Johnnie Bassett

Johnnie Bassett
Bassett and his band performing at the Great Lakes Folk Festival, 2006
Background information
Birth name	Johnnie Alexander Bassett
Born	(1935-10-09)October 9, 1935 Marianna, Florida, United States
Died	August 4, 2012(2012-08-04) (aged 76) Detroit, Michigan, United States
Genres	Electric blues
Occupation(s)	Guitarist, singer, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	Mid 1950s–2012
Labels	Various
Associated acts	Joe Weaver, Joe Weaver and the Bluenotes, Nolan Strong & the Diablos, Andre Williams, The Miracles, John Lee Hooker, Alberta Adams, Lowell Fulson, Dinah Washington, Billy Butler, Tiny Grimes, Albert King, B.B. King, T-Bone Walker, Tina Turner, Little Willie John, Thornetta Davis
Website	johnniebassett.net

Johnnie Alexander Bassett (October 9, 1935 – August 4, 2012) was a Detroit-based American electric blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Working for decades primarily as a session musician, by the 1990s Bassett had his own backing band. He released seven albums in his lifetime. He cited Billy Butler, Tiny Grimes, Albert King, B.B. King and especially T-Bone Walker as major influences.

Born in Marianna, Florida, Bassett relocated with his family in 1944 to Detroit. He was a guitarist in the group Joe Weaver and the Bluenotes, which won local talent contests and backed Big Joe Turner, and Ruth Brown. In 1958, Bassett enlisted in the United States Army. Upon his return to Detroit he worked with the Bluenotes as session musicians for Fortune Records. During this time he provided accompaniment to Nolan Strong & the Diablos and Andre Williams. He later backed the Miracles in a short tenure at Chess Records, working on their debut single, "Got a Job" (1958). In concerts while in Detroit, Bassett played on stage alongside John Lee Hooker, Alberta Adams, Lowell Fulson and Dinah Washington.

Basset spent most of the next decade performing at gigs in Seattle and backing Tina Turner and Little Willie John.