Lil Johnson
Lil Johnson (fl. 1920s–1930s, born 1900, date of death and places of birth and death unknown) was an American singer who recorded dirty blues and hokum songs in the 1920s and 1930s. |
Birth and Death Data: Died 1950 (http://www.wikidata.org/.well-known/genid/ca8511b627ab2c9b04139e6c60980036)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1927 - 1937
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, composer, lyricist, songwriter
= 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BS-91417 | 10-in. | 7/27/1935 | Keep on knocking | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with bass, guitar, and piano | vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-91418 | 10-in. | 7/27/1935 | I lost my baby | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with piano, guitar, and string bass | vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-100327 | 10-in. | 4/3/1936 | Take it easy, greasy | Trixie Butler | Female vocal solo, with string bass and piano | composer, lyricist | |
| Columbia | W144853 | 10-in. | 10/13/1927 | Good time mama blues | Martha Copeland | Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with clarinet and piano | composer | |
| Columbia | C1192 | 10-in. | 12/17/1935 | If you can dish it (I can take it) | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with piano and string bass | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1193 | 10-in. | 12/17/1935 | I'm bettin' on you | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with piano and string bass | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1250 | 10-in. | 2/12/1936 | Press my button (Ring my bell) | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with piano and string bass | vocalist, composer | |
| Columbia | C1251 | 10-in. | 2/12/1936 | Take it easy greasy | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with piano and string bass | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1252 | 10-in. | 2/12/1936 | You can't bet on love | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with piano and string bass | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1253 | 10-in. | 2/12/1936 | That bonus done gone thru | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with piano and string bass | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1254 | 10-in. | 2/12/1936 | Winner Joe (The knock out king) | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with piano and string bass | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1287 | 10-in. | 3/4/1936 | Get 'em from the peanut man (Hot nuts) | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with piano and string bass | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1288 | 10-in. | 3/4/1936 | Get 'em from the peanut man (The new hot nuts) | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with piano and string bass | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1362 | 10-in. | 4/22/1936 | Sam the hot dog man | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with piano and string bass | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1363 | 10-in. | 4/22/1936 | Rug cutter's function | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with piano and string bass | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1364 | 10-in. | 4/22/1936 | Honey you're so good to me | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with piano and string bass | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1365 | 10-in. | 4/22/1936 | My stove's in good condition | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with piano and guitar | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1366 | 10-in. | 4/22/1936 | Scuffling woman blues | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with piano and guitar | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1367 | 10-in. | 4/22/1936 | Murder in the first degree | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with piano and guitar | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1397 | 10-in. | 6/11/1936 | Two timin' man | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1398 | 10-in. | 6/11/1936 | Was I drunk | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1445 | 10-in. | 8/20/1936 | Hottest gal in town | Chicago Swingers ; Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1446 | 10-in. | 8/20/1936 | Let's get drunk and truck | Chicago Swingers ; Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1467 | 10-in. | 9/16/1936 | Black and evil blues | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1468 | 10-in. | 9/16/1936 | You're just a cream puff | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1469 | 10-in. | 9/16/1936 | Can't read, can't write | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1470 | 10-in. | 9/16/1936 | Ramblin' man blues | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1680 | 10-in. | 11/19/1936 | Crazy about my rider | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1681 | 10-in. | 11/19/1936 | I'll take you to the cleaners | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1682 | 10-in. | 11/19/1936 | If you don't give me what I want | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1683 | 10-in. | 11/19/1936 | Grandpa said "Let's Susie Q" | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1684 | 10-in. | 11/19/1936 | New shave 'em dry | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1685 | 10-in. | 11/19/1936 | River hip papa | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1826 | 10-in. | 3/3/1937 | Goofer dust swing | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1827 | 10-in. | 3/3/1937 | Meat balls | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1828 | 10-in. | 3/3/1937 | My baby (Squeeze me again) | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1829 | 10-in. | 3/3/1937 | Come and get it | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1830 | 10-in. | 3/3/1937 | You stole my cherry | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1831 | 10-in. | 3/3/1937 | I'm a sales lady | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1930 | 10-in. | 6/10/1937 | Take it easy greasy no. 2 | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1931 | 10-in. | 6/10/1937 | Stayin' chain | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1949 | 10-in. | 6/29/1937 | Take your hand off it | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1950 | 10-in. | 6/29/1937 | Bucket's got a hole in it | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1951 | 10-in. | 6/29/1937 | Mellow stuff | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1952 | 10-in. | 6/29/1937 | When I can get it | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1953 | 10-in. | 6/29/1937 | Love thief | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C1954 | 10-in. | 6/29/1937 | Broken hearted blues | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C2064 | 10-in. | 12/23/1937 | Down at the old village store | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C2065 | 10-in. | 12/23/1937 | You lied your last time | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C2066 | 10-in. | 12/23/1937 | Ain't that a shame | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C2067 | 10-in. | 12/23/1937 | Snake in the grass | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C2068 | 10-in. | 12/29/1937 | You can't throw me down | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C2069 | 10-in. | 12/29/1937 | So long babe, I'm gone | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C2070 | 10-in. | 12/29/1937 | Get me out of that crack | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Columbia | C2071 | 10-in. | 12/29/1937 | When your troubles are like mine | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Brunswick | C3312 | 10-in. | 4/18/1929 | Mean man blues | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano | vocalist | |
| Brunswick | C3313 | 10-in. | 4/18/1929 | Worried mind blues | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano | vocalist | |
| Brunswick | C3353 | 10-in. | 4/23/1929 | Minor blues | Lil Johnson ; Arthur "Montana" Taylor | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist | |
| Brunswick | C3354 | 10-in. | 4/23/1929 | Montana blues | Lil Johnson ; Arthur "Montana" Taylor | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist | |
| Brunswick | C3355 | 10-in. | 4/23/1929 | Never let your left hand know what your right hand do | Charles Avery ; Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, songwriter | |
| Brunswick | C3356 | 10-in. | 4/23/1929 | You’ll never miss your jelly till your jelly roller’s gone | Charles Avery ; Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, songwriter | |
| Brunswick | C3738 | 10-in. | 6/27/1929 | Rock that thing | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano | vocalist, lyricist, composer | |
| Brunswick | C3749 | 10-in. | 6/27/1929 | House rent scuffle | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano | vocalist | |
| Brunswick | C3895 | 10-in. | 7/17/1929 | Rock that thing | Lil Johnson | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, lyricist, composer | |
| Decca | 90163 | 10-in. | 7/16/1935 | Get 'em from the peanut man | Lil Johnson | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 90164 | 10-in. | 7/16/1935 | Anybody want to buy my cabbage? | Lil Johnson | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 90165 | 10-in. | 7/16/1935 | Snake man blues | Lil Johnson | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 90166 | 10-in. | 7/16/1935 | Evil man blues | Lil Johnson | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Johnson, Lil," accessed January 6, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110284.
Johnson, Lil. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 6, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110284.
"Johnson, Lil." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 6 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Johnson, Lil - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no96033964
Wikidata: Lil Johnson - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q6547412
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/6985608
MusicBrainz: Lil Johnson - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/8c76e340-3499-4889-af90-9d504cf8f109
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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