Johnnie Johnson

In 2003, we all worked with Johnnie and Johnny Rivers, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Hornsby, and John Sebastian on a 12-song Johnnie Johnson CD. Radio Hall of Famer Pat St. John came into St. Louis and interviewed Johnnie in the studio, and that interview is one of Johnnie’s last interviews and is included on the companion CD. The CD, called I’m Just Johnnie, is some of Johnnie’s last recorded work as well. Johnnie was 80 when we recorded these songs and even at 80, he was playing wonderful piano on these recordings.

Another passion of Johnnie’s was fishing, and he used to love to come out to my house in the country and we’d fish together at my lake. Those are times that were always special and that I cherish. I would go into St. Louis and pick him up early in the morning and we’d drive back to the house. On the way out to the country, we had our little routine. We’d go by Kelly’s Bait Shop in St. Charles and get worms and supplies and then later during the drive, we would stop at the 76 Truck Stop in Foristell. We would stock up on food and goodies to take with us and then continue west and finally arrive at the house.

Johnnie would say to me as we pulled into my drive and he spotted the lake, “This is our little piece of Heaven.” We’d fish all day and then I’d drive him back home. It was like getting to spend a day with your grandfather, and we had so much fun. Sometimes we would just sit and listen to the birds and soak in the sounds of nature as we fished side by side. Other times Johnnie would talk and tell me wonderful stories about his life and things he remembered about his early days in music.

He used to like to call his wife Frances from his cell phone if we were catching fish and tell her to “Get the skillet and grease hot, we’ve got a mess of fish.” Of course, there were a few times when we got skunked and didn’t catch anything. Frances never let us forget those times. Johnnie said to me one warm day as we were down at the lake and the birds were singing and the fish were biting, “This is almost as good as playing the blues in the key of G.” What a great line—everyone knows Johnnie could tear it up in the key of G and there’s nobody better!

Listen to Johnnie on “Almost Grown” and “Wee Wee Hours” from the movie Hail! Hail! Rock & Roll. Both songs are in G and Johnnie just explodes on them. Eric Clapton gives him that solo on “Wee Wee Hours” and stands back and smiles with delight as Johnnie adds his signature piano licks and the crowd erupts. That was Johnnie at his best!

Johnnie enjoyed those fishing trips to my house so much that he even talked about it when he was honored at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland in 2000. They were filming his concert there and a moderator was asking him questions in between songs. Johnnie went on to talk about playing with Butch Wax & The Hollywoods back in St. Louis and talked about our fishing trips to my place in the country. I was there in the audience, and it was so heartwarming to hear him say those things.

We shared some great stories and great times during those fishing outings, and we caught some nice fish too. Johnnie was a great fisherman, and I used to call him a “master caster.” He had an unusual delivery when he would cast his line into the water. He would twirl his nightcrawler and sinker a couple times (almost like a cowboy with a lasso) and then sail it out into the water underhanded and land it with precision, right where he was aiming! I used to tell him he needed to do an instructional video of it. What great memories.

Johnnie Johnson was a special person, one of a kind for sure, and we are all blessed to have known him. He touched a lot of lives, and his music and spirit will live on in all of us.