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'{{BLP sources|date=September 2010}} {{Infobox musical artist |name = Louis Jagger Johnson |image = Louis_Johnson.jpg |caption = Louis Johnson in 1980 |image_size = |background = non_vocal_instrumentalist |birth_name = |Born = {{birth date and age|1955|4|13|}} |origin = Los Angeles, California, United States |occupation = [[Musician]], [[record producer]] |genre = [[Funk]], [[R&B]], [[Soul music|soul]], [[jazz]] |years_active = Early 1970s–present |label = [[A&M Records|A&M]], [[Capitol Records|Capitol]], [[Star Licks Productions]], [[Hal Leonard|Hal Leonard Publishing]] |website = }} '''Louis Johnson''' (born April 13, 1955, in [[Los Angeles, California]], United States) is an American [[bass guitar]]ist. Johnson is best known for his group [[The Brothers Johnson]] and his [[session musician|session playing]] on several hit albums of the 1970s and '80s including the "best selling album of all time" ''[[Thriller (album)|Thriller]]''.<ref name="Bogda">{{cite book|last1=Bogdanov|first1=Vladimir |last2=Woodstra|first2=Chris |last3=Erlewine|first3=Stephen Thomas |title=All music guide to soul: the definitive guide to R&B and soul|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=o552g5xRRiwC&pg=PA81&dq=%22Louis+Johnson%22+thriller&hl=en&ei=CZV-TOKGGIO78gam_-3fAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22Louis%20Johnson%22%20thriller&f=false|accessdate=1 September 2010|year=2003|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|isbn=0879307447, 9780879307448|pages=81–82}}</ref> His signature sound is from the [[Music Man StingRay]] bass which [[Leo Fender]] especially made for him to first use and promote, and from his [[slapping]] technique. == Biography == His work appears on many well-known records by prominent artists. Johnson played on [[Michael Jackson]]'s albums ''[[Off the Wall (album)|Off the Wall]]'', ''[[Thriller (album)|Thriller]]'' and ''[[Dangerous (Michael Jackson album)|Dangerous]]'', and hit songs "[[Billie Jean]]" and "[[Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough]]". He also played on [[George Benson]]'s ''[[R&B number-one hits of 1980 (USA)|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, he was nicknamed "Thunder-Thumbs"{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}}. Many [[slapping|slap bassists]] have been given the moniker, but Johnson was the original{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}}. His slap bass playing arrived soon after [[Larry Graham]] brought it into the mainstream{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}}, and both are considered the "grandfathers" of slap-bass playing.{{Citation needed|date=August 2009}} His slap bass lines figure prominently in his work with [[Stanley Clarke]] on the ''Time Exposure'' album, his work with [[Grover Washington, Jr.]] (''Hydra''), [[George Duke]] (''Guardian of the Light'', ''Thief in the Night''), [[Jeffrey Osborne]] (''Jeffrey Osborne'', and ''Stay with Me Tonight''). An excellent example of his thumb playing can be heard on the [[Earl Klugh]] song "Kiko"{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}}. Without any plucking at all, Johnson sets a complicated funky bass line using a combination of counterpoint slapping with right hand using right thumb, counterpoint with left hand middle finger as a mute tec., called a slap choke, thus creating a percussive sound like drums, adding to the bass notes. His style incorporates more funk plucks in combination with his thumping, which along with the Music Man StingRay sound gives a very funky, unique sound{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}}. He was the bassist on Earl Klugh's 1976 jazz/pop album "[[Living inside Your Love|Living Inside Your Love]]" and 1977 jazz/pop album "[[Finger Paintings]]", as well as [[Quincy Jones]]' 1975 ''Mellow Madness''. ==Collaboration== Louis Jagger Johnson has recorded and performed with the following artists ''(list in alphabetical order)'': <table class="wikitable" width="100%"> <tr> <td> *[[Andrae Crouch]] *[[Angela Bofill]] *[[Anita Baker]] *[[Aretha Franklin]] *[[Billy Preston]] *[[Bill Withers]] *[[Björk]] *[[The Carpenters]] *[[The Controllers (R&B band)|The Controllers]] *[[The Crusaders]] *[[Dave Grusin]] *[http://www.daviddiggs.com David Diggs] *[[Deniece Williams]] *[[Donna Summer]] *[[Modern soul|Donn Thomas]] *[[Earl Klugh]] *[[Gábor Szabó]] *[[George Benson]] *[[Gordy Records|Gene Van Buren]] *[[George Duke]] *[[Grover Washington, Jr.]] *[[Hannah Freidenberg]] *[[Harvey Mason]] *[[Herb Alpert]] *[[Herbie Hancock]] *[[Hiroshima (band)|Hiroshima]] *[[Irene Cara]] *[[The Jacksons]] *[[James Ingram]] *[[Jeffrey Osborne]] </td> <td> *[[John Mellencamp]] *Kent Jordan *[[Kenny Loggins]] *[[Lee Ritenour]] *[[Leon Haywood]] *[[Leslie Gore]] *[[Makoto Izumitani]] *[[Michael Jackson]] *[[Michael McDonald (singer)|Michael McDonald]] *[[Natalie Cole]] *[[Patti Austin]] *[[Paul McCartney]] *[[Peabo Bryson]] *[[Peggy Lee]] *[[Phil Collins]] *[[Pointer Sisters]] *[[Quincy Jones]] *[[A&M Records|Randy Badazz]] *[[Rene & Angela]] *[[The Ritz]] *[[Rufus (band)|Rufus]] *[[Sérgio Mendes]] *[[Side Effect]] *[[Sister Sledge]] *[[Stanley Clarke]] *[[Stevie Nicks]] *[[Stevie Wonder]] *[[Sweet Comfort Band]] *[[Temptations]] *[http://www.toshiki-kadomatsu.jp Toshiki Kadomatsu] *[[Vanity 6]] *[[The Brothers Johnson]] </td> </tr> </table> == Solo releases == {|class=wikitable |- ! Year ! Title ! Format ! Label ! Additional info |- | '''1981''' | ''Passage'' |Album |[[A&M Records|A&M]] |Gospel-directed album by this group, including Louis Johnson, Valerie Johnson (ex-wife) & former Brothers Johnson-percussionist/vocalist Richard Heath |- | '''1985''' |"Kinky"/"She's Bad" | Single | [[Capitol Records|Capitol]] | Europe-exclusive solo release by Louis Johnson |- | '''1985''' | ''Evolution'' |Album | [[Capitol Records|Capitol]] | Europe-exclusive solo release by Louis Johnson |- | '''1985''' |''Star Licks Master Sessions'' |VHS Video | [[Star Licks Productions]] | Louis Johnson instructional video re-issued on DVD by the [[Hal Leonard]] Company <ref>http://www.halleonard.com/hlFlashViewer.jsp?clookId=00320476&clFileName=louisjohnson.flv</ref> |} == References == {{Reflist}} {{The Brothers Johnson}} {{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] --> | NAME =Johnson, Louis | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =1955-04-13 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Louis}} [[Category:1955 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:African American musicians]] [[Category:American double-bassists]] [[Category:American bass guitarists]] [[Category:American funk bass guitarists]] [[Category:Double-bassists]] [[Category:American session musicians]] [[Category:American funk musicians]] [[Category:Grammy Award winners]] [[es:Louis Johnson]] [[fr:Louis Johnson]] [[it:Louis Johnson]] [[ja:ルイス・ジョンソン (ベーシスト)]]'