{"id":5856,"date":"2025-11-22T16:05:40","date_gmt":"2025-11-22T16:05:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/jellybean-johnson-death\/"},"modified":"2025-11-22T16:05:40","modified_gmt":"2025-11-22T16:05:40","slug":"jellybean-johnson-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/jellybean-johnson-death\/","title":{"rendered":"Jellybean Johnson, Founding Drummer of The Time, Dies at 69"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<p><strong>Lead:<\/strong> Garry &#8220;Jellybean&#8221; Johnson, the drummer and founding member of Prince&#8217;s band The Time, died suddenly Friday night, Nov. 22, 2025, his family told TMZ. He was 69 and had just celebrated his birthday earlier that week. Johnson was a central figure in the Minneapolis Sound and a longtime local advocate who helped found the Minneapolis Sound Museum. His death was announced by family to entertainment media; no official cause has been released.<\/p>\n<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Death reported: Family informed TMZ that Jellybean Johnson died suddenly on Friday night, Nov. 22, 2025; he was 69 years old.<\/li>\n<li>Career role: Johnson was the original and enduring drummer for The Time (later billed as Morris Day and the Time and the Original 7ven).<\/li>\n<li>Minneapolis Sound: He is widely credited as a leading innovator of the Minneapolis Sound, a funk\/rock\/soul hybrid from the 1970s\u20131980s.<\/li>\n<li>Other credits: Johnson performed with Prince-formed group The Family and appeared in the 1984 film Purple Rain; TMZ also notes he helped produce Janet Jackson&#8217;s No. 1 single &#8220;Black Cat&#8221; in 1990.<\/li>\n<li>Museum work: He co-founded the Minneapolis Sound Museum with his wife and daughter to preserve the region&#8217;s musical legacy.<\/li>\n<li>Public response: Fellow musicians and close collaborators, including Susannah Melvoin, posted tributes; the family emphasized his devotion to family and Minneapolis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Background<\/h2>\n<p>The Minneapolis Sound emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a distinct regional fusion of funk, rock and soul. Prince is the best-known exponent of that movement, but a network of musicians and bands \u2014 including The Time \u2014 built a wider scene shaped by tight grooves, prominent synths and guitar-driven funk. Jellybean Johnson was a founding member of The Time and became known for a style that bridged live drumming and studio production techniques associated with that era.<\/p>\n<p>The Time was assembled and closely associated with Prince in the early 1980s and rose to prominence through records and high-profile film appearances, most famously Purple Rain (1984). Separate projects such as The Family and later configurations of The Time extended the group&#8217;s footprint. Over decades, Johnson worked as a performer, session player and producer, contributing to recordings and live shows while remaining tied to Minneapolis cultural institutions.<\/p>\n<h2>Main Event<\/h2>\n<p>The family told TMZ that Johnson died suddenly on the night of Nov. 22, 2025; the report says he had just turned 69 earlier in the week. TMZ published the family&#8217;s account and noted his central role in several acts linked to Prince. At the time of the announcement, no official public statement from a hospital or coroner had been released and the family did not provide a cause of death in the initial report.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson&#8217;s credits cited in the report include his long tenure as The Time&#8217;s drummer, membership in The Family, a onscreen presence in Purple Rain (1984), and production work tied to Janet Jackson&#8217;s 1990 No. 1 single &#8220;Black Cat.&#8221; The family also highlighted his civic work: he helped found the Minneapolis Sound Museum with his wife and daughter to preserve and interpret the genre he helped shape.<\/p>\n<p>Immediate responses came from peers and those connected to the Minneapolis scene. Susannah Melvoin posted a tribute remembering Johnson&#8217;s musicianship and closeness to collaborators; the family emphasized his love for relatives, friends and the city of Minneapolis. Details about memorial services or public commemorations were not included in the initial report.<\/p>\n<h2>Analysis &#038; Implications<\/h2>\n<p>Johnson&#8217;s death marks the loss of one of the core practitioners who translated the studio innovations of Prince and others into live, band-centered performance. As both a drummer and a guitarist, he helped give shape to a regional sound that later influenced mainstream pop, R&amp;B and indie acts. Removing a figure of his stature from the local ecosystem will likely prompt retrospectives and renewed attention to Minneapolis&#8217;s 1970s\u201390s music output.<\/p>\n<p>Institutionally, the Minneapolis Sound Museum \u2014 an advocacy and preservation effort Johnson co-founded \u2014 may see increased visitation and fundraising interest as fans and scholars seek to document and revisit the movement. The museum&#8217;s role in archiving recordings, oral histories and artifacts could become central to how the Minneapolis Sound is curated for future generations.<\/p>\n<p>On the catalog and rights side, producers, record labels and estates often respond to such losses with reissues, archival releases or tribute compilations. Johnson&#8217;s association with notable recordings (including production credits cited by TMZ) suggests potential curatorial projects, but those require clear rights arrangements and cooperation from surviving collaborators and labels.<\/p>\n<h2>Comparison &#038; Data<\/h2>\n<figure>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Year\/Item<\/th>\n<th>Notable Detail<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>1984<\/td>\n<td>Appeared in the film Purple Rain (fictionalized version of himself)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>1990<\/td>\n<td>Credited with production work on Janet Jackson&#8217;s No. 1 single &#8220;Black Cat&#8221; (per TMZ)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2025<\/td>\n<td>Died suddenly on Nov. 22; age 69<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The table above compiles career highlights noted in contemporary reports. These anchor points show Johnson&#8217;s cross-decade influence\u2014from film appearances to high-charting production credits\u2014and place his death in the context of an active, multi-decade career tied to a recognizable regional sound.<\/p>\n<h2>Reactions &#038; Quotes<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;He loved his family, his friends, and the city of Minneapolis.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Family (via TMZ)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Context: The family framed Johnson&#8217;s identity around music and local ties when informing TMZ of his passing.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Oxygen for him was the inhale and exhale of playing his guitar.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Susannah Melvoin (Instagram)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Context: Melvoin, who worked within the same Prince-associated circles, emphasized Johnson&#8217;s restlessness for performance and musicianship in her public remembrance.<\/p>\n<h2>\n<aside>\n<details>\n<summary>Explainer: The Minneapolis Sound &#038; The Time<\/summary>\n<p>The Minneapolis Sound refers to a stylistic cluster that blended funk, rock, pop and R&amp;B, often featuring tight drum patterns, prominent synth lines and guitar-driven arrangements. The Time was formed as part of Prince&#8217;s extended musical universe and became a separate performing act that helped popularize that hybrid style. Members of that scene frequently moved between bands and studio projects; production credits and cameo film appearances were common ways musicians extended their influence. The Minneapolis Sound Museum aims to collect recordings, interviews and artifacts to contextualize the scene for scholars and the public.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<\/h2>\n<h2>Unconfirmed<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>No official cause of death has been released by medical authorities or a coroner; the family&#8217;s report to TMZ did not include cause of death.<\/li>\n<li>Details about funeral arrangements, public memorials or tribute concerts have not been disclosed at the time of the initial report.<\/li>\n<li>Some production credits and session details cited in public tributes remain to be independently verified through record-keeping sources or label documentation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Bottom Line<\/h2>\n<p>Jellybean Johnson&#8217;s sudden death removes a direct, active link to the Minneapolis Sound&#8217;s formative years. As a founding drummer of The Time and a multi-instrumentalist with production credits, his career bridged live performance, studio work and local cultural preservation. The immediate aftermath will likely include tributes, archival interest and, potentially, projects that reframe or reissue material connected to his career.<\/p>\n<p>For Minneapolis and for fans of the era, the practical next steps are clear: families and institutions will decide how to commemorate him, and archives such as the Minneapolis Sound Museum may become focal points for preservation. Journalists and scholars should await official notices for cause and logistics while continuing to document Johnson&#8217;s recorded legacy and contributions to the scene.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tmz.com\/2025\/11\/22\/musician-jellybean-johnson-dead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TMZ<\/a> (Entertainment news report; family statement and career summary)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lead: Garry &#8220;Jellybean&#8221; Johnson, the drummer and founding member of Prince&#8217;s band The Time, died suddenly Friday night, Nov. 22, 2025, his family told TMZ. He was 69 and had just celebrated his birthday earlier that week. Johnson was a central figure in the Minneapolis Sound and a longtime local advocate who helped found the &#8230; <a title=\"Jellybean Johnson, Founding Drummer of The Time, Dies at 69\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/jellybean-johnson-death\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Jellybean Johnson, Founding Drummer of The Time, Dies at 69\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5854,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Jellybean Johnson Dies at 69 \u2014 Legacy of The Time | SoundBeat","rank_math_description":"Garry \"Jellybean\" Johnson, founding drummer of Prince's The Time and a pioneer of the Minneapolis Sound, died Nov. 22, 2025 at 69. Family confirmed his sudden passing; no cause released.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Jellybean Johnson,The Time,Minneapolis Sound,Black Cat,Purple Rain","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5856"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5856\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}