Chicago house legend Paul Johnson has died
House music has lost an all-time great
Chicago house legend Paul Johnson has died aged 50 after contracting COVID-19.
The Dance Mania mainstay was recently hospitalised in an intensive care unit, and has now tragically lost his battle with the virus. Paul Johnson's agent confirmed the news to Mixmag.
A post on his official Facebook page writes: "Our greatness passed away this morning at 9am the house music legend we all know as PJ aka PAUL JOHNSON has passed away in this day of AUGUST 4th 2021. Rest In Heaven Paul."
Born and raised in Chicago, Paul Johnson is one of the all-time greats of the house music genre.
The self-taught producer has been releasing music since the early 90s, putting out more than 100 albums, EPs and singles across his career, featuring on legendary labels such as Dance Mania, Peacefrog, Cajual, Relief Records and Djax-Up-Beats.
His 1999 single ‘Get Get Down’ was an international hit, topping US and Canadian Dance charts, and placing in the Top 10 of singles charts in the UK, Netherlands, France, Greece and Belgium.
The track is still regularly played in nightclubs more than two decades on from its release.
Albums such as his 1995 debut ‘Bump Talkin’ and 1996 follow-up LP ‘Feel The Music’ are house music classics, showcasing both his smooth and energetic take on the sound.
Johnson also co-founded the Dust Traxx label with Radek Hawryszczuk in 1997, which has released music from the likes of Stacey Kidd, Glenn Underground, Gene Hunt, Roberto Armani and Peven Everett.
He was paralysed from the waist down after being shot in 1987 and used a wheelchair. In 2003 he had his left leg amputated after being hospitalised in Chicago with severe pains in his lower extremities, and in 2010 he lost his right leg after a serious accident.
Johnson didn’t let his disability stop him from being an active club DJ and producer. He still toured the world to DJ in clubs, and his release schedule stayed regular from the start of his career through to 2021.
Patrick Hinton is Mixmag's Digital Editor, follow him on Twitter