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Herman Johnson: Professional Fiddler and Renowned Champion

Author: Mindy Wood
Issue: 2008 August

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While learning, he played swing music he heard from the radio. Tommy Dorsey, Wayne King and Benny Goodman were among his heroes, but his favorite musician was Bob Wills of the Texas Playboys. At sixteen, Johnson and his brother decided to visit Wills, who was playing at a dance in Coffeyville, Kansas. They ultimately wanted to see what Wills thought about Johnson’s fiddling, and upon arriving in Coffeyville, Johnson played for his favorite musician. Though greatly impressed with his ability, Wills found that Johnson was too young to join the band.

He eventually played with the Oklahoma Ragtimers for KGFF radio in Shawnee, and later with the Harmony Boys on KRRV in Sherman, Texas.

In 1944, with a wife and three babies at home, he was drafted into the Army and stationed in Hamburg, Germany. While dodging the last of the snipers at the end of WWII, he managed to entertain the troops. “It made the troops feel like they were back home again,” said Johnson. “It was a lot of fun.”

He returned home in 1946 to raise a family and begin a career as a machinist for Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City. It wasn’t until 1960 that his career began to move. “I met a friend who was going with his dad to fiddling contests. We started playing together. He said, ‘Herman, why don’t we go up to Weiser, Idaho, and play in that national contest? We’ll stay in it as long as we’re in the running and then we’ll go on with our vacation.’ It just happened that we stayed in the running ‘til it was over and we won. I couldn’t believe it...I still can’t.”

Over the next few years, Johnson kept winning competitions, and today he remains an undefeated national champion. A few of his students have become national champions as well, and one student, Jeanine Orme, wrote a compilation of his music entitled, “Herman Johnson Master Fiddler.”

Johnson’s wife of 60 years passed away a few years ago, and though he recently suffered a stroke, he is still judging contests and occasionally teaching a lesson to champion hopefuls who travel to see his techniques.
Johnson’s most recent album, “Simply Perfect,” is available to purchase directly from Johnson at 405–275–0183.

For compositions, visit www.melbay.com.

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