Jesse Johnson (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jesse Johnson
Johnson in 1988
Background information
Birth name	Jesse Woods Johnson
Born	(1960-06-01) June 1, 1960 (age 65)
Origin	Rock Island, Illinois, United States
Genres	Funk, funk rock, soul, R&B
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer
Instruments	Guitar
Years active	1981–present
Labels	Warner Bros. A&M
Associated acts	The Time Prince D'Angelo and the Vanguard Da Krash Paula Abdul Kool Skool TaMara and the Seen Janet Jackson Robert Townsend The Dells The Five Heartbeats

Jesse Woods Johnson (born June 1, 1960) is an American funk musician. He is best known as the amazing guitarist for the original band The Time. This group started in 1981 and is now known as Original 7ven.

Jesse Johnson's Early Life and Music Journey

Jesse Johnson was born in Rock Island, Illinois. When he was nine, he moved to East St. Louis, Illinois. He lived with foster parents for a while. At 16, he moved back to Rock Island to live with his father.

Jesse started playing guitar when he was 15 years old. He practiced a lot in local rock bands like Treacherous Funk, Pilot, and Dealer. In 1981, he moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. There, he met Morris Day and played in Day's band, Enterprise. Soon after, he became the lead guitarist for The Time. This funk rock group was created by the famous musician Prince.

Working with Prince and The Time

Prince wrote and recorded most of The Time's first two albums. But Jesse Johnson helped with another project by Prince called Vanity 6. He co-wrote a song called "Bite the Beat."

For The Time's third album, Ice Cream Castle, Jesse helped create the hit songs "The Bird" and "Jungle Love." These songs became very popular because of the movie Purple Rain.

Jesse Johnson's Solo Career

After The Time became very popular, Jesse Johnson decided to leave the band in 1984. He signed a solo record deal with A&M Records. In 1985, he released his first solo album, Jesse Johnson's Revue. Two other former members of The Time, Mark Cardenas and Jerry Hubbard, played in Jesse's band for this album.

Three songs from the album became singles: "Be Your Man," "Can You Help Me" and "I Want My Girl." In 1986, Jesse released his second album, Shockadelica. This album included the hit song "Crazay," which was a duet with Sly Stone. His third album, Every Shade of Love, came out in 1988.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Jesse Johnson also contributed to several movie soundtracks. These included the Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Another 48 Hrs., and White Men Can't Jump.

Producing for Other Artists

Jesse Johnson has also produced music for many different artists. Some of the well-known artists he worked with include Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, TaMara and the Seen, and After 7.

The Time Reunites

In 1990, The Time got back together and released the album Pandemonium. This album was more of a group effort, and Jesse was able to add his strong hard rock guitar sound to many songs.

Later Music and Performances

After The Time broke up again, Jesse Johnson worked behind the scenes for several years. He contributed to movie soundtracks and helped other artists. In 1996, he released another album called Bare My Naked Soul. This album was different from his earlier funk music. It explored blues and hard rock styles.

In 2000, a collection of Jesse's best solo songs was released. It was called Ultimate Collection. This album included songs that had not been released before, as well as special versions of his hits.

After a long break, Jesse released a new double album in 2009 called Verbal Penetration. This album showed off his amazing style and songwriting. It featured funky songs like "1000 Watts of Funky" and powerful rock tracks. In 2010, Jesse was featured on the album Blues In My Sunshine by Sue Ann Carwell.

In February 2012, Jesse Johnson was the main guitarist for a special PBS show. It was called In Performance at the White House: Red, White and Blues. He played with many famous blues musicians, including B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Mick Jagger.

Jesse Johnson's Music Albums

Studio Albums

Compilation Albums

• Ultimate Collection (2000, Hip-O Records)

Singles

Jesse Johnson as a Producer

Jesse Johnson has produced music for these artists:

• TaMara and the Seen (1985)
• Da Krash
• Kool Skool (1989)
• After 7 (1991)