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(The following article has been
furnished by Insight Talents)
Professional,
thorough and capable of appealing to audiences at attention, Chairmen
of the Board is one of the most captivating groups of today. Few have
survived the distance and time of General Johnson and the Chairmen of
the Board. From small town churches to the eastern seashore, from New
York City to L.A.'s Johnny Carson's Tonite Show, it has been a journey
that few artists make.
At the age of 6 in his home town of Norfolk, Virginia, General
Johnson began singing in church with
his father. By the age of 12, his group "The Humdingers" were
recording with Atlantic Records. But true luck would not hit until his
senior year of high school when General and his band "The Showmen"
were rewarded with a contract with Minit Records. This effort produced
five singles including It Will Stand,
a national anthem to beach music and also know as the International
theme of Rock & Roll, and the smash hit 39-21-40
Shape.
In 1968, General Johnson
began negotiating with Detroit based Invictus Records and legendary
writers/producers Holland-Dozier-Holland. By 1969, the Chairmen of the
Board were born.
The Chairmen's first release on Invictus was the million selling classic
Give Me Just a Little More Time
which was certified Gold by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association
of America) and made it to number 3 on the Billboard charts. This momentum
carried the next two releases, Everything's
Tuesday and Dangling
On A String, each to number 38. In 1970,
another General Johnson penned tune, Pay
To The Piper, has Danny Woods on lead
vocals and was their second best selling record.
General
Johnson has diversely affected and helped many other artists' careers.
His continued success as a writer naturally captured the attention of
various industry producers, managers, and major record companies who
were looking for "potential hits" for their clients. The magic
worked as Want Ads, Stick Up
and One Monkey Don't Stop No Show
were all million selling top charts hits for the group Honey Cone. In
1989, Want Ads was
also recorded and performed by Arista recording artist, Taylor Dane.
In 1970, General's multi-million seller and Grammy Award Winning Patches launched the career of
Clarence Carter and made it to number 4 on the Billboard charts. Patches
was also a major hit for country singer Jerry Reed. That same year brought
General his second Grammy nomination for writing Somebody's
Been Sleeping In My Bed which was recorded
by the group 100 Proof and later recorded again by the rock group Foghat.
General's talent for songwriting had penetrated every spectrum of the
music realm. In 1972, he was bestowed the honor of "R & B Songwriter
of the Year" award by BMI (Broadcasting Music, Incorporated).
As the second lead singer, Danny
Woods' charisma and energy has absolutely no limits. As General reflects
on finding Danny, "...we saw this guy jumping chairs and doing
back flips. (He had) all this energy and people (were) going crazy."
Danny, born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, moved to Detroit at the
age of 19 with the band "The Tears" looking for a deal in
the Motor-City. That band broke up and Danny had a successful single
act playing with such names as David Ruffin, Eddie Kendrix, Walter Jackson
and a band that was later to become Rare Earth. During this stint as
a single act, Danny was approached by an Invictus agent who introduced
him to General Johnson. As fate would have it, Invictus was forming
Chairmen of the Board and Danny became a permanent fixture.
In 1972, the latest addition to form the Chairmen of the Board was saxophone
player Ken Knox. Ken, born in Charleston, West Virginia, moved at an
early age and grew up in Detroit, Michigan. Listening to his brother
play the saxophone in band, Ken would eventually perfect this instrument
by sneaking an playing it while his brother was away. After playing
with several local groups, Ken found himself in the major league playing
with such national acts as Millie Jackson and The Detroit Emeralds.
It was while playing with The Emeralds that Ken was spotted by Chairmen
member Danny Woods and offered an audition. The missing link was mended.
The Chairmen of the Board have had considerable international success
in Europe and England where they toured 6 to 8 months a year from 1972
until 1975. They have had many audiences of standing room only with
sole out shows in such notable theaters as The Hammer-Smith Odeon Theater
in London, England, The Apollo Theater in New York City, The Uptown
in Philadelphia, The Warner in Washington, DC and Chastain Park in Atlanta,
Georgia.
They have also made numerous TV appearances in cluding Dick Clark's
"American Bandstand," Johnny Carson's "Tonite Show,"
Don Cornelious' "Soul Train," and "The David Frost Show"
and have shared the stage with such legends as BB King, Jackie Wilson,
The Isley Brothers, Earth Wind & Fire, Dion, The Four Tops, Nancy
Wilson, and the Spinners just to mention a few.
Due to changes in the music industry, both political and non-political,
in the late 1970's General moved Chairmen's headquarters to Charlotte,
NC, where he and business agent Mike Branch formed their own record
label, Surfside Records. This allowed General the freedom to write and
record the type of music that he loves and is relative to the culture
of the Carolinas. With the releases of On
The Beach, A
Piece of Candy, I'd
Rather be In Carolina, Loverboy,
and Carolina Girls,
Chairmen of the Board was on their way to being one of the top names
in the beach music scenario.
The Chairmen of the Board's popularity is still mounting today as they
carry approximately 250 touring dates a year and continue to release
such hits as Gone Fishin
and I Wanna Doop Doop Doop Your Doo Wop
She Doo Wop. Their album Alive
and Kickin has been one of their most nationally appealing records.
The Chairmen of the Board continue to be the masters they always were.
Covering all demographics from age 16 to 80, from the Black Tie Clubs
to the Country Folk, they are stunning in their ability to create audience
participation. For the veteran fan, a Chairmen show is an event culminating
in high energy, laughter, and even solemn moments of reality ... as
General walks you through Patches. Attracting repeat audiences continually,
their enthusiasm is contagious. Catch General
Johnson and the Chairmen of the Board.
If you haven't, it's a must!!!
For booking information, contact:
Surfside Records
1409 East Boulevard, Suite 231,
Charlotte, NC 28203
704.372.9918
(Tell 'em Betty B sent ya!)
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