James "Osie" Johnson (January 11, 1923 in Washington, D.C. – February 10, 1966 in New York City) was a jazz drummer, arranger and singer.
He first worked with Sabby Lewis and then, after service in the United States Navy freelanced for a time in Chicago . From 1951 to 1953 he worked in Earl Hines 's band.
He can be heard on albums by Paul Gonsalves , Zoot Sims , and Mose Allison . He recorded the album A Bit of the Blues as a singer and had arranged at a "hit" for singer Dinah Washington . His final recordings as a singer were on a J. J. Johnson album, now compiled as a collection called Goodies
Osie died of kidney failure in 1966, at the age of 43.
In 1957, Johson appeared with Thelonious Monk and Ahmed Abdul-Malik on The Sound of Jazz .
1955: Johnson's Whacks 1955: Osie's Oasis with Henry Coker , Charlie Fowlkes, Milt Hinton, Bill Hughes , Thad Jones , Dick Katz , Wendell Marshall , Frank Wess , Ernie Wilkins 1955: Swingin' Sounds 1957: The Happy Jazz of Osie Johnson (Bethlehem) With Manny Albam
The Drum Suite Ernie Wilkins With Mose Allison
I Don't Worry About a Thing
With Bob Brookmeyer
Brookmeyer Jazz Concerto Grosso Gerry Mulligan and Phil SunkelThe Street Swingers Jim Hall and Jimmy Raney Kansas City Revisited With Ray Bryant
Ray Bryant Trio
With Kenny Burrell
Bluesin' Around With Jimmy Cleveland
Introducing Jimmy Cleveland and His All Stars Rhythm Crazy With Arnett Cobb
Smooth Sailing (Prestige , 1959)With Al Cohn
Mr. Music The Natural Seven That Old Feeling Four Brass One Tenor From A to...Z Zoot Sims The Sax Section Cohn on the Saxophone With Freddy Cole
Waiter, Ask the Man to Play the Blues
With Art Farmer
Last Night When We Were Young With Curtis Fuller
Cabin in the Sky With Bennie Green
Bennie Green Blows His HornWith Freddie Green
Mr. Rhythm With Tiny Grimes
Callin' the Blues
With Gigi Gryce
Gigi Gryce With Lionel Hampton
You Better Know It!!! (Impulse!, 1965)With Johnny Hartman
The Voice That Is! (Impulse!, 1964)With Coleman Hawkins Accent on Tenor Sax (Urania, 1955)The Hawk in Hi Fi (RCA Victor, 1956)The Hawk in Paris (Vik, 1956)Soul Hawk Eyes Coleman Hawkins All Stars Joe Thomas and Vic Dickenson At Ease with Coleman Hawkins Coleman Hawkins and His Orchestra (Crown, 1960)The Hawk Swings (Crown, 1960)With Johnny Hodges
Sandy's Gone Blue Rabbit Con-Soul & Sax (RCA Victor, 1965) with Wild Bill Davis With Langston Hughes
Weary Blues
With Illinois Jacquet
The Kid and the Brute Ben Webster With Budd Johnson French Cookin' (Argo, 1963)With J. J. Johnson
Goodies (RCA, 1965)With Hank Jones
The Talented Touch This Is Ragtime Now! (ABC-Paramount, 1964)With Quincy Jones
The Birth of a Band! (Mercury, 1959)Quincy Jones Explores the Music of Henry ManciniWith Mundell Lowe
Porgy & Bess (RCA Camden, 1958)
With Junior Mance
The Soul of Hollywood With Gary McFarland
The Jazz Version of "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying" (Verve, 1962)With Howard McGhee
Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries Music from the Connection (Felsted, 1960)With Carmen McRae
Carmen McRae With Helen Merrill
The Artistry of Helen Merrill (Mainstream, 1965)
With Phineas Newborn, Jr.
Phineas Newborn, Jr. Plays Harold Arlen's Music from Jamaica (RCA Victor, 1957)With Joe Newman
New Sounds in Swing Billy Byers I Feel Like a Newman The Midgets Locking Horns With Oscar Pettiford
Basically Duke (Bethlehem, 1954)Another One The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi-Fi (ABC-Paramount, 1956)With Bud Powell
Blues for Bud (Columbia, 1958)With Jimmy Raney
Jimmy Raney featuring Bob Brookmeyer Bob Brookmeyer Two Jims and Zoot Jim Hall and Zoot SimsWith Pee Wee Russell Swingin' with Pee Wee (Swingville, 1960) with Buck Clayton
With A. K. Salim
Stable Mates With Shirley Scott
Great Scott!! (Impulse!, 1964)With Zoot Sims
Zoot! (Riverside, 1956)With Sonny Stitt
Broadway Soul With Sylvia Syms
Sylvia Is! (Prestige, 1965)With Buddy Tate Tate's Date (Swingville, 1960)
With Billy Taylor
Kwamina With Ben Webster
See You at the Fair With Frank Wess
Southern Comfort With Kai Winding
Dance to the City Beat With Phil Woods
Rights of Swing 
