Syl Johnson

b. 1st July 1936, Holly Springs, Mississippi, U.S.A.
Died, 6 February 2022 (Age 85)

American funk/soul/blues singer and music producer.

Johnson sang and played with blues artists Freddie King on guitar.

He then began recording for Twinight Records of Chicago in the mid 1960s. Beginning with his first hit, Come On Sock It to Me in 1967, Johnson dominated the label as both a hitmaker and producer.

Like other black songwriters of the period, several of his records at this time explored themes of African-American identity and social problems in songs including Is It Because I’m Black, which reached Number 11 in the R&B charts in 1969.

In 1971, Al Green’s shadow commercially, if not artistically.

After the Hi years ended, Johnson produced two LPs for his own label Shama, the latter of which (Ms. Fine Brown Frame, 1982) was picked up for distribution by Boardwalk Records, Inc. and produced Johnson’s last hit record, the title cut.

Around the mid-eighies, Johnson started a fast-food fish restaurant business, and became semi-retired from performing, only making occasional appearances at blues club gigs.

In 1992, Johnson found out that his classic song Different Strokes have been sampled by number of rappers including Syleena Johnson.

Blues guitarist and singer Mac Johnson (3) are his brothers.