Al Johnson (musician) facts for kids

Alfred Orlando Johnson (born February 11, 1948, died October 26, 2013) was an American singer, songwriter, and music producer. He was known for his R&B music. He even helped write a song called "We Have Love for You" for singer Deniece Williams. This song was on her 1977 album, Songbird.

Al Johnson's Music Journey

Early Life and The Unifics

Al Johnson was born in Newport News, Virginia, in 1948. He went to Howard University in Washington, D.C.. While at college, he helped start a soul music group called the Unifics. Johnson was the lead singer for this group.

The Unifics had three popular songs in 1968 and 1969. These songs were released by the Kapp Records company. Their first hit, "Court of Love," reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It did even better on the R&B chart, reaching number 3. Their next song, "The Beginning of My End," reached number 36 on the Hot 100 and number 9 on the R&B chart.

Writing Songs for Others

Johnson continued to write songs for other artists in the 1970s. He wrote for singers like Lonette McKee and Tata Vega. He also wrote for Deniece Williams, as mentioned earlier.

In 1978, Johnson released his first solo album called Peaceful. He helped produce, arrange, and write songs for this album. It was released on a small record label called Marina.

Solo Success and Collaborations

In 1980, Johnson worked with jazz and soul producer Norman Connors. Together, they created Johnson's second solo album, Back For More. This album was released by Columbia Records. Before this, Johnson had sung on Norman Connors' album Invitation in 1979.

Back for More became popular, reaching number 48 on the Billboard Black Albums chart. The first song from the album, "I'm Back for More," was a duet with Jean Carn. It reached number 26 on the R&B chart. Another song, "I've Got My Second Wind," reached number 58.

Around this time, Johnson also wrote songs and played keyboards for recording sessions. He worked with a production team that made popular disco and soul albums. They worked with artists like Sharon Redd and Gayle Adams.

Later Years

In the 1990s, Johnson worked with the group The Whispers on several albums. In 1998, he released his last solo album, My Heart Is an Open Book. This album was for an independent record label called CLOUT Entertainment.

Johnson also brought The Unifics group back together with original member Tom Fauntleroy. They released a new album called Unifics Return in 2005. Al Johnson also toured with his own gospel music show.

Al Johnson passed away on October 26, 2013, when he was 65 years old.

Al Johnson's Albums

• Peaceful (1978)
• Back for More (1980)
• My Heart Is an Open Book (1998)

Al Johnson's Singles

• "Bless Your Little Sweet Soul" (1967)
• "Love Waits For No Man" (1967)
• "You Got to Make It for Yourself" (with Angela Coulter) (1972)
• "Skateboard Superman" (1976)
• "You're a Different Lady" (1980)
• "I'm Back for More" (with Jean Carn) (1980) - This song reached number 26 on the R&B chart.
• "I've Got My Second Wind" (1980) - This song reached number 58 on the R&B chart.