Jellybean Johnson was a producer for beloved artists like Janet Jackson. Johnson, whose real name was Garry George Johnson, was also a drummer for Prince's band, The Time.
He is dead at the age of 69, TMZ reported on November 22, but how he died is not clear. The cause of death remains a mystery. Johnson had just celebrated a birthday, and he wrote a lengthy, and now somewhat haunting, statement on social media for it.
According to TMZ, Johnson "died suddenly" on the evening of November 21.
Sheila E. was among the artists mourning Johnson's death. "With a heavy heart💔💔💔 my dear friend Jellybean passed away a couple of hours ago," she wrote on Facebook.
"We are devastated by this news. 💔💔💔 I’m praying for his family and all the kids. He was a kind human being extremely talented and funny. Yesterday was your birthday, I forgot to call you and I’m so sorry. 😢 I love u bean 🙏🏽🙏🏽💔🌹 rest in peace and power.
On November 19, Johnson wrote a lengthy statement on his Facebook page.
"Today, I turn 69 years old, and as I sit with that, my heart is full. My name is Jellybean Johnson, and 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 wrote.
"When I look back, I don't first think about the big stages or awards — I think about The Way. I think about that little community center on the North Side of Minneapolis where a bunch of young kids picked up instruments and discovered who we were meant to be," he added.
"I think about the friends who became brothers. I think about the hours spent practicing, learning, dreaming — building something we didn't yet have words for. We didn't know it then, but we were creating history."