On Saturday 31 July a very special celebration of the life and work of singer Denise Johnson will be taking place at Gorilla, Manchester. Remembering Denise falls on what would have been her 58th birthday and has been organised by her close friend Sue Langford.
Denise was well-loved by everyone who met and knew her. Renowned for her angelic, soulful vocals, Denise was a Manchester singing legend who appeared on many classic tracks over the past four decades and released three independent singles. Her posthumous album ‘Where Does it Go’ was released in September 2020.
Remembering Denise will feature a special live set from A Certain Ratio, the Manchester band Denise sang with for over 25 years. There will also be performances by Tom Chapman and Phil Cunningham (New Order / Sea Fever), Elliot Barlow (Sea Fever), Ellen Beth Abdi, Heavyload, Space Monkeys and more artists TBC. Guest DJs include Tin Tin and John Locke. There will be plenty of love in the room with tributes, messages and audiovisual presentations.
Sue Langford said: “I wanted to put something together last year, as a celebration of Denise’s life, but due to Covid, we decided to postpone it until her 58th birthday this Saturday. I couldn’t have done it without Elliot Eastwick, who did so much last summer, and Jay Taylor, who has helped me put the event together. The musicians and DJs taking part have all been brilliant too. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate her life than live music and tributes from the people she chose to work with. We’re so pleased that we can help the Music Venues Trust with the proceeds.”
