Johnson returned to his hometown in Indianapolis to be with his first wife Vivian. He was under contract with Verve Label in the 1990’s. Johnson had recorded some of his most committed work, and was associated with film composer Robert Farnon. However, in 1991, J.J. Johnson wife, Vivian, died, so he recorded a song (or an album) in her name in 1992. At the year of 1997, J.J. Johnson retired from performing music and was more focus on producing music on his computer and developing skills using the internet, for he took it with great enthusiasm.
In 2001, J.J. Johnson was found dead in his home town in Indianapolis, IN. He was suffering from prostate cancer and other health problem, but his second wife, Carolyn Johnson; two sons Kevin and William; stepdaughter, Makita Sanders: a granddaughter; and sister, Rosemary Belcher had help him to get through his medical problems. However, that wasn’t the reason why he died. The real reason why he passed away was because he committed suicide. It doesn’t explain why he committed suicide, but he died by shooting himself, for he was the formation era of modern