Legendary funk-rock drummer, guitarist, and producer Jellybean Johnson has died at 69. Known widely for his role in The Time, and as a key architect of the sound that came to be known as the “Minneapolis Sound,” Johnson passed away Friday evening, November 21, 2025 — just days after celebrating his birthday.
Born Garry George Johnson in Chicago (1956), he moved to north Minneapolis as a teen and taught himself drums and guitar. As a founding member of The Time — originally the group Flyte Tyme — he helped launch the unique blend of funk, rock and soul that became the signature of the Minneapolis music scene.
On record and on stage, his influence resonated far beyond local clubs. Johnson contributed to landmark albums such as What Time Is It? (1982) and Ice Cream Castle (1984), and appeared — drums or guitar in hand — in the film Purple Rain.
Beyond performing, Johnson built a legacy as a songwriter and producer — co-producing major hits for artists like Janet Jackson (including the 1990 rock-inflected single Black Cat), and working with R&B and pop stars such as Alexander O’Neal and Mint Condition.
In recent years, Johnson co-founded the Minneapolis Sound Museum — a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the region’s musical legacy and honoring the many artists who helped shape its distinctive groove.
Legacy & Life Beyond the Spotlight
- Johnson was known for his generosity to younger musicians. He often showed up at neighborhood clubs, mentored up-and-comers and supported local talent — treating every gig as important, whether it was for three people or thirty-thousand. y style, and the deep love he had for music, community, and Minneapolis itself.
On His Passing — What We Know Now
- Johnson died November 21, 2025, at age 69. Reporters say he collapsed at his Brooklyn Park home and passed later at North Memorial Health Hospital.
- As of now, no public funeral or memorial service has been announced. According to reports, “memorial arrangements are pending.”
Jellybean Johnson wasn’t just a musician — he was a foundational voice in a sound that defined a city, a movement that blended funk, rock, soul, and R&B in a way only Minneapolis could. His fingerprints remain on countless songs, albums, and memories of live music, and his influence will reverberate through every guitarist who picks up a six-string, every drummer setting a groove, and every fan who remembers dancing in a sweaty club or watching Purple Rain.
He leaves behind family, friends, and a legion of musicians who looked to him as both inspiration and mentor. Though the public doesn’t yet know when or where the memorial will take place — it’s clear: the city is quieter, but its heartbeat still echoes with his rhythm.