Jimmy Johnson

James Earl Thompson (November 25, 1928 – January 31, 2022), known professionally as Jimmy Johnson, was an American blues guitarist and singer.

As a guitarist he was influenced by Buddy Guy and Otis Rush. He played with Freddie King, Albert King, Magic Sam, Otis Rush, and Eddy Clearwater, among others. on November 25, 1928. Several of his brothers had careers in music, among them soul musician Syl Johnson and bassist Mack Thompson, who played with Magic Sam.

Johnson's first solo albums appeared on MCM Records in 1978 and Delmark Records in 1979, when he was 50 years old. Reviewing the 1979 Johnson's Whacks, Robert Christgau wrote in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981): "Syl's cousin performed better on Alligator's Living Chicago Blues Volume I, but only marginally, and he compensates by showing unexpected chops as a writer. Whether hoping to make the cover of Living Blues magazine or complaining that women aren't loyal any more, he comes across as a bold-faced contemporary. But his basic wail starts to sound thin after a while, his band is only solid, and his guitar can't carry the extra load."

In November 1980, Johnson was awarded at the first annual Blues Music Awards, held in Memphis. His career continued to pick up until December 2, 1988, when his touring van crashed in Indiana, killing his band's keyboardist, St. James Bryant, and bassist, Larry Exum. Jimmy Johnson was still doing guest performances at 90 years old. He performed with the Dave Spector Band at the Blues, Brews and BBQ in McHenry, Illinois, on August 17, 2019, playing guitar and singing "Cold Cold Feeling" (a T-Bone Walker song).

Later life Johnson was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2016. He was honored as "Best Blues Guitar Player" in 2020 by Living Blues, before being named "Blues Artist of the Year" the following year.

Discography Jimmy Johnson & Luther Johnson (MCM Records, 1977) Tobacco Road (MCM, 1978) Johnson's Whacks (Delmark Records, 1979) North/South (Delmark, 1982) Bar Room Preacher (Alligator Records, 1985) I'm a Jockey (Verve Records, 1994) Every Road Ends Somewhere (Ruf Records, 1999)

Pepper's Hangout (Delmark, 2000) Ma Bea's Rock (Storyville Records, 2001) Heap See (Black & Blue, 2002) Two Johnsons Are Better Than One, with Syl Johnson (2002) Brothers Live (Brambus Records, 2004) Every Day of Your Life (Delmark, 2019)