George W. Johnson (singer)

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George Washington Johnson (October 29, 1846 – January 23, 1914) was an American singer and pioneer in sound recording. He is known as the first African American recording star of the phonograph. His best-known songs were “The Laughing Song” and “The Whistling Coon.”

Johnson was born in Virginia to a father who was a slave. He was likely freed in 1853 and grew up near Wheatland. He learned to read and write, even though that was illegal for Black children in Virginia at the time. He moved to New York City in his late twenties and became a street entertainer who specialized in whistling.

Around 1890, two phonograph companies invited him to record on wax cylinders for a fee. He could sing, whistle, and produce a musical laugh, which he turned into his famous performances. He recorded many songs, but these two kept him in the public eye for years. By 1895, his tunes were among the best-selling records in the United States. He was the first African American to appear on the pop music chart, and his songs were among the first written by an African American to reach the chart. He sold tens of thousands of wax cylinders between 1890 and 1895.

Johnson recorded for several companies, including Berliner Gramophone, Edison, Columbia, and Victor. In 1897 he released new versions of his famous songs. By 1905 his popularity declined as mass production made many copies from a single master. Len Spencer, a friend, later hired him as a doorman in his office-building.

Johnson died in New York City in 1914 at age 67 from pneumonia and myocarditis. He was buried in Maple Grove Cemetery in Queens in an unmarked grave. Rumors that he died in a lynching or a murder were false. He had two common-law partners; one died in 1894/95, and the other, Roskin Stuart, died in 1899 after an assault. He was acquitted of murder in that case.

In 2013, efforts began to honor him at Maple Grove, with a MusiCares-supported plaque. In 2014 a ceremony marked his recognition. Also in 2013, his recording of “The Laughing Song” was added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.