Henry Johnson was born in Union County, S.C. near the towns of Union and Jonesville on December 8, 1908. He was inspired to play guitar by a cousin by the name of Thelman Johnson as well as local man by the name of J.T. Briggs. He also was inspired by recordings on 78 RPM by Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Blake & Blind Boy Fuller. Johnson soaked up a lot of styles in his youth by local string bands as well as gospel artists that he heard in live performances. (One artist was Blind Gussie Nesbitt). Around 1933 he also took up playing the piano hearing local artists on the instrument such as "Come By" Shelton & Tommy Foster. All of these influences made him a multi-instrumentalist playing finger-picking as well as slide guitar styles, piano and he also picked up harmonica along the way. A buried treasure, he wasn't heard until early white blues enthuasists chanced upon him in the early 1970's. Johnson recorded a full-length album for Trix in 1973, and a few live recordings by him were later released on a Flyright Records LP compliation. One of many instances where an artist was captured on record just in the nick of time, Johnson passed away in Union in February of 1974.
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