St. Elmo Johnson
Title
St. Elmo Johnson
Subject
Description
Born in Texas, St. Elmo Johnson was a classically trained violinist, conductor, choir director, and arranger. By 1927, he was a central figure in Rev. George Wilson Becton’s Gospel Feast Party. Becton, a sensational and flamboyant Harlem evangelist, toured the country with an enormous soul-saving entourage, widely noted for its music; Johnson served as director of both the Gospel Feast’s orchestra and its sixty-voice choir.
This souvenir photo was taken at Birmingham, Alabama’s DeLuxe Studios, presumably on one of the Becton group’s many extended engagements in the city. Becton and his Party were regular visitors to Birmingham, often settling in for weeks-long stays and packing such prestigious venues as the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church past capacity. Becton’s appearances garnered attention for, in addition to their orchestra and choir, a jazz-fueled band of “swinging apostles,” and the reverend often recruited young musicians into the band, taking them on the road and setting them up in his lavish Harlem home. Birmingham jazz musicians Haywood Henry and Joe Guy both joined Becton’s band in their teens and, once established in New York, began their own professional careers in jazz.
St. Elmo Johnson received his training in music theory and composition at Chicago Musical College and, in addition to his work with Becton, was in demand as a conductor and arranger into the 1940s, arranging for Broadway shows and collaborating with jazz and stage pioneer Noble Sissle. His own St. Elmo Johnson Choir, based in New York, performed high-profile recitals, broadcast on the radio, and was featured at the 1930-1940 World’s Fair in New York.
Photo courtesy Carol Clarke.
This souvenir photo was taken at Birmingham, Alabama’s DeLuxe Studios, presumably on one of the Becton group’s many extended engagements in the city. Becton and his Party were regular visitors to Birmingham, often settling in for weeks-long stays and packing such prestigious venues as the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church past capacity. Becton’s appearances garnered attention for, in addition to their orchestra and choir, a jazz-fueled band of “swinging apostles,” and the reverend often recruited young musicians into the band, taking them on the road and setting them up in his lavish Harlem home. Birmingham jazz musicians Haywood Henry and Joe Guy both joined Becton’s band in their teens and, once established in New York, began their own professional careers in jazz.
St. Elmo Johnson received his training in music theory and composition at Chicago Musical College and, in addition to his work with Becton, was in demand as a conductor and arranger into the 1940s, arranging for Broadway shows and collaborating with jazz and stage pioneer Noble Sissle. His own St. Elmo Johnson Choir, based in New York, performed high-profile recitals, broadcast on the radio, and was featured at the 1930-1940 World’s Fair in New York.
Photo courtesy Carol Clarke.
Original Format
Photograph
Collection
Citation
“St. Elmo Johnson,” Southern Music Research Center, accessed July 3, 2024, https://southernmusicresearch.org/items/show/853.