Buddy Johnson, (born Woodrow Wilson Johnson in 1915 in Darlington South Carolina, was considered the last of the great negro big band leaders, the king of the one nighters. A prolific composer of rhythm and blues who stayed on the road in his bus playing well over 125 one nighters a year throughout the 1940’s thriving and surviving until finally slowing down in the latter 50’s. He first appeared on Decca’s “race music” imprint in 1939, and he stayed with the label until 1953, then recording for Mercury until 1958, and his last album was on Roulette in 1958.

Read more about Buddy Johnson And His Orchestra on Last.fm.