A blue plaque has been unveiled to celebrate the life and achievements of Manchester singer Denise Johnson at her childhood home in Whalley Range.
Friends and family attended the ceremony, among them Manchester rap star OneDa, actress Flo Wilson and Happy Mondays singer Rowetta, both of whom had known her since they were children.
In a post to Facebook, Rowetta said: “Beautiful gathering today for the unveiling of Denise’s blue plaque. Big love and thanks to Karen Gabay for making this happen and doing so much for our community.
“Brought back so many memories, as I was rehoused just around the corner from here, in 1987. Beautiful memories when we were full of hope and we just loved to laugh and sing.”
Johnson was an intrinsic to the fabric of Manchester’s music scene in the late 80s, 90s and 2000s.
Had the immense honour of being invited to the unveiling of a blue plaque to commemorate the wonderful Denise Johnson
Wonderful initiative championed by @KazGabay @MDMArchive and @NubianJak to celebrate the criminally overlooked contribution of black artists to the city’s scene pic.twitter.com/JncOWsOdjf
— Even The Stars Music (@eventhestarsuk) August 19, 2024
She famously provided vocals on the seminal Screamadelica by Primal Scream, and toured with the band through the 90s, as well as performing with the likes of New Order, A Certain Ratio, Paul Weller, Ian Brown and Electronic, with Johnny Marr and the Pet Shop Boys.
She also fronted Manchester soul group Fifth of Heaven and released the solo accoustic album Where Does It Go in 2020.
Johnson died suddenly in July, 2020.
The move to install a plaque for Johnson has been led by historian and broadcaster Karen Gabay, in collaboration with the Nubian Jak Community Trust and the Manchester Digital Music Archive.
Karen said: “Denise Johnson’s vocals run deep through in the soundtracks of Manchrester music and the British music scene. Her vocals had a unique frequency that was loved by musicians and her fans alike.
“Let’s keep her legacy going, play her music loud, play it soft and treasure her contribution to elevating the musicians in the city of Manchester.”
Further plaques will be unveiled in the coming months for late singer Diane Charlemagne, and Rosetta Tharpe, dubbed the ‘godmother of rock and roll’ and who performed in Manchester for Granada TV in 1964.
It’s not the only tribute to Denise Johnson that can be seen around her old neighbourhood – street artist Akse P19 painted a mural of her on the side of the NIAMOS centre in Hulme in 2021.
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