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Collection Overview
| Size | About 250 items (2.0 linear feet) |
| Abstract | Kenneth M. Johnson (1928-) of Randolph County, N.C., along with his father Jesse ("Pa"), mother Lydia ("Ma"), sister Betty, and twin brothers Bob and Jim, formed the gospel and popular music singing group the Johnson Family Singers. The collection includes radio scripts, sound recordings, and video recordings documenting the musical careers of the Johnson Family Singers and Betty Johnson. Radio scripts include 158 scripts from WBT radio shows in Charlotte, N.C., 1943-1965, in which the Johnson Family Singers performed. Sound recordings include non-commercial recordings on acetate and transcription discs, as well as commercial 45s, 78s, LPs, and compact discs. Transcription discs record the Johnsons' appearances on WBT and Larry Walker's performances on the Margaret Ann Show. 45 rpm records, 78 rpm records, and LP records contain original commercial releases by the Johnson Family Singers, Betty Johnson, and the Stumphole Trio. Compact discs include a release of radio performances by the Johnsons that accompanied Kenneth Johnson's The Johnson Family Singers: We Sang For Our Supper (1997). Video recordings document several of Betty Johnson's appearances on Eddy Arnold Time and the Johnson Family Singers' Ed Sullivan Show performances. |
| Creator | Johnson Family Singers. |
| Language | English. |
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Information For Users
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Subject Headings
The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
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Biographical Information
Kenneth Marshall ("Red") Johnson was born in Randolph County, N.C., on 11 February 1928. Kenneth, along with his father Jesse Deverin ("Pa") Johnson, mother Lydia Florence Craven ("Ma"), sister Betty, and twin brothers Bob and Jim, formed the Johnson Family Singers, a gospel and popular music singing group.
Jesse Johnson taught his family to read music through shape-note notation. The family attended music schools of the leading gospel song publishers of the day: the Vaughan School of Music in Lawrenceburg, Tenn., and the Stamps-Baxter School of Music in Dallas, Tex. Jesse Johnson worked in a variety of different jobs, and the family often moved. In 1940, the Johnson Family Singers appeared at a singing convention in the old Armory Auditorium in Charlotte, N.C. The appearance led to an invitation to sing on WBT radio, a 50,000-watt CBS affiliate in Charlotte. The Johnson Family Singers became staff singers on WBT. It was at WBT that they met pianist and singer Larry Walker, who introduced them to popular music and accompanied them on air. The family also traveled around the Carolinas making appearances at schools, churches, conventions, singings, and rallies.
Through a chance meeting with the station manager of WTOP, Jesse Johnson secured an audition with Columbia record producers Art Satherly and Don Law. From 1946 to 1952, the Johnsons recorded a total of 52 songs for Columbia Records. The family later recorded for RCA Victor in the 1950s.
Betty Johnson left the group in 1952 to pursue a singing career on her own. She made several solo appearances on Jack Paar's Tonight Show and the Ed Sullivan Show. It was her connection with Sullivan that led to the family's appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1958. In addition to television appearances, Betty Johnson recorded a number of singles and LP records.
Kenneth Johnson was graduated from Davidson College in 1952 and entered the Methodist ministry. On Thanksgiving Day 1951, he married Evelyn Guyton. Together they had five children: Martha Lynn, Kenneth, Jr., Robin, Wesley, and Christopher. In 1997, Kenneth published The Johnson Family Singers: We Sang For Our Supper. Kenneth M. Johnson retired from the United Methodist Church and lives in Lake Junaluska, N.C.
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Scope and Content
The Johnson Family Singers collection includes radio scripts, sound recordings, and video recordings documenting the musical careers of the Johnson Family Singers and Betty Johnson.
Radio scripts include 158 scripts from WBT radio shows, 1943-1965, in which the Johnson Family Singers performed.
Sound recordings include non-commercial recordings on acetate and transcription discs, as well as commercial 45s, 78s, LPs, and compact discs. Transcription discs record the Johnsons' appearances on WBT and Larry Walker's performances on the Margaret Ann Show. 45 rpm records, 78 rpm records, and LP records contain original commercial releases by the Johnson Family Singers, Betty Johnson, and the Stumphole Trio. Compact discs include a release of radio performances by the Johnsons that accompanied Kenneth Johnson's The Johnson Family Singers: We Sang For Our Supper (1997).
Video recordings document several of Betty Johnson's appearances on Eddy Arnold Time and the Johnson Family Singers' Ed Sullivan Show performances.
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Series Quick Links
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Series 1. Radio Scripts, 1943-1965.
Arrangement: chronological.
One binder of 158 radio scripts from radio shows on which the Johnson Family Singers performed, 1943-1965.
| Folder 1 |
Radio scripts #20323, Series: "1. Radio Scripts, 1943-1965." Folder 1 |
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Series 2. Sound Recordings, 1944-1997.
Sound recordings include non-commercial recordings on acetate and transcription discs, as well as commercial recordings on 45 rpm records, 78 rpm records, LP records, and compact discs. Transcription discs record the Johnson Family Singers appearances on WBT radio, as well as Larry Walker's performances on the Margaret Ann Show. 45 rpm records, 78 rpm records, and LP records contain original commercial releases by the Johnson Family Singers, Betty Johnson, and the Stumphole Trio. Compact discs include a release of radio performances by the Johnsons that accompanied Kenneth Johnson's The Johnson Family Singers: We Sang For Our Supper (1997).
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Subseries 2.1. Acetate Discs.
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Subseries 2.2. Transcription Discs, 1944-1951.
Arrangement: original order has been maintained.
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Subseries 2.2.1. Johnson Family Singers.
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Subseries 2.2.2. Margaret Ann Show.
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Subseries 2.2.3. Miscellaneous.
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Subseries 2.3. 45 rpm Records, 1950-1975.
Arrangement: original order has been maintained.
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Subseries 2.4. 78 rpm Records, 1946-1952.
Arrangement: alphabetical by record label.
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Subseries 2.5. LP Records, 1950-1975.
Arrangement: alphabetical by record label.
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Subseries 2.6. Compact Discs, 1997.
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Series 3. Video Recordings, 1955-1958.
Arrangement: original order has been maintianed.
Video recordings documenting several of Betty Johnson's appearances on Eddy Arnold Time and the Johnson Family Singers' Ed Sullivan Show performances.
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Items Separated
Items separated include an acetate disc (FD-715), transcription discs (TR-4-TR-26; TR-32-TR-47), 45 rpm records (45-8588-8617), 78 rpm records (78-18323-18329), LP records (FC-13207-13216) and video recordings (VT-20323/1-4).
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