AN AMERICAN MUSICIAN
John Rosamond Johnson was a descendant of a prominent black Bahamian family which originated among Haitians fleeing the 1790s revolutionary wars. His mother taught school in the colored schools of Jacksonville FL, while his father was headwaiter at a resort hotel; Rosamond and his brother learned English literature, Spanish, and classical music.
He graduated from New England Conservatory, studied in London, and briefly taught in Jacksonville. He set to music the words of his older brother (poet James Weldon Johnson); “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” was first performed in 1900 by a choir of 500 in their hometown of Jacksonville.
The brothers moved to NYC and joined established “coon-song” writer Bob Cole as a serious songwriting team. The trio published popular sheet-music (including ‘Under the Bamboo Tree’ - sung by Judy Garland nearly a half century later), wrote several musicals for white vaudeville troupes, and produced two very popular Broadway operettas for black casts. Rosamond had on-stage roles in these latter shows; his character as the love interest with an Indian maid was awarded public honors by the Iroquois of Montreal.
The brothers and Cole were founding members of "The Frogs" organization of professional African-American musicians, along with vaudevillians George Walker and Bert williams, and compser James Reese Europe. They were all active in the NAACP, as well.
After Cole retired, Johnson wrote the 1911 Broadway musical “Hello Paris” with William le Baron and J. Leubrie Hill, and did a vaudeville tour with his own jazz band ("The Inimitable Five"). He then worked in London for several years as a composer, and later as musical director for the British stage.
Back in the USA, he led several touring bands, was director of the New York Music School Settlement for Colored, and was Deputy Marshal for 1917’s Negro Silent Protest Parade. He worked in Hollywood, and sang baritone in the original stage production of Gershwin's “Porgy and Bess.”
Rosamond also joined his brother collecting and editing several important compilations of African-American traditional songs. His harmonizations of these traditional poems preserve their original melodies and rhythmic character
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https://youtu.be/oWXuOtUjUXI