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{{Short description|American orchestral tuba player}}
{{other people||Thomas Johnson (disambiguation)}}
{{other people||Thomas Johnson (disambiguation)}}
{{infobox person
⚫
'''John Thomas Johnson''' (January 7, 1935 - October 16, 2006) was an [[United States|American]] [[orchestra]]l [[tuba]] player. He performed on more than 2,000 [[film soundtrack]]s, most notably [[John Williams]]' ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'' score, in which he played a high-register tuba solo as the melodic theme for the shark.
| birth_name = John Thomas Johnson
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1935|1|7}}
| birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2006|10|16|1935|1|7}}
| death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| occupation = Musician, educator
| alma_mater = [[University of Southern California]] (B.M., 1956)
| spouse = {{marriage|Patricia Lehman|1957}}
| children = 4
| relatives = [[Stephen James Taylor]] (nephew)
| module = {{Infobox musical artist|embed=yes
| instrument = Tuba<!--- If you think an instrument should be listed, a discussion to reach consensus is needed first per: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Infobox_musical_artist#instrument--->
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| years_active = 1958–2006
| genre = {{flatlist|
* Classical
* film score
* rock and roll
* jazz
* pop
}}
| associated_acts = {{flatlist|
* [[The Manhattan Transfer]]
* [[Randy Newman]]
* [["Weird Al" Yankovic]]
* [[John Debney]]
* [[Michael Kamen]]
* [[Alan Silvestri]]
* [[Jerry Goldsmith]]
* [[James Horner]]
* [[John Williams]]
* [[Elvis Presley]]
* [[Frank Sinatra]]
* [[Los Angeles Philharmonic]]
}}
}}
}}


⚫
'''John Thomas Johnson''' (January 7, 1935 - October 16, 2006) was an American [[orchestra]]l [[tuba]] player. He performed on more than 2,000 [[film soundtrack]]s, most notably [[John Williams]]' ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'' score, in which he played a high-register tuba solo as the melodic theme for the shark.
⚫
==Biography==


⚫
==Biography==
{{More citations needed|section |date=June 2024}}
===Early life ===
===Early life ===
He was born in [[Los Angeles]], California to [[tailor]] Thomas Johnson and his wife Alma, the youngest of five siblings. Johnson had a musical upbringing as his father was a [[baritone]] soloist in the [[choir]] at the [[Angelus Temple]] in [[Echo Park, Los Angeles|Echo Park]].
He was born in [[Los Angeles]], California to [[tailor]] Thomas Johnson and his wife Alma, the youngest of five siblings. Johnson had a musical upbringing as his father was a [[baritone]] soloist in the [[choir]] at the [[Angelus Temple]] in [[Echo Park, Los Angeles|Echo Park]].


He attended the [[University of Southern California]] [[USC Thornton School of Music|Thornton School of Music]], studying under [[Robert Marsteller]]. He received a bachelor's degree in music in 1956. He played on his first film in 1958, the score for ''Al Capone''. He went on to become [[Hollywood]]'s "first-call" tuba player, playing for television commercials and television series, such as ''[[The Flintstones]]''. In addition to ''Jaws'', his films included, ''[[The Godfather]]'', the ''[[Indiana Jones]]'' series, the ''[[Star Trek (film series)|Star Trek]]'' film series, ''[[The Lion King]]'', ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'', ''[[The Thin Red Line (1998 film)|The Thin Red Line]]'' (1998 remake), ''[[The Matrix]]'', ''[[Cats & Dogs]]'', ''[[Forrest Gump]]'', ''[[Air Force One (film)|Air Force One]]'', ''[[Back to the Future]]'', ''[[A Bug's Life]]'' and ''[[Lethal Weapon]]''.
He attended the [[University of Southern California]] [[USC Thornton School of Music|Thornton School of Music]], studying under [[Robert Marsteller]]. He received a bachelor's degree in music in 1956. He played on his first film in 1958, the score for ''Al Capone''. He went on to become [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]]'s "first-call" tuba player, playing for television commercials and television series, such as ''[[The Flintstones]]''. In addition to ''Jaws'', his films included, ''[[The Godfather]]'', the ''[[Indiana Jones]]'' series, the ''[[Star Trek (film series)|Star Trek]]'' film series, ''[[The Lion King]]'', ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'', ''[[The Thin Red Line (1998 film)|The Thin Red Line]]'' (1998 remake), ''[[The Matrix]]'', ''[[Cats & Dogs]]'', ''[[Forrest Gump]]'', ''[[Air Force One (film)|Air Force One]]'', ''[[Back to the Future]]'', ''[[A Bug's Life]]'' and ''[[Lethal Weapon]]''.


The ''Jaws'' solo was written in an extremely high range for the tuba. In a 2004 interview with Tubanews.com, Johnson remembered being late to the recording session and opened his music to find the tuba solo. It wasn't until later that he found out it was the theme for the shark. Johnson said he asked composer [[John Williams]] why he didn't write the solo for the [[French horn]], an instrument better suited for the register. Williams' response was, "Well, I wanted something that was in that register but I wanted it to sound a little more threatening."<ref>[http://www.tubanews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=123:conversation-with-tommy-johnson&catid=41:interviews&Itemid=86 A conversation with Tommy Johnson], Tubanews.com, 2004 (retrieved on December 13, 2010).</ref>
The ''Jaws'' solo was written in an extremely high range for the tuba. In a 2004 interview with Tubanews.com, Johnson remembered being late to the recording session and opened his music to find the tuba solo. It wasn't until later that he found out it was the theme for the shark. Johnson said he asked composer [[John Williams]] why he didn't write the solo for the [[French horn]], an instrument better suited for the register. Williams' response was, "Well, I wanted something that was in that register but I wanted it to sound a little more threatening."<ref>[http://www.tubanews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=123:conversation-with-tommy-johnson&catid=41:interviews&Itemid=86 A conversation with Tommy Johnson], Tubanews.com, 2004 (retrieved on December 13, 2010).</ref>
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Upon Johnson's death, Williams praised him as "one of the great instrumentalists of his generation. Not only was he the voice of the shark in ''Jaws'', his performance across the full range of the repertoire inspired not only me, but a whole generation of young tubists."
Upon Johnson's death, Williams praised him as "one of the great instrumentalists of his generation. Not only was he the voice of the shark in ''Jaws'', his performance across the full range of the repertoire inspired not only me, but a whole generation of young tubists."


In addition to his work on film soundtracks, Johnson played on recording sessions for many albums by such artists as [[Elvis Presley]] and [[Frank Sinatra]]. [["Weird Al" Yankovic]] said Johnson was his "go-to guy" whenever he needed a tubist for his [[polka]] medleys. Johnson performed the tuba solo on Yankovic's [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] parody, "[[Smells Like Nirvana]]".<ref>[http://www.tommyjohnsontuba.com/images/tommy_johnson_program.pdf Memorial concert program (PDF)] (retrieved from TommyJohnsonTuba.com on January 7, 2015).</ref> His other recordings include [[Clare Fischer]]'s ''[[Extension (Clare Fischer album)|Extension]]'', ''The Manhattan Transfer Meets Tubby the Tuba'', ''Partita for Brass Quintet and Tape'', and ''[[Jean-Pierre Rampal]] Plays [[Scott Joplin]].''
In addition to his work on film soundtracks, Johnson played on recording sessions for many albums by such artists as [[Elvis Presley]] and [[Frank Sinatra]]. [["Weird Al" Yankovic]] said Johnson was his "go-to guy" whenever he needed a tubist for his [[polka]] medleys. Johnson performed the tuba solo on Yankovic's [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] parody, "[[Smells Like Nirvana]]".<ref>[http://www.tommyjohnsontuba.com/images/tommy_johnson_program.pdf Memorial concert program (PDF)] (retrieved from TommyJohnsonTuba.com on January 7, 2015).</ref> His other recordings include [[Clare Fischer]]'s ''[[Extension (Clare Fischer album)|Extension]]'', ''[[The Manhattan Transfer Meets Tubby the Tuba]]'', ''Partita for Brass Quintet and Tape'', and ''[[Jean-Pierre Rampal]] Plays [[Scott Joplin]].''


Johnson performed as tuba soloist with the [[Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra]], the [[Pasadena Symphony and POPS|Pasadena Symphony]], the [[San Fernando Valley]] Symphony, the L.A. Pops Orchestra, the [[Henry Mancini]] Orchestra, the [[Hollywood Bowl]] Orchestra, the [[Academy Award]]s Orchestra, the USC Wind Ensemble and the Los Angeles Tuba Quartet.
Johnson performed as tuba soloist with the [[Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra]], the [[Pasadena Symphony and POPS|Pasadena Symphony]], the [[San Fernando Valley]] Symphony, the L.A. Pops Orchestra, the [[Henry Mancini]] Orchestra, the [[Hollywood Bowl]] Orchestra, the [[Academy Award]]s Orchestra, the USC Wind Ensemble and the Los Angeles Tuba Quartet.


He taught [[junior high school]] music in the [[Los Angeles Unified School District]] for nearly 20 years, but for most of his career, he taught advanced tuba players in private lessons and at USC and [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]]. Among his students were [[Norman Pearson (musician)|Norm Pearson]], principal tubist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic; [[Alan Baer]], principal tubist of the [[New York Philharmonic]]; [[Gene Pokorny]], principal tubist of the [[Chicago Symphony Orchestra]]; Wesley Jacobs, principal tubist (Ret.) of the [[Detroit Symphony Orchestra]]; [[John Van Houten]]; [[Jim Self]], a jazz tubist and studio musician who worked on many sessions with Johnson; and Kent Fisk, principal tubist (Ret.) of the [[Adelaide Symphony Orchestra]] and [[Western Australian Symphony Orchestra]]. Noted tubist [[Roger Bobo]] also studied under Marsteller in the 1950s, and he and Johnson became close friends and friendly competitors, playing many concerts and recording sessions together.
He taught [[junior high school]] music in the [[Los Angeles Unified School District]] for nearly 20 years, but for most of his career, he taught advanced tuba players in private lessons and at USC and [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]]. Among his students were [[Norman Pearson (musician)|Norm Pearson]], principal tubist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic; [[Alan Baer]], principal tubist of the [[New York Philharmonic]]; [[Gene Pokorny]], principal tubist of the [[Chicago Symphony Orchestra]]; Wesley Jacobs, principal tubist (Ret.) of the [[Detroit Symphony Orchestra]]; [[John Van Houten (tubist)|John Van Houten]]; [[Jim Self]], a jazz tubist and studio musician who worked on many sessions with Johnson; and Kent Fisk, principal tubist (Ret.) of the [[Adelaide Symphony Orchestra]] and [[Western Australian Symphony Orchestra]]. Noted tubist [[Roger Bobo]] also studied under Marsteller in the 1950s, and he and Johnson became close friends and friendly competitors, playing many concerts and recording sessions together.


===Personal life, memorial tribute===
===Personal life, memorial tribute===
He was married to Patricia Johnson, a fellow music student from USC. She played [[violin]] in the [[Hollywood Bowl Orchestra]]. The couple had four children.
Johnson married Patricia Lehman (1938–2007), a Colorado-born violinist and a fellow music student from USC, in 1957.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Patricia Ann "Pat" Johnson|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?n=patricia-ann-johnson-pat&pid=92511762|date=August 12, 2007|accessdate=January 20, 2019}}</ref> The couple had four children.


On October 16, 2006, Johnson died from complications of [[cancer]] and [[kidney failure]] at the [[Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center]] in Los Angeles at the age of 71. He had been working until a few weeks before his death.
On October 16, 2006, Johnson died from complications of [[cancer]] and [[kidney failure]] at the [[Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center|UCLA Medical Center]] (now known as the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center) in Los Angeles at the age of 71. He had been working until a few weeks before his death.


On December 3, 2006, a [[memorial]] [[concert]] was held at [[Bovard Auditorium]] at USC. The concert featured musical tributes by a variety of performers and culminated with the finale of [[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky|Tchaikovsky's]] ''[[Symphony No. 4 (Tchaikovsky)|Symphony No. 4 in F Minor]]'' by a massed tuba choir of 99 tubists.
On December 3, 2006, a [[memorial]] [[concert]] was held at [[Bovard Auditorium]] at USC. The concert featured musical tributes by a variety of performers and culminated with the finale of [[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky|Tchaikovsky's]] ''[[Symphony No. 4 (Tchaikovsky)|Symphony No. 4 in F Minor]]'' by a massed tuba choir of 99 tubists.
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*''[[The Addams Family (film)|The Addams Family]]''
*''[[The Addams Family (1991 film)|The Addams Family]]''
*''[[Air Force One (film)|Air Force One]]''
*''[[Air Force One (film)|Air Force One]]''
*''[[Al Capone (film)|Al Capone]]''
*''[[Al Capone (film)|Al Capone]]''
*''[[Alien 3]]''
*''[[Alien 3]]''
*''[[Armageddon (film)|Armageddon]]''
*''[[Armageddon (1998 film)|Armageddon]]''
*''[[Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me]]''
*''[[Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me]]''
*''[[The Babe]]''
*''[[The Babe]]''
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*''[[Cars (film)|Cars]]''
*''[[Cars (film)|Cars]]''
*''[[Cats & Dogs (film)|Cats & Dogs]]''
*''[[Cats & Dogs (film)|Cats & Dogs]]''
*''[[Chain Reaction (film)|Chain Reaction]]''
*''[[Chain Reaction (1996 film)|Chain Reaction]]''
*''[[Close Encounters of the Third Kind]]''
*''[[Close Encounters of the Third Kind]]''
*''[[Con Air]]''
*''[[Con Air]]''
*''[[Contact (1997 American film)|Contact]]''
*''[[Contact (1997 American film)|Contact]]''
*''[[Crimson Tide (film)|Crimson Tide]]''
*''[[Crimson Tide (film)|Crimson Tide]]''
*''[[Dances With Wolves]]''
*''[[Death Becomes Her]]''
*''[[Death Becomes Her]]''
*''[[Deep Rising]]''
*''[[Deep Rising]]''
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*''[[Dracula (1992 film)|Dracula]]''
*''[[Dracula (1992 film)|Dracula]]''
*''[[The Edge (1997 film)|The Edge]]''
*''[[The Edge (1997 film)|The Edge]]''
*''[[Edward Scissorhands]]''
*''[[Enemy of the State (film)|Enemy of the State]]''
*''[[Enemy of the State (film)|Enemy of the State]]''
*''[[Evolution (2001 film)|Evolution]]''
*''[[Evolution (2001 film)|Evolution]]''
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*''[[Father of the Bride Part II]]''
*''[[Father of the Bride Part II]]''
*''[[A Few Good Men (film)|A Few Good Men]]''
*''[[A Few Good Men (film)|A Few Good Men]]''
*''[[First Wives Club]]''
*''[[The First Wives Club|First Wives Club]]''
*''[[The Flintstones (film)|The Flintstones]]''
*''[[The Flintstones (film)|The Flintstones]]''
*''[[Flubber (film)|Flubber]]''
*''[[Flubber (film)|Flubber]]''
*''[[Forrest Gump]]''
*''[[Forrest Gump]]''
*''[[Frequency (film)|Frequency]]''
*''[[Frequency (2000 film)|Frequency]]''
*''[[The Frighteners]]''
*''[[The Frighteners]]''
*''[[The General's Daughter (film)|The General's Daughter]]''
*''[[The General's Daughter (film)|The General's Daughter]]''
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*''[[Independence Day (1996 film)|Independence Day]]''
*''[[Independence Day (1996 film)|Independence Day]]''
*''[[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade]]''
*''[[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade]]''
*''[[Instinct (film)|Instinct]]''
*''[[Instinct (1999 film)|Instinct]]''
*''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]''
*''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]''
*''[[Jaws 2]]''
*''[[Jaws 2]]''
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*''[[The Karate Kid Part II]]''
*''[[The Karate Kid Part II]]''
*''[[The Karate Kid Part III]]''
*''[[The Karate Kid Part III]]''
*''[[King Kong (1976)]]''
*''[[The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film)|The Last of the Mohicans]]''
*''[[The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film)|The Last of the Mohicans]]''
*''[[A League of Their Own]]''
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*''[[Logan's Run]]''
*''[[The Lion King]]''
*''[[The Lion King]]''
*''[[The Matrix]]''
*''[[The Matrix]]'', ''[[The Matrix Reloaded]]'' and ''[[The Matrix Revolutions]]''
*''[[Maverick (film)|Maverick]]''
*''[[Maverick (film)|Maverick]]''
*''[[Men in Black (film)|Men in Black]]''
*''[[Men in Black (1997 film)|Men in Black]]''
*''[[Monsters, Inc.]]''
*''[[Monsters, Inc.]]''
*''[[MouseHunt (film)|MouseHunt]]''
*''[[MouseHunt (film)|MouseHunt]]''
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*''[[Mulan (1998 film)|Mulan]]''
*''[[Mulan (1998 film)|Mulan]]''
*''[[Mystery, Alaska]]''
*''[[Mystery, Alaska]]''
*''[[National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation]]''
*''[[The Natural (film)|The Natural]]''
*''[[The Natural (film)|The Natural]]''
*''[[The Nightmare Before Christmas]]''
*''[[The Nutty Professor (1996 film)|The Nutty Professor]]''
*''[[The Nutty Professor (1996 film)|The Nutty Professor]]''
*''[[The Odd Couple II]]''
*''[[The Odd Couple II]]''
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*''[[Reindeer Games]]''
*''[[Reindeer Games]]''
*''[[Richie Rich (film)|Richie Rich]]''
*''[[Richie Rich (film)|Richie Rich]]''
*''[[Robin Hood (1991 British film)|Robin Hood]]''
*''[[Robin Hood (1973 film)|Robin Hood]]''
* ''[[Roots (1977 miniseries)#Musical score and soundtrack|Roots]]''
*''[[Scream 2]]''
*''[[Scream 2]]''
*''[[Scream 3]]''
*''[[Scream 3]]''
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*''[[Silverado (film)|Silverado]]''
*''[[Silverado (film)|Silverado]]''
*''[[Small Soldiers]]''
*''[[Small Soldiers]]''
*''[[Snow Day (film)|Snow Day]]''
*''[[Snow Day (2000 film)|Snow Day]]''
*''[[Starship Troopers (film)|Starship Troopers]]''
*''[[Starship Troopers (film)|Starship Troopers]]''
*''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]''
*''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]''
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*''[[Star Trek V: The Final Frontier]]''
*''[[Star Trek V: The Final Frontier]]''
*''[[Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country]]''
*''[[Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country]]''
*''[[Star Trek: First Contact]]''
*''[[Star Trek: Insurrection]]''
*''[[Star Trek: Insurrection]]''
*''[[Star Trek: Nemesis]]''
*''[[Star Trek: Nemesis]]''
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*''[[The Thomas Crown Affair (1999 film)|The Thomas Crown Affair]]''
*''[[The Thomas Crown Affair (1999 film)|The Thomas Crown Affair]]''
*''[[The Tigger Movie]]''
*''[[The Tigger Movie]]''
*''[[The Towering Inferno]]''
*''[[Tin Cup]]''
*''[[Tin Cup]]''
*''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]''
*''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]''
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*''[[Waiting to Exhale]]''
*''[[Waiting to Exhale]]''
*''[[The Waterboy]]''
*''[[The Waterboy]]''
*''[[Waterworld]]''
*''[[Wild Wild West]]''
*''[[Wild Wild West]]''
*''[[Wyatt Earp (film)|Wyatt Earp]]''
*''[[Wyatt Earp (film)|Wyatt Earp]]''
</div>{{Clear}}
{{Clear}}


==References==
==References==
* Noland, Claire. October 25, 2006. [http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-johnson25oct25,1,1516908.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california&ctrack=1&cset=true Tommy Johnson, 71; noted tuba player's movie work boosted the tension in 'Jaws'], ''Los Angeles Times'' (retrieved from registration-only site on December 2, 2006).
* Noland, Claire. October 25, 2006. [http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-johnson25oct25,1,1516908.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california&ctrack=1&cset=true Tommy Johnson, 71; noted tuba player's movie work boosted the tension in 'Jaws'], ''Los Angeles Times'' (retrieved from registration-only site on December 2, 2006).
* [http://www.today.ucla.edu/people/obits_061024/ In memoriam], UCLA Today Online (retrieved on December 2, 2006).
* [https://archive.today/20070706042852/http://www.today.ucla.edu/people/obits_061024/ In memoriam], UCLA Today Online (retrieved on December 2, 2006).
*Booth, William. December 5, 2006. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/04/AR2006120401563.html "A 99-Tuba Salute"], ''The Washington Post'' (retrieved on December 6, 2006).
*Booth, William. December 5, 2006. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/04/AR2006120401563.html "A 99-Tuba Salute"], ''The Washington Post'' (retrieved on December 6, 2006).


===Notes===
===Notes===
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==External links==
==External links==
* {{How to Eat Pie name|id=2482917|name=Tommy Johnson}}
* {{IMDb name|id=2482917|name=Tommy Johnson}}
* [http://www.windsongpress.com/brass%20players/tuba/johnson.htm Wind Song Press]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070127213824/http://www.windsongpress.com/brass%20players/tuba/johnson.htm Wind Song Press]
* [http://www.tommyjohnsontuba.com TommyJohnsonTuba.com]
* [http://www.tommyjohnsontuba.com TommyJohnsonTuba.com]
* {{Find a Grave|127045711}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[Category:20th-century American musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American musicians]]
[Category:21st-century American musicians]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century classical musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American classical musicians]]
[[Category:21st-century classical musicians]]
[[Category:21st-century American classical musicians]]
[[Category:American classical tubists]]
[[Category:American classical tubists]]
[[Category:American tubists]]
[[Category:American session musicians]]
[[Category:American session musicians]]
[[Category:American music educators]]
[[Category:American music educators]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in California]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in California]]
[[Category:Musicians from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Musicians from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Deaths from renal failure]]
[[Category:Deaths from kidney failure in the United States]]
[[Category:Thornton School of Music alumni]]
[[Category:USC Thornton School of Music alumni]]
[[Category:Thornton School of Music faculty]]
[[Category:USC Thornton School of Music faculty]]
[[Category:University of California, Los Angeles faculty]]
[[Category:UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music faculty]]
[[Category:Classical musicians from California]]

Latest revision as of 04:31, 11 November 2024

For other people with the same name, see Thomas Johnson (disambiguation).
Tommy Johnson
Born
John Thomas Johnson

(1935-01-07)January 7, 1935
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedOctober 16, 2006(2006-10-16) (aged 71)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Southern California (B.M., 1956)
Occupation(s)Musician, educator
Spouse
Patricia Lehman
​
(m. 1957)​
Children4
RelativesStephen James Taylor (nephew)
Musical career
Genres
  • Classical
  • film score
  • rock and roll
  • jazz
  • pop
InstrumentTuba
Years active1958–2006

John Thomas Johnson (January 7, 1935 - October 16, 2006) was an American orchestral tuba player. He performed on more than 2,000 film soundtracks, most notably John Williams' Jaws score, in which he played a high-register tuba solo as the melodic theme for the shark.

Biography

[edit]

Early life

[edit]

He was born in Los Angeles, California to tailor Thomas Johnson and his wife Alma, the youngest of five siblings. Johnson had a musical upbringing as his father was a baritone soloist in the choir at the Angelus Temple in Echo Park.

He attended the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, studying under Robert Marsteller. He received a bachelor's degree in music in 1956. He played on his first film in 1958, the score for Al Capone. He went on to become Hollywood's "first-call" tuba player, playing for television commercials and television series, such as The Flintstones. In addition to Jaws, his films included, The Godfather, the Indiana Jones series, the Star Trek film series, The Lion King, Titanic, The Thin Red Line (1998 remake), The Matrix, Cats & Dogs, Forrest Gump, Air Force One, Back to the Future, A Bug's Life and Lethal Weapon.

The Jaws solo was written in an extremely high range for the tuba. In a 2004 interview with Tubanews.com, Johnson remembered being late to the recording session and opened his music to find the tuba solo. It wasn't until later that he found out it was the theme for the shark. Johnson said he asked composer John Williams why he didn't write the solo for the French horn, an instrument better suited for the register. Williams' response was, "Well, I wanted something that was in that register but I wanted it to sound a little more threatening."[1]

Upon Johnson's death, Williams praised him as "one of the great instrumentalists of his generation. Not only was he the voice of the shark in Jaws, his performance across the full range of the repertoire inspired not only me, but a whole generation of young tubists."

In addition to his work on film soundtracks, Johnson played on recording sessions for many albums by such artists as Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. "Weird Al" Yankovic said Johnson was his "go-to guy" whenever he needed a tubist for his polka medleys. Johnson performed the tuba solo on Yankovic's Nirvana parody, "Smells Like Nirvana".[2] His other recordings include Clare Fischer's Extension, The Manhattan Transfer Meets Tubby the Tuba, Partita for Brass Quintet and Tape, and Jean-Pierre Rampal Plays Scott Joplin.

Johnson performed as tuba soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, the Pasadena Symphony, the San Fernando Valley Symphony, the L.A. Pops Orchestra, the Henry Mancini Orchestra, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Academy Awards Orchestra, the USC Wind Ensemble and the Los Angeles Tuba Quartet.

He taught junior high school music in the Los Angeles Unified School District for nearly 20 years, but for most of his career, he taught advanced tuba players in private lessons and at USC and UCLA. Among his students were Norm Pearson, principal tubist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic; Alan Baer, principal tubist of the New York Philharmonic; Gene Pokorny, principal tubist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Wesley Jacobs, principal tubist (Ret.) of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra; John Van Houten; Jim Self, a jazz tubist and studio musician who worked on many sessions with Johnson; and Kent Fisk, principal tubist (Ret.) of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Western Australian Symphony Orchestra. Noted tubist Roger Bobo also studied under Marsteller in the 1950s, and he and Johnson became close friends and friendly competitors, playing many concerts and recording sessions together.

Personal life, memorial tribute

[edit]

Johnson married Patricia Lehman (1938–2007), a Colorado-born violinist and a fellow music student from USC, in 1957.[3] The couple had four children.

On October 16, 2006, Johnson died from complications of cancer and kidney failure at the UCLA Medical Center (now known as the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center) in Los Angeles at the age of 71. He had been working until a few weeks before his death.

On December 3, 2006, a memorial concert was held at Bovard Auditorium at USC. The concert featured musical tributes by a variety of performers and culminated with the finale of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 in F Minor by a massed tuba choir of 99 tubists.

Works

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ A conversation with Tommy Johnson, Tubanews.com, 2004 (retrieved on December 13, 2010).
  2. ^ Memorial concert program (PDF) (retrieved from TommyJohnsonTuba.com on January 7, 2015).
  3. ^ "Patricia Ann "Pat" Johnson". Los Angeles Times. August 12, 2007. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
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