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James "Super Chikan" Johnson

b February 16, 1951 Darling, MS

Picked up the nickname "CHIKAN" because he talked to chickens at an early age. Super Chikan transferred those chicken sounds to his first musical homemade instrument, the 'diddly bow'. Not enough sounds from the one string bow, so James made a four string diddly. Now we're talkin' baby. Like many poor youngsters in the South, James hit the cotton fields around the age of eight to help keep the family going. Not until the early 1960's did he buy his first real guitar from a second hand store in Clarksdale, MS. Through the years while working at a number of jobs, James wrote his own music and played with Clarksdale residents, Sam Carr, Wesly Jefferson, and Jackie Brenston. From this background James developed his own unique style. Attending one of his "shows", you will see The Chikan Strut, The Chikan Shake, and hear that Chikan crow! You will have experienced his infectious smile and personality in addition to his musical ability. In addition to playing the guitar, he also plays bass, harmonica, and piano. In his spare time, he even produces original artwork and makes his own stylized guitars using gasoline cans and other assorted unconventional bits and pieces. He appeared in an April-1999 National Geographic story concerning "The Blues Highway" and he has toured Japan as a representative for the State of Mississippi and was the recipient of the Mississippi Governor's Award for Excellence in Arts in 2004. Music must run in the family as Super Chikan is a nephew of Big Jack Johnson.