<back - GENERAL JOHNSON & THE CHAIRMEN OF THE BOARD - General Johnson of The Chairmen Of The Board, best known for their internationally famous Give Me Just A Little More, has a bio that’s as uplifting as Ray Charles, except Johnson’s ascent to the highest strata of Rhythm ‘n’ Blues was a 15-year struggle, with sufficient ups and downs to induce a serious case of motion sickness. Today, General Johnson rules as 'Emperor of Beach Music'. those tantalizingly soulful sounds that inundate the Carolina playgrounds, north, south, and points inland from Myrtle Beach.

His “truth-is-stranger-than-fiction” story starts 1943 birth of Norman Johnson in Norfolk VA and climaxes with the state designating June 9 as General Johnson Day. Let’s fast reverse forty years, Norman Johnson, and four Norfolk buddies, dubbing themselves The Humdingers, wrangled a 1956 recording date with Jesse Stone of Atlantic Records, although the 4 sides in the Frankie Lymon mold went unreleased. Their first big break came circa 1960, when a demo garnered attention from Joe Banashak, owner of Minit Records in New Orleans—who insisted on a name change. In May 1961 The Showmen recorded 8 tracks, including It Will Stand: a stirring anthem to Rock n' Roll stamina. It has such a folkloric reputation in Beach Music, that the first magazine (1979) devoted to the genre was called It Will Stand. After several southeastern regional hits (39-21-46 Shape, Fate Planned It That Way), and stays on the Liberty, Imperial, and Swan labels, Johnson left The Showmen. He relocated to Detroit and created The Chairmen Of The Board in 1968--with Johnson as General along with lieutenants Danny Woods, Harrison Kennedy, and Eddie Curtis. Signed to the Invictus label, run by ex-Motown producers/ songwriters Holland-Dozier-Holland, they captured international renown with 1970’s Give Me Just A Little More Time. By the mid-70’s, the group had broken up; General Johnson would record a few disco-oriented hits for Arista. Aside from Johnson’s chart triumphs, the 70’s were notable for his songwriting successes; he wrote Bad Boys Home for Freda Payne, 3 hits for Honeycone, and then with Patches for Clarence Carter, garnering a 1975 Grammy. He formed Surfside Records, and the Chairmen Of The Board albums can be ordered from its catalogue. Its formation was a factor in revitalizing the Beach Music scene by offering newer sounds to complement the old. With Norman 'General' Johnson’s decision to return to his roots, Beach Music has soared to new heights of popularity. -Gary Tate/LivinBlues   
MP3- It Ain't Easy Bein' Me |