Child abuse charge against Alabama Shakes drummer dismissed

Mike Windle/WireImage

The child abuse charge against Alabama Shakes drummer Steven William Johnson has been dismissed, ABC affiliate WAAY reports.

Johnson was arrested this past March and indicted for willful abuse of a child. In a statement to AL.com at the time, Johnson’s lawyers denied the allegations.

“We do not believe, and have been presented no evidence, that Mr. Johnson has willfully abused or tortured any child, and he maintains his innocence,” the statement read, adding that the charge stems from an alleged “spanking incident.”

Johnson is a founding member of Alabama Shakes, and played on both of the band’s albums: 2012’s Boys & Girls and 2015’s Grammy-winning Sound & Color. The band’s been on hiatus since 2018; frontwoman Brittany Howard released her debut solo album, Jaime, in 2019.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.