Jesse Johnson (musician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jesse Johnson
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Johnson in 1988
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jesse Woods Johnson |
| Born | June 1, 1960 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 on June 1, 1960, is an American funk musician. He is most famous as the guitarist for the original band The Time. This group later became known as Original 7ven in 2011.
Contents
Jesse Johnson's Early Life
Jesse Johnson was born in Rock Island, Illinois. When he was nine, he moved to East St. Louis, Illinois. He was raised by foster parents after his own parents separated. At 16, he moved back to Rock Island to live with his father.
Johnson started playing guitar when he was 15 years old. He practiced a lot in local rock bands. Some of these bands were Treacherous Funk, Pilot, and Dealer.
Joining The Time
In 1981, Jesse moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. A fellow musician suggested he move there. In Minneapolis, he met Morris Day and played in Day's band, Enterprise. Soon after, he became the lead guitarist for The Time. This was a funk rock group started by Prince.
Prince wrote and recorded most of The Time's first two albums. However, Jesse Johnson helped with another Prince project called Vanity 6. He co-wrote a song called "Bite the Beat." On The Time's third album, Ice Cream Castle, Jesse helped create hit songs. These included "The Bird" and "Jungle Love." These songs became very popular because of the Purple Rain movie.
Solo Career and Other Projects
After The Time became very popular, Jesse Johnson left the band. This happened after Morris Day also left. Jesse signed a solo record deal in 1984. The next year, he released his first album, Jesse Johnson's Revue. Two other former members of The Time, Mark Cardenas and Jerry Hubbard, played in his band.
Three songs from this album were released: "Be Your Man," "Can You Help Me," and "I Want My Girl." In 1986, his second album, Shockadelica, came out. It featured the hit song "Crazay," which was a duet with Sly Stone. His third album, Every Shade of Love, followed in 1988.
Jesse also contributed to movie soundtracks. He worked on music for the Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Another 48 Hrs., and White Men Can't Jump.
Working as a Producer
Jesse Johnson has also produced music for many different artists. He helped create music for Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul. He also worked with TaMara and the Seen, After 7, Da Krash, and Kool Skool. Other artists he produced include Debbie Allen, Cheryl Lynn, and Les Rita Mitsouko.
Reunions and Later Music
In 1990, The Time reunited and released the album Pandemonium. This album was more of a group effort. Jesse was able to add his hard rock guitar style to many songs.
After the band separated again, Jesse 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 his best solo songs was released. It was called Ultimate Collection. This album included songs that were not on his main albums.
After a long break, Jesse released a new double album in 2009. It was called Verbal .... A music writer named Casey Rain said it was a "tour de force of style and songwriting." In 2010, Jesse was featured on an album by Sue Ann Carwell.
In 2012, Jesse Johnson played guitar for a special TV show. It was called In Performance at the White House: Red, White and Blues. He played with many famous blues musicians. These included B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Mick Jagger.
Jesse Johnson's Music Albums
Jesse Johnson has released several studio albums and a compilation album.
Studio Albums
- Jesse Johnson's Revue (1985)
- Shockadelica (1986)
- Every Shade of Love (1988)
- Bare My Naked Soul (1996)
- Verbal ... (2009)
Compilation Albums
- Ultimate Collection (2000)
