Robert Earl Johnson (August 24, 1886 in Gwinnett County, Georgia – May 31, 1965) was an old time fiddler who was influenced by the music of Gid Tanner and his Skillet Lickers.

Biography

Johnson learned to play the fiddle at an early age with some assistance from his father. When he was young, he used to practice with his two brothers, Albert on banjo and Ester on guitar. Between 1920 and 1934, he was a regular participant at the Atlanta Fiddlers' Convention. In 1923, Albert and Ester were victims of an epidemic. The same year, Johnson joined Fiddlin' John Carson's Virginia Reelers and within two years made his first recordings on Paramount Records. Initially, he recorded with the Dixie String Band and Arthur Tanner. He became the Georgia state fiddle champion of 1926 in Atlanta. Johnson formed the Dixie Entertainers with guitarist Byrd Moore and banjoist Emmett Bankston and they made their first recordings for Okeh Records on Feb. 21, 1927. When Byrd Moore left, Johnson added guitarist Lee "Red" Henderson and formed The Clodhoppers. The new band became successful, recording for Okeh Records in October 1927. Although he made his last recordings in 1931, Johnson continued to perform on radio and at fiddlers' conventions for the remainder of his life. His last performance was on May 24, 1965, at the Stone Mountain Fiddlers' Convention in Georgia. He died of a heart attack a week later.

Original discography

Earl Johnson's Dixie Entertainers Earl Johnson's Clodhoppers

Selected discography

Footnotes