Syl Johnson

Syl Johnson
Johnson at the 1997 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Born	Sylvester Thompson (1936-07-01)July 1, 1936 Holly Springs, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	February 6, 2022(2022-02-06) (aged 85) Mableton, Georgia, U.S.
Occupations	Musician singer songwriter record producer
Years active	1959–2022
Children	Syleena Johnson (daughter)
Relatives	Jimmy Johnson (brother)
Musical career
Genres	R&B blues
Instruments	Vocals guitar harmonica
Labels	Federal Twilight/Twinight Hi Boardwalk Delmark Hep-Me Evangeline
Musical artist

Sylvester Johnson (born Sylvester Thompson; July 1, 1936 – February 6, 2022) was an American blues and soul singer, musician, songwriter and record producer. His most successful records included "Different Strokes" (1967), "Is It Because I'm Black" (1969) later covered by reggae artists Ken Boothe and Delroy Wilson, and "Take Me to the River" (1975), covered by Al Green and Talking Heads.