Bashiri Johnson

Bashiri Johnson (born May 12, 1955) is an American percussionist, whose work has appeared on many records, as well as in commercials, films, television, video games, and concert performances. He is known to be one of the most recorded percussionists in the music business, as well as one of the most visible. While he has recorded with such artists as Luther Vandross, Miles Davis, and Patti LaBelle, he has also been a part of numerous on-stage performances; he has performed on stage with artists such as Sting, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie, Aretha Franklin, and Steve Winwood.

Career

Johnson's interest in music and percussion started at a very young age, when growing up in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, during the 1960s. According to his mother, his talents in percussion started as early as pre-school with drumming on desks and furniture, occasionally to the extent of disrupting class.

Formal percussion education took a number of forms for Johnson, including high-school bands, lessons at Jazzmobile, lessons at the Dance Theater of Harlem, and with Olatunji. Johnson has also performed at the White House as part of two separate "In Performance at the White House" presentations, once for the presentation of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, and once for "The Motown Sound".

His most recent endeavors include participating in Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour with Cirque du Soleil, while continuing to write, produce, and perform in a variety of media. Among his endeavors and accomplishments are a production company (Bashman Productions Soul Liberation (Life in Rhythm Media, 2007) Musical Alphabet (Life in Rhythm Media, 2009) Musical Multiplication (Life In Rhythm Media, 2010)

Filmography This Is It Get Him to the Greek The 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Crazy Love The Hoax Slavery and the Making of America, "Liberty in the Air" Naked World: America Undercover Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration Hitch Mission Impossible The Score Godzilla The Mask Last Holiday Sex and The City 2 Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston Whitney: Brunei The Royal Wedding Celebration Classic Whitney Live from Washington D.C. Sting: A Winter's Night Live from Durham Cathedral

He has appeared in the following films:

This Is It (2009) Get Him to the Greek Whitney Houston: Concert for South Africa

Awards

He has been nominated by readers of Drum! Magazine and DRUMmagazine.com for two "Drummies."

2010 Percussionist of the Year 2011 World Percussionist

In a ModernDrummer reader's poll, Bashiri Johnson was voted in 2011 as a top 5 percussionist.

Products

Percussion Libraries

"Bitz & Piecez" Volume 1 (Industrial Strength) – winner of a "Loop Masters VIP Award" "Bitz & Piecez" Volume 2 (Industrial Strength) Supreme Beats (Spectrasonics)

Educational The Rhythmic Construction of Dance, Pop, R&B, and Hip-Hop (2005)

Wellness He is also behind the creation of wellness product supplements and a product and service line.

Wholeness Well Being Formula®