Biography
Lemuel Charles Johnson, 6 August 1909, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, d. 1 April 1989, New York City, New York, USA. While still at school, Johnson began playing clarinet and worked with local bands. In his late teens he added the tenor saxophone to his instrumental abilities and played with Walter Page’s Blue Devils, then with Sammy Price. After playing with several other territory bands in the Midwest he played with Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines and then moved to New York. There he played in bands led by Fess Williams, Louis Jordan and others, occasionally led his own small groups, and in the early 40s was with Buster Harding, Edgar Hayes, Sidney Bechet and others. During 1942/3 he frequently played with Claude Hopkins on a part-time basis while working in defence industry factories. In the late 40s and on through the 50s he mostly led his own bands in the north-east, occasionally touring overseas, and making record sessions with several leaders including Oran...
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