As a child Johnson sang in the church choir and during his days as a high school student he began playing saxophones. Later, he studied music as Tennessee State University. Drawing his musical interest from gospel and contemporary R&B, he was influenced by jazz musicians as varied as Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker and Kirk Whalum, David Sanborn and Grover Washington Jnr. He began working as a session musician in Nashville, playing countless dates in the jingle mills, and gradually establishing a name as a smooth jazz player. He toured as opening act for many big name artists of county music, soul, R&B, gospel and jazz.

As Johnson developed a reputation as a smooth jazz player, his stylistic blend ranged through his earlier interests as well as hip hop, all smoothed into a fashionable whole. Included in his repertoire are songs such as ‘Juke Joints And Jams’, ‘You Know What’s Up’, ‘A Dream’, ‘Life Of The Party’, ‘My Life’, ‘Say Yes’ and ‘Come Close’.