General Johnson of the Chairmen of the Board dies

When we first formed SoulTracks in 2003, we informally adopted the Chairmen of the Board as one of our favorite acts, and they adopted us. I've had the pleasure of speaking regularly with General and his group mate Ken Knox over the years, and have come to respect even more their musicianship and their leadership in the independent soul music scene. While many of their peers were unable to continue their careers after their commercial peaks, The Chairmen reinvented themselves in the Carolinas as the leading purveyors of "Beach Music," and won a large new fan base that they have carried to this day.  Johnson was the leader of group but was also one of the most underrated songwriters of the soul era. He wrote hits for several other artists, particularly those on the Invictus label in the 70s. He will be greatly missed.

Formed in Detroit , the Chairmen of the Board were one of the first acts signed by songwriting legends Holland/Dozier/Holland for their Invictus label following H/D/H's messy divorce from Motown. The group came out of the box strong in 1970 with the wonderful "Give Me Just A Little More Time," a classic early 70s radio smash highlighted by lead singer General Johnson's emotive, plaintive vocals. "Give Me" was the foundation of the group's excellent debut album, which also featured the infectious "(You've Got Me) Dangling on a String," and Johnson's own composition, "Patches" (later a #1 smash for Clarence Carter)... READ MORE

(thanks to Sgt Gary for informing us of General's passing)

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