Biography
Charles L. Johnson earned recognition as a creator of ragtime pieces alongside enduring standards from American popular song. Although his lifespan in Kansas City fell short of the Missouri River’s enduring flow, his connection to the city remained unwavering from birth until death. Throughout those years he monitored the global spread of his compositions, frequently interpreted by skilled pianists. Even following his passing, artists including the well-known Max Morath continued to feature his works, among them the bittersweet “Dill Pickles.”
His first efforts at composition occurred during adolescence, with “Scandalous Thompson” marking his earliest published piece—an effort whose title suggests greater drama yet which achieved less renown than “Snowshoe Thompson.” The volume of ragtime tunes he produced exceeded what seemed prudent for a single individual to claim, prompting the adoption of aliases such as Raymond Birch for releasing further works. Another reason for these pen names involved circumventing limitations imposed by his publishing agreements, notably those with Harold Rossiter, a practice common in the industry at the time. One extensive anthology of his output appears on a recording from pianist Miguel Pineda Van Gelder.
His first efforts at composition occurred during adolescence, with “Scandalous Thompson” marking his earliest published piece—an effort whose title suggests greater drama yet which achieved less renown than “Snowshoe Thompson.” The volume of ragtime tunes he produced exceeded what seemed prudent for a single individual to claim, prompting the adoption of aliases such as Raymond Birch for releasing further works. Another reason for these pen names involved circumventing limitations imposed by his publishing agreements, notably those with Harold Rossiter, a practice common in the industry at the time. One extensive anthology of his output appears on a recording from pianist Miguel Pineda Van Gelder.