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Will Johnson (2)

American banjoist, guitarist and singer, born 1905 in Lexington, Kentucky; died August 13, 1955 in Lexington, Kentucky in a house fire. Active in the music scene in and around Louisville, in 1926 he moved to New York with the Dixie Ramblers. Played also with George Howe (1926-1927) and [a=Luis Russell] (1927-1932). During this era he also made recordings with [a=King Oliver], [a=Henry "Red" Allen] and [a=Jack Purvis]. From 1933 to 34 he played with Fess Williams. After working as a freelance, he stopped playing and returned to Lexington. Not to be confused with bassist [a=Bill Johnson (4)], who also occasionally played banjo and guitar.