Page 26 - BiTS_05_MAY_2022

BIG LLOU JOHNSON – LARGER THAN LIFE TALENT

Everything about Big Llou Johnson is, well, BIG! I‘ve stood next
to him, and while I am a petite 5-foot 3½ inches tall, Big Llou just
towered over me! Then there’s LLou’s deep, dreamy speaking
voice which is like this enormous pot of honey one just wants to
fall right into and lap up every sweet, sugary drop!

Big Llou has lived and does live his life larger than life and at
the top! He ran a successful Chicago talent agency, he’s a
successful voice over actor with dozens of Hollywood film
and TV credits, he’s the long-time host on SIRIUS XM’s BB Kings
Bluesville, he’s a first-call emcee for
blues festivals, and he’s released his
second CD as a blues artist and producer,
following up his 2013 debut release that
won him the “New Artists of The Year”
award that year at the BMA’s. The man
keeps reachin’ for the stars and he’s just
tall enough to grab onto them!

Bigman, recorded at Jookbox Studio in
Memphis and GoldenVoice Audio in Los
Angeles in partnership with Keith
Stewart, is Classic Blues with vocal
influence from the time Big Llou spent
singing in a four-piece gospel group that
was performing as part of the Oak Park
Concert Chorale. The album covers a
variety of classic and soul-blues feels and
includes contributions from a bevy of
well-known blues musicians. Big Llou’s
rich baritone croons confidently
throughout, and he sometime stylistically
speaks the story as on “Lightnin’ Strike”,
the opening track. If you loved Big Llou’s
debut release They Call Me Big Llou, you
will be delighted with Bigman.

I asked Big Llou Johnson about his life
and his many careers. This is what he
told me…

LL: Would you please tell us about growing up in Chicago and about your family?

BLJ: I was born in the wagon of a travelling show! NO, ... not really but that was one of my
favorites tunes growing up on the west side of Chicago. Definitely a child of the 60’s, Motown,
naturals, platform shoes, juke joints and every kinda music you could think of was at your
disposal just for the asking. We lived on the 2nd floor front of a six flat apartment building. It
was directly across the street from the grammar school that me and my siblings attended,