David Earle Johnson | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | 10 April 1938 |
| Died | 22 December 1998 |
| Genres | Jazz, Experimental |
| Occupation(s) | Percussionist, composer, music producer |
| Instrument(s) | Drums and percussions |
| Years active | 1978-1993 |
| Labels | Vanguard Records, CMP Records, Landslide Records, Plug Records, Intercord Record Service, Veracity, David Earle Johnson Records |
David Earle Johnson (April 10, 1938 - December 22, 1998) was a percussionist, composer and music producer. The son of Earle H. Johnson and Lottie Ruth Troutman Johnson of Florence, SC.
He appeared on Billy Cobham’s Total Eclipse and Voyage to Uranus (1974) by Clive Stevens; Jan Hammer's The First Seven Days (1975); Lenny White's Big City and Miroslav Vitouš' Majesty Music (1977); Jaroslav Jakubovič's Checkin' In, Mark Moogy Klingman's Moogy II, the Players Association's Born to Dance, and Josh White Jr.'s self-titled album (1978).
Johnson's solo debut came in 1978 with Time Is Free, recorded for Vanguard Records. His relationship with that label proved short-lived, however, and he began recording albums for other labels in subsequent years before his recording career slowed following his 1983 album, The Midweek Blues.
Jan Hammer produced and performed on most of these releases along with John Abercrombie, Jeremy Steig, Col. Bruce Hampton, Allen Sloan, Dan Wall, Billy McPherson (under the pseudonym Ben 'Pops' Thornton), and Gary Campbell.
Johnson was against the use of sampling, as Hammer used samples of his rare Nigerian Log Drums on the Miami Vice soundtrack without his permission. Johnson tried and failed to convince American Federation of Musicains Local 802 to take up his case.[1]
He was married to French artist Evelyne Morisot, with whom he had four children. He died from cancer in 1998.
