On June 9, 1929, Robert Johnson “bobby johnson” was born in Rochester, New York to Elmer Johnson and Annabelle Armiger. He attended various schools in and around Rochester, including School #3 and Madison High School. At the age of 20, Johnson entered the United States Army. Upon his return to Rochester, he took several jobs before ultimately taking a position at DuPont. At the age of 40, Johnson returned to school, taking college courses at several Rochester area institutions. He earned a BA in Creative Writing from Empire State College.
At the age of 14, he met Carrie Johnson, whom he later married. Together, they had five children: Kwesi, Robert, Blair, Valerie, and Sabrina. After Carrie's passing, Johnson married Leslie Locketz, and together they had a son, Bailey.
Johnson, sometimes known as the “Bard of Clarissa Street,” wrote and published five books including “Clarissa Street Project: Bebop Edition,” “Monroe…(an avenue) a’ ragge rastaman,” and “Mr. Parker Songbook.” Also a live performer, Johnson produced spoken work poetry which he blended with instrumentals. In the 1980’s, Johnson served on the Board of Governors for the New York State Council on the Arts.
In addition to his artistic pursuits, Johnson was also a lifelong activist. He marched with Martin Luther King in 1963 and advocated for equal employment opportunities in several Rochester area companies including Kodak and Xerox. Johnson also worked as a substance abuse counselor for 25 years before retiring in 2006. Robert “bobby” Johnson passed on November 19, 2022.
