A piano player and blues musician whose work with Chuck Berry led to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He was born in West Virginia and began playing piano in 1928. He joined the US Marine Corps during World War II where he was a member of Bobby Troup's all serviceman jazz orchestra, The Barracudas.
After his return, he moved to Detroit and then Chicago, where he sat in with many notable artists including Muddy Waters and Little Walter.
He moved to St. Louis in 1952 and immediately put together a jazz and blues group, the Sir John Trio with drummer Ebby Hardy and saxophonist Alvin Bennett. The three had a regular gig at the Cosmopolitan Club in East St. Louis. On New Years Eve 1952, Bennett had a stroke and could not perform. Johnson, searching for a last minute replacement, called a young man named Chuck Berry, an ex-convict and the only musician Johnson knew who, because of his inexperience, would likely not be playing on New Years Eve. Although a limited guitarist, Berry added vocals and showmanship to the group and became a permanent member of the Trio.
They remained as the Sir John's Trio until Berry took one of their tunes, a reworking of the Bob Wills' classic, Ida Red, to Chess Records in Chicago. Chess liked the tune and soon the Trio were in Chicago recording Maybellene.
By the time the trio left Chicago, Berry had been signed as a solo act and Johnson and Hardy became part of his band.
Over the next 20 years, Johnson and Berry collaborated in the arrangements of many of Berry's songs including Carol and Nadine. The song Johnny B. Goode was reportedly a tribute to Johnson.
Berry and Johnson played and toured together until 1973 and occasionally thereafter until Johnson's death in 2005.
Johnson received very little recognition until the Berry concert/documentary in 1987. That attention helped Johnson, who was a bus driver in St. Louis at the time, to return to music. He recorded his first solo album, Blue Hand Johnnie, that same year and later performed with Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, John Lee Hooker and Bo Diddley. In 1996 and 1997, Johnson toured with Bob Weir's Ratdog, playing 67 shows.
In November 2000, Johnson sued Berry, alleging he deserved co-composer credits (and royalties) for dozens of songs, including No Particular Place To Go, Sweet Little Sixteen and Roll Over Beethoven, that credit Berry alone. The case was dismissed because too many years had passed since the songs in dispute were written.