Photo Credit: Maire Staggat
He passed away after a battle with Covid-19.
Paul Johnson, the Chicago house icon, has died at the age of 50 on August 4th after losing a weeks-long battle with Covid-19. It was Paul’s aunt who asked the publication 5 Magazine to inform readers of Johnson’s death.
Johnson was an eminence in the melodic, sample-heavy Chicago house style that interconnected disco, soul, and funk to the dancefloor. His Bohannon-sampling 1999 track ‘Get Get Down’ topped Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play and charted in 14 countries. Johnson leaves behind a 30-year discography full of timeless gems, including his Peacefrog Records debut ‘Bump Talkin’, and EPs for labels like Dance Mania, Cajual, Relief, Underground Construction.
Paul had been wheelchair-bound since 1987, after being injured in a shooting accident. He was a double amputee since 2010, yet continued to DJ around the world to legions of fans.
In Daft Punk’s 1997 track ‘Teachers’, in which the French duo cited a list of influences, Paul Johnson is the first artist named.
Remember Paul Johnson by celebrating one of his most iconic cuts below.
