I was blessed to have seen Mr. Johnson a few times, a great man.
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Article
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[SAD DAY - Johnnie Johnson Dies]
"Rock 'n Roll Hall Of Famer Johnnie Johnson Dies At 80"
April 13, 2005
St. Louis Pays Homage

Rock 'n Roll Hall Of Famer Johnnie Johnson Dies At 80

Created: 4/13/2005
Time: 9:56:03 AM





(KSDK) - Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Johnnie Johnson died Wednesday morning. Johnson is best known for his longtime collaboration with Chuck Berry. He was 80 years old.

Johnson and Chuck Berry were known for hits like "Roll Over Beethoven" and "No Particular Place to Go." The two men co-wrote more than 50 songs.

Johnson's publicist confirms that Johnson died Wednesday morning at his home. He had been ill recently with pneumonia and a kidney ailment, but performed as recently as two weeks ago.

Johnson appeared on KSDK last month. In the 1950s, Johnson was a local bandleader who hired Chuck Berry to fill in when another band member was ill on New Year's Eve. That was the beginning of a decades-long partnership that landed both men in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Johnson has been called the "founding father of rock 'n' roll," though he was never a household name, known mostly as Berry's piano player and collaborator. Still, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 in the "sidemen" category.

Legend has it that Berry's rock and roll classic Johnny B. Goode was named after Johnnie Johnson.

During his career, the self-taught piano player performed with a who's who of rock and blues musicians, including Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, John Lee Hooker and Bo Diddley.

The St. Louis community is reacting to the news of Johnnie Johnson's death.

People are still learning of Johnson's death and that includes longtime friend Joe Edwards. Edwards has been friends with Johnson for 25 years.

The legendary musician was a regular at Edwards' famous Blueberry Hill in the University City Loop, where he would play with Chuck Berry, Johnson's own band, or give an impromptu performance of his own.

Johnson was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame in 1998, and the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

Funeral arrangements are pending.
(Source: KSDK - St. Louis)


Note: Contrary to rumors, Chuck and Johnnie were still friends, a few years ago I spied Johnnie at one of Chuck's gigs at the Bluberry Hill in St. Louis.
(http://www.geocities.com/glimmer1bb/therollingstones2005.html)

SFT-D-e-m-o-n Wrote:
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> Note: Contrary to rumors, Chuck and Johnnie were
> still friends, a few years ago I spied Johnnie at
> one of Chuck's gigs at the Bluberry Hill in St.
>

yeah, but was that before or after the lawsuit?

a few years equals= 3 years ago.

There is already a post with this subject here. Please do NOT mess up this borad by making new posts on identical subjects. Thanks!

Bjornulf