Bill Johnson (reed player)

William Luther " Bill" Johnson ( born September 30, 1912 in Jacksonville ( Florida), † July 5, 1960 in New York City ) was an American jazz alto saxophonist -, clarinetist and arranger.

Johnson studied piano and alto saxophone at age 16. He attended music schools in Wisconsin and Illinois and Marquette University. In Milwaukee, he played with Jabbo Smith. He played with Baron Lee and Tiny Bradshaw before 1936 member of the band of Erskine Hawkins was, to which he belonged until 1943 and with whom he recorded ( Uptown Shuffle 1939 Bear Mash Blues 1942 Uncle Budd 1941). With Hawkins, he composed Tuxedo Junction, a hit for Hawkins and an even bigger hit for Glenn Miller 1940. With Hawkins he also had a cameo in the short film Deviled Ham in 1937. After the departure of Hawkins, he founded Bill Johnson and his Musical Notes.

He is not to be confused with bassist Bill Johnson and banjo player Bill Johnson.