files will play in many music programs, but not Windows Media Player.
