Editing Bunk Johnson (section)

===Education and early musical career===
Johnson received lessons from Adam Olivier and began playing professionally in Olivier's orchestra. Johnson probably played a few adolescent jobs with [[Buddy Bolden]], but was not a regular member of Bolden's Band (contrary to Johnson's claim). Johnson was regarded as one of the leading trumpeters in New Orleans in the years 1905–1915,<ref name="LarkinGE"/> in between repeatedly leaving the city to tour with [[minstrel show]]s and circus bands.

After he failed to appear for a [[New Orleans Mardi Gras]] parade job in 1915, he learned that [[krewe]] members intended to do him bodily harm. So he left town, touring with shows and then by the early 1920s settling in [[New Iberia, Louisiana]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.knowlouisiana.org/entry/bunk-johnson|title=Bunk Johnson|work=Know Louisiana|access-date=2017-10-17|publisher=Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities at Turners' Hall|language=en-US|archive-date=2017-10-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017154333/http://www.knowlouisiana.org/entry/bunk-johnson|url-status=dead}}</ref> While living in New Iberia, Johnson worked in rice mills and the public school system, and continued playing jazz, but with local groups such as the Black Eagle Band from [[Crowley, Louisiana|Crowley]] and the Banner Orchestra.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Le Menestrel |first=Sara |date=Sep 2007 |title=The Color of Music: Social Boundaries and Stereotypes in Southwest Louisiana French Music |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/220580 |journal=Southern Cultures |language=en |volume=13 |issue=3 |pages=87–105 |doi=10.1353/scu.2007.0032 |issn=1534-1488}}</ref>

In 1931, he lost his trumpet and front teeth when a fight broke out at a dance in [[Rayne, Louisiana]], putting an end to his playing.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> He thereafter worked in manual labor, occasionally giving music lessons.