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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 1-25 of 79 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-1765 10-in. 10/13/1904 A whispered thought Arthur Pryor's Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Victor B-3761 10-in. 9/4/1906 Iola Sousa's Band Band composer  
Victor E-3761 8-in. 9/4/1906 Iola : Intermezzo Sousa's Band Band composer  
Victor B-3921 10-in. 10/25/1906 Iola Harry Macdonough ; Frank C. Stanley Male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-4214 10-in. 1/23/1907 Iola Byron G. Harlan ; Frank C. Stanley Male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor E-4214 8-in. 1/23/1907 Iola Byron G. Harlan ; Frank C. Stanley Male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-6089 10-in. 4/9/1908 Dill pickles rag Chris Chapman Xylophone solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor E-6089 8-in. 4/9/1908 Dill pickles Chris Chapman Xylophone solo composer  
Victor B-6429 10-in. 9/21/1908 Southern beauties Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor B-6720 10-in. 1/13/1909 Southern beauties Victor Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Victor B-6784 10-in. 2/8/1909 Dill pickles rag Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor C-8434 12-in. 12/8/1909 Tobasco Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor B-8605 10-in. 2/5/1910 Dixie twilight Vess L. Ossman Banjo solo composer  
Victor B-9730 10-in. 12/20/1910 The porcupine rag Sousa's Band Band composer  
Victor B-14064 10-in. 11/13/1913 Dream days Will Oakland Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Victor C-14611 12-in. 3/22/1914 Crazy bone rag United States Marine Band Band, with xylophone composer  
Victor B-15016 10-in. 6/26/1914 Ma pickaninny babe Heidelberg Quintette Male vocal quartet and soloist, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-15043 10-in. 7/6/1914 Ma pickaninny babe Billy Murray ; Will Oakland Male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-15332 10-in. 11/4/1914 In the hills of old Kentucky Henry Burr ; Albert Campbell Male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-15363 10-in. 11/10/1914 Dill pickles rag Six Brown Brothers Saxophone sextet composer  
Victor B-17455 10-in. 4/6/1916 Croon-time Edna Brown ; James Reed Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-18860 10-in. 12/20/1916 Teasing the cat Van Eps Trio Instrumental trio composer  
Victor B-18964 10-in. 1/5/1917 Golden hours Sterling Trio Male vocal trio, with violin, cello, harp, and orchestra composer  
Victor B-19313 10-in. 2/27/1917 Poppy time in old Japan Victor Military Band Band composer  
Victor B-23328 10-in. 11/6/1919 Where the lanterns glow Van Eps Trio Instrumental trio composer  
(Results 1-25 of 79 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Johnson, Chas. L.," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110614.

Johnson, Chas. L.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110614.

"Johnson, Chas. L.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110614

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