Tommy Johnson passes away

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Tommy Johnson passes away

Post by Trumpet Man 05 » Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:16 pm

Tommy Johnson, one of the world's most famous tuba players, passed away last night from kidney failure. I haven't gotten a whole bunch of information about this yet, other than hearing that his health had been declining recently. Hopefully more information will come soon...until then, keep Tommy, his family, and friends, in your prayers...

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Rest in Peace....

Post by Bandmaster » Tue Oct 17, 2006 3:06 am

As a tuba player I am very saddened by this news. Tommy Johnson passed away last night from complications related to kidney cancer, a battle that he has been waging for the last couple of months. I stood behind him looking over his shoulder at the part he was playing during the professaional ensemble rehearsal at Tuba Christmas in Burbank last December. What a great musician! I was hoping to see him again this Christmas.

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The most recorded tuba player in history!
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Post by Bandmaster » Wed Oct 18, 2006 11:37 am

To read more about Tommy Johnson click the article below to read a tribute to Tommy by Roger Bobo, former Tuba player for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.

http://www.tubanews.com/articles/contentid-296.html

At the bottom of this article there are links to interviews and a profile of Tommy Johnson.

He was famous for getting solos in one take during studio recording sessions. In other words, he could sight read better than anyone. Here is one sample:

http://home.comcast.net/~helicon/1take.mp3

Most of you should be familiar with the movie Jaws, well he was the tuba at the beginning of the movie that played the menacing sounds of the shark attack. He recorded that in one take, while sight reading AND without warm up.

Just some of the soundtrack recordings made by Tommy Johnson are:

Tubby the Tuba Meets the Manhattan Transfer, Silverado, Batman Forever, The Incredibles, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (split principal with Roger Bobo), Beetlejuice, Poltergeist, Jaws, the Back to the Future Trilogy, The Natural, Toy Story, Star Trek 1, The Fugitive, Last Starfighter, E.T., Close Encounters of a Third Kind and MANY, MANY more...
Last edited by Bandmaster on Tue Oct 24, 2006 4:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Bandmaster » Fri Oct 20, 2006 8:22 pm

Here you go... just for you tuba players that like learn cool parts. This is a copy of Tommy Johnson's part for the opening of the movie Jaws.

Just imagine.... it was raining, so he was a little late getting to the studio that morning, went in his normal door but no! The orchestra was extra big and turned 90 degrees from normal. He was there right on call, and had to tramp through the entire setup to get to his chair. No warm up, no idea that he was about to record one of the most famous tuba appearances in all of film history. Then he got it on the first take....

Image

Click to see a full view. Right click to save to your computer.

Click here to listen to Tommy play this part on the movie soundtrack.
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Post by Bandmaster » Wed Nov 01, 2006 1:33 pm

Announcement from Jim Self:

Tommy Johnson 1935-2006

A CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE OF TOMMY JOHNSON
Please join in celebrating the life of
Tommy Johnson
Sunday, December 3, 2006 at 3 p.m.
Bovard Auditorium on the USC Campus

Directions:
http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/bova ... ctions.php

A scholarship fund has been set up. You may make out checks to:

USC Thornton School of Music
Please note in the memo line:
Tommy Johnson Memorial Scholarship Fund

Thornton School of Music
840 West 34th Street
Music office
Los Angeles, CA 90089
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