There is more than one artist called Pete Johnson. (1) Peter (Pete) Johnson (March 25, 1904 - March 23, 1967) was an American jazz and especially boogie-woogie pianist. Pete Johnson was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He died in Meyer Hospital, Buffalo, NY. ...show more

There is more than one artist called Pete Johnson. (1) Peter (Pete) Johnson (March 25, 1904 - March 23, 1967) was an American jazz and especially boogie-woogie pianist. Pete Johnson was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He died in Meyer Hospital, Buffalo, NY.

He began his musical career in 1922 as a drummer in Kansas City, Missouri. From 1926 to 1938 he worked as a pianist, often accompanying Big Joe Turner. In 1938 he and Turner appeared in the From Spirituals to Swing concert at Carnegie Hall. This concert started a boogie-woogie craze, and Turner and two other performers at the concert, Meade Lux Lewis and Albert Ammons, worked together afterwards at Café Society for a long time; they also toured and recorded together.

The song, "Roll 'em, Pete", featuring Turner on vocals and Johnson on piano, was one of the first rock and roll records. Another self-referential title was their "Johnson and Turner Blues". In 1949, he also wrote and recorded "Rocket 88 boogie", a two-sided instrumental not to be confused with the Ike Turner 1951 hit "Rocket 88". In the late '40s, Johnson recorded an early concept album Pete's House Warmin' , in which he starts out playing alone, supposedly in new empty house, and is joined there by J. ...show less