Johnny Shines who played a lot with Robert Johnson was born in Frazier (suburb of Memphis), Tennessee, USA 1915 . Shines & Johnson traveled in the mid to late '30s to Chicago, Texas, New York, Canada, Kentucky, Indiana." They was making some money, but they don't know where the next food was coming from or where they would stay". Robert never knew what he'd do next, so sometimes he left Johnny for few weeks and sometimes when he drink he was like anybody else -rowdy!

Johnny said that he learned from Robert to play guitar but mostly they got into trouble with husbands or boyfriends of a women who worshipped Robert. Johnny never imitated Robert Johnson, he was enough individual spirit with his own characteristic style. Excellent slide guitar technique and with free ranging imagination, non repeating way of playing solos with very interesting tremolo in his voice. He had a lot to say or sing about, because he was also big story teller with historical and social critique.

Johnny Shines championed "Blues in Schools", concept now being continued by others (e.g. Rev. Rabia in New School of Berkeley and in Summer School in Oakland, California).

After Johnson's death Johnny move to Chicago (in 1941), two years before Muddy Waters. In '40s and '50s with only few recordings (for J.O.B. label & Chess Records, and in 1946 with Muddy for Columbia never released) later worked as a photographer in blues clubs and outside of music as a construction worker until was rediscovered by British researcher Mike Rowe in 1964. This prompted Sam B. Charters to recorded him (in 1965 with Big Walter Horton) for the Vanguard Records series : "Chicago. The Blues. Today!"

In late '60s he move to Tuscaloosa, Alabama and he play international tours with band called The Chicago Blues All Stars with Walter Horton on harmonica, Sunnyland Slim on piano, Willie Dixon on bass and Clifton James on drums. Shines started his career again and recorded vastly for Biograph, Blue Horizon and Testament Records and later for Vanguard and Rounder again.

In 1980, Johnny Shines was nominated for a Grammy award for his Rounder record with Robert Jr. Lockwood: "Hangin' On". After suffering a stroke, still perform and in 1991 recorded with Snooky Pryor, "Back To The Country" for Blind Pig which won him his only W.C Handy Award. Johnny Shines died 1992 Tuscaloosa, Alabama, shortly before celebration of his 77th birthday, concert with Honeyboy Edwards, Henry Townsend and Robert Jr. Lockwood at the Robert Johnson Memorial Blues Festival, in Greenwood, Mississippi.

In October 4, 1992, he was inducted into the W. C. Handy Awards Blues Hall of Fame.