Side Effect main man Augie Johnson dies

Musician and singer Augie Johnson of the band Side Effect died on Friday October 10th. He was 66.

Side Effect came out of Los Angeles, formed by Johnson and friends in 1972, and enjoyed a successful ten year period. The band gave rise to subsequently successful solo careers for singers Sylvia St. James, Miki Howard and Helen Baylor. Their infectious, vocal jazz funk grooves were laden with vocal harmonies and brass.

They scored a minor hit with Ronnie Laws’ ‘Always There’ many years before British Band Incognito’s pop hit version. Augie also worked as producer with British band Light Of The World on their 1980 album ‘Round Trip’.

Johnson had two children with singer Miki Howard. Earlier this year there was controversy over allegations that one, singer Brandon ‘B’ Howard, was allegedly the love child of Michael Jackson. 

'Brandon is one of those wannabe Michael Jackson kids - his whole life. He loved Michael so much’, Johnson said of the controversy. “I KNOW Brandon's my son”

Details of Johnson’s death are unclear, but his girlfriend said he was feeling unwell and went to bed. She found his body the following morning.

Side Effect had recently been reformed as ‘Augie’s Side Effect’ releasing an album in 2010 called ‘About Time’, sounding very much in the vein of the classic recordings.

Side Effect performing 'Always There' on Soul Train: