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Buddy and Ella Johnson

SC PICTURE PROJECT 2 Comments

SC Picture Project / Darlington County / Buddy and Ella Johnson

Brother-and-sister jazz duo Buddy and Ella Johnson were born in Darlington in the early part of the twentieth century – Buddy in 1915 and Ella in 1919. Born Woodrow Wilson Johnson and nicknamed Buddy, Johnson took piano lessons as a child and became more impassioned about music as grew older. As a student at Mayo High School, where this marker stands, Johnson began writing and composing his own songs.

Buddy Johnson Marker Back

Jannie Harriot of Hartsville, 2014 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Johnson moved to New York City in 1938 and toured Europe with the Cotton Club Revue; the group’s act got them expelled from Nazi Germany. His sister, singer Ella Johnson, joined Johnson in New York in 1939, who was at that time bandleader at the Savoy Ballroom. Ella performed with her brother as a vocalist in his own band, Buddy Johnson and His Orchestra, which by 1941 included 17 members. Together the Johnson siblings wrote and performed songs that have gone down in jazz history, including the beloved standard,”Since I Fell for You,” later made famous by Lenny Welch.

Buddy Johnson Marker

Jannie Harriot of Hartsville, 2014 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Buddy and Ella Johnson were inducted into the South Carolina Music Hall of Fame as well as the Blues Hall of Fame in 2012. Buddy Johnson died in 1977 of sickle cell anemia, and Ella Johnson died in 2004 of Alzheimer’s disease.

Plan Your Trip: Buddy and Ella Johnson

Where is Buddy and Ella Johnson located?
Address: 405 Chestnut Street, Darlington, SC 29532
GPS Coordinates: 34.292353,-79.869768
What else should I see?
Mayo High School 0 mile
Macedonia Baptist Church 0.6 mile
Mrs. W. F. Early House 0.7 mile
Belk Funeral Home 0.7 mile
Show me more like this!
  • Darlington Historic Sites
    Buddy and Ella Johnson Map

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    Comments

    1. Rose Louise says

      July 28, 2022 at 1:39 AM

      I discovered Ella and Buddy Johnson’s music in 2021. It’s amazing that there are so many other singers, songwriters, and composers from the same era that l have heard. Regardless, I’m so glad that they too were so gifted. Ella’s vocals are amazing and Buddy’s music is simply genius.

      Reply
    2. Steven A Salter says

      January 28, 2019 at 9:40 AM

      Where is Buddy buried?

      Reply

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    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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