Smokey Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Smokey Johnson
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Joseph Johnson Jr. |
| Born | November 14, 1936 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | October 6, 2015 (aged 78) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, funk, blues, soul, R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Years active | 1953–1993 |
| Associated acts | Fats Domino, Wardell Quezergue, Dave Bartholomew |
Joseph "Smokey" Johnson Jr. (November 14, 1936 – October 6, 2015) was an amazing American drummer. He was a key musician, playing and writing songs that helped create the famous jazz, funk, blues, soul, and R&B sounds of New Orleans.
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Smokey Johnson's Musical Journey
Joseph Johnson Jr. grew up in the Tremé area of New Orleans. This neighborhood is famous for its rich jazz history. He started playing the trombone when he was very young. He took lessons from Yvonne Busch, a great music teacher who lived next door.
From Trombone to Drums
When Smokey was twelve, he switched to playing the drums. His grandfather gave him his first drum set. He played in school bands at Craig School and Clark High School. Yvonne Busch also taught at his high school.
Starting His Professional Career
At age seventeen, Smokey began playing music professionally. He performed in local clubs like Club Tijuana. He also toured with famous musicians during his summer breaks. After high school, he joined a band called the Chapaka Shawee. He also played with other artists like Roy Brown and Red Tyler.
Joining Dave Bartholomew's Band
In 1957, Smokey joined Dave Bartholomew's band. He took over from drummer Earl Palmer, who had moved away. Smokey learned a lot by watching Earl play. He noted how good New Orleans drummers were at using the bass drum. In Bartholomew's band, Smokey had the freedom to be creative.
He got the nickname "Smokey" when a bandmate joked about smoke coming from his bass drum during a show. After his first recording with Bartholomew's band, everyone wanted Smokey to play drums for them. He played with the band from 1957 to about 1964. During this time, he recorded many songs for Imperial Records. In 1963, his drumming was featured as a solo on a song called "Portrait of a Drummer." This song was on the album New Orleans House Party.
Making Music in Detroit
In 1963, Smokey and other New Orleans musicians went to Detroit. They recorded music at Motown Records, a very famous record company. Their goal was to make their music popular across the country. Not many of these songs were released because of legal agreements. However, Smokey's drumming really impressed Berry Gordy, the head of Motown.
Smokey stayed in Detroit and recorded music for about two months. Other musicians said that Motown's sound was influenced by the unique style of New Orleans music, especially Smokey's drumming.
Famous Songs and Recordings
In the late 1950s and 1960s, Smokey played with many artists. These included Fats Domino, Earl King, and Snooks Eaglin. He played on Earl King's classic funk song "Trick Bag." He also played on Professor Longhair's famous Mardi Gras song, "Big Chief".
In 1964, Smokey released his own song called "It Ain't My Fault." This song was based on a drum beat he had created years before. He worked with Wardell Quezergue to create the melody. This song was one of the first to mix second line drumming into pop music. It became a popular song for Mardi Gras and for brass bands.
House Drummer and Later Career
In the 1960s, Smokey was a very busy session musician. He was the main drummer for Quezergue's Nola Records. He released six of his own songs. These songs were later put together in an album called It Ain't My Fault. Music experts say these recordings show how music changed from soul-jazz to funk. They are an important part of New Orleans music history.
In 1973, Smokey joined Fats Domino's band. He had recorded with Domino before, but now he toured with him full-time until 1993. When he was in New Orleans on weekends, he played straight-ahead jazz in local clubs. He played with musicians like Fred Kemp and Ed Frank.
Later Life and Legacy
Smokey Johnson recorded on hundreds of New Orleans songs during his career. In 1993, he had a stroke and could no longer play the drums. In 1994, several tribute concerts were held in New Orleans to honor his career. In 2005, he had to leave his home because of Hurricane Katrina. After the hurricane, he lived in the Musicians' Village in New Orleans. Smokey Johnson passed away on October 6, 2015, after a long illness.
Songs Covered by Other Artists
Smokey Johnson's song "It Ain't My Fault" has been recorded by many other bands. These include Dejan's Olympia Brass Band, Rebirth Brass Band, and Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Singers like Charmaine Neville have also covered it.
The song has also been used in other artists' music. This is called "sampling." Artists like Silkk the Shocker, Mystikal, and Mariah Carey have used parts of "It Ain't My Fault" in their songs.
In 2010, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band recorded a new version of the song. This version had lyrics and helped raise money for the BP Oil Spill clean-up. Famous artists like Mos Def, Trombone Shorty, and Lenny Kravitz were part of this recording.
Disagreement Over Song Payments
In the late 1990s, a hip hop artist named Silkk the Shocker used "It Ain't My Fault" in his music. Then, Mariah Carey used Silkk's song in her album Rainbow. Smokey Johnson and his co-writer, Wardell Quezergue, had given part of their song's ownership to Tuff City Records.
The money from Mariah Carey using the song was estimated to be $300,000. In 2002, Smokey and Wardell had a disagreement with Tuff City. They said the company had not paid them their share of the money. Tuff City said they had lost money trying to get the payments. But they could not show good proof. The court did not agree with Tuff City, and the issue was settled in 2011.
Smokey's Thoughts on Drumming
In an interview in 2000, Smokey Johnson talked about what made New Orleans drummers special. He said: "The difference is the bass drum. The cats don't play the bass drum nowhere else. New Orleans drummers–they're laying it down. That comes from hearing them street parades, them marching bands and all that–you hear that bass drum. When they start to play, they learn how to play the bass drum."
