Jellybean Johnson, a celebrated figure in the Minneapolis music scene and a founding member of the iconic Prince-affiliated band The Time, passed away on Friday, November 21, just two days after his 69th birthday.
Born Garry George Johnson in Chicago, Illinois, the skilled multi-instrumentalist moved to Minneapolis at age 13.It was that same year he began drum lessons, later teaching himself to play the guitar just two years after starting drums. By the age of 28, Jellybean Johnson was already “a seasoned musical savant,” according to vocalist Susannah Melvoin, who worked alongside Johnson in Prince’s side project, The Family.
Melvoin shared an emotional tribute on social media, writing, “Jellybean was the master of loving you like no brother could ! My big brother, who watched over me and anyone who he loved !”
Morris Day, the lead singer of Morris Day and The Time, released a statement to Rolling Stone , calling Jellybean Johnson “a consummate musician.” Day said, “All he ever wanted to do was play and talk music. Even after our concerts, he would find a local pub, get on stage, and Jam with the house band. I’m certain he’s up in heaven now with Prince assembling an All-Star lineup of some of the baddest musicians to ever do it. Bean will forever be missed.”
Jellybean Johnson Helped Put Minneapolis on the Map
It didn’t take long for Jellybean Johnson to connect with fellow aspiring musicians in his North Minneapolis neighborhood. Among his new friends were figures who would become central to the “Minneapolis Sound,” including Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Morris Day, and, most importantly, Prince.
Johnson once recalled the early days in a 2021 interview with Fox 9 KMS, describing a major local music event. “We will have this huge festival in the summertime, and all the rival bands and neighboring bands will come in to play in front of thousands of people out in the parking lot,” he said. “So we cut our teeth doing that like youngsters.”
After securing his first record deal at age 18, Prince brought his friends along to create The Time, appointing Johnson as the band’s original drummer.Johnson recounted how the arrangement came together: “Prince told Morris [Day], ‘You go back and get Jellybean, and we’ll do the band.'”
Following the group’s split, the towering 6’4 musician successfully transitioned into production work. His credits include collaborating with numerous major artists, notably co-producing the 1990 No. 1 hit “Black Cat” for Janet Jackson.