LOUIS JOHNSON, SOMETIMES MICHAEL JACKSON bassist, has passed away
Louis Johnson, a legendary session musician specializing in Funk and who appeared on Michael Jackson's most successful albums, passed away today at age 60.
Nicknamed "Thunder Thumbs" (or "Thunder Thumbs"), Louis was born in 1955 in Los Angeles and learned to play bass with his brother George, who played the guitar. Both musicians were tanned in Bobby Womack's band, and later working with the Supremes and Billy Preston in the 70s. It was until they met producer Quincy Jones that the brothers were able to capture their own creativity, in the albums that this man produced: Look Out for # 1, Right on Time, Blam !, and Light Up the Night. From them came several hits that today are funk classics such as "I'll Be Good to You," "Get the Funk Out Ma Face," "Strawberry Letter 23" and "Stomp."
Leo Fender himself built a bass specially designed for Louis, the StingRay Music Man, which he was responsible for promoting and also demonstrating his fantastic slap technique, introduced a little earlier by Sly and the Family Stone bassist Larry Graham.
The Johnson brothers separated musically in 1982 and each undertook their own solo projects, Louis recorded two albums, Passage and Evolution. However his work as a session musician began to grow. This is how he had the opportunity to work on some of Michael Jackson's most successful albums: Off the Wall, Thriller and Dangerous, where his bass has a predominant role with songs like “Billie Jean” and “Don't Stop 'Til You. Get Enough ”. From this his reputation grew and he recorded with the biggest stars of the music industry such as Stanley Clarke, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Herbie Hancock, George Duke and Bill Withers among many others.
Let's remember Louis Johnson with some of the groove with which he made us move hips and feet.
