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George W. Johnson

George Washington Johnson (c. October 1846 – January 23, 1914) was an American singer and pioneer sound recording artist. Johnson was the first African American recording star of the phonograph. His most popular songs were "The Whistling Coon" and "The Laughing Song".

Birth and Death Data: Born 1846 (Virginia), Died January 23, 1914 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1894 - 1920

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, lyricist, composer, speaker, whistling

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

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Berliner 196 7-in. 10/8/1894 Whistling coon Artists vary Male vocal solo vocalist  
Berliner 403 7-in. 11/18/1896 The mocking bird Artists vary Whistling solo vocalist, whistling  
Berliner 404 7-in. 10/31/1895 The laughing song Artists vary Male vocal solo composer, lyricist, vocalist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]581 7-in. 12/31/1900 The whistling girl George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]581 10-in. 9/11/1902 The whistling girl George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]582 7-in. 12/31/1900 The whistling coon George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]582 10-in. 9/11/1902 The whistling coon George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]583 7-in. 12/31/1900 Laughing song George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano composer, lyricist, vocalist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]583 10-in. 9/11/1902 The laughing song George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano composer, lyricist, vocalist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]584 7-in. 12/31/1900 The laughing coon George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]584 10-in. 9/11/1902 The laughing coon George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]2197 7-in. between 1901 and 1903 Carving the duck George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist, lyricist, composer  
Victor A-12 7-in. 5/5/1903 Carving the duck George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist, composer, lyricist  
Victor B-12 10-in. 5/5/1903 Carving the duck George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist, composer, lyricist  
Columbia 210 7-in. ca. 1901 Negro laughing song George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist, composer, lyricist  
Columbia 210 10-in. approximately 1901 Negro laughing song George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano; with orchestra (take 12) vocalist, composer, lyricist  
Columbia 211 7-in. ca. 1901 The whistling coon George W. Johnson Male vocal solo and whistling, with piano vocalist  
Columbia 211 10-in. approximately 1901 The whistling coon Artists vary Male vocal solo and whistling, with piano vocalist  
Columbia 644 7-in. ca. 1902-1904 The laughing song Imperial Minstrels Minstrels, with male vocal solo and orchestra composer, lyricist, vocalist  
Columbia 644 10-in. between 1902 and 1904 The laughing song Imperial Minstrels Minstrels, with male vocal solo and orchestra composer, lyricist, vocalist  
Columbia 3374 10-in. ca. 1905-Apr. 1906 The merry mail man George W. Johnson ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue, with orchestra speaker  
OKeh S-7557 10-in. Sept. 1920 When you and I were young, Maggie Henry Burr ; Peerless Quartet Male vocal solo and male vocal quartet, with orchestra lyricist  
Zonophone 625 9-in. Before Dec. 1903 Laughing song George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone 657 7-in. ca. Sept. 1903 The laughing coon George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone 690 7-in. ca. Sept. 1903 Laughing song George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone 1711 9-in. ca. Feb. 1904 The laughing coon George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone 4167 10-in. Before Feb. 1905 Laughing song George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone 4168 10-in. Before Feb. 1905 Laughing song George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Zo cat 900] 9-in. Before May 1902 The whistling coon George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Zo cat 901] 9-in. Before May 1902 The whistling girl George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Zo cat 902] 9-in. Before May 1902 Laughing song George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Zo cat 903] 9-in. Before May 1902 The laughing coon George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Zo cat 1896] 7-in. Before May 1902 The whistling coon George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Zo cat 1897] 7-in. Before May 1902 The whistling girl George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Zo cat 1898] 7-in. Before May 1902 Laughing song George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Zo cat 1899] 7-in. Before May 1902 The laughing coon George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Zo cat 2030] 7-in. Before May 1902 Carving the duck George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Zo cat 5081] 7-in. Late 1902-early 1903 Laughing song George W. Johnson Minstrels, with male vocal solo and piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Zo cat 5081] 9-in. Late 1902-early 1903 Minstrels - Laughing song George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Zo cat P 5290] 7-in. Before June 1903 Carving the duck George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Ox cat 5290] 7-in. ca. 1904-1905 Carving the duck George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Zo cat C 5290] 9-in. Before June 1903 Carving the duck George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Zo cat P 5432] 7-in. Before June 1903 The whistling coon George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Ox cat 5432] 7-in. ca. 1904-1905 The whistling coon George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Zo cat C 5432] 9-in. Before June 1903 The whistling coon George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Ox cat 5631] 7-in. ca. 1904-1905 Laughing song George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Ox cat 5697] 7-in. ca. 1904-1905 The laughing coon George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Zo cat C 5697] 9-in. Before Dec. 1903 The laughing coon George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Zo cat P 5852] 7-in. Before Apr. 1904 The whistling girl George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Ox cat 5852] 7-in. ca. 1904-1905 The whistling girl George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone [Zo cat C 5852] 9-in. Before Apr. 1904 The whistling girl George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Leeds & Catlin 6714 10-in. late 1905-early 1906 Whistling song George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Leeds & Catlin [L & C cat 44702] 10-in. late 1905-early 1906 The whistling girl George W. Johnson Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Johnson, George W.," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107861.

Johnson, George W.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107861.

"Johnson, George W.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107861

External Sources

Wikipedia: George Washington Johnson

Discogs: George W. Johnson

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Johnson, George W., 1846-approximately 1910 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n99035953

Wikidata: George Washington Johnson - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1372290

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/41171545

MusicBrainz: George Washington Johnson - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/4ff572ad-0fe8-4eaa-929f-e8a6a1622d43

ISNI: 0000 0000 3835 2029 - http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000038352029

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