David Earle Johnson (April 10, 1938 - December 22, 1998) was a percussionist, composer and music producer. The son of Earle H. Johnson and Lottie Ruth Troutman Johnson of Florence, SC.
He appeared on Billy Cobhams’ Total Eclipse and Voyage to Uranus (1974) by Clive Stevens; Jan Hammers’ First Seven Days (1975); Lenny Whites’ Big City and Miroslav Vitouš' Majesty Music (1977); Jaroslav Jakubovics’ Checkin' In, Mark Moogy Klingmans’ Moogy II, the Players Associations’ Born to Dance, and Josh White Jr’s self-titled album (1978).
Johnson's solo debut came in 1978 with Time Is Free, recorded for Vanguard Records. His relationship with that label proved short-lived, however, and he began recording albums for other labels in subsequent years before his recording career slowed following his 1983 album, The Midweek Blues.
Jan Hammer produced and performed on most of these releases along with John Abercrombie, Jeremy Steig, Col. Bruce Hampton, Allen Sloan, Dan Wall, Billy McPherson (under the pseudonym Ben 'Pops' Thornton), and Gary Campbell.
Johnson was against the use of sampling, as Hammer used samples of his rare Nigerian Log Drums on the Miami Vice soundtrack without his permission. This resulted in a lawsuit, which Johnson ultimately lost.
He was married to French artist Evelyne Morisot, with whom he had four children. He died from cancer in 1998.