Gary Johnson, nee Jellybean Johnson, passed away on Friday November 21. The musician, producer, and member of The Time, was 69 years old.
I knew Garry Johnson before he became “Jellybean,” the drummer for The Time and founder of the Minneapolis Sound Museum. We went to high school together at Marshall-University High in Minneapolis, a couple of blocks from the University of Minnesota campus.
We were teammates on the varsity basketball team, and I knew Gary much better as a player than as a musician. I played center while Garry was a forward. We had two forwards with the same name: Gary Johnson was white, and Garry Johnson was Black. Newspapers often confused the two and frequently misreported their stats. Garry was a strong rebounder with an off-center release that always amazed me when it went in — and it often did. Garry was not only reliable but also fun to be around, making him an excellent teammate.
I never saw Garry, whom we nicknamed Buddy Miles after a poular drummer of that era, play live. He was always carrying drumsticks, which he would use on any surfaces. He would also air drum, creating a beat to a song only he could hear. While the rest of us constantly shifted interests, music was like oxygen to Garry; it was his life.
I had the opportunity to write something about the Minneapolis Sound and two of its stewards, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. I got at least part of my research right by including the importance of The Way Community Center. Garry recently attributed the success of several Minneapolis musicians to The Way.
“I’ve been blessed to live a life shaped by music, community, and the love of people who believed in me long before the world knew my name," he said. "When I look back, I don’t first think about the big stages or awards — I think about places like The Way, where we found our sound and our strength together.”
Buddy was working to establish the Minneapolis Sound Museum. It aims to be the first dedicated space in Minneapolis to celebrate and preserve the legacy of the Minneapolis Sound — the funk, R&B, and rock style pioneered by Prince, The Time, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and others.
Plans include not only a museum but also a recording studio, event space, and retail shop at a permanent location in Minneapolis. The organization is actively raising funds and hosting community events to support construction and programming. In June 2025, the Tales from the Northside fundraiser at the Capri Theater featured oral histories, live performances, and art sales to benefit the museum. On his 69th birthday, November 19, 2025, he issued an appeal on Facebook for contributions toward the museum.
I got in rather late Friday night, and when I checked my computer, I saw several notices that Garry had passed away. There were an equal number of posts and comments saying that the news was fake. I awoke this morning and confirmed Garry had indeed moved on to the next plane.
We’ve only spoken and exchanged messages a few times since I left Minneapolis in the mid-1970s. I always imagined a time would come when we’d hang out and talk about old times. I watched his success as a musician and producer. When I knew him, I never knew he’d spent his first years in Chicago or that he played the guitar. I did know that infectious smile and memorable laugh. Buddy brought joy to his music and the people around him.
Rest in power.