Kermit Holden - that was Pete Johnson’s real civil full name - was born in Kansas City, Missouri on March 24, 1904. While he was still very young his father left the family. Because his mother's living accommodation was very poor she had to go out to work being gone long hours every day. So his mother thought him better placed in an orphanage where he spent parts of his childhood. But as a result of his life situation he became very ill. Shortly after convalescence his mother released him from the orphanage’s 'care'. The boy started school late. At the age of twelve money worries forced him to drop out school and begin working. Variety of manual labor jobs followed including working with his uncle Louis 'Good Bootie' Johnson, who was a little known part time musician. By the way Pete took up drums and found himself playing for his uncle, who played ragtime piano himself. His uncle advised him to change to piano. Pete learnt quickly from the best ragtime pianists playing around in the local clubs and bars at that time. When in the 1920's and 1930's the depression had its upside, jazz was played everywhere in Kansas City and this meant many jobs for musicians. One of Pete’s first jobs on piano he did with his own group at a speakeasy. Here he first met blues singer and barman Joe Turner with whom he created a legendary duo. In the late 1920's the two crossed paths again at the 'Hawaiian Gardens'. In the early 1930's Johnson began a long residency at the famous 'Sunset Crystal Palace', mostly accompanying Joe Turner or Henry Lawson who did the vocals. From the club Johnson also featured on radio broadcasts.

The jazz promoter and producer John Hammond heard one of their radio broadcasts and 1936 he got Johnson and Turner to play at Apollo Theatre, New York. But their trip wasn't successful because it was summer, the off-season and the management didn’t allow them to play and sing blues. Rather disillusioned the two musicians returned to Kansas City. John Hammond refused to give up on them and invited the two back to New York for his first Carnegie Hall concert 'From Spirituals To Swing' on December 23, 1938. Their appearance alongside the two Chicago pianists Albert Ammons and Meade 'Lux' Lewis was an instant success and sparked an unbelievable boogie-woogie craze. Together with Joe Turner the three pianists were immediately hired by several New York clubs especially by Barney Josephson’s Café Society where they appeared as 'Boogie Woogie Boys' or 'Boogie Woogie Trio' before enthusiastic audiences. At that time a very successful and long-term residency at 'Café Society' with Albert Ammons until the 1940s began - in contrast to Lewis and 'Big' Joe Turner who left the club earlier.

The enormous popularity of boogie piano after the first Carnegie Hall concert resulted in numerous radio broadcasts (like shows in Hotel Sherman’s Panther Room in Chicago), touring opportunities and many recordings he did with 'Big' Joe Turner (Roll ‘Em Pete, Cherry Red, Baby Look At You), Harry James (Boo Woo) or in solo work (Death Ray Boogie, Boogie Woogie, Holler Stomp, Blues On The Downbeat).
To describe Johnson’s incredible talent the terms virtuoso and genius appear correct. He was a technical virtuosic and accomplished player in many other styles like playing highly effective stride such as his idol Fats Waller.

In 1941 very notable recordings (Boogie Woogie Man, Barrel House Boogie, Cuttin’ The Boogie, Foot Pedal Boogie, Sixth Avenue Express, …) with Albert Ammons followed. In the same year he played himself in the movie Boogie-Woogie Dream with Lena Horne, Albert Ammons and Teddy Wilson and his Orchestra:

with Albert Ammons (left)

1958 his run of bad luck seamed stopped for a while when he had the opportunity to join Norman Granz' 'Jazz At The Philharmonic' (JATP) for a tour. Among other entertainers his old friend 'Big' Joe Turner took off with Johnson for Europe with JATP. They played in many European metropolises like Amsterdam, Brussels, Milan, Rome, Paris, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Gothenburg and Zurich. He recognized that in difference to the States where the publicity was nil, in Europe there was always a capacity audience. Pete realized he had so many fans in Europe. Right after Johnson left Europe to play the 'Newport Jazz Festival' where he accompanied 'Big' Joe Turner in Shake Rattle And Roll. There he played for Chuck Berry too.
But in the same year bad luck returned when he became ill with a heart condition and diabetes followed by a stroke that left him paralyzed without coordination. He still hoped to regain but the following years were spend in relative obscurity. It wasn't until January 1967 when he appeared at John Hammond’s concert 'Spirituals to Swing' where he played a right-handed version of Roll ‘Em Pete accompanied by his old friend 'Big' Joe Turner ... Two month later he died one day before his 63rd birthday in Buffalo, New York on March 23, 1967.