Johnny Drummer
| Johnny Drummer | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Thessex Johns |
| Born |
March 1, 1938 Alligator, Mississippi, United States |
| Genres | Chicago blues, soul blues |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, keyboardist, drummer, harmonica player, songwriter |
| Instruments | Keyboards, drums, harmonica, vocals |
| Years active | 1960–present |
| Labels | Earwig |
| Website | Johnnydrummermusic.com |
Johnny Drummer (born Thessex Johns, March 1, 1938) is an American Chicago blues and soul blues singer, keyboardist, drummer, harmonica player, and songwriter. His stage name came after he saw the film Johnny Guitar, at a time when his chosen instrument was the drums.
Drummer has released three albums.
Drummer was born and raised in Alligator, Mississippi, and sang in his church at the age of seven. He visited his mother in Chicago, Illinois, in 1954 and 1955, and joined the U.S. Army the following year. He learned to play the drums during his three-year period of duty. By 1959, he had relocated to Chicago, where he remains to the present.
In 1960, he joined a band containing Lovie Lee and Carey Bell. He later played drums for about a year for Eddie King. After forming his own band, the Starliters, Drummer recorded two tracks, "Lookin' for My Baby" and "I Can't Stop Twisting," for a local record label, Wonderful Records, but they were never released. In 1965, he recorded vocal overdubs on two tracks for Billy "The Kid" Emerson, but these also were not issued. During the 1960s, the Starliters at various times included Sammy Lawhorn and Eddie Shaw. Drummer also played on several of Eddie King's singles, and in 1965 he once played with B.B. King at a concert when King's regular drummer did not arrive. Drummer was reluctantly pressed to sing in his own band, leaving regular drum playing to others.
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