Jellybean Johnson, the legendary drummer best known for co-founding Prince’s band The Time, has died.
Jellybean Johnson, who played alongside Morris Day in The Time and later the Original 7ven, passed away on Friday, just two days after celebrating his 69th birthday.
A trailblazer of the Minneapolis Sound, Jellybean Johnson helped shape the funky, rock-tinged soul movement that dominated the 1970s and ‘80s.
On his birthday, Jellybean Johnson posted a touching message on Facebook looking back on nearly seven decades of life and music — words that now feel like a final goodbye.
‘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 wrote.
‘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.’
Vocalist Susannah Melvoin paid tribute to her ‘brother’ on Instagram, calling him a prolific guitarist and noting, ‘oxygen for him was the inhale and exhale of playing his guitar.’
Born in Chicago in 1956, Johnson moved to North Minneapolis at 13, teaching himself music through the radio and a pair of drumsticks.
His talent soon brought him into the orbit of Morris Day, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, and a young Prince.
Those early practice sessions eventually gave rise to The Time, the band that became a cornerstone of the Minneapolis Sound.
As The Time’s drummer, Johnson earned a reputation not only for his technical skill but for the energy he brought to every performance.
Later, he extended his influence as a producer at Flyte Tyme Records.
Even in recent years, Johnson remained active as a guitarist.
One of his enduring passions was establishing a Minneapolis Sound Museum.
He worked tirelessly on the project, hoping to honor the trailblazers who created the movement.
‘I want our story protected, I want our community honored, I want the next generation to have what we had: access, opportunity, and a place to belong,’ he wrote in his final post.