Al "Carnival Time" Johnson is a much-loved New Orleans singer and piano player, best known for his classic Mardi Gras song, “Carnival Time.” Johnson is a living legend and statesman representing the original New Orleans rhythm and blues scene. He learned piano at an early age, and in the golden days of New Orleans R&B recorded for Aladdin and RIc Records, often at the famed J & M Studios under the helm of Cosimo Matassa. “Carnival Time,” recorded in 1960, has joined tunes like “Mardi Gras Mambo,” “Go to the Mardi Gras,” and “Big Chief” as the essential Carnival soundtrack. Like so many artists at the time, Johnson was jilted out of his royalties for many years, only gaining the rights to his hit song in 1999. Over the years he has played with many New Orleans greats, including Aaron Neville, Deacon John, Oliver Morgan, Tommy Ridgley, Jessie Hill, Bobby Mitchell, Ernie K-Doe and Eddie Bo.

Johnson continues to record and perform, introducing new tunes such as the 2006 “Mardi Gras Strut,” the post-Katrina “Lower Ninth Ward Blues” (which appeared in the Oscar-nominated film Rachel Getting Married), and the 2013 album, Beyond Carnival. He is a 2007 inductee into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, and is a regular at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and other local events. He was the 2005 King of the irreverent Krewe du Vieux and honorary “King for Life” of the Goodchildren Social Aid and Pleasure Club. He’s been featured on several television programs and in local publications, and was the star of a Louisiana Lottery Mardi Gras ad campaign.