J. Rosamond Johnson

J. Rosamond Johnson

John Rosamond Johnson (August 11, 1873 – November 11, 1954; usually referred to as J. Rosamond Johnson) was an American composer and singer during the Harlem Renaissance. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, he had much of his career in New York City. Johnson is noted as the composer of the tune for the hymn "Lift Every Voice and Sing”. It was first performed live by 500 Black American students from the segregated Florida Baptist Academy, Jacksonville, Florida, in 1900. The song was published by Joseph W. Stern & Co., Manhattan, New York (later the Edward B. Marks Music Company). J. Rosamond Johnson was the younger brother of poet and activist James Weldon Johnson, who wrote the lyrics for "Lift Every Voice and Sing". The two also worked together in causes related to the NAACP.

Birth and Death Data: Born August 11, 1873 (Jacksonville), Died November 11, 1954

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1901 - 1944

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, songwriter, organ, bass vocal, piano, arranger, lyricist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Victor	[Pre-matrix C-]585	12-in.	5/16/1902	Why don't the band play?	S. H. Dudley	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix B-]585	10-in.	5/16/1902	Why don't the band play?	S. H. Dudley	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix A-]585	7-in.	1/5/1901	Why don't the band play?	S. H. Dudley	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix B-]991	10-in.	10/11/1901	In my castle on the River Nile	Bert Williams	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix A-]991	7-in.	10/11/1901	In my castle on the River Nile	Bert Williams	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix B-]1099	10-in.	11/20/1901	Come out, Dinah, on the green	Harry Macdonough	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix A-]1099	7-in.	11/20/1901	Come out, Dinah, on the green	Harry Macdonough	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix B-]1296	10-in.	3/5/1902	Tell me dusky maiden	Arthur Collins ; Joseph Natus	Male vocal duet	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix A-]1296	7-in.	3/5/1902	Tell me, dusky maiden	Arthur Collins ; Joseph Natus	Male vocal duet	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix B-]1327	10-in.	3/14/1902	Oh! Didn't he ramble!	Dan W. Quinn	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix A-]1327	7-in.	3/14/1902	Oh! Didn't he ramble!	Dan W. Quinn	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix B-]1353	10-in.	4/8/1902	The maiden with the dreamy eyes	Harry Macdonough	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix A-]1353	7-in.	4/8/1902	The maiden with the dreamy eyes	Harry Macdonough	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix C-]1388	12-in.	5/16/1902	Nobody's looking but the owl and moon	S. H. Dudley	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix B-]1388	10-in.	5/16/1902	Nobody's looking but the owl and moon	S. H. Dudley	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix A-]1388	7-in.	5/16/1902	Nobody's looking but the owl and moon	S. H. Dudley	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix B-]1436	10-in.	6/19/1902	Medley overture	Sousa's Band	Band	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix B-]1633	10-in.	9/18/1902	Under the bamboo tree	Arthur Collins	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix A-]1633	7-in.	9/18/1902	Under the bamboo tree	Arthur Collins	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix B-]1805	10-in.	11/26/1902	Under the bamboo tree	S. H. Dudley	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix A-]1805	7-in.	11/26/1902	Under the bamboo tree	S. H. Dudley	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix B-]1918	10-in.	1/28/1903	Under the bamboo tree	Mina Hickman	Female vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix A-]1918	7-in.	1/28/1903	Under the bamboo tree	Mina Hickman	Female vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix B-]1949	10-in.	2/9/1903	Tell me dusky maiden	S. H. Dudley ; Harry Macdonough	Male vocal duet, with piano	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix B-]1993	10-in.	2/27/1903	Under the bamboo tree	Harry Macdonough	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix A-]1993	7-in.	2/27/1903	Under the bamboo tree	Harry Macdonough	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix B-]1998	10-in.	2/27/1903	Under the bamboo tree	John H. Bieling ; Harry Macdonough	Male vocal duet	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix A-]1998	7-in.	2/27/1903	Under the bamboo tree	John H. Bieling ; Harry Macdonough	Male vocal duet	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix B-]2076	10-in.	3/17/1903	Under the bamboo tree	Jules Levy	Cornet solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix A-]2076	7-in.	3/17/1903	Under the bamboo tree	Jules Levy	Cornet solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix B-]3008	10-in.	1/5/1901	Why don't the band play	S. H. Dudley	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix B-]3609	10-in.	10/11/1901	In my castle on the River Nile	Bert Williams	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix C-]31068	12-in.	between 1901 and 1902	Congo love song	Harry Macdonough	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	A-42	7-in.	5/26/1903	Congo love song	Harry Macdonough	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Victor	B-42	10-in.	5/26/1903	Congo love song	Harry Macdonough	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Victor	B-43	10-in.	5/26/1903	Tell me, dusky maiden	S. H. Dudley ; Harry Macdonough	Male vocal duet, with piano	composer
Victor	A-43	7-in.	5/26/1903	Tell me, dusky maiden	S. H. Dudley ; Harry Macdonough	Male vocal duet, with piano	composer
Victor	B-50	10-in.	5/27/1903	Congo love song	Mina Hickman	Female vocal solo, with piano	composer
Victor	A-50	7-in.	5/27/1903	Congo love song	Mina Hickman	Female vocal solo, with piano	composer
Victor	C-106 [Old series]	12-in.	2/9/1903 or 5/26/1903	Tell me dusky maiden	S. H. Dudley ; Harry Macdonough	Male vocal duet	composer
Victor	C-196 [Old series]	12-in.	2/9/1903 or 5/26/1903	Congo love song	Harry Macdonough	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	C-359	12-in.	8/28/1903	Congo love song	Sousa's Band	Band, with trombone solo	composer
Victor	B-359	10-in.	8/28/1903	Congo love song	Sousa's Band	Band, with trombone solo	composer
Victor	A-359	7-in.	8/28/1903	Congo love song	Sousa's Band	Band, with trombone solo	composer
Victor	B-501	10-in.	10/6/1903	Under the bamboo tree	John H. Bieling ; Harry Macdonough	Male vocal duet, with piano	composer
Victor	A-501	7-in.	10/6/1903	Under the bamboo tree	John H. Bieling ; Harry Macdonough	Male vocal duet, with piano	composer
Victor	A-558	7-in.	10/14/1903	The maiden with the dreamy eyes	Harry Macdonough	Male vocal solo	composer
Victor	A-642	7-in.	11/6/1903	The maiden with the dreamy eyes	Harry Macdonough	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Victor	B-710	10-in.	11/18/1903	Under the bamboo tree	Mina Hickman	Female vocal solo	composer
Victor	A-710	7-in.	11/18/1903	Under the bamboo tree	Mina Hickman	Female vocal solo	composer
Victor	B-1181	10-in.	4/4/1904	Oh Didn't he ramble	Dan W. Quinn	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Victor	B-1248	10-in.	4/22/1904	Big Indian chief	Arthur Pryor's Band	Band	composer
Victor	A-1248	7-in.	4/22/1904	Big Indian chief	Arthur Pryor's Band	Band	composer
Victor	A-1549	7-in.	7/1/1904	Mandy, won't you let me be your beau?	Harry Tally	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Victor	B-1549	10-in.	7/1/1904	Mandy, won't you let me be your beau?	Harry Tally	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Victor	B-2456	10-in.	4/7/1905	Mexico	J. W. Myers	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	composer
Victor	B-2520	10-in.	5/4/1905	Lazy moon	Haydn Quartet ; Billy Murray	Male vocal solo and male vocal quartet, with orchestra	composer
Victor	B-4855	10-in.	10/2/1907	Who do you love?	Collins and Harlan	Male vocal duet, with orchestra	composer
Victor	B-6673	10-in.	12/16/1908	The sweetest gal in town	Collins and Harlan	Male vocal duet, with orchestra	composer
Victor	B-8177	10-in.	8/25/1909	Run, Brudder 'Possum, run!	Collins and Harlan	Male vocal duet, with orchestra	composer
Victor	B-13488	10-in.	6/25/1913	Since you went away	Daniel Beddoe	Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra	composer
Victor	B-13865	10-in.	9/26/1913	Since you went away	George Hamlin	Tenor vocal solo, with piano	composer
Victor	B-15017	10-in.	6/26/1914	Roll them cotton bales	Heidelberg Quintette	Male vocal quintet, with orchestra	composer
Victor	B-17203	10-in.	2/24/1916	You go your way and I'll go mine	Marie Cahill	Female vocal solo, with orchestra	composer
Victor	B-20004	10-in.	5/29/1917	Under the bamboo tree	Marie Cahill	Female vocal solo, with male vocal chorus and orchestra	composer
Victor	B-24037	10-in.	5/5/1920	Since you went away	Fritz Kreisler ; John McCormack	Tenor vocal solo, with violin and piano	composer
Victor	BVE-32798	10-in.	7/27/1925	Li'l gal	Paul Robeson	Bass vocal solo, with piano	composer
Victor	BVE-38415	10-in.	3/30/1927	Since you went away	Paul Robeson	Bass vocal solo, with piano	composer
Victor	CVE-49077	12-in.	1/18/1929	Minstrel show of 1929	Victor Minstrels	Minstrels, with orchestra	composer
Victor	BVE-55694	10-in.	9/17/1929	Animals coming in	Four Wanderers	Male vocal quartet, with organ	instrumentalist, organ
Victor	BVE-55695	10-in.	9/17/1929	Preaching of the elder	Four Wanderers	Male vocal quartet, with organ	instrumentalist, organ
Victor	BVE-55696	10-in.	9/17/1929	In my Father's house	Four Wanderers	Male vocal quartet, with organ	instrumentalist, organ
Victor	BVE-55697	10-in.	9/17/1929	The fault's in me	Four Wanderers	Male vocal quartet, with organ	instrumentalist, organ
Victor	BS-77467	10-in.	8/14/1933	Since you went away	Annette Claire	Female vocal solo, with piano	composer
Victor	BS-83683	10-in.	8/6/1934	Just an old banjo (Without any strings)	Connecticut Yankees ; Rudy Vallée	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	composer
Victor	BS-067506	10-in.	7/29/1941	Sometimes I feel like a motherless child	Deep River Boys ; Bea Wain	Female vocal solo and male vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band	arranger
Victor	BS-067620	10-in.	8/7/1941	My castle on the Nile	Eton Boys ; Claude Garreau	Male vocal quartet, with piano	composer
Victor	BS-075638	10-in.	10/22/1942	Lift every voice and sing	Southern Sons	Male vocal quintet, unaccompanied	composer
Victor	[Trial 1926-11-15-05]	10-in.	11/15/1926	Didn't my lord deliver Daniel	Taylor Gordon ; J. Rosamond Johnson	Male vocal duet, with piano	instrumentalist, piano, vocalist, bass vocal
Victor	[Trial 1926-11-15-06]	10-in.	11/15/1926	Swing low, sweet chariot	Taylor Gordon ; J. Rosamond Johnson	Male vocal duet, with piano	instrumentalist, piano, vocalist, bass vocal
Columbia	13	10-in.	ca. 1901	Come out, Dinah, on the green	Arthur Collins	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Columbia	13	7-in.	ca. 1901-Oct. 1905	Come out, Dinah, on the green	Arthur Collins	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Columbia	932	10-in.	ca. 1902	Mandy, won't you let me be your beau	Harry Tally	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Columbia	932	7-in.	ca. 1902	Mandy, won't you let me be your beau	Harry Tally	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Columbia	970	10-in.	approximately 1902	Under the bamboo tree	Collins and Harlan	Male vocal duet, with piano	composer
Columbia	970	7-in.	ca. 1902	Under the bamboo tree	Collins and Harlan	Male vocal duet, with piano	composer
Columbia	1086	10-in.	approximately 1902	No use in asking, 'cause you know the reason why	Artists vary	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Columbia	1086	7-in.	ca. 1902	No use in asking, 'cause you know the reason why	Artists vary	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Columbia	1371	7-in.	ca. 1903-Oct. 1905	A Congo love song	Bob Roberts	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Columbia	1371	10-in.	ca. 1903	A congo love song	Bob Roberts	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Columbia	1832	10-in.	between January and July 1904	Nobody's lookin' but de owl and de moon	Corinne Morgan ; Frank C. Stanley	Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra	composer
Columbia	1854	10-in.	between January and October 1904	Big Indian chief	J. W. Myers	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Columbia	1854	7-in.	ca. 1904	Big Indian chief	J. W. Myers	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Columbia	3712	10-in.	ca. Jan.-Oct. 1907	Who do you love?	Collins and Harlan	Male vocal duet, with orchestra	composer
Columbia	3969	10-in.	approximately 1908	The big red shawl	Henry Burr ; Frank C. Stanley	Male vocal duet, with orchestra	composer
Columbia	3986	10-in.	ca. Jan. 1908-Feb. 1909	The sweetest gal in town	Collins and Harlan	Male vocal duet, with orchestra	songwriter
Columbia	4172	10-in.	ca. Jan.-Oct. 1909	Run, Brudder Possum, run	Collins and Harlan	Male vocal duet, with orchestra	composer
Columbia	77592	10-in.	12/20/1917	The old flag never touched the ground	Chautauqua Preachers’ Quartette	Male vocal quartet, unaccompanied	composer
Columbia	49047	12-in.	12/29/1916	Since you went away	Louis Graveure	Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra	composer
Columbia	W143922	10-in.	4/6/1927	Lift every voice and sing	Atlanta University Choir	Vocal chorus, with piano	composer
OKeh	S-70067	10-in.	July-Aug. 1921	Sweet daddy (Hold me closer all the time)	Daisy Martin	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	composer, lyricist
OKeh	S-70600	10-in.	ca. 4/10/1922	Nobody knows the trouble I see	Excelsior Quartette	Male vocal quartet, unaccompanied	composer
OKeh	W80962	10-in.	6/2/1927	Chicken, you can't roost too high for me	Tom Collins	Banjo solo, with male vocal solo	songwriter
OKeh	W81710	10-in.	10/7/1927	They don't roost too high for me	Earl Johnson and his Clodhoppers	Instrumental trio, with male vocal solo and talk	songwriter
OKeh	W404627	10-in.	12/9/1930	Didn’t he ramble	Fiddlin' John Carson ; Virginia Reelers	Mixed vocal trio, with fiddle (violin), banjo, and guitar	composer
Brunswick	12153-12156	10-in.	12/20/1923	Li’l gal	Marie Tiffany	Female vocal solo, with orchestra	composer
Brunswick	12270-12271	10-in.	1/11/1924	Li'l gal	Marie Tiffany	Female vocal solo, with orchestra	composer
Brunswick	E28917	10-in.	12/20/1928	Oh didn’t he ramble	Buckle Busters ; Al Hopkins	Male vocal and instrumental ensemble	composer
Brunswick	XE35170	12-in.	1/16/1931	De heab’nly journey	Rosamond Johnson Ensemble	Vocal ensemble, with orchestra	vocalist, bass vocal, composer
Brunswick	XE35171	12-in.	1/16/1931	A spiritual fantasy	Rosamond Johnson Ensemble	Vocal ensemble, with orchestra	vocalist, bass vocal, composer
Brunswick	E3060-E3062	12-in.	5/15/1926	I told my love to the roses	Colin O'More	Male vocal solo, with string quartet, bass, and piano	composer
Brunswick	C4394	10-in.	9/23/1929	Congo love song	Dixie Rhythm Kings ; Omer Simeon	Jazz/dance band	composer
Brunswick	M847	10-in.	11/23/1928	My castle on the Nile	Wonder State Harmonists	Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo and male vocal ensemble	composer
Brunswick	ATL6637	10-in.	11/12/1930	Chicken don’t roost too high	Georgia Pot Lickers	Fiddle (violin) and guitar duet, with male vocal solo	songwriter
Edison	5507	10-in.	4/16/1917	My lady Chlo'	Vernon Dalhart	Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra	composer
Edison	5765	10-in.	9/5/1917	Nobody knows the trouble I see	Vernon Dalhart	Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra	arranger
California Labor School	SSR-1065	10-in.	1944 or later	The negro national anthem	California Labor School Chorus ; Grace King	Vocal chorus	composer
Leeds & Catlin	[L & C cat 230-A]	10-in.	between late 1908 and early 1909	The sweetest gal in town	Collins and Harlan	Male vocal duet	songwriter

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Johnson, J. Rosamond," accessed October 31, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105114.

Johnson, J. Rosamond. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105114.

"Johnson, J. Rosamond." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 31 October 2024.