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| Jellybean Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Name | Jellybean Johnson |
| Background | non_vocal_instrumentalist |
| Birth name | Garry "Jellybean" Johnson |
| Birth date | 1956 |
| Birth place | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Genres | R&B, funk, pop |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter, producer |
| Instruments | Drums, guitar, bass, keyboards |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
| Associated acts | The Time, Prince, Vanity 6, Apollonia 6 |
Jellybean Johnson Garry "Jellybean" Johnson is an American musician, drummer, guitarist, and record producer known for his work with The Time, his long association with Prince-related projects, and contributions to Minneapolis sound recordings. Johnson emerged from the Minneapolis, Minnesota music scene in the late 1970s and became a key collaborator on albums and tours that linked R&B, funk, and pop audiences. His career spans session work, production, and live performance across projects tied to notable artists and labels.
Johnson was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he attended local schools and absorbed influences from regional musicians and national performers on radio and television. In his youth he was active in community music programs and local venues such as the First Avenue, interacting with peers who included members of The Time, future collaborators connected to Prince, and figures in the Twin Cities scene. His formative years coincided with the rise of artists on labels like Warner Bros. Records, A&M Records, and regional imprints that recorded Prince-associated acts.
Johnson's professional career began in the late 1970s and early 1980s, a period marked by recordings, rehearsals, and performances with bands emerging from Minneapolis clubs and studios such as Sound 80 and Paisley Park Studios. He became known for versatility on drums, guitar, bass, and programming, contributing to sessions that blended the work of Andre Cymone, Morris Day, Jesse Johnson, and other musicians from the Minneapolis collective. Johnson's name appears in liner credits alongside producers and engineers who worked with Warner Bros. Records, CBS Records, and independent producers tied to the era's hitmakers.
Johnson joined The Time as a key instrumentalist during the band's classic lineup era, participating in studio recordings and tours that supported albums released on Warner Bros. Records. He collaborated with principal Time members and associates including Morris Day, Jesse Johnson, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis in contexts that intersected with projects produced or written by Prince. Johnson also contributed to projects involving artists such as Vanity 6, Apollonia 6, Sheila E., TaMara and the Seen, and other performers in the Prince orbit, performing on tracks linked to soundtracks and major label releases connected to the broader Minneapolis creative community.
Beyond live performance, Johnson expanded into production and session work, collaborating with producers and songwriters across genres. His credits include studio roles with artists who worked with studios like Paisley Park Studios and labels including Warner Bros. Records, A&M Records, and Epic Records. He contributed to sessions with artists and bands who shared personnel or producers from the Minneapolis scene, appearing alongside arrangers, engineers, and session musicians who recorded for acts such as Sheila E., Chaka Khan, Sly and the Family Stone, The Time, and pop and R&B recording stars who toured with or opened for acts produced by Prince.
In later decades Johnson pursued solo projects and collaborations, working as a bandleader and producer for live shows, recordings, and tribute events celebrating the Minneapolis legacy. He performed at venues and festivals associated with the city’s music history, connecting with organizations and institutions that preserve regional music heritage. Johnson continued to participate in reunion shows and studio sessions, aligning with musicians from the original Time lineup, contemporary funk ensembles, and tribute bands honoring the work of Prince, Morrissey, David Bowie, and other influential figures. His later career also included mentoring, studio production, and involvement in projects tied to music education initiatives sponsored by local foundations and cultural centers.
Johnson's style integrates rhythmic funk grooves, pop sensibilities, and R&B phrasing, reflecting influences from artists and bands such as James Brown, Sly Stone, Parliament-Funkadelic, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and contemporaries within the Minneapolis milieu including Prince, Andre Cymone, and Jesse Johnson. His legacy is part of the documented history of the Minneapolis sound, preserved in archives, reissues, and retrospective compilations that include contributions from session musicians, producers, and performers associated with First Avenue and Paisley Park. Johnson's work is cited in discussions of 1980s pop and R&B production, and he remains recognized by scholars, journalists, and music historians who study the intersections of funk, R&B, and mainstream pop music during the era.
Category:Musicians from Minneapolis Category:American drummers Category:Funk musicians