(Credits: Far Out / Johnnie Johnson / Finnish Heritage Agency)
Mon 17 November 2025 21:00, UK
While Chuck Berry‘s legacy is without question bulletproof, his longtime collaborator, Johnnie Johnson, doesn’t get nearly enough credit for the role he played in helping secure the rock and roll pioneer’s place in history.
Over time, the eccentric guitarist has somewhat received his due shine as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, Given his race, the fact that he essentially invented a genre that reshaped the United States (and beyond) was a bitter pill to swallow in a deeply segregated world, which has also left countless other Black musicians who contributed to the movement to yet be properly recognised.
Johnson was the one who initially hired Berry as a last-minute replacement for his saxophonist in the Sir John Trio, and the young stringsman immediately stood out as more than a temp, ultimately being asked to play with the group full-time, which eventually grew into an alliance that spanned several decades, with Johnson becoming a part of Berry’s backing band when the latter signed a record deal as a solo artist.
Berry’s star power made him the main attraction of the show, but simultaneously, his support system is what made him glow so bright, which is precisely where Johnson fits in, helping enhance his peer’s artistry by creating an enchanting fullness around the guitar work that dominated the brand.
They had already recorded ‘Maybellene’ and ‘Wee Wee Hours’ as part of their now-defunct trio, and went on to recreate the magic on classics like ‘Roll Over Beethoven’, ‘Carol’, ‘Nadine’, and ‘Johnny B Goode’, which is actually about the pianist and his drinking habits, further illustrating how important he was to Berry’s timeline.
However, when Johnson sued his former partner for unpaid songwriting credits and royalties, their relationship soured, and so it is possible he played a far greater role in the guitarist’s success than what most people know..
Johnson was also championed across the rock and roll, jazz and blues communities, leading to his performing with titans such as Albert King, Eric Clapton and Keith Richards, among countless others, to the point where The Rolling Stones guitarist played a key role in having him inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the ‘Sideman’ category in 2001, cementing Johnson’s place in history alongside all the greats he helped elevate across his prolific career.
Johnnie Johnson’s zealous work on the piano was faceless for the most part during his lifetime, and will most likely remain such, but it is because of supporting artists like him that other musicians can become giants.
Hence, it is necessary to acknowledge his contributions in combating the misconception that people like Chuck Berry made it all on their own; no man sits in isolation at the top without a few important helping hands pulling them up to the pinnacle, and such was the case for Berry, too.
Of course, there came a point when Johnson had to step away from music in order to support himself, choosing to be a bus driver, but just within a few years of he resumed his passion when the 1987 documentary Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll put him back on the map. Unfortunately, the majority of brilliant artists like him who went through a similar trajectory didn’t get such a second chance, showing why it is always important to honour the unsung heroes, maybe more so within their lifetime.
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