He said in Bartholomew's band he had freedom and was expected to be creative. Johnson said he had learned a lot by watching Palmer play, and he noted the proficiency of New Orleans drummers in using the bass drum of a drum kit. In 1957 Johnson joined Dave Bartholomew's band and replaced drummer Earl Palmer who had moved to Los Angeles. He also performed with Roy Brown and Red Tyler. : 141 After high school he joined James 'Sugar Boy' Crawford’s band the Chapaka Shawee, also known as Cane Cutters. At age seventeen he started to perform professionally at local clubs including Club Tijuana, and toured with professional musicians during summers. He attended Craig School and Clark High School where Yvonne Busch taught. His first drum set was given to him by his grandfather. He started on trombone at an early age and took lessons from Yvonne Busch, an influential music teacher who happened to be the Johnsons' neighbor. and Rinda Williams, Johnson grew up in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans, a community rich in jazz history.
