George E. Johnson has died
| George E. Johnson has died |
By Frederick H. Lowe George E. Johnson, co-founder of Johnson Products Company, a businessman who turned an initial rejection into a multimillion-dollar business, died Monday, his family announced. He was 99 years old Mr. Johnson created the “Soft Sheen” and “Afro Sheen” hair care product lines for Black men and women, a market largely ignored by White companies until they realized how much money could be made. I was a reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times when I wrote an article about Mr. Johnson and his first wife, Joan Johnson, who were divorcing. I wrote that Joan Johnson forced him out of the company. She hadn’t. Later, I learned that Mr. Johnson was very upset about the large amount of money Ivac Corp., the firm that would eventually buy Johnson Products, was offering for the business. He came into the Sun-Times and met with me, telling me, which I already knew, that there was a mistake. The meeting was cordial. My editor was nervous because Mr. Johnson never looked at him or even acknowledged his presence. The Sun-Times published a big correction. They couple married in May 1950 and co‑founded Johnson Products Company in 1954, starting with $500 in combined capital. Some say it was $250. Together, they built the company into one of the largest African American‑owned businesses in the U.S., creating iconic products like Ultra Wave (a hair relaxer for men) and later Ultra Sheen and Afro Sheen. Johnson Products was one of the first Black-owned companies traded on the American Stock Exchange later the New York Stock Exchange. It also attempted to market its products in Africa. Over many decades, the company weathered changes in hairstyles and stiff competition from larger companies like Revlon and Avon that later tried to capitalize on Black hairstyles. Johnson Products always stood out, though, because they were a devoted sponsor of the popular Soul Train TV show hosted by Don Cornelius, and they also supported various philanthropic efforts benefiting urban communities. As they got older, George and Joan passed the company on to their son, Eric, who served as CEO of the company until he sold it in 1993 to the Ivax Corporation, which already had an existing line of skin care products that targeted Black customers. The deal, however, was openly criticized by many because the sale was made to a company that was not Black-owned. After divorcing Joan in 1989, George Johnson lived outside the country. He gave me his telephone number, where I could reach him. At the time, he was living with a French woman. And I talked to him from time to time. Joan died at 89 in 2019. Later, Johnson married Madeline Murphy Rabb in March 2022. Johnson had been a widower for three years at the time of their wedding. When I moved to Chicago, the wealthiest Black men were all named Johnson: John Johnson, founder of Ebony and Jet magazines; Al Johnson, owner of a Cadillac franchise; and George Johnson. |