Johnson, Arnold

Arnold Johnson Bandleader, pianist, and composer Chicago, Illinois, March 23, 1893; St. Petersburg Florida, July 15, 1975. Johnson was a pop-jazz bandleader active from the late 1920s through the 1940s, who composed several popular hits, including “Oh” and “Does Your Heart Beat for Me?” Johnson began his career in Chicago, where he worked as a pianist in local restaurants and clubs, and also studied at the Chicago Music College. His first band job was with saxophonist Rudy Wiedoft. In 1919, he…