Chas. L. Johnson

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 26-50 of 79 records)

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Victor	B-23554	10-in.	12/26/1919	Sweet and low	Elsie Baker	Female vocal solo, with violin and orchestra	composer
Victor	B-25164	10-in.	4/15/1921	Sweet and low	Benson Orchestra of Chicago	Jazz/dance band	composer
Victor	B-25974	10-in.	1/25/1922	Dill pickles rag	William H. Reitz	Xylophone solo, with orchestra	composer
Victor	B-28456	10-in.	9/7/1923	When clouds have vanished and skies are blue	Elliott Shaw	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	composer
Victor	BVE-41903	10-in.	2/14/1928	Dill pickles rag	McLaughlin's Old Time Melody Makers	Instrumental ensemble	composer
Victor	BVE-43336	10-in.	3/8/1928	In the hills of old Kentucky	Vernon Dalhart ; Adelyne Hood ; Carson Robison	Mixed vocal trio, with 2 violins and guitar	composer
Victor	BVE-63174	10-in.	10/27/1930	Come back to-night in my dreams	Bud Billings ; Carson Robison	Male vocal duet, with instrumental ensemble	composer
Victor	BS-77184	10-in.	12/4/1933	Drifting in a lover's dream	Four Novelty Aces	Mixed vocal quartet, with piano	lyricist, composer
Victor	BS-77185	10-in.	12/4/1933	Standin' in de need of prayer	Four Novelty Aces	Mixed vocal quartet, with piano	lyricist, composer
Victor	BS-82390	10-in.	5/7/1934	In the hills of old Kentucky	Bradley Kincaid	Male vocal solo, with guitar	composer
Columbia	3530	10-in.	approximately 1906	Iola intermezzo	Thomas Mills	Xylophone solo, with orchestra	composer
Columbia	3571	10-in.	between late 1906 and February 1907	Iola	Henry Burr ; Irving Gillette ; Frank C. Stanley	Male vocal duet, with orchestra	composer
Columbia	4586	10-in.	between January and September 1910	Porcupine rag	Prince's Orchestra	Orchestra	composer
Columbia	47400	10-in.	3/6/1917	Calico rag	Frank E. Banta ; Howard Kopp	Piano and drum duet	composer
Columbia	78467	10-in.	6/3/1919	Where the lanterns glow	Henry Burr ; Columbia Saxophone Sextette	Saxophone sextet, with male vocal solo	composer
Columbia	78664	10-in.	9/17/1919	Sweet and low	Art Hickman's Orchestra	Jazz/dance band	composer
Columbia	78794	10-in.	11/5/1919	Where the lanterns glow	Henry Burr ; Albert Campbell	Male vocal duet, with orchestra	composer
Columbia	78815	10-in.	11/18/1919	Sweet and low	Henry Burr ; Albert Campbell	Male vocal duet, with orchestra	composer
Columbia	80899	10-in.	3/13/1923	Spanish moon	Paul Specht Orchestra	Jazz/dance band	composer
Columbia	81207	10-in.	9/11/1923	When clouds have vanished and skies are blue	William A. Kennedy	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	composer
Columbia	81408	10-in.	12/11/1923	When clouds have vanished and skies are blue	Lewis James	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	composer
Columbia	140219	10-in.	12/31/1924	Can you bring back the heart I gave you?	Ferera's Hawaiian Instrumental Quartet	Instrumental quartet (Hawaiian)	composer
Columbia	49695	12-in.	11/24/1919	That naughty waltz	Henry Burr ; Albert Campbell ; Columbia Orchestra ; Charles Adams Prince	Orchestra, with male vocal duet	composer
Columbia	W145789	10-in.	3/21/1928	In the hills of old Kentucky	Vernon Dalhart ; Adelyne Hood ; Carson Robison	Mixed vocal trio, with fiddle (violin) and guitar	composer
Columbia	W147337	10-in.	10/30/1928	In the hills of old Kentucky	Melton and Waggoner	Male vocal duet	composer

(Results 26-50 of 79 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Johnson, Chas. L.," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110614.

Johnson, Chas. L.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110614.

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