Syl Johnson dead at 85 – Different Strokes singer whose work appears in Kanye West and Wu-Tang Clan songs passes away
LEGENDARY soul singer Syl Johnson has died at 85, his family said Sunday.
The Different Strokes singer was known as one of the artists with the most sampled songs in hip-hop.
“A fiery, fierce, fighter, always standing for the pursuit of justice as it related to his music and sound, he will truly be missed by all who crossed his path,” read his family’s statement.
“His catalog and legacy will be remembered as impeccable and a historical blueprint to all who experience it.”
A cause of death for the Chicago singer has not been revealed.
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Just days ago, Johnson’s older brother and Hall of Fame inductee Jimmy Johnson passed away at 93.
Syl Johnson was known for 1960s hits including Come On Sock It To Me.
His 1967 song Different Strokes became one of the most sampled in hip hop music.
Elements of the song were found in music by Jay-Z, Tupac Shakur, the Wu-Tang Clan and Public Enemy, among others.
Johnson was born in Holly Springs, Mississippi, but moved to Chicago’s South Side as a teenager and started playing blues guitar.
He was named a Blues Hall of Fame inductee in 2019.
Johnson left the music business for a time in the 1980s and founded Solomons Fishery, a fried fish restaurant that later became a largely Chicago-area chain.
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