Garry George Johnson, professionally known as Jellybean Johnson, was born on November 19, 1956, in Chicago, Illinois.
Johnson spent his early childhood on the West Side of Chicago, where he grew up in an environment marked by the challenges of urban life during the late 1950s and 1960s.
His family background was centered around his mother's determined efforts to provide a safer upbringing amid rising social pressures.
In 1968, at the age of 12, Johnson's mother relocated the family to North Minneapolis to shield him from the dangers of street gangs, which were aggressively recruiting young boys in their Chicago neighborhood. This decision was driven by her recognition of the escalating risks, as Johnson later reflected that the move felt like "a blessing from God" after struggling to simply survive in Chicago.
The relocation represented a profound shift from the high-stakes urban setting of Chicago to the community-oriented culture of North Minneapolis. As a pre-teen adjusting to this new life, Johnson settled into North Minneapolis and began connecting with local peers who shared similar aspirations, fostering a sense of belonging absent in his previous surroundings. Following the move, an early interest in music started to emerge for Johnson.
Johnson's introduction to music came shortly after his family's relocation to Minneapolis in 1968, which opened up new opportunities in the local scene. At the age of 13, prompted by his mother who gifted him a drum set to nurture his budding interest, Johnson began self-teaching drums. This early exposure laid the groundwork for his rhythmic foundation, developed through consistent practice rather than structured instruction.
Two years later, at 15, Johnson turned to guitar, teaching himself the instrument after a cousin left one at his home. Lacking formal training, he honed his skills through self-directed experimentation, emphasizing intuition and "feel" over reading music a approach he shared with contemporaries in the Minneapolis music community. His early influences drew heavily from the local airwaves, including R&B broadcasts on KUXL radio and rock programming on KQRS, which exposed him to a blend of genres that shaped his versatile style. Through solitary practice and immersion in these sounds, Johnson built a self-taught proficiency that prioritized groove and improvisation.
Johnson's formal education paralleled his musical growth. He attended Marshall-University High School in Minneapolis, where he balanced academics with extracurricular activities, including playing on the basketball team. Following high school, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota, pursuing studies briefly before committing fully to music as a career, forgoing further academic pursuits in favor of professional opportunities in the burgeoning local scene. Despite his lack of formal musical education, these early experiences solidified his path as a multifaceted instrumentalist.
Garry "Jellybean" Johnson joined Flyte Tyme as the band's drummer in the early to mid-1970s, recruited by bassist Terry Lewis during a 1972 summer program at Upward Bound, where they also connected with keyboardist Jimmy Jam Harris to form the core rhythm section.
The group, initially known as "Wars of Armageddon," evolved into Flyte Tyme around 1972, featuring a rotating lineup that included vocalist Cynthia Johnson, saxophonist Jimmie L. Anderson, guitarist Tony Johnson, and up to 10 members with a four-person horn section.
Flyte Tyme quickly became a prominent fixture in the Minneapolis music scene, serving as a major rival to Prince's early group Grand Central through competitive local performances and self-organized tours.
As Flyte Tyme progressed through the late 1970s, the band began incorporating electronic elements, including early adoption of drum machines, which marked a shift from purely live drumming to hybrid production techniques in their performances and recordings.[12] Johnson, leveraging his self-taught drumming skills honed during his youth, started integrating guitar elements into band settings, expanding his contributions beyond percussion to enhance the group's versatile funk arrangements.
Garry "Jellybean" Johnson joined The Time in 1981 as the band's drummer, a move orchestrated by Prince who selected him to replace Morris Day in that role while elevating Day to lead vocals.
Johnson participated in The Time's first three albums, starting with the self-titled debut The Time (1981), where he provided drums on select tracks and background vocals, though Prince handled much of the instrumentation. He played a fuller role on What Time Is It? (1982), including the hit "777-9311," and Ice Cream Castle (1984), which featured standout tracks like "Jungle Love" and "The Bird.
Shortly after the departure of bandmates Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis after they missed a San Antonio show due to a snowstorm and began producing outside the group. Johnson, along with Monte Moir, briefly quit in solidarity but returned at Prince's urging, ensuring the band's continuity for Ice Cream Castle with replacement members Jerome Benton and Paul Peterson.
Shortly afterward The Time broke up after bandmates Morris Day and Jesse Johnson pursued solo careers Jellybean joined Prince’s protege band called The Family in 1984 alongside former Time new Jerome Benton, and Paul Peterson.
Prince added Susannah Melvoin, the twin sister of Revolution guitarist Wendy Melvoin, as a backing singer and keyboardist. The fifth member was Eric Leeds, the brother of Prince's tour manager Alan Leeds, who provided saxophone and flute. Also joining was bassist Allen Flowers. Guitarist Miko Weaver, from Sheila E.'s band, is credited in the album credits because he was to be a session and tour player, but was never officially a member of the band.
The band released a self-titled album in 1985 and released their debut single "The Screams of Passion" which was the band's biggest hit song. The album also featured the first appearance of the ballad "Nothing Compares 2 U", which would become more widely known five years later when a cover by Sinéad O'Connor was released as a single.
The band was short-lived as the band's lead singer Paul Peterson left to pursue a solo career.
The Time reformed in 1990 under Prince's direction for the film Graffiti Bridge and its soundtrack album Pandemonium, with Johnson resuming his dual role on drums and guitar to recapture their earlier chemistry.
In 1990, Johnson co-produced Janet Jackson's "Black Cat" from her album Rhythm Nation 1814, a hard rock-infused track that topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot 100 Airplay charts; he also performed the guitar solo, enhancing its raw energy.
Johnson's songwriting and production peaked with his co-production of Mint Condition's debut album Meant to Be Mint in 1991, overseeing the entire project and crafting hits like "Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)," which reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the R&B chart, alongside "Forever in Your Eyes" at #7 R&B. These efforts solidified his reputation for blending innovative arrangements with commercial appeal at Flyte Tyme.
Throughout the 2010s, Johnson rejoined The Time rebranded as The Original 7ven for extensive touring, including a residency at the Las Vegas House of Blues and performances across North America that drew on their classic catalog while incorporating fresh arrangements.
The reunion culminated in the release of their album Condensate in 2011, Johnson's first full project with the band since the 1990 album Pandemonium, featuring his contributions on drums, guitar, and production. These efforts revitalized the group's presence in live music circuits and reinforced their influence on funk and R&B.
In 2022, Johnson founded the Minneapolis Sound Museum, a nonprofit initiative aimed at preserving and celebrating the history of the Minneapolis Sound through exhibits, events, and educational programs dedicated to local musicians and innovators. The museum serves as a cultural hub, hosting panels and performances to honor the genre's pioneers beyond Prince, with Johnson actively involved in its development and fundraising.
Johnson continues to perform with The Original 7ven, including at the Fool in Love Festival in Inglewood, California, on August 31, 2024.
Jellybean Johnson, the original drummer for The Time, has passed away. He was 69 years old (November 19, 1956- November 21, 2025.)
Musique Funkology would like to send it's condolences to his family, friends and fans 😇
By Romie Rome for Musique Funkology
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