Bubby Johnson's Plantation Orchestra is one of the most under recognized, yet important groups to emerge from Old West Baltimore. They performed at venues such as The Strand, The New Albert, Alcazar Ballroom, Johns Hopkins University, and the Southern Hotel, just to name a few. The Local #543 was once located on Dolphin Street and, at another time, located on Pennsylvania Avenue. During the Depression era, these musicians often pawned items of clothing and material at a pawns shop on Pennsylvania Avenue to make ends meet and to afford musical instruments that were paid for on account at Hammann's Music Store on Liberty Street or at Fred Walker's on Howard Street. Many of the orchestra members often were interchangeable with various groups, locally and regionally. At one point, Bubby Johnson was the Vice President of the Musicians' Protective Union.
