Louis Johnson, Legendary Bassist, Dead at 60
Source: boombox
Louis Johnson, the bassist who scored a string of hits in the 1970s and 1980s as one-half of the Brothers Johnson, passed away at the age of 60 on Thursday (May 21).
The Brothers Johnson got their start with 1976?s Look Out for #1, which lived up to its title by peaking at the top spot on the Billboard R&B chart (and going Top 10 on the pop chart). They were also spinning off the hit singles Get the Funk Out Ma Face, Free and Single and especially Ill Be Good to You, which went on to become one of the duos defining songs, hitting No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the R&B tally.
Other hits followed, including a 1977 cover of Shuggie Otis Strawberry Letter 23? and the 1980 single Stomp, but the Brothers Johnson split in the early 80s to pursue their own projects, and only reunited sporadically over the ensuing years, while both brothers Louis and guitarist and vocalist George Johnson briefly pursed solo recording careers before moving on to session work.
Louis went on to have a successful and prolific career as a highly regarded session musician. His distinctive slap bass technique, which earned him the nickname Thunder Thumbs, made him an in-demand player for a wide variety of artists during the early 80s, and put him in the studio to create a number of top-selling LPs, which included Herb Alperts Grammy-winning 1979 smash Rise as well as George Bensons Give Me the Night. His most widely heard performances, however, came through Michael Jackson, who used Johnson on his Off the Wall, Thriller and Dangerous albums.
No cause of death has been reported for Johnson, who just celebrated his 60th birthday in April, but however he left us, it was far too soon. The Boombox offers condolences and well wishes to his family, and encourages you to spend at least part of your day delving into the tremendous body of work he left behind.
Read more: http://theboombox.com/louis-johnson-dead-60/
Cooley Hurd
(26,877 posts)shenmue
(38,506 posts)SummerSnow
(12,608 posts)aggiesal
(8,909 posts)RIP
kimbutgar
(21,103 posts)Their music still is appealing today to the younger generation.
reddread
(6,896 posts)They_Live
(3,231 posts)I was just listening to their stuff yesterday.
rocktivity
(44,573 posts)rocktivity
Tom Ripley
(4,945 posts)BumRushDaShow
(128,718 posts)Still have my 45 of Strawberry Letter 23.
R.I.P.
ariesgem
(1,634 posts)Him and Larry Graham are my 2 favorite bassists. RIP
Garion_55
(1,915 posts)not that crap today
Jade Fox
(10,030 posts)Stomp, and I'll Be Good to You are some of the best music of the late 70s.......
Midnight Writer
(21,737 posts)On a very hot day, during the performance a man keeled over in the audience and an ambulance showed up.
The band stopped playing until the fellow was taken away. The crowd was silent. Then Louis stepped up to the mike and said "Damn, we just funked that man to death!"
And the show went on.