Ella Johnson (born 22 June 1919 in Darlington, South Carolina) was an American jazz singer who began performing as a teenager with her brother, pianist Buddy Johnson, in New York City. Her breakthrough came in 1940 when she recorded "Please, Mr. Johnson" with the Buddy Johnson Orchestra, followed by hits such as "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?", "When My Man Comes Home", and "Hittin’ On Me". Throughout the 1940s she recorded with the Buddy Johnson Orchestra for Decca, including the single "Ain’tcha Got Me Where You Want Me", while her 1945 rendition of "Since I Fell For You" helped establish the song as a jazz standard. In the 1950s Ella Johnson pursued a solo career with releases on Wing and Mercury, and she continued to appear with Buddy Johnson into the 1960s. Her work received formal recognition in 1992 when the Rhythm and Blues Foundation honored her with the Pioneer Award. She died on 16 February 2004 in New York City at the age of 84.
