Jody Rainwater

Who is Jody Rainwater?

Jody Rainwater aka Little Jody Rainwater was an American bluegrass musician and radio personality.

Jody Rainwater was one of thirteen children of M. Wilson and Emma Johnson. He was well known for having played bass with the The Foggy Mountain Boys. An elder brother had taken up guitar, and soon they began playing together as "Chuck and Slim, The Johnson Brothers". They played at reunions and social gatherings around the area. The brothers found themselves in High Point, North Carolina, auditioning for the new radio station WMFR which began broadcasting in 1936. They were offered a regular time slot every Thursday morning. Their 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".

Rainwater decided to move to Winston-Salem. For four years he found few opportunities in music. He served in the Marines during World War II.