Reading Time: 2 minutes
We have sad news to report from the world of music today:
Jellybean Johnson, the drummer for the beloved soul and R&B band Morris Day and The Time, has passed away at the age of 69.
News of Johnson’s passing comes courtesy of fellow musician and collaborator Sheila E.
Morris Day, Jellybean Johnson and Jerome Benton of The Original 7 performs during the 2011 Soul Train Awards at The Fox Theatre on November 17, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images)
Pop icon pays tribute to fellow Prince protege
“With a heavy heart, my dear friend Jellybean passed away a couple of hours ago,” the singer wrote on Facebook on Saturday.
“We are devastated by this news. I’m praying for his family and all the kids. He was a kind human being, extremely talented and funny,” she continued, adding:
“He had a great sense of humor and [was] an awesome guitar player. Yesterday was your birthday, I forgot to call you and I’m so sorry. I love u Bean. Rest in peace and power.”
Jellybean — whose real name was Garry George Johnson — reportedly died unexpectedly. His cause of death is unknown at this time.

An iconic career behind the kit
Born November 19, 1956 in Chicago, Johnson made the acquaintance of Prince early in his career.
In 1981, the music legend recruited Johnson to be part of the funk rock band The Time as part of his deal with Warner Bros. to produce other artists.
In 1985, he and The Time delivered a memorable performance in Prince’s wildly popular film Purple Rain.
In addition to his work with The Time, Johnson played the drums for such major acts as Patti LaBelle, Human League, New Edition, Cherrelle, and Alexander O’Neal.
He also worked as a producer, helping to engineer such hits as Janet Jackson’s 1990 number one single “Black Cat.”
In 2008, Johnson performed with Rihanna at the Grammy Awards.
He dedicated his later years to projects such music-related humanitarian projects as the Minneapolis Sound Museum and the Jellybean Johnson Experience, in which he performed with gifted up-and-comers.
Our thoughts go out to Jellybean Johnson’s loved ones during this difficult time.
Jellybean Johnson Cause of Death: The Time Drummer Was 69 was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

Simon Cellan Jones has had a long career directing both film and television, but he says he gets his biggest thrill when a tricky action setpiece comes together. In his newest movie, the Mark Wahlberg action-filled family comedy “The Family Plan 2,” now streaming on Apple TV, the globetrotting adventure has one knockout car chase […]

Schlossberg revealed she was told by doctors that she had a year left to live in an essay published Saturday.

Corey Feldman is calling out the alleged “toxic” environment he saw behind-the-scenes at Dancing with the Stars.
If you forgot, the 54-year-old Goonies actor competed on season 34 with pro partner Jenna Johnson. They were eliminated in the second episode.
During an upcoming appearance on the Gurvey’s Law radio show, Corey claimed that he saw a lot of drama behind-the-scenes during his short-lived time on the show.
Keep reading to find out more…“There was a lot of stupidity in the mudslinging that went on behind the scenes,” Corey claimed, per a preview of his appearance obtained by The Daily Mail.
“Actually there, everything was great,” he continued. “But the behind-the-scenes drama and BS that people throw around that show, I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s the worst, like, most toxic.”
On the set everybody gets along,” Corey clarified of his time filming DWTS. “Everybody’s great. Everybody’s happy. You’re working hard. You don’t even have time to look up. You’re just working.”
Ahead of their elimination, Jenna‘s brother-in-law Maksim Chmerkovskiy shared in an interview that she was having a “difficult time” working with Corey.
“You start reading these things in the paper, like, ‘This person’s mad at this person. These people aren’t talking to each other,’” Corey explained. “Or, ‘Are people working hard enough?’ ‘Corey Feldman destroyed the show. He destroyed the whole show because he was such an egomaniac it’s so difficult to work with.’”
Corey said that he asked Jenna about the report and claimed that she rolled her eyes and said, “‘Oh it’s just Maks. Don’t pay attention to him. He just wants attention.’ I was like, ‘Oh my God.’”
Following their elimination, Corey addressed rumors that he feuded with Jenna.

Celebs including Louis Tomlinson, Tiffany Haddish, and more attend the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas 2025.

Outside of her recent pivotal role in the final season of You, plus an upcoming appearance in Scream 7, Anna Camp is taking her onscreen career into her own hands. Following the premiere of her dystopian short Neo-Dome at SXSW 2024, the actress told Deadline that the team is “looking for a home” for a […]

Feldman was among the first celebrities to be eliminated from Season 34 of the dancing competition in September.

Old conflicts need new perspectives now more than ever in the modern world. Annemarie Jacir’s latest feature film, Palestine 36, is set against the backdrop of British conflict in Palestine when the territory was under British mandatory control and explores the lead-up to and events of the Palestinian Arab Revolt from 1936 to 1939.  Primarily […]