Nancy Elizabeth Goodman

It's hard to imagine the creativity, energy, and talent that live inside the household of Scott Albert Johnson and wife, Susan Margaret Barrett. With Scott being a musician and Susan Margaret a photographer, there's more talent within the walls of their home than most people can find in their extended families. And with a new album and baby on the way, both Scott and Susan Margaret are counting their blessings and living their dreams.

Both Scott and Susan Margaret spent their childhoods in Jackson before taking off for college. While both showed interest in their individual careers at early ages, neither one fully explored his or her talent until later in life.

Scott, a singer/songwriter and harmonica player of the Scott Albert Johnson Band, developed a love for music and instruments at a young age. In third grade he took violin lessons. "Although I wasn't that interested in the instrument, it really gave me a foundation for music in general," he says. During his ninth grade year at St. Andrew's Episcopal School, Scott taught himself how to play a bass guitar, a talent which he would later use to teach himself the harmonica.

After high school, Scott left Mississippi to attend Harvard, where he was the kicker for the football team. While academics and athletics took up most of Scott's time, he still dabbled in music occasionally. "I played in bands when I had the time, and tried out the occopela group for awhile, but due to the other commitments in his life, music sort of took a backseat," he explains.

After graduation from Harvard, Scott worked in Washington, D.C. for a year and then returned to school to study journalism at Columbia. After completing his graduate degree, Scott worked various journalism and media jobs, living in D.C., and other large cities. While in D.C., he began to dabble in music again, especially the harmonica, realizing how much he'd missed the presence of music in his life. While music slowly became a large part or his life, Scott realized it was not only music that he had missed, but his family and Southern roots. After much consideration, Scott made the decision to move back to Jackson at age thirty, not knowing that'd he find a soul mate in addition to a soul-filled music career.

While Scott was out exploring big cities, Susan Margaret attended Sweetbriar in Virginia for undergrad, where she majored in psychology. From there, she went to law school at the University of Mississippi. After testing the waters of two different careers, and living in D.C. for a short time, Susan Margaret found her calling in the faces and places of her hometown.

It wasn't until the year 2000 that Susan Margaret stumbled upon her passion for photography. "I received my first camera, an old, film camera," she says. "I basically taught myself how to use it and from there, I was hooked."

In the year 2003, having reconnected after many years, Susan Margaret and Scott began dating and were later married. As she was settling in to married life, her prime photography target became her musician husband. Susan Margaret would show up with her camera at all of his gigs. "He's the most photographed musician in this town," she laughs.

While Scott was focusing on his music career, he found time to assist Susan Margaret in getting her own business off the ground.

"I'm really bad at self-promoting, and Scott is wonderful about helping me get my name out there," she says. Scott created her website, www.susanmargaret.com, and encouraged her to begin showing her photos around Jackson. So, with the launch of her new website and dozens of Jacksonians buzzing about the new photographer in town, Susan Margaret's business really took off in 2003. She began photographing weddings, children, families, and contributed to the Jackson Free Press, Planet Weekly, and Northside Sun.

At the end of 2005, Susan Margaret and Scott began a family with the arrival of their son, Charlie. Now, eighteen months old, Charlie is a frequent target of Susan Margaret's camera, and the biggest fan at his dad's musical gigs. Recently, he's learned to play the harmonica and, to no surprise, seems to be quite the musician.

Along with inspiration from their son, Scott and Susan Margaret count on each other for support and ideas.

"When I see a possible shot, it really helps to have another opinion," she explains. "Scott has become my second eye."

Scott also turns to his wife for advice and inspiration. "She's my most trusted confidante," says Scott. "I bounce everything musical off of her, and while I might not always take her advice, I always listen and appreciate her thoughts."

Scott's new album, titled Umbrella Man, features a stylistic blend of rock, jazz, blues, funk, world music, bluegrass, New Orleans music, and various odd noises. The last song, "The Best of Me," is an autobiographical expression about his wife and son. With lyrics such as, "You and He and I will walk together/ Anticipating all that's yet to be/ 'Til the day you look back and remember/ I gave you the best of me," it's easy to see the inspiration his family has on his music. But with a new baby boy arriving in June, Scott will most likely be adding another name within the lyrics of the song.

While supporting each other, they also make a huge effort to support the artistic community of Jackson. Living in Fondren gives them plenty of exposure to other artists, photographers, musicians, and actors. "Fondren is mutually supportive," says Scott. "Everyone in this community wants to help other artists out."

Jackson wouldn't be the same without this amazingly talented couple, and Scott and Susan Margaret wouldn't be the people they are today without Jackson.

"Coming back to Mississippi was the best decision I've ever made. Not only was it the right thing from a musical perspective, but I never would have gotten together with my amazing wife," Scott says. "I'm very fortunate to be here, living this life."

***Susan Margaret will be at the Belhaven Market on Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. this spring. For other upcoming shows or to contact her for a photo shoot or artwork, go to her website, www.susanmargaret.com.

***The release of the Scott Albert Johnson debut album, Umbrella Man, is May 1. There will be CD release party at Hal and Mal's on May 10th to celebrate his talent and accomplishment. Check out www.scottalbertjohnson.com for more information on where he'll be performing around the South. He will be performing live on Thacker Mountain Radio, a music and literary radio show out of Oxford, on May 3.