Jellybean Johnson: Prince's Drummer Dies At 69
Jellybean Johnson, who played alongside Morris Day in The Time and later the Original 7ven, passed away on Friday, just two days after celebrating his 69th birthday.
A trailblazer of the Minneapolis Sound, Jellybean
Johnson helped shape the funky, rock-tinged soul movement that dominated the
1970s and ‘80s.
On his birthday, Jellybean Johnson posted a touching message on Facebook looking
back on nearly seven decades of life and music — words that now feel like a
final goodbye.
'I've been blessed to live a life shaped by
music, community, and the love of people who believed in me long before the
world knew my name,' he wrote.
'When I look back, I don't first think about
the big stages or awards — I think about The Way… that little community center
on the North Side of Minneapolis where a bunch of young kids picked up
instruments and discovered who we were meant to be.'
Vocalist Susannah Melvoin paid tribute to her
'brother' on Instagram, calling him a prolific guitarist and noting, 'oxygen
for him was the inhale and exhale of playing his guitar.'
Born in Chicago in 1956, Johnson moved to
North Minneapolis at 13, teaching himself music through the radio and a pair of
drumsticks.
His talent soon brought him into the orbit of
Morris Day, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, and a young Prince.
Those early practice sessions eventually gave
rise to The Time, the band that became a cornerstone of the Minneapolis Sound.
As The Time’s drummer, Johnson earned a
reputation not only for his technical skill but for the energy he brought to
every performance.
Later, he extended his influence as a
producer at Flyte Tyme Records.
Even in recent years, Johnson remained active
as a guitarist.
One of his enduring passions was establishing
a Minneapolis Sound Museum.
He worked tirelessly on the project, hoping
to honor the trailblazers who created the movement.
'I want our story protected, I want our
community honored, I want the next generation to have what we had: access,
opportunity, and a place to belong,' he wrote in his final post.
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