Jellybean Johnson, drummer for The Time, dead aged 69
Jellybean Johnson, the drummer for the band The Time and a musical producer for talent like Janet Jackson, has passed away aged 69.
The real musician, named Garry George Johnson, passed away suddenly on November 21st. His family revealed the news to TMZ. They did not immediately share his cause of death.
The musician was born on November 19th in Chicago, and moved to Minneapolis as a child. There, he taught himself how to play the drums and the guitar. Eventually, he was recruited by Prince to be part of the funk rock band The Time in 1981. Later, in 1990, Johnson starred as himself in Prince’s film, Graffiti Bridge.
His musical talents also meant he was a great producer. He was a producer for a handful of artists, including Janet Jackson’s number one single, ‘Black Cat’. He also worked with the likes of Patti LaBelle, Human League, New Edition, Cherrelle and Alexander O’Neal. In 2008, he performed at the 50th Grammy Awards with Rihanna.
In 2022, Johnson founded the Minneapolis Sound Museum. It was designed to “educate, celebrate and create, while also providing an environment to learn, gather and showcase artistry that preserves and fosters the Minneapolis Sound genre.”
American singer-songwriter Sheila E. shared her grief in a post online, writing, “With a heavy heart, my dear friend Jellybean passed away a couple of hours ago.”
She continued, “We are devastated by this news. I’m praying for his family and all the kids. He was a kind human being, extremely talented and funny. He had a great sense of humor and [was] an awesome guitar player.”
On November 19th, in celebration of his birthday, the star posted a touching message which looked back on his life in an eerie premonition of what was to come.
He wrote, “I’ve been blessed to live a life shaped by music, community, and the love of people who believed in me long before the world knew my name.”
He added, “When I look back, I don’t first think about the big stages or awards — I think about The Way… that little community center on the North Side of Minneapolis where a bunch of young kids picked up instruments and discovered who we were meant to be.”
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