Deaths: King of Beach Music Back in 2010-- General Norman Johnson-- Part 1

I originally started this in this blog post back on October 25, 2010, but didn't get back to it, so will finish it now. I listen to 94.9 FM, the Surf, out of North Myrtle Beach, SC, a lot in the mornings when I am doing these blogs and they play a lot of the General's music along with his band, Chairmen of the Board, still one of the biggest groups on the Beach Music scene. Plus, Bob Stroud always plays a part of his "It Will Stand" on his Rock and Roll Roots Show intro every Sunday on Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM, The Drive.

The Surf is playing "Gone Fishing" by the Chairman of the Board at this very moment. Plus, I was lucky enough to see the band play several times.

From Wikipedia.

GENERAL NORMAN JOHNSON (MAY 23, 1941-OCTOBER 13, 2010)

Frontman of Chairmen of the Board and was with the group Showmen when they hit it big with "It Will Stand" in 1961. The Showmen recorded for Minit and Swan Records. They also had a hit with "34-21-46." The Showmen split up in 1968.

After that, General Johnson went to Detroit and signed with Motown's Invictus Records and formed a new group, Chairmen of the Board, and had a huge hit with "Give Me Just a Little More Time." Other hits for the group were "Pay to the Piper," "Dangling On a String" and "Everything's Tuesday."

An accomplished writer, he also wrote "Patches" for Clarence Clemmons and was the house writer for the Honeycombs with his "Want Ads," "Stick Up" and "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show." "Bring the Boys Home" by Freda Payne was also one of his songs.

In the 1980s, he got into the Beach Music scene and scored many hits in that genre.