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American ragtime composer, pianist, and prolific songwriter associated with Tin Pan Alley.Charles Leslie Johnson, born in 1876 in Kansas City, Missouri, became a prominent figure in the ragtime era. Primarily working as a staff arranger and composer for the music publisher M. Witmark & Sons in Chicago, he produced hundreds of pieces under his own name and the pseudonym Raymond Birch. His most famous composition is the ragtime piano instrumental 'Dill Pickles' (1906), which achieved massive popularity and became one of the signature pieces of the ragtime craze. He also wrote popular songs like 'Sweet and Low' and 'Cum-Bac'. He collaborated frequently with his lyricist brother, Frank Johnson. Johnson passed away in 1950.

• Despite his prolific output and huge success of 'Dill Pickles', Johnson remained primarily a behind-the-scenes figure in the music publishing industry, unlike touring performers.
• He often collaborated closely with his brother, Frank Johnson, who wrote lyrics for many of his songs, including 'Sweet and Low'.
• 'Dill Pickles' was an instant and enduring hit, selling over a million copies of sheet music. Its distinctive syncopated melody made it a ragtime standard.
• His pseudonym, Raymond Birch, was commonly used for his ragtime instrumental compositions.
• Johnson worked extensively for M. Witmark & Sons, one of the major Tin Pan Alley publishers, where his role involved arranging, composing, and adapting music to meet commercial demands.