James Earl Thompson(born November 25, 1928), known professionally as Jimmy Johnson, is an American blues guitarist and singer. 　　Johnson was born in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Several of his brothers had careers in music, among them the soul musician Syl Johnson and the bassist Mack Thompson, who played with Magic Sam. In his younger years he played piano and sang in gospel groups. He and his family moved to Chicago in 1950, where he worked as a welder and played guitar in his spare time. He began playing professionally with Slim Willis in 1959, changing his last name to Johnson, as did his brother Syl. As a guitarist he was influenced by Buddy Guy and Otis Rush. He played with Freddy King, Albert King, Magic Sam, Otis Rush, and Eddy Clearwater, among others. 　　In the 1960s he played music in more of an R&B style, working with Otis Clay, Denise LaSalle, and Garland Green. He had his own group from the early 1960s, and by the mid-1960s he had released his first single. By 1974, Johnson had returned to playing blues, working with Jimmy Dawkins and touring Japan with Otis Rush in 1975.