Chas. L. Johnson

Resource id #75

Chas. L. Johnson

Charles Leslie Johnson (December 3, 1876 - December 28, 1950) was an American composer of ragtime and popular music. He was born in Kansas City, Kansas, died in Kansas City, Missouri, and lived his entire life in those two cities. He published over 300 songs in his life, nearly 40 of them ragtime compositions such as "Doc Brown’s Cakewalk", "Dill Pickles", "Apple Jack (Some Rag)", and "Snookums Rag". His best selling piece, a sentimental ballad called "Sweet and Low", sold over a million copies. Experts believe that had Johnson lived and worked in New York, he would be included alongside Scott Joplin, James Scott, and Joseph Lamb as one of the greatest ragtime composers. He wrote more than the other three combined and exemplified a greater range of talent, composing waltzes, tangos, cakewalks, marches, novelty pieces, and other types of music popular at that time.

Birth and Death Data: Born December 3, 1876 (Kansas City), Died December 28, 1950 (Kansas City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1904 - 1934

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, lyricist, arranger

Notes: Pseudonyms: Raymond Birch, Ethel Earnist, Herbert Leslie, Fannie B. Woods

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 51-75 of 79 records)

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Columbia	W149317	10-in.	10/31/1929	When clouds have vanished	McMichen's Melody Men	2 fiddles (violins) and steel guitar, with male vocal solo	composer
Columbia	55972	10-in.	1911	Dill pickles rag	Guido Deiro		composer
OKeh	S-7043	10-in.	ca. Oct. 1919	Where the lanterns glow	All Star Trio	Instrumental trio	composer
OKeh	9391	10-in.	Oct. 1925	The hills of old Kentucky	Charles Nabell	Male vocal solo, with guitar	composer
OKeh	S-71658	10-in.	June 1923	Spanish moon	Hotel Pennsylvania Orchestra ; Vincent Lopez	Jazz/dance band	composer
OKeh	S-71694	10-in.	July 1923	When clouds have vanished and skies are blue	Lewis James	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	composer
OKeh	W402721	10-in.	6/25/1929	Crazy rag	Hugh Roden ; The Texas Night Hawks	String band	composer
OKeh	[OK cat 1264-A]	10-in.	between April and August 1919	Where the lanterns glow	OKeh Dance Orchestra	Jazz/dance band	composer
Brunswick	609	10-in.	approximately early 1917	Golden hours	Sterling Trio	Male vocal trio, with orchestra	composer
Brunswick	706	10-in.	approximately early 1917	Golden hours	Sterling Trio	Male vocal trio, with orchestra	composer
Brunswick	[Br cat 5169-b]	10-in.	approximately Oct. 1917	Teasing the cat	Brunswick Military Band	Band	composer
Brunswick	2855	10-in.	approximately Sept. 1919	Where the lanterns glow	Palace Trio	Instrumental trio	composer
Brunswick	7378-7379	10-in.	approximately Feb. 1922	By the silvery Nile	Isham Jones Orchestra	Jazz/dance band	composer
Brunswick	11523-11525	10-in.	10/3/1923	When clouds have vanished and skies are blue	Allen McQuhae	Male vocal solo and male vocal trio, with orchestra	composer
Brunswick	14512-14515	10-in.	12/17/1924	Can you bring back the heart I gave you?	Radio Franks	Male vocal duet, with string quartet and piano	composer
Brunswick	14569-14571	10-in.	1/6/1925	Can you bring back the heart I gave you?	Radio Franks	Male vocal duet, with orchestra	composer
Brunswick	E27778	10-in.	6/26/1928	In the hills of old Kentucky	Frank Luther ; Carson Robison	Male vocal duet, with whistling, violins, and guitar	composer
Brunswick	E29158	10-in.	2/5/1929	Dill pickles rag	Kessinger Brothers	Fiddle (violin) and guitar duet	composer
Brunswick	E21364-E21366	10-in.	1/29/1927	Moonbeams and you	Regent Club Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	arranger
Brunswick	E21367-E21368½	10-in.	1/29/1927	Love’s melody	Regent Club Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	arranger
Brunswick	AT372-AT373	10-in.	3/3/1928	Dill pickle rag	Dr. Humphrey Bate Possum Hunters	String band, with dance calls	composer
Edison	2474	10-in.	9/30/1913	Wedding of the fairies	Reed Orchestra [Edison Records]	Reed orchestra	composer
Edison	3588	10-in.	2/18/1915	In the hills of old Kentucky	Morton Harvey	Tenor vocal solo and vocal ensemble, with orchestra	composer
Edison	4032	10-in.	7/29/1915	Porcupine rag	New York Military Band	Band	composer
Edison	5069	10-in.	10/12/1916	Silver star	George Wilton Ballard ; Gladys Rice	Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra	lyricist, composer

(Results 51-75 of 79 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Johnson, Chas. L.," accessed April 30, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110614.

Johnson, Chas. L.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 30, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110614.

"Johnson, Chas. L.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 30 April 2024.