The passing comes less than a week after the death of his brother and fellow musician Jimmy Johnson.
Chicago blues artist Syl Johnson has died at 85, less than a week after the death of his brother, fellow blues powerhouse Jimmy Johnson. “The world has lost two musical giants,” his family said in a statement Sunday. The Grammy-nominated singer made his name in the 1960s with hits including “Come On Sock It To Me” and “Is It Because I’m Black.” Decades after its 1967 release, Johnson’s song “Different Strokes” became a favorite of dance DJs and was sampled by rap artists including Run-DMC, Public Enemy, NWA, the Beastie Boys, the Wu-Tang Clan, and Jay Z and Kanye West.
