Michigan Artists Magazine

If you did not know Johnny Bee as a great drummer, he is also an Artist of visual Art.  Johnny Bee has a long history (over 63 years) as a highly acclaimed drummer, writer and band member with some legendary acts. Like his musical exploits, Johnny Bee's visual art works have a flair for the dramatic and striking, often featuring bold colors, textures, and forms. Johnny Bee's exceptional artistic talents have been showcased in numerous galleries, with his captivating paintings finding homes in private collections and adorning public spaces. While his musical prowess is undeniable, Johnny Bee's artistic endeavors deserve equal recognition, as they reveal another facet of his multifaceted creative genius. 

What drives your Art?

Inspiration comes from many different sources. It could be dreams or seeing something that awakenings your senses, patterns in a carpet. Making art is like trying to sneaking up on magic.  I may start out a painting and halfway through, it can change into something else. A painting will tell you where you are going. And sometimes that this is terrible, What was I thinking. And you have to start on white out a potion of the canvas, and paint over what you did.

What made you pick up a paint brush and or pencil to make Art?

I was always drawing as a kid. Six or seven years old. I took a few art classes in grade school and through Jr. High and High School. I also had two musical classes. Band and Orchestra. I was just starting out to play drums.

 The teacher told my parents that I was gifted and that they should get me private lessons, which they did. I ended up playing in a wedding band at twelve years old. We make good money on the weekends. Our parents had to drive us to the hall and pick us up at one in the morning. I wasn't drawing much, more rehearsing and playing. And then I met Jim McCarty who was also a drummer playing in a wedding band and he was teaching himself how to play guitar. I played the drums, and he'd play guitar, and we made up songs. It was like an early version of the white stripes. Then I brought in Earl Elliott on the bass. We went down to The Village were all the black acts were playing and we met Bill Levise (later Mitch Ryder). He brought in his friend Joe Kubert on guitar. The first rehearsal was in my parents' house. We became pretty big locally. I wasn't doing any art. Producer Bob Crewe heard a tape we sent him, and he brought us to New York City. We were living and playing every night in Manhattan. Until we started having hit records and playing with many groups on the road. After many hits and getting married and having two kids. I may draw a little bit. This would be in the seventies. I was just playing and recording. In the late nineties. I was tired of all the bands and the fighting and closed the door and said, I'm going to become an artist. Not having any idea what really becoming, and artist meant. I was in for a rude awakening. I knew a lot of the artists in The Cass Corridor who were friends. I'm self-taught. I started painting and reading biographies and art magazines and just started painting. It was a rough go for a few years. I was still playing the drums and touring again, Europe and Asia, the U.S.A. I've been painting for almost twenty-five years, I've learned a lot, some days can be inspiring and some days your ready to chop your ear off. 

Did the drums influence your Art?

I paint more Abstracts than I do painting realism pieces. And I have a lot of rhythm in my brush. I'm know more as a scribblier. 

Do emotions drive your Art?

 I also play guitar and have written hundreds of songs. I'm still writing songs today as we speak. Two years ago, I released my own Record "Arc Of The Sweeping Sky" by Johnny Bee And The Murder Hornets on Funky "D" Records produced by Tino Martin Gross. And I have written many of The Rocket's songs on seven different major labels. Being an emotional person has much to do with all art. Songwriting and painting.

How long have you been making Art? 

 Art around 25 years. Drums close to 63 years.

What is the state of mind when you start to make a new Art piece? 

Insanity! It can be really nerve wracking. Women painters are intuitive, they just paint. Were the men had to drink for three months just to figure out what they were going to paint.

There's a much longer history, and a deeper connection to my grandmother, who was more of a folk artist. I believe I get my art from her. She was born in Hrastavica Yugoslavia, as was my mother. Enjoy. Bee

Link to Johnny Bee

Unique blend of blues, funk, and infectious melodies, establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the regional music scene. Comprised of Ryan Yoskovich on drums and vocals, Ryan Stafford on keys and saxophone, Will Richardson on guitar and vocals, and Danny Flynn on bass and vocals, the young and talented quartet has been steadily building a dedicated fan base through their magnetizing performances, chilling harmonies, and an exceptional style of jamming. 

Interview

 Detroit has such a rich musical history. How has the city influenced your music?

 We have been going to shows in Detroit for most of our adult lives. Between the historic venues and great atmosphere that Detroit brings it has always had an impact with our funkier side of playing. Of course you have the great artists like Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and Ted Nugent, to name a few, that we have to try and live up to but beyond that I think that just having that big city vibe along all the great acts coming through; it really makes us want to strive for a great sound. And most of all it makes us want to be genuine as well as original to keep that Detroit pedigree alive.

Your live performances are known for their high energy and infectious grooves. What's your approach to creating that live experience? 

We go to festivals and have a very wide array of musical tastes between the 4 of us. We always try to mix everyone's comfort zone in their respective instruments and styles to create something fresh and original. The biggest thing is of course listening to each other both live and in rehearsal; whether that be coming up with ideas on where to take certain songs or being fluid enough to hear changes in our songs live and adapting to them to hopefully make something the crowd can really get down with. Luckily for us we have known each other for long enough that it makes it easier to hear what we’re or going for on the fly. 

Can you tell us a bit about the creative process behind it?  Album?

 This album, (Living A Lie), was a really eye-opening and fun project to put together. We never really approached our music as methodical as this album. We usually try and let the creativity process take us on a journey but with this album it was a lot more deliberate and conscious of a theme and a direction that we wanted to go. We wanted to make it semi pop with a little of all our individual influences sprinkled in. Fresh Out The Shower for example has elements of funk bass and shreddy style guitar mixed in with Stevie Wonder-esque clavinet and great pocket drums. It was an exercise in trying to stay disciplined to adhere to what the song calls for and the overall arcing theme of a tighter, more concise album as opposed to our more freeing and spacey styles that we can get playing live. It was our first time writing lyrics and singing as well so that had its own challenges as well as rewards. 

 What are your future plans? Any upcoming tours, festivals, or new music on the horizon? 

 We have some really big plans coming up for 2025! We are hitting the studio within the next couple months to record another album that we could not be more stoked for. We also have a very big NYE show coming up with an amazing band called Dopapod for their last show ever in Columbus OH. All next year will be revolving around pushing our musical and professional limits as far as we can. Between the festivals and a couple surprise theme events that we got planned with some great artists, it is sure to be the band's best, most fun year to date!  

Where can we see you live? How did your band start? Members?

 You can catch us live around the Metro-Detroit area mostly. However, we are branching out of state a lot more so be sure to check us out in Ohio, New Jersey, Florida, Illinois, Colorado, and everywhere in-between. We have shows coming up in Grand Rapids on 11/22, Toledo on 11/27, and Ann Arbor on 12/13 so be sure to catch one of those! Our band started almost 9 years ago with just a group a friends getting together at Danny’s house just to get the led out. That quickly evolved into something that we all knew had potential and wanted to try and spread the word around to anyone who would listen. Originally it consisted of 2 guitarist (Will Richardson and Nick Small) Ryan Stafford on keys and Sax and Ryan Yoskovich on drums. Since then, we have had a couple member swaps and replacements, but w  have never lost sight of our vision to shred and what we wanted to accomplish we have never lost sight of our vision to shred and what we wanted to accomplish.

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