George Folunsho "Ginger" Johnson was a Nigerian percussionist and bandleader who was a prominent musician in London from the 1950s to the early 1970s.
13 Facts About Ginger Johnson
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Ginger Johnson led Ginger Johnson and His African Messengers, and recorded and performed with Edmundo Ros, The Rolling Stones, Ronnie Scott and Quincy Jones among many others.
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Ginger Johnson's father was of Yoruba origin and his mother was from Brazil; he was nicknamed "Ginger" for his reddish hair and freckles.
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Ginger Johnson was orphaned at a young age and brought up by his sister, developing an interest in both classical and traditional music.
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Ginger Johnson joined the Navy in Nigeria in the mid-1930s, and in 1943 travelled to London to join the British Merchant Navy.
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Ginger Johnson performed and recorded as an African percussionist with Ronnie Scott from the late 1940s onwards.
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Ginger Johnson played in orchestras led by Paul Adam and Harry Parry.
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Ginger Johnson married and started a family, and at the same time became well known among a wide community of African and Caribbean musicians who had migrated to England.
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Ginger Johnson recorded a number of 78s and 45s for the Melodisc label in London during the 1950s; these were among the first recordings of African music in Britain.
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Ginger Johnson formed his own band, Ginger Johnson and his African Messengers, and was actively involved in the first Notting Hill Carnival in 1966.
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Ginger Johnson performed at a Royal Variety Performance and made a number of television appearances, as well as running workshops at the Royal College of Music and elsewhere.
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Ginger Johnson ran a club, the Iroko in Haverstock Hill.
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Ginger Johnson was featured in events such as The 14 Hour Technicolor Dream at the Alexandra Palace in April 1967, and supported the Rolling Stones at their Stones in the Park performance in Hyde Park in July 1969.