A legend of Chicago Soul and Blues has left us. Sly Johnson, who was 85, died Sunday, just days after his brother and musician Jimmy Johnson died at 93. Sly's family did not go into the details of his death, giving this statement to fans,

"A fiery, fierce, fighter, always standing for the pursuit of justice as it related to his music and sound, he will truly be missed by all who crossed his path. His catalog and legacy will be remembered as impeccable and a historical blueprint to all who experience it."

Johnson's biggest hits included Different Strokes and Come On Sock It To Me, though many younger music lovers would recognize his music through the world of Hip-Hop, where Different Strokes became one of the most sampled songs ever. WhoSampled has a list of more than 300 times his work has been sampled. Artists like Public Enemy, Tupac Shakur, Jay-Z, Wu-Tang Clan, Erik B & Rakim, and Kanye West have all brought his music to the forefront of Hip-Hop. 

Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2019, Sly Johnson's influence on the genre is one of the most far reaching in the industry. His family added this about the beloved musician,

"One of the most sampled artists of our time, his music served as the soundtrack for some of our most poignant moments in history."

Truer words... 

Sly Johnson, originally from Mississippi, moved to Chicago in his youth to pursue a career in music as a Blues guitarist. Decades later his work was compiled into a box set called Complete Mythology and a documentary about him was released in 2016 titled Sly Johnson: Any Way the Wind Blows.

The legacy of Sly Johnson's work will live on through the artists his body of work so greatly influenced.

Tags: Sly Johnson Jay-Z Wu-Tang Clan Kanye West