Jellybean Johnson: The Time Drummer was 69
Jellybean Johnson, the drummer of
The Time and music producer for artists like Janet Jackson, has died. He was 69.
The musician, whose real name was Garry George Johnson, died suddenly on Friday night, his family revealed to TMZ. His cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
Sheila E. mourned Johnson’s death on Facebook. “With a heavy heart, my dear friend Jellybean passed away a couple of hours ago,” she wrote in the
post.
“We are devastated by this news. I’m praying for his family and all the kids. He was a kind human being, extremely talented and funny. He had a great sense of humor and [was] an awesome guitar player,” added Sheila. “Yesterday was your birthday, I forgot to call you and I’m so sorry. I love u Bean. Rest in peace and power.”
Born Nov. 19, 1956 in Chicago, Johnson moved to Minneapolis as a child, where he taught himself drumming and guitar, before
Prince recruited him to be part of the funk rock band The Time in 1981, as part of the Grammy winner’s deal with Warner Bros. to produce other artists. Johnson appeared as himself alongside the group in Prince’s 1990 film
Graffiti Bridge.
Beyond his work with The Time, Johnson was a producer for several artists, including Janet Jackson’s 1990 No. 1 single ‘Black Cat’. He also produced and served as a drummer for Patti LaBelle, Human League, New Edition, Cherrelle and Alexander O’Neal.
In 2008, Johnson performed with Rihanna at the 50th Grammy Awards. In recent years, he led the Jellybean Johnson Experience, performing with local up-and-comers in Minneapolis.
Johnson founded the Minneapolis Sound Museum in 2022, which was designed to “educate, celebrate and create, while also providing an environment to learn, gather and showcase artistry that preserves and fosters the Minneapolis Sound genre.”
Jellybean Johnson, the drummer of The Time and music producer for artists like Janet Jackson, has died. He was 69.
deadline.com
