Book of Condolence Thread

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RIP Denise Johnson.







Regards,
FWD.
 
Manchester Music legend CP Lee sadly died on Saturday. A mind full of information about all things music, especially in Manchester. A musician, academic, and author. His books on Dylan were highly regarded.
 
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RIP Denise Johnson.







Regards,
FWD.


Really Shocked by this, she was really well known around Manchester. As well as her work with Primal Scream, she sang backing vocals for a number of other bands and appeared on New Orders last 3 albums.
 
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Really Shocked by this, she was really well known around Manchester. A well as her work with Primal Scream, she sang backing vocals for a number of other bands and appeared on New Orders last 3 albums.

Ah, this is incredibly sad, just weeks before her first solo album was due to come out. RIP.
 
Denise Johnson belting out There Is A Light, a capella.


That was f***ing beautiful. Thank You for posting; í'd never seen that before. Love the Manc inflections on 'double decker bus' amongst the Soul.

53 is no age to go. A terrible loss. Where does all that energy go? All that passion and vitality? Can it just stop and vanish? í don't want to get all Sting about it, but í just can't see that it simply ceases.

'Rest in Power', as the kids seem to say these days.

Incidentally, not that it matters in the overall scheme, but both 'NME' and 'The Guardian' have printed pictures of Denise Johnson that are not Denise Johnson in their 'tributes'. In 'The Guardian' case, they replaced the first wrong photograph, with another wrong photograph. Third time lucky lads? Both are blaming agency mis-labelling, clerical error Etc. Cos of course it couldn't possibly be due to racism...? :unsure:

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She also sang with Electronic on a few tracks, this version of Second Nature also had Jimi Goodwin from Doves on bass.

 
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Wow amazing.

Great to see her support of Morrissey in 2017.

Brave.


Sad loss.
I didn't know Denise Johnson once supported Morrissey in 2017. Do you mean Denise Johnson was Morrissey's 'support act' at a concert or do you mean she was 'supportive' of Morrissey in a more general sense?

This surprises me because I thought she seemed to not like Morrissey very much. Denise Johnson's politics seemed to be quite left-wing judging by what she wrote on her official Twitter page: https://twitter.com/TheDJohnsonR3AL?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author

Denise Johnson was a spirited presence on Twitter, commenting on politics and live-tweeting her thoughts on the BBC’s "Top of the Pops" reruns probably on BBC 4.

I saw Denise Johnson as being part of Tony Wilson's "Factory Records" crowd as she sang with the band "A Certain Ratio" (ACR) which were signed to the "Factory" label.

Denise Johnson sang with "A Certain Ratio" (ACR) at "Réification: the Tony Wilson Experience" event in Manchester at the "Urbis" (which was an exhibition space and museum) held on Saturday-Sunday 21st-22nd June 2008 it was a 24-hour event! "Urbis" closed in February 2010 for conversion to the "National Football Museum".

"A Certain Ratio" (ACR) band:


Denise Johnson was very much part of Manchester's indie music scene!

Denise Johnson supported the Manchester Versus Cancer charity. Denise Johnson sang at the second big Versus Cancer charity concert on 30th March 2007 at the "MEN Arena" now known as the "Manchester Arena":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versus_Cancer

Manchester Versus Cancer was founded in 2005 by Andy Rourke, Nova Rehman (his manager at the time), Tom Smetham a former ITV Granada Television producer and Stephen Chapman a former ITV News journalist. It is now known simply as 'Versus Cancer'.

Denise Johnson knew both Johnny Marr and Bernard Sumner and I think she sang backing vocals on some of their "Electronic" albums.

"Electronic" (band):


Denise Johnson has also worked with New Order, the Pet Shop Boys, Ian Brown, Bernard Butler, the late Michael Hutchence and many others!

I met Denise Johnson very briefly by chance once in Manchester at a Smiths event the "Inside The Smiths" DVD première at "TV21" which is a bar/music venue around the bohemian 'Northern Quarter' in Manchester's city centre she was with her friend Nova Rehman (who was Andy Rourke's manager at the time). I was too shy to ask her if she was the Denise Johnson. What I said to her was "I think I have seen your before"? This was true because I had seen her on stage before but not in person. Denise Johnson said that she hadn't seen me before. Then her friend Nova Rehman backed her up saying that I hadn't seen her before. So that was it! I guess that if Nova Rehman had been a nice polite gentleman and friendly he would of properly introduced me to his friend Denise Johnson sensing that I was shy, nervous and awkward. Nova Rehman came across as cold, condescending, standoffish, a bit rude and arrogant towards me that night, but he seemed to get on really well with Denise Johnson. I totally messed up the one and only time I met Denise Johnson! :cry: Sadly, I will never get the opportunity to meet Denise Johnson ever again now.

I wish that I had, had a proper conversation with Denise Johnson and talked to her about her singing or just her life in general. I think that she had a good voice. I wish I had told Denise Johnson how much I liked her portrayal of Mary (mother of Lord Jesus Christ) at the Manchester Passion Play in 2006. I wonder if Denise Johnson was a Christian? I met Nova Rehman a couple of times after that but sadly he was more than just cold, condescending, standoffish, a bit rude and arrogant towards me he turned out to be a bully and was really obnoxious and was threatening and seemed hard and intimidating. :cry: I explained to Nova privately that I have been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome but it didn't make any difference he still hated me and he didn't seem to care that I have Asperger's. The pure hatred, contempt and disdain that Nova Rehman has for me is very strong. I feel sorry for him but I'm still frightened of him. I guess that he wants to have power and control over other people. I have forgiven him for what he did to me and I pray for him.

I personally think that Denise Johnson had a better singing voice than Rowetta. Rowetta doesn't seem to like Morrissey at all. Rowetta was a bit rude to me when I met her.

This is sad news and I was shocked to hear that Denise Johnson had died so suddenly and unexpectedly at the relatively young age of 56. Denise Johnson was born in Manchester on 31st July 1963 and was raised in the suburb of Hulme. It would of been her birthday soon on 31st July! Her mother was Jamaican. My heart goes out to her family, friends and fans. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

Denise Johnson was about to release her debut solo acoustic album "Where Does It Go". She has a Smiths cover on her debut album called "Well I Wonder"?

After watching Denise Johnson perform with "Hypnotone" at Danny Rampling’s Shoom club night, the band "Primal Scream" asked her to sing with them. I remember seeing Denise Johnson interviewed in a documentary about the band "Primal Scream" on BBC 4 called "Primal Scream: The Lost Memphis Tapes" in 2018. They go back to Memphis, Tennessee to revisit the lost recordings:




Denise Johnson was probably best-known for handling lead vocals on one of the standout tracks from Primal Scream's "Screamadelica" (classic album), "Don't Fight It, Feel It".

"Primal Scream" (band):


I saw Denise Johnson sing live when she played the part of Mary (the mother of Lord Jesus Christ) in the live outdoor Manchester Passion Play in 2006 in Manchester city centre which was on BBC Three. It was great to hear her lovely singing voice up close:




Denise Johnson was also in the soul group "Fifth of Heaven".

I think that Denise Johnson was 'discovered'? by the American soul band "Maze" founded by Frankie Beverly in Philadelphia in 1970:


Frankie Beverly's Wikipedia page:


Denise Johnson photographed with her friend Nova Rehman having a joke at the "Inside The Smiths" DVD première event held at 'TV21' in Manchester Sunday 15th July 2007:

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I didn't know Denise Johnson once supported Morrissey in 2017. Denise Johnson was Morrissey's support act or do you mean she was supportive of Morrissey in a more general sense?

This surprises me because I thought she seemed to not like Morrissey very much. Denise Johnson's politics seemed to be quite left-wing when I was reading her Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDJohnsonR3AL?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author

snip...
I believe it's her appearance at The Institute For The Deaf: "A City United" (June 4, 2017) - where the A cappella was filmed is her showing support rather than ever being support.
Regards,
FWD.
 
I believe it's her appearance at The Institute For The Deaf: "A City United" (June 4, 2017) - where the A cappella was filmed is her showing support rather than ever being support.
Regards,
FWD.
Thank you for clearing that up Denise Johnson was supportive of Morrissey. I wasn't sure what Ketamine Sun meant at first.
 
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Manchester Music legend CP Lee sadly died on Saturday. A mind full of information about all things music, especially in Manchester. A musician, academic, and author. His books on Dylan were highly regarded.
I have not heard of CP Lee before. He sounded like he was an interesting and intelligent guy. He died at 70 years old so he just about got his three-score years and ten.

Bob Dylan is a great artist.

 
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Very sad news about the death of Peter Green he was a total legend a genius musician, guitarist, songwriter, singer and a very humble down to earth person. Peter Green was actually the only founder of Feetwood Mac in the beginning when it was called Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac.

Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac "Need Your Love So Bad":




Peter Green "A Fool No More":




Peter Green I've Got A Mind To Give Up Living/ All Over Again:




Peter Green THE Founder of Peter Green's "Fleetwood Mac" dead at 73:




Peter Green:


In the 1960s there was Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, John Mayall, Peter Green, Jeff Beck and many other great rhythm & blues guitarists like B.B. King, Freddie King and Albert King. There was a good British group in the 1960s called "The Graham Bond Organisation".

These days Peter Green seems to get put with Syd Barrett (co-founder of 'Pink Floyd'), Roky Erickson (founding member of the '13th Floor Elevators' and a pioneer of the psychedelic rock genre), and "Skip" Spence (co-founder of 'Moby Grape') because of what happened to him after he took LSD, but really Peter Green had more in common musically with Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, John Mayall and B.B. King! Sadly, there have been many drug casualties in the music industry over the years look at what happened to Lemmy he died aged 70 in the end. Brian Wilson from "The Beach Boys" is thankfully still alive.

What a year this has been we lost Little Richard he was 87 years old when he died. I loved Morrissey's tributes to Little Richard! I was too upset at the time to comment on Little Richard's death. Since then there was the death of Vera Lynn she was 103 years old. Then Benjamin Keough Elvis Presley's grandson died tragically at just 27. Now Peter Green has died at 73.
 
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I have not heard of CP Lee before. He sounded like he was an interesting and intelligent guy. He died at 70 years old so he just about got his three-score years and ten. Bob Dylan is a great artist.


He was. Try doing a pub quiz with him in another team! Believe me, he knew everything.

He part set up the vast MDM archive which can be found online. Spending time on that website is like time travel for me.
 
He was. Try doing a pub quiz with him in another team! Believe me, he knew everything.

He part set up the vast MDM archive which can be found online. Spending time on that website is like time travel for me.
Interesting that CP Lee was involved with the MDM archive.


This is the singer Denise Johnson being interviewed for the "Manchester Digital Music Archive":




 
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Interesting that CP Lee was involved with the MDM archive.


This is the singer Denise Johnson being interviewed for the "Manchester Digital Music Archive":






Really interesting interview, didn't know Johnny Marr played guitar on her first single.
 
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