Louis Johnson (bassist)
| Louis Johnson | |
|---|---|
Johnson in 1980.
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| Background information | |
| Born |
April 13, 1955 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | May 21, 2015 (aged 60) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1973–2015 |
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Louis Johnson (April 13, 1955 – May 21, 2015) was an American musician and bass guitarist. Johnson was best known for his group The Brothers Johnson and his session playing on several hit albums of the 1970s and 1980s including the "best selling album of all time" Thriller. His signature sound was from the Music Man StingRay bass which Leo Fender especially made for him to first use and promote, and from his slapping technique. He is ranked number 38 on Bass Player magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Bass Players".
His work appears on many well-known records by prominent artists. Johnson played on Michael Jackson's albums Off the Wall, Thriller and Dangerous, and hit songs "Billie Jean" and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". He also played on George Benson's Give Me the Night. He was one of three bassists on Herb Alpert's 1979 album Rise, which included its top-10, Grammy-winning disco/jazz title-track. Due to his distinctive style, Johnson was nicknamed "Thunder-Thumbs". His slap bass playing arrived soon after Larry Graham brought it into the mainstream, and both are considered the "grandfathers" of slap-bass playing.
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