Johnny B. Perona (Giovanni Batista Perona) passed from this life early Sunday morning February 1, 2009 at "Our Lady of Mercy Nursing and Rehab Facility" in Hubbell, Michigan where he had been a resident for the past 18 months. Born to Italian immigrant parents in the copper mining and cultural melting pot of Calumet, Michigan, Johnny was exposed to many cultures and their music; which he had a very keen ear for.
He gave his first musical performance at the school Christmas program at the age of 12 on the accordion. He is regarded a virtuoso on the concertina, accordion, violin, mandolin and guitar, instruments on which he played old-time dance music for Italians, French, Finns, Slovenians and Croatians at local house parties, community dances, taverns and many music festivals for over 75 years. He has been referred to as a "one man Yooper multi-ethnic music festival" because he plays so many instruments in such a diversity of ethnic musical styles. But it is his mastery and performance on the rhythm bones and his own original spoons playing style that is most widely appreciated.
     Johnny was introduced to the bones in 1948 while playing his concertina in a local tavern that an alcoholic bones and spoons player often frequented, playing to the music on the jukebox or to Johnny's concertina for drinks. He showed Johnny how to hold the bones but was reluctant to teach him too much, fearing competition. "You'll never learn I can see that right now" he told Johnny. But, Johnny became obsessed with the bones and learned to play them impeccably and also created his own unique "chiming" spoons playing style. Beginning in 2001 Johnny was awarded three apprenticeships teaching the bones and spoons by the Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program through the Michigan State University Museum, which named him as a master folk musician. He was also honored with a Michigan Heritage Award in 2002 for his bones and spoons playing. On December 15, 2007 while playing at a Christmas party he was given an award honoring him for 75 years of performing live music in the Great Lakes Region by the Upper Peninsula Ethnic Music Alliance, which puts on the Annual Finnish Music Festival in the tiny village of Covington, Michigan. At the 10th Annual Finnish Music Festival on June 28&29,2008, though he was bound to a wheelchair, Johnny showed his great stamina, playing his bones and spoons relentlessly for both days of the anniversary event.Besides the countless dances, tavern gigs, and house parties some other venues include, always from it’s conception, the Aura Jamboree, numerous appearances at the Calumet Theatre, trips to East Lansing for performances at the Michigan Folklife Festival, several Finn Fest including Finn Grand Fest 2005, the Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival, Old Time Music Festival in Avoca,Iowa, and Bones Fest VII,VIII, and IX.

Along with his music, Johnny’s other great passion in life was collecting insects, which he started doing in 1937. He was totally self-educated in the field, with only an 8 th grade formal education. Yet he could carry on a conversation with scientists and professional entomologists on their level and they had good reason to listen to what he had to say. His “bug collection”, as he referred to it, consisted of over 8,000 pinned adult insects, organized and displayed in 80 drawers of beautifully handcrafted cabinets that he built himself in his basement workshop. His collection was donated to Michigan State University’s Entomology Department in September of 2007 and serves as the only large collection of insects from the Keweenaw Peninsula and is of tremendous scientific value. The Michigan Entomological Society honored Johnny in 2005 with a Lifetime Honorary Achievement Award and for all his contributions to the field of Michigan Entomology.
     We will miss our dear friend and fellow musician greatly. He has inspired and delighted so many people with his soft spoken nature, inventiveness, charismatic aura and authentic presentations. He can never be replaced. After a long illness may you finally rest in peace partner.
The 11 th Annual Music Festival in Covington, Michigan will be a celebration of Johnny Perona’s fascinating life. Details forthcoming on www.playdembones.com