Ella Johnson

Appearances

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1. Songs That Got Us Through WW2, Vol. 2

#5178196

Various Artists

Number of Discs: 1

Songs That Got Us Through WW2, Vol. 2 collects more early-'40s pop favorites like Dinah Shore's

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2. Birth Of Rhythm & Blues

#21948674

Various Artists

Number of Discs: 3

While rhythm & blues has a pedigree stretching back to the dawn of the 20th century, it was only in the late '30s that smaller groups began jumping with the energy of swing [more]

Available in U.S. only.

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2 Recordings Sort by Title or Popularity

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Biography

• Born Jun 22nd 1923 in Darlington, SC
• Died Feb 16th 2004 in New York, NY

Ella Johnson made her mark as the vocalist with Buddy Johnson's big band during the '40s and '50s, and it is in that context she really shines. Her later solo sides for Mercury are pale imitations of her work with the band.

Although many of Ella's hits are uptempo (e.g. "I Don't Want Nobody"), it is on ballads and torchy blues that she really brings it together. In fact, her earliest work for Decca during the mid '40s (much of which is not yet reissued) is uncannily good. At her best, Ella sounds like a pouty, vulnerable, and very sexy young girl. Like so much of her life, it was no affectation. The comparison to Billie Holiday is inevitable, but Ella was her own singer. Ella Johnson passed away February 16, 2004 in New York City. ~ Hank Davis, All Music Guide