Today in Louisiana Music History

Happy birthday to extraordinary and influential guitarist Lonnie Johnson born in New Orleans in 1899. Johnson came from a musical family who often included Lonnie on violin or guitar alongside his younger bother, James "Steady Roll" Johnson, Johnson went on a tour overseas in 1917 and returned to find most of his family had died in the 1918 influenza epidemic. Johnson had a long recording career including 130 recordings for the Okeh label between 1925 and 1932. Lonnie recorded with many greats including Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Eddie Lang, James P. Johnson and Louis Armstrong. After World War II, Johnson made the transition to rhythm and blues, recording for King Records and having a major hit with "Tomorrow Night" in 1948. In the late fifties and early sixties, he was re-discovered and made a series of recordings for the Prestige label. Johnson passed in 1970 in Toronto, he was 71 years old.