Post by Rob Durkee on Oct 15, 2010 14:19:50 GMT -5
By ROCKIN' ROBIN
General Norman Johnson, best known for his lead vocals for the group the Chairmen Of The Board on the 1970 top 10 hit, "Give Me Just A Little More Time," died Wednesday, October 13, 2010, at his Atlanta area home. He was 67. According to The Los Angeles Times, no cause of death was reported.
"Give Me Just A Little More Time" reached #9 on the Cash Box pop chart in early 1970. "Pay To The Piper" nearly matched that peak by reaching #10 for the group in late 1970. The Chairmen Of The Board had three other top 40 pop hits, all in the early 1970's, with "(You've Got Me) Dangling On A String," "Everything's Tuesday," and "Chairmen Of The Board."
With that last pop top 40 hit, the Chairmen Of The Board formed a unique list of acts who charted with hits that contained their act name...in the title!
Those acts include, among others, Kool And The Gang, Yellow Balloon, Living In A Box and Mandrill. Close but not quite making the list were the Sweet Inspirations, whose hit in 1968 was "Sweet Inspiration."
In another bit of unique trivia, General Norman Johnson attained the highest military rank in a performer's name even though he wasn't really in the military. Johnson's father first called him by the military rank. It stuck when a record executive felt it would be a good marketing tool. Among the other acts to include a military name over the years include Colonel Abrams, Major Harris and Major Lance. The only for-real military top 40 pop act to go with its military rank was the late SSgt. Barry Sadler of "The Ballad Of The Green Berets" fame.
Johnson was even more successful as a song-writer. Among the songs he wrote or co-wrote were "(You've Got Me) Dangling On A String," "Pay To The Piper," "Patches" (Clarence Carter), "Somebody's Been Sleeping" (100 Proof Aged In Soul), "Bring The Boys Home" (Freda Payne) and two Honey Cone hits, the #1 "Want Ads" and "Stick-Up."
Johnson was born in 1943 in Norfolk, Va., and formed his own group at age 12. In 1961, the Showmen had a minor #58 Cash Box pop chart with "It Will Stand," a song that ranked alongside "Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay" by Danny And The Juniors as among the most notable hit songs to stand up for rock and roll music.
In recent years, the Chairmen Of The Board have been heard on Carolina radio stations with their "beach music" sound, including songs like "Carolina Girls." A 30-song, two-CD set entitled "Beach Music Anthology," listed as being by General Johnson and the Chairmen Of The Board, was released in August, 2000. Since then, the group has also released CD's entitled "Timeless" and "All In the Family: R&B The Way It Used To Be."
General Norman Johnson, best known for his lead vocals for the group the Chairmen Of The Board on the 1970 top 10 hit, "Give Me Just A Little More Time," died Wednesday, October 13, 2010, at his Atlanta area home. He was 67. According to The Los Angeles Times, no cause of death was reported.
"Give Me Just A Little More Time" reached #9 on the Cash Box pop chart in early 1970. "Pay To The Piper" nearly matched that peak by reaching #10 for the group in late 1970. The Chairmen Of The Board had three other top 40 pop hits, all in the early 1970's, with "(You've Got Me) Dangling On A String," "Everything's Tuesday," and "Chairmen Of The Board."
With that last pop top 40 hit, the Chairmen Of The Board formed a unique list of acts who charted with hits that contained their act name...in the title!
Those acts include, among others, Kool And The Gang, Yellow Balloon, Living In A Box and Mandrill. Close but not quite making the list were the Sweet Inspirations, whose hit in 1968 was "Sweet Inspiration."
In another bit of unique trivia, General Norman Johnson attained the highest military rank in a performer's name even though he wasn't really in the military. Johnson's father first called him by the military rank. It stuck when a record executive felt it would be a good marketing tool. Among the other acts to include a military name over the years include Colonel Abrams, Major Harris and Major Lance. The only for-real military top 40 pop act to go with its military rank was the late SSgt. Barry Sadler of "The Ballad Of The Green Berets" fame.
Johnson was even more successful as a song-writer. Among the songs he wrote or co-wrote were "(You've Got Me) Dangling On A String," "Pay To The Piper," "Patches" (Clarence Carter), "Somebody's Been Sleeping" (100 Proof Aged In Soul), "Bring The Boys Home" (Freda Payne) and two Honey Cone hits, the #1 "Want Ads" and "Stick-Up."
Johnson was born in 1943 in Norfolk, Va., and formed his own group at age 12. In 1961, the Showmen had a minor #58 Cash Box pop chart with "It Will Stand," a song that ranked alongside "Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay" by Danny And The Juniors as among the most notable hit songs to stand up for rock and roll music.
In recent years, the Chairmen Of The Board have been heard on Carolina radio stations with their "beach music" sound, including songs like "Carolina Girls." A 30-song, two-CD set entitled "Beach Music Anthology," listed as being by General Johnson and the Chairmen Of The Board, was released in August, 2000. Since then, the group has also released CD's entitled "Timeless" and "All In the Family: R&B The Way It Used To Be."
