A Detroit Blues Society lifetime achievement award winner, Johnnie moved to Detroit at a young age. After a stint with the U.S Army he returned to Detroit to hone his craft. His major influences include Billy Butler, Tiny Grimes, Albert King, B.B. King and especially T-Bone Walker.
Starting out in the sixties as a session musician for Fortune Records, he released his first album in 1994. His Band, the Blues Insurgents, released the album Cadillac Blues in 1998 and it was nominated for 5 W.C. Handy awards. He joined Alberta Adams on the release of two of her albums and played weekly at the Northern Lights Lounge in Detroit.
With 7 solo LP's under his belt and his many collaborations with untold artists Johnnie belongs in our Blues Museum along with the other great Detroit blues artists of his day. Johnnie passed away August 4, 2012.