Earl Johnson (fiddler)
Encyclopedia
Earl Johnson was an old time fiddler who was very much influenced by the music of Gid Tanner
and his Skillet Lickers.
's Virginia Reelers and within two years, he made his first recordings on Paramount Records
. Initially, he recorded with the "Dixie String Band" and Arthur Tanner. He became the Georgia state fiddle champion of 1926 in Atlanta.
Johnson formed the "Dixie Entertainers with guitarist Byrd Moore and banjoist Emmett Bankston and they made their first recordings for Okeh Records
on February 21, 1927. When Byrd Moore left, Johnson added guitarist Lee "Red" Henderson and formed "The Clodhoppers". The new band became successful recording for Okeh in October 1927. Although he made his last recordings in 1931, he continued to perform on the radio and on fiddlers' conventions for the remainder of his life. His last performance was on May 24, 1965 at the Stone Mountain Fiddlers' Convention in Georgia. No less than a week later, he died of a heart attack.
Earl Johnson's Clodhoppers
Gid Tanner
James Gideon Tanner was an American old time fiddler and one of the earliest stars of what would come to be known as country music. His band, the Skillet Lickers, was one of the most innovative and influential string bands of the 1920s and 1930s...
and his Skillet Lickers.
Biography
Robert Earl Johnson learned to play the fiddle from an early age, partly with some assistance from his father. When he was young, he used to practise together with his two brothers, Albert on banjo and Ester on guitar. Between 1920 and 1934, Johnson was a regular participant at the Atlanta Fiddlers' Convention. In 1923, Albert and Ester were the victims of an epidemic. The same year, Johnson joined Fiddlin' John CarsonFiddlin' John Carson
Fiddlin' John Carson was an American old time fiddler and an early-recorded country musician.-Early life:...
's Virginia Reelers and within two years, he made his first recordings on Paramount Records
Paramount Records
Paramount Records was an American record label, best known for its recordings of African-American jazz and blues in the 1920s and early 1930s, including such artists as Ma Rainey and Blind Lemon Jefferson.-Early years:...
. Initially, he recorded with the "Dixie String Band" and Arthur Tanner. He became the Georgia state fiddle champion of 1926 in Atlanta.
Johnson formed the "Dixie Entertainers with guitarist Byrd Moore and banjoist Emmett Bankston and they made their first recordings for Okeh Records
Okeh Records
Okeh Records began as an independent record label based in the United States of America in 1918. From 1926 on, it was a subsidiary of Columbia Records.-History:...
on February 21, 1927. When Byrd Moore left, Johnson added guitarist Lee "Red" Henderson and formed "The Clodhoppers". The new band became successful recording for Okeh in October 1927. Although he made his last recordings in 1931, he continued to perform on the radio and on fiddlers' conventions for the remainder of his life. His last performance was on May 24, 1965 at the Stone Mountain Fiddlers' Convention in Georgia. No less than a week later, he died of a heart attack.
Original discography
Earl Johnson's Dixie Entertainers| Matrix | Title | Record # | Recording date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80460 | "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" | Unissued | February 21, 1927 |
| 80461 | "Ain't Nobody's Business" | Okeh 45092 | February 21, 1927 |
| 80462 | "Dixie" | Okeh 45129 | February 21, 1927 |
| 80463 | "Hen Cackle" | Okeh 45123 | February 21, 1927 |
| 80464 | "Bully of the Town" | Unissued | February 21, 1927 |
| 80465 | "I'm Satisfied" | Okeh 45129 | February 21, 1927 |
| 80466 | "Three Night's Experience" | Okeh 45092 | February 21, 1927 |
| 80467 | "Johnson's Old Grey Mule" | Okeh 45123 | February 21, 1927 |
| 80625 | "Boil Dem Cabbage Down" | Okeh 45112 | March 23, 1927 |
| 80626 | "John Henry Blues" | Okeh 45101 | March 23, 1927 |
| 80659 | "I Don't Love Nobody" | Okeh 45101 | March 23, 1927 |
| 80660 | "Shortenin' Bread" | Okeh 45112 | March 23, 1927 |
| 56560 | "Rocky Palace" | Victor 40304 | November 22, 1929 |
| 56561 | "Green Mountain" | Victor 40304 | November 22, 1929 |
| 56562 | "Fiddling Rufus" | Victor 40212 | November 22, 1929 |
| 56563 | "Mississippi Sawyer" | Victor 40212 | November 22, 1929 |
| 56564 | "He's a Beauty" | Victor 23638 | November 22, 1929 |
| 56565 | "I Lost My Gal" | Victor 23638 | November 22, 1929 |
| 404614 | "When Roses Bloom Again For the Bootlegger" | Okeh 45545 | December 3, 1930 |
| 404615 | "Buy a Half Pint and Stay In the Wagon Yard" | Okeh 45528 | December 3, 1930 |
| 404616 | "Take Me Back To My Old Mountain Home" | Okeh 45528 | December 3, 1930 |
| 404617 | "There's No Place Like Home" | Okeh 45545 | December 3, 1930 |
| 404618 | "Bringing In the Sheaves | Okeh 45512 | December 3, 1930 |
| 404619 | "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth" | Okeh 45512 | December 3, 1930 |
| 405044 | "Close Your Bright Eyes" | Okeh 45559 | October 29, 1931 |
| 405045 | "Way Down In Georgia" | Okeh 45559 | October 29, 1931 |
Earl Johnson's Clodhoppers
| Matrix | Title | Record # | Recording date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 81705 | "I Get My Whiskey From Rockingham" | Okeh 45183 | October 7, 1927 |
| 81706 | "Red Hot Breakdown" | Okeh 45209 | October 7, 1927 |
| 81707 | "I've Got a Woman On Sourwood Mountain" | Okeh 45171 | October 7, 1927 |
| 81708 | "All Night Long" | Okeh 45383 | October 7, 1927 |
| 81709 | "Old Grey Mare Kicking Out of the Wilderness" | Okeh 45183 | October 7, 1927 |
| 81710 | "They Don't Roost Too High For Me" | Okeh 45223 | October 7, 1927 |
| 81711 | "Mississippi Jubilee" | Okeh 45223 | October 7, 1927 |
| 81712 | "Leather Breeches" | Okeh 45209 | October 7, 1927 |
| 81743 | "Poor Little Joe" | Okeh 45406 | October 11, 1927 |
| 81744 | "The Little Grave In Georgia" | Okeh 45194 | October 11, 1927 |
| 81745 | "In the Shadow of the Pine" | Okeh 45194 | October 11, 1927 |
| 81746 | "Johnnie, Get Your Gun" | Okeh 45171 | October 11, 1927 |
| 81747 | "Arkansaw Traveler" | Okeh 45156 | October 11, 1927 |
| 81748 | "Twinkle Little Star" | Okeh 45156 | October 11, 1927 |
| 402036 | "Weeping Willow" | Unissued | August 2, 1928 |
| 402037 | "Nigger On the Woodpile" | Okeh 45269 | August 2, 1928 |
| 402038 | "Nigger In the Cotton Patch" | Okeh 45383 | August 2, 1928 |
| 402112 | "Alabama Girl, Ain't You Comin' Out Tonight" | Okeh 45300 | August 9, 1928 |
| 402113 | "Laughing Rufus" | Okeh 45406 | August 9, 1928 |
| 402114 | "G Rag" | Okeh 45300 | August 9, 1928 |
| 402115 | "Wire Grass Drag" | Okeh 45269 | August 9, 1928 |
Selected discography
- Complete Recorded Works, Vol 1 (1927) - Document Records (1997)
- Complete Recorded Works, Vol 2 (1927-1931) - Document Records (1997)
External links
- 1001tunes.com
- [ Allmusic.com]
- Answers.com
- eMusic.com
- Gracenote.com