Edith North Johnson (January 2, 1903 – February 28, 1988) was an American

classic female blues Classic female blues was an early form of blues music, popular in the 1920s. An amalgam of traditional folk blues and urban theater music, the style is also known as vaudeville blues. Classic blues were performed by female singers accompanied by ...

singer, pianist and songwriter. Her most noted tracks are "Honey Dripper Blues", "Can't Make Another Day" and "Eight Hour Woman". She wrote another of her songs, "Nickel's Worth of Liver Blues".

Biography

She was born Edith North in 1903. She married Jesse Johnson, a

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

record producer. She originally worked at her husband's Deluxe Music Store as a saleswoman. Although not a professional singer, Johnson recorded eighteen sides in 1928 and 1929. She started on QRS Records in 1928. She then switched to Paramount, recording at a session in

Grafton, Wisconsin Grafton is a village in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. Located about north of Milwaukee and in close proximity to Interstate 43, it is a suburban community in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The village incorporated in 1896, and a ...

, attended by

Charley Patton Charlie Patton (April 1891 (probable) – April 28, 1934), more often spelled Charley Patton, was an American Delta blues musician and songwriter. Considered by many to be the "Father of the Delta Blues", he created an enduring body of America ...

. It is reckoned that Patton did not play on any of her recordings. Using pseudonyms such as Hattie North (on

Vocalion Vocalion Records is an American record label, originally founded by the Aeolian Company, a piano and organ manufacturer before being bought out by Brunswick in 1924. History The label was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Company, a maker of pian ...

) and Maybelle Allen, Johnson also recorded other tracks for small labels. Under the name Hattie North, she recorded "Lovin' That Man Blues" with

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Johnson managed a

taxicab A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a Driving, driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of thei ...

operation in St. Louis. She ran Johnson's Deluxe Cafė, after her husband's death in 1946.

Samuel Charters Samuel Barclay Charters IV (August 1, 1929 – March 18, 2015) was an American music historian, writer, record producer, musician, and poet. He was a widely published author on the subjects of blues and jazz. He also wrote fiction. Early life a ...

located her in 1961 and recorded her, accompanied by Henry Brown, for the anthology album ''The Blues in St. Louis'', released by

Folkways Records Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987 and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways. History The Folkways Records & Service ...

. Her recording of "Honey Dripper Blues" was the inspiration for the nickname used by

Roosevelt Sykes Roosevelt Sykes (January 31, 1906July 17, 1983) was an American blues musician, also known as "the Honeydripper". Career Sykes was born the son of a musician in Elmar, Arkansas. "Just a little old sawmill town", Sykes said of his birthplace. The ...

. In her later life, Johnson spent time undertaking social work in her hometown. She died in St. Louis in February 1988, at the age of 85. Four of her recordings are included in the

boxed set A boxed set or (its US name) box set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box, hence 'boxed', and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists ...

'' Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton'' (2001).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Edith North 1903 births 1988 deaths American blues singers American blues pianists St. Louis blues musicians Paramount Records artists Songwriters from Missouri Musicians from St. Louis Classic female blues singers 20th-century American women pianists 20th-century American pianists Singers from Missouri 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers 20th-century American songwriters

Biography

See also

References