Jody Rainwater aka Little Jody Rainwater (born Charles Edward Johnson in Surry County, North Carolina in 1920; died in Richmond, Virginia on December 24, 2011) was an American bluegrass musician and radio personality.[1]
Rainwater was one of thirteen children of M. Wilson and Emma Johnson. He is most noted for playing bass with the bluegrass band The Foggy Mountain Boys. Jody's father played fiddle and Jody recalls being interested in that sort of music from a young age. By his teenage years Jody had taken up mandolin, influenced by his older sister, Nonnie. Jody's older brother had taken up guitar and soon they began playing together as "Chuck and Slim, The Johnson Brothers." They played numerous reunions and social gatherings around the area. The element that really defined them was their sense of humor and comedic timing. The Johnson Brothers later found themselves in High Point, North Carolina auditioning for the new radio station WMFR which began broadcasting in 1936. Their audition was a huge success and they were offered a regular time slot every Thursday morning. The brothers lived six miles from the station and transportation was limited, and it became difficult to make it to the station on a weekly basis. They weren't really making any money and Jody's father believed farm work should take priority, so they eventually cancelled their weekly show. The next big thing for The Johnson Brothers occurred at the 1937 Fourth of July Horse Show in Kernersville, North Carolina. There the brothers entered a competition for performers and won the award for "Best Individual Entertainers." "Slim" got married in 1938 and the duo began to appear less often, and soon Jody decided to move to Winston Salem. For four years Jody found little opportunity in music. In 1945 the outbreak of World War II forced Jody to lay aside music and serve in the Marine Corps. In April 1945 Jody was discharged and returned to Winston Salem. There he found work at an auto dealership and while employed there met a local musician named Woody Hauser. The two formed the band the Blue Ridge Mountain Boys. In 1946 they helped sign on station WTOB and became a regular part of its programming. While playing for WTOB the band played a few local shows in nearby schools. It was during this time that Charles Johnson became "Little Jody." Clad in baggy pants, suspenders, and old shirts the character that would soon be made famous with Flat and Scruggs was born. Little Jody and Woody played together for almost three years. After a trip with Woody and several friends to the Grand Ole Opry, Jody determined that he would one day play the Opry. After the trip Jody and Woody were offered the chance to play during the intermission of a Bill Monroe road show in Lexington, North Carolina. This is where Jody first met Lester Flatt. In 1948 Jody left North Carolina for Roanoke, Virginia where he joined the Blue Star Boys. The band worked full time at WDBJ radio and Jody was signed to play mandolin or bass. He also found himself in charge of bookings and all of the band's comedy routines. Later that year he learned that Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, and Cedric (Howard Watts) Rainwater were leaving the Blue Grass Boys for their own endeavor. This shocked Jody but sure enough the Foggy Mountain Boys were born and they had already taken a job at WCYB in Bristol, Virginia. Jody was asked to join them to handle bookings and advertising, but he decided to stay in Roanoke. In the summer of 1949 a coal strike devastated the Bristol area's economy and the Foggy Mountain Boys left WCYB for Lexington, Kentucky. WCYB offered the Farm and Fun Time slot to the Blue Star Boys and they took it. This didn't work out so well and Jody recalls nearly starving. It was at this point Lester Flatt again offered the booking job to Jody and this time he immediately accepted it. In addition to booking, Jody joined the group on their Saturday night slot on WVLK's Jamboree as Cedric Rainwater's comedic partner. The comedy duo was a hit and Jody was soon being billed as Cedric's younger brother. Lester Flatt suggested the name Little Jody Rainwater and it really stuck. However, the comedic antics of the Rainwater brothers were short lived. Soon Cedric decided to join Hank Williams' Drifting Cowboys and leave bluegrass music behind. The Foggy Mountain Boys found themselves in need of a bassist and for Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs the choice was obvious. For the next three years Jody played an important part in the band's sound and stage presence. The band moved a lot in those three years and Jody really gave it his all. He was both booking and playing shows. Working seven days a week up to eighteen hours a day. By May 1952 Jody was "right at a nervous breakdown" and, at the advice of a physician he put in his notice. The band was working in central Virginia at the time and Jody was offered a job working as a deejay at WSVS. With flexible hours and steady pay Jody jumped at the chance. On June 7, 1952 Jody Rainwater ended his tenure with the Foggy Mountain Boys and began his career in radio.