Luther Johnson

About

Guitarist Luther Johnson was born in Davisboro, Georgia on Aug. 30, 1941. Sources give different years of birth, ranging from 1934 to 1941 (according to his headstone), though 1939 has also been published. He was raised on a farm and taught himself to play guitar. After completing his service in the US Army, Johnson played guitar with The Milwaukee Supreme Angels, a local gospel group in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. However, he gravitated towards blues and formed his own trio in Milwaukee. He relocated to Chicago, Illinois, in the early 1960s.

Luther Johnson backed Elmore James prior to James's death in 1963, and joined Muddy Waters' backing band in 1966. He played there until 1970, unlike Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson, who played in Muddy's band from 1972 to 1980. Johnson died of cancer in Boston on March 18, 1976. He was interred at the Mount Hope Cemetery in Mattapan, Massachusetts.

AKA: Luther "Snake Boy" Johnson, Luther "Georgia Boy" Johnson, Little Luther, Luther King.

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