vimeo.com/159570955

Extremely excited to add John Goodman as co-narrator of Johnnie Be Good along with Grammy winner Michael McDonald. I recently interviewed Goodman when the St. Louis International Film Festival gave him a career achievement award. The publicist working with Goodman, Marla Stoker, did some publicity work for the documentary a few years back, and Goodman overheard us talking about Johnnie Be Good. I mentioned to him that he was on my short list of narrators but I couldn’t figure out how to get in touch with him. Without missing a beat, he replied “I’ll do whatever you want,” then gave me his contact info. Goodman recently recorded his narration tracks at Clayton Studios. Needless to say, having an actor of his stature attached to the film is a major step forward. And since Johnnie Johnson’s story is a St. Louis story, having  two of St. Louis’ most accomplished entertainers voicing the film is as good as it gets.

I just lost a friend. Was so sorry to hear that Frances Johnson, Johnnie Johnson’s wife passed away February 16. One of the joys of the JOHNNIE BE GOOD documentary project is I’ve made some great new friends, including Frances. She had a distinctive voice, a wonderful laugh, and a bullshit meter that was finely tuned. I remember going to meet Johnnie and Frances for the first time in 2004 to find out if they were interested in a film about Johnnie’s life. It quickly became apparent to me that Frances was the gatekeeper. I guess I passed the test. The last time I saw her was last year when Johnnie posthumously received his Congressional Gold Medal as one of the Montfort Point Marines, the black marines who endured racism while integrating the U.S. Marines during WWII. A great lady who’ll be missed. I’ve been at this project so long that some great people who appear in JOHNNIE BE GOOD have passed away: Johnnie, Frances, Bo Diddley, Hubert Sumlin (Muddy Waters’ guitarist), Ian McLagan.

The late Johnnie Johnson, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is about to receive another prestigious award, the Congressional Gold Medal. The Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom are the highest civilian honors in the United States, going to people whose achievements had an impact on American history and culture.
“It’s beyond happy, ecstatic,” said Frances Johnson, Johnnie Johnson’s widow. “Eleven years he’s been gone and I’m still extremely proud of him.”
Frances Johnson said details about the medal ceremony for her late husband are still being worked out.
Johnson’s recognition by Congress is not because of the world class piano playing that landed him in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Instead, it’s Johnson’s military history that’s being recognized. Johnson was a Montford Point Marine, the African-American Marines who endured racism and inspired social change while integrating the previously all-white Marine Corps during World War II.
”Those first blacks trained at a place called Camp Montford Point near Jacksonville, North Carolina,” said Joe Geeter, national president of the Montford Point Marine Association. “From 1942 to 1949, nearly 24,000 African-American men received their Marine Corp recruit training at Camp Montford Point.”
Geeter said beginning in 2012, more than 700 Montford Point Marines have received the Congressional Gold Medal as the organization spreads word about the award.
“A lot of folks are just now getting the word. Even though we advertised in over 400 newspapers prior to the gold medal ceremony in 2012, we’re receiving calls almost daily from family members who say my dad or granddad was one of those Marines,” said Geeter.
For more information about the Montford Point Marines, http://www.montfordpointmarines.com.

How’s this for a happy accident? Recently KMOX Radio aired an interview I did with Mike Claiborne about  the progress of JOHNNIE BE GOOD. Professional photographer Brian Baybo heard the interview and contacted me on Facebook. He said in the 1990’s George Thorogood hired him to shoot photos for the album cover of “Let’s Work Together”, a live album featuring Johnnie Johnson. He volunteered his photos of Johnnie and suggested I reach out to Thorogood about doing an interview for JOHNNIE BE GOOD. Two days after sending my email, Thorogood’s manager contacted me and said George would be happy to talk about Johnnie Johnson for the film. The interview takes place in March when Thorogood performs at The Pageant in St. Louis.

Several musicians who appear in JOHNNIE BE GOOD have viewed a recent edit and provided some valuable feedback. That includes longtime Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell. Leavell performed with Johnnie in the Taylor Hackford film “Hail! Hail! Rock ‘N’ Roll” and this is what he had to say about JOHNNIE BE GOOD:

“…congrats on the piece…just awesome and a fab job. I think you have been very fair in the ‘controversy’ of Johnnie/Chuck Berry…and I think that is really important. While there is obviously some thought that Johnnie should have received some royalties for his contributions, it is important to have that balance of pointing out the incredible influence and genius of Chuck. I just wanted to give you my initial thoughts and accolades for doing such a fantastic job.”

Thanks for your support of the film, Chuck!

If you’d like to financially support JOHNNIE BE GOOD, buy a song! Online sales of “Johnny B. Goode” with featured performances by Michael McDonald, David Sanborn and the late Johnnie Johnson continue on iTunes, CD Baby, and many other music download sites.

The day Johnnie Johnson was Rediscovered

This blog from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame details October 16, 1986…the day Johnnie Johnson was rediscovered during the Hail! Hail! Rock and Roll concerts at the Fox Theater. Some of you were lucky enough to be there that night. It’s the turning point in my music documentary Johnnie Be Good, JJTheMovie.com.

Continue reading “October 16, 1986: Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll” →