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Jellybean Johnson – one of the pioneers of the Minneapolis Sound, founding member and drummer of The Time – died on Friday, November 21st at the age of 69. The cause of death was not revealed.
His death was confirmed by his friend and bandmate Morris Day, singer of Morris Day & The Time (later The Original 7ven). “Jellybean has been my friend since we were 11,” Day told Rolling Stone.
“Not only was he a bandmate, but he was like a brother to me. Bean was a consummate musician – all he wanted to do was play and talk about music. After shows, he would find local bars, get on stage and jam with the house band. I’m sure he’s in heaven now with Prince, putting together an all-star band. Bean will be missed forever.”
Friendships and early years
“It is with a heavy heart that my dear friend Jellybean passed away a few hours ago. We are devastated,” Sheila E. wrote on social media on Friday. She met Johnson during a Prince tour in 1981 or 1982: “He was a kind person, extremely talented and funny. A great guitarist. Yesterday was your birthday, I forgot to call. I’m sorry. I love you, Bean. Rest in peace and strength.”
Jellybean Johnson, whose real name is Garry George Johnson, was born on November 19, 1956 in Chicago. At the age of 13, he moved with his family to Minneapolis, where his mother bought him his first drum set. He also taught himself to play guitar and became friends in North Minneapolis with musicians such as Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Morris Day and Prince.
“In the summer there were always huge festivals where rival bands played in front of thousands,” he recalled in an interview with Fox 9 in 2021. “That’s where we had our first experiences as kids.”
From the funk collective to The Time
After Prince got his contract with Warner Bros. at the age of 18, he brought Johnson in as drummer for his newly formed band The Time. The group emerged from the funk band Flyte Tyme, in which Johnson, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Monte Moir and David Eiland played. Prince expanded the band with Jesse Johnson, Jerome Benton and Morris Day – who originally didn’t want to sing.
“Prince said to Morris, ‘Get Jellybean back, we’ll form the band and you’ll sing.’ Morris said, ‘I want to play drums.’ Prince: ‘No, I’ll teach you,'” Johnson later said.
Their sound – a fusion of funk, rock, R&B, new wave and synthpop – defined the so-called Minneapolis Sound, which dominated the eighties and continues to influence popular music today.
Career after The Time and work with Janet Jackson
The Time appeared in Purple Rain in 1984, but shortly before filming Jam, Lewis and Moir dropped out. After three albums, the band initially broke up. Johnson then joined Prince-affiliated band The Family, which released an album in 1985 before it, too, broke up.
In subsequent years, Johnson worked as a producer, songwriter and session musician, often with Jam and Lewis at Flyte Tyme Productions. He co-wrote and played guitar on Alexander O’Neal’s hit “Criticize” (1987), produced songs for “New Editions Heart Break” (1988) and Janet Jackson’s rock song “Black Cat” (1989).