Johnny Drummer’s seering soul music

What: Bluesman Johnny Drummer
When: Thursday, March 8, 9 p.m.
Where: The Fountain Lounge, 816 W. 30th St., 21+, 317-283-1607
Tickets: $5
Info: www.johnnydrummer.com

His stage name is Johnny Drummer, but don’t be surprised if he doesn’t get behind the drum kit when he comes to town. Drummer is also known as a singer, a keyboardist and a harmonica player. He mixes blues and soul, and he’ll bring all of this from the South Side of Chicago to the Fountain Lounge on Thursday, March 8.

Thessex Johns grew up in Alligator, Miss., and sang in his church choir. He played piano at age 12 and played drums while in the Army. When he got out of the Army, he became a professional musician at age 21 and found a professional name.

“There was this movie called Johnny Guitar with Sterling Hayden and Joan Crawford. I thought, ‘What a cool name.’ So, I became Johnny Drummer,” he says. “My friends all called me Johnny, and nobody could say my first name right anyway. I thought it was cool, but you better be good.”

Drummer’s first job came during a Lovie Lee (Chicago piano player) concert. You read right. During.

“His drummer walked out during the set, and Lovie Lee asked if there was a drummer in the house,” he says.

Drummer will occasionally get behind a drum kit, but he concentrates on his singing, keyboards and harmonica.

“I figured there aren’t a whole lot of 75-year-old drummers out there, so I was thinking about my career. [Though Drummer actually only turned 69 last week.] The harmonica has a funny story,” he says. “In 1965, Junior Wells gave me a harmonica to play and told me to start learning it. I tried it once, thought nothing of it and gave it to my son. In 1974, Junior handed me another harmonica, called me a dirty name and showed me a few licks. I started playing it as a gimmick, but it isn’t a gimmick no more.”

With a family to worry about, Drummer had regular day jobs with the Chicago Board of Education and the Chicago Police Department, playing music at nights and on weekends.

“I played four [or] five nights a week, even when I did have my job,” he says. “I’ve been playing since 1960, and I’ve only had one New Year’s Eve off.”

Drummer retired in 1994 to concentrate full-time on music. He’s recorded three albums for the Chicago-based Earwig label (It’s So Nice, Unleaded Blues and the recently released Rockin’ The Juke Joint). Drummer has also had a regular weekend gig at Lee’s Unleaded Blues on Chicago’s South Side for over a dozen years.

His combination of blues and soul will bring flashbacks to the days when music lovers dressed to the nines to go out and shake off the workweek.

“I’m just having fun with it. It’s keeping me moving,” he says. “I think I’ll be playing for the next 40 years, if someone can put a microphone in front of me. That’s better than fighting over Geritol.”

Matthew Socey is host of The Blues House Party, Saturday nights at 10 p.m. on WFYI 90.1 FM