Johnson & Drake

Our Story

Long before Prince, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and Morris Day put the Minnesota music scene on the map, Johnson & Drake were among the many bands working hard to get heard in the frozen, forgotten north.

They toured nationally for years as either the opening or the headlining act. They performed with, among others, Earth, Wind and Fire, REO Speedwagon, Linda Ronstadt, Ray Stevens, John Hartford, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, The Grass Roots, Bonnie Raitt, and Jim Croce.

In 1973, Johnson & Drake embarked on a six-month tour with Jim Croce, whose career was at its peak with hits like "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and "Time in a Bottle." In September of that year, due to a freak last minute change of plans, Guy and Tom flew briefly back to Minneapolis and left the Jim Croce tour for two days to re-shoot the cover of their LP, "Carry It On." On the second night, September 20, 1973, Croce's plane crashed, killing everyone on board, including close friend and Johnson & Drake road manager, Kenny Cortese, and the opening act performer who had replaced them on the tour, comedian George Stevens.

The Johnson and Drake Band reeled from the tragedy, and both recording artists went their separate ways, moving to different parts of the country. For the next two decades, Drake performed and wrote as part of church retreats, choirs, and Sunday services, and stayed far out of the limelight. A series of debilitating surgeries in the late eighties and early nineties, including four reconstructive surgeries to his right and left hands, resulted in an extended period from when he was unable to play the guitar without experiencing days of pain afterwards. Tom Johnson continued writing music and made a career in digital music software. For a brief time in the mid 1980's both artists landed back in Minneapolis and wrote and recorded their eponymous album, "Johnson & Drake."

In the years since, Johnson and Drake have continued to write and record songs together while pursuing careers in digital music and adult education, building a catalogue of over 100 songs which have never been released. They have just released a new album in December 2025, "We Loved Our Freedom," and are planning to release several more albums on the coming months.

In addition, they completely restored three of their albums from the 70's and 80's, "Carry It On," (1973) "Migration," (1975) and "Johnson & Drake." (1985) In addition to the new music that will be coming out in the next months, two more album restorations are in the works, "Set List" from a live 1971 studio performance with the Johnson & Drake Band, and "At the Piano," a collection of songs written and performed with only Tom's piano accompaniment.

Stay tuned as Johnson & Drake release more and more new recordings soon!