Tony Russell stated in his book The Blues – From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray that "Johnson shared with the other members of the 'Boogie Woogie Trio' the technical virtuosity and melodic fertility that can make this the most exciting of all piano music styles, but he was more comfortable than Meade Lux Lewis in a band setting; and as an accompanist, unlike Lewis or Albert Ammons, he could sparkle but not outshine his singing partner".

[3] Scott Yanow for AllMusic, wrote: "Johnson was one of the three great boogie-woogie pianists", the others being Lewis and Ammons "whose sudden prominence in the late 1930s helped make the style very popular".

[2] An encounter with record producer John Hammond in 1936 led to an engagement at the Famous Door in New York City.

Johnson worked locally and toured and recorded with Turner, Meade Lux Lewis, and Albert Ammons during this period.

The recording also included parts played by Albert Nicholas, Hot Lips Page, Clyde Bernhardt.

[10] He encountered some health and financial problems in this period, including losing part of a finger in an accident and being partially paralyzed by a stroke.

Between January and October 1953, he was employed by an ice cream company washing trucks, but supplemented his income by performing in a trio which played at the Bamboo Room in Buffalo on weekends.

In July, however, an engagement came his way at the St. Louis Forest Park Hotel, a six-week residency as the pianist at the Circus Snack Bar.

Johnson was also privately recorded on July 20 and August 1, 1954, at a pair of house parties arranged at the home of Bill Atkinson, a close friend.

After an article appeared in a 1964 issue of Blues Unlimited detailing Johnson's difficulty in receiving royalty payments other than from Blue Note and Victor, in June, Johnson was accepted as a member of ASCAP, which finally ensured that some of the royalties would be received on a regular basis.

"[17] Pete Johnson died two months later in Meyer Hospital, Buffalo, New York, in March 1967, two days before his 63rd birthday.