Lyrics | Artists | Pete Johnson

Pete Johnson

Pete Johnson spent part of his childhood in an orphanage, doing odd jobs, and learned to play the drums at the age of 10, then the piano a little later (1920). That same year, he made his debut as a pianist at the Hawaian Gardens club in Kansas City. Often playing solo (1924-1930), he met Joe Turner, who was working as a bartender. The duo became a popular attraction with New York's black public. Pete Johnson became the star of the Famous Door club in New York in 1935. His fame took on a new dimension with the famous "Spirituals To Swing" concert at Carnegie Hall in 1938. With Al...