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Thread started 10/14/10 3:47pm

HuMpThAnG

R.I.P. General Johnson

General Norman Johnson,

lead singer of the soul vocal trio Chairmen of the Board,died Wednesday at age 67.

His group was best known for the song “Give Me Just a Little More Time,” a favorite of Carolina beach music and shag dancing aficionados. It’s a defining song of the Southern soul sub-genre.

The track climbed to No. 3 on the Billboard singles chart in 1970.

The group would release three more Top 40 hits in 1970,

but that was the end of the Chairmen’s chart run.

Johnson was born in Virginia but started his career in Raleigh, N.C., with another beach music phenomenon, the Showmen (“It Will Stand”), before relocating to Detroit in the late 1960s. The Chairmen of the Board came together there, but the group later flew south, where there was always demand for the singers who created beach music’s classics.

According to the Charolotte Observer, Johnson’s bandmate Ken Knox says that the band moved south in the early ’80s. Johnson settled in Atlanta, but Knox came to Charlotte, which is the headquarters of the group’s record label.

Though he’s probably best known for “Give Me Just a Little More Time,” Johnson won a Grammy for best R&B song in 1970 for writing Clarence Carter’s Top 5 hit “Patches,” a hard-luck tearjerker about growing up poor.

rose

[Edited 10/14/10 19:57pm]

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Reply #1 posted 10/14/10 4:15pm

Timmy84

rose

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Reply #2 posted 10/14/10 4:18pm

funkpill

rose

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Reply #3 posted 10/14/10 4:56pm

phunkdaddy

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Sad to hear about General Johnson.

Don't laugh at my funk
This funk is a serious joint
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Reply #4 posted 10/14/10 6:43pm

luv4u

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moderator

rose

canada

Ohh purple joy oh purple bliss oh purple rapture!
REAL MUSIC by REAL MUSICIANS - Prince
"I kind of wish there was a reason for Prince to make the site crash more" ~~ Ben
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Reply #5 posted 10/15/10 5:25am

pacey68

Absolute legend.... Salute the General R.I.P.

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Reply #6 posted 10/15/10 12:54pm

kibbles

HuMpThAnG said:

General Norman Johnson,

lead singer of the soul vocal trio Chairmen of the Board,died Wednesday at age 67.

His group was best known for the song “Give Me Just a Little More Time,” a favorite of Carolina beach music and shag dancing aficionados. It’s a defining song of the Southern soul sub-genre.

The track climbed to No. 3 on the Billboard singles chart in 1970.

The group would release three more Top 40 hits in 1970,

but that was the end of the Chairmen’s chart run.

Johnson was born in Virginia but started his career in Raleigh, N.C., with another beach music phenomenon, the Showmen (“It Will Stand”), before relocating to Detroit in the late 1960s. The Chairmen of the Board came together there, but the group later flew south, where there was always demand for the singers who created beach music’s classics.

According to the Charolotte Observer, Johnson’s bandmate Ken Knox says that the band moved south in the early ’80s. Johnson settled in Atlanta, but Knox came to Charlotte, which is the headquarters of the group’s record label.

Though he’s probably best known for “Give Me Just a Little More Time,” Johnson won a Grammy for best R&B song in 1970 for writing Clarence Carter’s Top 5 hit “Patches,” a hard-luck tearjerker about growing up poor.

rose

[Edited 10/14/10 19:57pm]

another piece of my early childhood slipping away. loved 'give me just a little more time' and i also remember 'patches'. it was later covered by a country singer, really appropriate given its subject matter - hard luck stories and country music go hand in hand!

i also remember 'pay to the piper' and 'chairman of the board'. man, reminds me of old los angeles, back in the early 70s . . . .

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Reply #7 posted 10/15/10 2:42pm

Timmy84

He was not only a great singer but he wrote great songs. He repped Virginia too. RIP.

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Reply #8 posted 10/15/10 3:39pm

PDogz

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"Give Me Just A Little More Time"

I remember "Give Me Just a Little More Time" since the days it played dozens of times a day on the radio back in the early 70's. Used to love that sound he made with his mouth after the line "...and our love will surely grow". The sad part, aside from the passing of General Johnson, is that I never gave any thought to who actually sang the song (...aside from it being "The Chairmen of The Board").

May General Johnson be resting peacefully.

rose

"There's Nothing That The Proper Attitude Won't Render Funkable!"

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Reply #9 posted 10/15/10 3:44pm

PDogz

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HuMpThAnG said:

Johnson won a Grammy for best R&B song in 1970 for writing Clarence Carter’s Top 5 hit “Patches,” a hard-luck tearjerker about growing up poor.

Boy, THAT's putting it mildly. "Patches" is so sad, I can hardly even listen to it today, lol. I remember back when that song used to play on the radio 20 times a day also. Sometimes (...like right now), I really-really miss the 70's.

"There's Nothing That The Proper Attitude Won't Render Funkable!"

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Reply #10 posted 10/16/10 9:58am

LoveIsTheMessa
ge

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Requiescat in pace, General J.

On the Org since 2005.

~ Formerly known as FuNkeNsteiN ~
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