News
Don Johnson: 1949 - 2008
Rob Hughes May 6 2008, 11:37am
Musical Merchandise Review editor loses 18-month battle with cancer
Musical Merchandise Review has announced that its editor of 25 years, Don Johnson, has passed away following an 18-month battle with cancer.
In the statement, MMR reported that Johnson continued to work even in the final stages of his illness and recently travelled to the Frankfurt Musikmesse. During his last days he responded to a colleague's question of how he was going to deliver copy from home with: "it'll work". As a patient, he tested several experimental drugs with the unexpressed hope that it would produce a brighter outlook for others with the disease. Johnson’s publication – which developed a broad international readership under his stewardship – notes that following his diagnosis the editor “yielded no ground and faced the ultimate finality with courage, dignity and a tinge of humour.”
A native of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Johnson majored in Journalism at Ohio University where he graduated cum laude and soon thereafter followed his love of literature to the Boston area, where he gained some valuable retail experience managing a local bookshop. His career turned to writing for a local weekly newspaper and ultimately to the Larkin Group, where he became a staff writer and later editor of Music Retailer, a magazine for the record industry. When Musical Merchandise Review was acquired in 1981, He made a seamless transition into the music products arena and continued as editor when MMR and its sister publications were acquired by the Zapis Capitol Group and renamed Symphony Publishing in 2004.
Johnson leaves behind his wife, Charlene, whom he met while working at the publishing company, and daughters, Hilary and Rosie. In keeping with Don's wishes his remains will be cremated and no formal service will be held. A more complete retrospective of his life will be published in the June issue of MMR, and the magazine welcomes comments and recollections of Don's life from his industry friends.
mmrmagazine.com
