Johnny Lytle

Background

Johnny Lytle grew up in Springfield, Ohio, in a musical family—his father Robert B. Lytle was a trumpeter, his mother Margaret Ann Stripling an organist, and he was the third of nine children. He began playing drums and piano early, but before studying music seriously, he was a successful Golden Gloves boxer. In the late 1950s, he boxed while working as a drummer for Ray Charles, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Gene Ammons, then switched to vibraphone and toured with saxophonist Hiram 'Boots' Johnson from 1955 to 1957. He formed his first group in 1957 with saxophonist Boots Johnson, organist Milton Harris, and drummer William 'Peppy' Hinnant, and impressed producer Orrin Keepnews, who signed him to Jazzland in 1960.

Lytle was called 'the greatest vibes player in the world' by Lionel Hampton. He wrote many of his own hits, including 'The Loop', 'The Man', 'Selim', 'Lela', and the jazz classic 'The Village Caller'.

He recorded more than 30 albums and performed with Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Miles Davis, Nancy Wilson, Bobby Timmons, and Roy Ayers. He admired Miles Davis so much that he wrote 'Selim' (Miles spelled backward) in his honor. He also featured his son Marcel Lytle as a vocalist and drummer on several recordings.

Early success came with chart-topping albums like 'The Soulful Vibes of Johnny Lytle', 'Moon Child', and 'The Loop'. Known as 'Fast Hands', he kept audiences engaged with swinging uptempo tracks and soul-satisfying ballads. His gregarious personality made him a popular attraction on the jazz circuit.

Though he did not experience the same success as in the 1960s, he continued recording into the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. He died of kidney failure in December 1995, survived by his wife Barbara Jean Lytle, sons Marcel Anthony and Michael-Lamont, and daughter Ayo Michelle Hagans. The street where he lived in Springfield was renamed Johnny Lytle Avenue.