Puff Johnson
| Puff Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ewanya Johnson |
| Born |
December 10, 1972 Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Died | June 24, 2013 (aged 40) |
| Genres | R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
Ewanya Johnson (December 10, 1972 – June 24, 2013) better known as Puff Johnson, was an American R&B singer-songwriter.
Life and career
Ewanya Johnson was born in Detroit, Michigan and raised in Los Angeles, California.[1]
She emerged on the music scene in 1996 with her first single "Forever More", produced by Narada Michael Walden and written by Walden, Puff Johnson and S.J. Dakota. It achieved its biggest success in New Zealand where it reached No. 5. Another single, "Over and Over", also from 1996, was a hit in Europe and Australia reaching the Top 20 in both continents. It appeared on the soundtrack of the film The First Wives Club. Both singles were released on the Work label.
She released her first and critically acclaimed album, Miracle, in 1996. The album was produced by Randy Jackson of American Idol fame, and was certified silver in the UK. Towards the end of the year Miracle reached the Top 40 in the Netherlands, and the single "Over and Over" hit the Top 20. She also collaborated with the Bay Area-based R&B group, Somethin' for the People, with Tupac Shakur on his song, "Me Against the World", which was featured on the Bad Boys movie soundtrack and appeared on his album Me Against The World.
In 1997, Johnson toured Europe as an opening act for Michael Jackson and 3T. She did not release any further material and slipped out of the limelight. However, Johnson was listed as a co-writer of three tracks of the 2005 album A Change Is Gonna Come by U.S. singer Leela James ("Good Time" along with Gordon Williams, James herself and Kenton Nix, "When You Love Somebody" with Gordon and James, and "Prayer" alongside Chucky Thompson and James).
Johnson lived in South Africa since January 2009, following her concert in Johannesburg. She attributed her decision to relocate to South Africa to the friendly and warm people that she had met throughout her journey in the country.
Johnson died of cervical cancer on June 24, 2013 at the age of 40.[2]
Discography
Albums
1996: Miracle
Singles
| Year | Title | Album | US Pop[1] | US R&B | UK[3] | AU | NL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "Forever More" | Miracle | 63 | 31 | 29 | 29 | - |
| "All over Your Face" | - | 57 | - | - | - | ||
| "Over and Over" | The First Wives Club: Music From The Motion Picture | 118 | 114 | 20 | 29 | 20 |
Other recorded songs
| Title | Year | Album | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| "What Child Is This" | 1994 | Joyful Christmas |
|
| "Someday We'll All Be Free" | 1995 | The Promised Land |
|
| "Feel So Good" | 1997 | This Time It's Personal |
|
References
- 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955-2002 (1st ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
- ↑ "Puff Johnson succumbs to a battle with cervical cancer". Sowetan LIVE. 1972-12-10. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
- ↑ Roberts, David (2003). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 287. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.