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Rising Stars: Meet Marty Bragg and Jellybean Johnson of North Minneapolis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marty Bragg and Jellybean Johnson.

Marty Bragg Jellybean Johnson

In 2016, the world, but more importantly, Minneapolis, lost Prince. Five years later, we lost our son, “Regal The Rare,” in the same way as Prince. As we grappled with grief and loss, we also thought about the legacy we leave behind. The death of Prince did one positive thing. It reunited most of the people he had worked with over his life and solidified that this music was seeded in North Minneapolis and that many played a role in what would become the Minneapolis Sound. We knew we needed a place to tell that story. The Minneapolis Sound Museum was born.

Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
It has been a tough road because we are coming at this from a place of mourning personally for us. But that has also made us more determined that this story of the Minneapolis Sound must be told for future generations. We want to honor the many who are still here now, rather then remembering them when they are gone. So we feel a push to move this ahead more urgently. Assembling a team and raising funds is our current challenge, but we also know that the Minneapolis music community embraces what we do.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Jellybean Johnson is one of the creators of what became the Minneapolis Sound. From his early days in a band called Flyt Tyme to the band The Time, Purple Rain, and The Family with Prince, and then to his years of writing and production work at the legendary Flyte Tyme Studio, Jellybean has done it all. He is the only artist of his level that you can still catch playing blues, funk, and rock around the Twin Cities on any night. This ability to play with anyone anywhere is his gift and legacy to the city of Minneapolis. Together, we are using his legend, my writing and creative skills, and a group of passionate people to build this space.

So, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you before we go? How can they support you?

We are looking for creatives and people with experience in fundraising and grant writing to join our growing team. We are a 501c3, and financial donations are being handled for us by DEMO-Diverse Emerging Music Organization another music-related non-profit and may be sent to us at our website:
www.minneapolissoundmuseum.org. We would also like to invite anyone who wants to know more about us to join us on June 5, 2024, from 7:00-10:00 pm at the Capri for our event: Tales From The Northside: Stories of Flyt Tyme

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