Syl Johnson

Sylvester Johnson (born Sylvester Thompson; July 1, 1936 – February 6, 2022) was an American blues and soul singer, musician, songwriter and record producer. His most successful records included "Different Strokes", "Is It Because I'm Black" (1969) later covered by reggae artists Ken Boothe and Delroy Wilson, and "Take Me to the River" (1975), a cover of Al Green's 1974 original.

Biography Early life and recording debut Born near Holly Springs, Mississippi, Johnson sang and played with Magic Sam and other blues artists, such as Billy Boy Arnold, Junior Wells and Howlin' Wolf, in the 1950s. and some years later was sampled on many hip hop tracks. The song has been described as "among the most affecting of the civil rights era," and provided the title track of his second album. However, at Hi Records, Johnson was always to some extent in the shadow of Al Green, commercially if not artistically.

Reviewing one of his last albums for Hi, 1976's Total Explosion, Robert Christgau wrote in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981): "Johnson has tended to disappear in between Willie Mitchell and Al Green, but on this LP he takes his harmonica up to the microphone and stands clear as a lapsed bluesman. Good move. His voice is still shriller, and more strained than Green's, but that can be a satisfying distinction in the right context."

1980s: Retirement After his years with Hi ended, Johnson produced two LPs for his own Shama label, the second of which, the soul/funk Ms. Fine Brown Frame (1982), The title track of that album was Johnson's last hit record.

Around the mid-1980s, Johnson mostly retired from performing, making only occasional appearances at blues clubs. At that time, he opened a chain of seafood restaurants,

1990s: Return to music In 1992, Johnson found out that his song "Different Strokes" had been sampled by several rappers, including Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy, Kool G Rap, Hammer, De La Soul, and the Geto Boys. This stimulated his interest in making a comeback in the music industry.

Johnson was one of the most sampled artists, largely from "Different Strokes" and "Is It Because I'm Black". He felt passionately that taking music from an original artist without proper compensation constituted theft, and he sued other artists for copyright infringement.

Any Way the Wind Blows documentary The 2015 documentary Any Way the Wind Blows, directed by Rob Hatch-Miller, premiered at the Chicago International Film Festival. It takes its inspiration from events in the life of this "mostly forgotten" (according to Greil Marcus) soul singer from the 1970s seeking a second attempt at a career. While his records were being sampled by artists from Wu-Tang Clan to Kid Rock, to Jay-Z and Kanye West, Johnson often found himself with neither credit nor money.

Personal life and death Johnson was the brother of blues guitarist and singer Jimmy Johnson and bassist Mack Thompson. Johnson and his family appeared on the American reality television series Iyanla: Fix My Life, by the request of his daughter Syleena, to help her mother's alcohol addiction.

He died of congestive heart failure, at the home of one of his daughters, in Mableton, Georgia, on February 6, 2022, at the age of 85, six days after the death of his older brother Jimmy.

Selected discography

Albums

1968: Dresses Too Short (Twinight) 1970: Is It Because I'm Black? (Twinight) 1973: Back for a Taste of Your Love (Hi) 1974: Diamond in the Rough (Hi) 1975: Total Explosion (Hi) 1979: Uptown Shakedown (Hi) 1982: Ms. Fine Brown Frame (Boardwalk 33260) 1994: Back in the Game (Delmark) 1995: Music to My Ears (Hi) 1995: This Time Together by Father and Daughter (Twinight) with Syleena Johnson 1995: Bridge to a Legacy (Antone's) 1999: Talkin' About Chicago (Delmark) 2000: Hands of Time (Hep-Me Records) 2002: Two Johnsons Are Better Than One (Evangeline) with Jimmy Johnson 2003: Straight Up (P-Vine PCD-25004, Japan) 2013: Syl Johnson with Melody Whittle, Featuring Syleena Johnson (Twinight 4086-CD2) 2017: My Funky Funky Band (Numero)

Compilations

2000: The Complete Syl Johnson on Hi Records (Demon, UK) 2003: Vanthology - A Tribute To Van Morrison (Evidence) (performing Morrison's Jackie Wilson Said) 2010: Syl Johnson: Complete Mythology (Numero Group) 2012: Backbeats Artists Series: Syl Johnson: Mississippi Mainman (Backbeats)

Chart singles

Year Single Chart Positions Label US Pop USR&B USCB 1967 "Come On Sock It to Me" 97 12 92 Twilight "Different Strokes" 95 17 96 1968 "Dresses Too Short" – 36 – Twinight 1969 "Is It Because I'm Black" 68 11 – 1970 "Concrete Reservation" – 29 – "One Way Ticket to Nowhere" 125 24 – 1971 "Get Ready" – 34 – 1972 "The Love You Left Behind" – 43 – Hi "We Did It" 95 23 72 1973 "Back for a Taste of Your Love" 72 16 74 1974 "I'm Yours" – 68 – "Let Yourself Go" – 54 – "I Want to Take You Home (to See Mama)" – 40 – 1975 "Take Me to the River" 48 7 59 "I Only Have Love" – 15 – 1976 "Star Bright, Star Lite" – 89 – "Bout to Make Me Leave Home" – 94 – 1977 "Goodie-Goodie-Good Times" – 93 – Shama 1982 "Ms. Fine Brown Frame" – 60 – Boardwalk