Derick Johnson aka Juneroy was brought up in a place called Wythenshawe in Manchester. His mum brought up five boys and a sister single handed.
His brothers Barry and Keith inspired him to follow in their musical footsteps. His brother Barry went on a TV programme called New Faces so exciting to watch his brother on the television. They won the first leg of it.
It was a band called Sweet Sensation, a song called Sad Sweet Dreamer. Derick was so proud of his brother Barry and Keith and from that, they got a deal with Pye records and the song was written by Tony Hatch and they ended up on Top of the Pops.
This was a big hit and that is where Derick wanted to become a musician. Barry was going on tour and he used to borrow the bass, his brother said when I get back if you can play something I will give you my 1974 Fender Jazz Bass.
So for two weeks he played and played, his fingers were raw, but he learned a lot of songs and when his brother Barry came back he asked him ‘…how did you get on with the bass?…’ he lied to him and replied, ‘…I tried but I cant really do anything on it, but I will show you what I can do…’ so he picked up the bass and started playing rubbish on purpose. He looked at him and and was so disappointed, he then started playing properly.
The first song he played was Long Train Running by The Doobie Brothers, this was around 1973. His head shot round as then he started playing Tower of Power and he thought this kid has got it!
That was when Derick got into the bass and his brother actually gave him the instrument. He didn’t think Derick would learn to play but now he had lost his bass. He needed it but he would never let Derick down.
On reflection had Derick known how sought after this bass become and what the value would be, he might not have done a swap with his brother he joked.
His brother needed it so he went out and bought Derick a Fender music master bass it had a smaller body and neck. So they swapped the basses around. this was 1974 he was only nine. But this is where it all started for Derick.
So he studied and studied. He wanted to become the best bass player in the world. He used to meet his mum in Manchester and while he was there he used to go to A1 music shop and used to dream of playing. It was run by a woman called Ann. He would go in there and play bass for an hour.
Ann would never bother him, any other kids who came there, she would chase them off. Maybe she could hear that Derick could actually play? or one day he would come and buy an instrument which is exactly what did happen.
One day, while he was in the shop he met a guy called Des Issacs, he was listening to Derick play the bass and asked if he played in a band. He was a keyboard player. this is where the band started off because Des knew a guitarist and Derick knew a drummer Tony Thompson and Des asked Tony Henry the guitarist, so they all got together, in a pub called the Grenadine in Manchester, and from there, they got support gigs. The first ever gig was at The Ritz.
Des decided to go back to Blackley to get his boots at 7pm but they were on at 7.30 so that was never going to happen. Des went, so they ended up going on stage without a key board player.
They were called Mind Space and Time to begin with, Derick decided he was going to form a band with a better name and get them to America, so he came up with the name 52nd Street. They found a new keyboard player called John Dennison.
They did more gigs and they went on to get their own gig at Band on the Wall. Which was really successful because Tony Wilson from Factory records came to see them and Tony thought there was something there, and that is where 52nd street were signed up with Factory records.
They then got support with New Order, 1981 first ever gig supporting this band at the National ballroom in London.
Their first single was Look into my Eyes and Express. Tony Wilson got them on Granada TV because they used to have bands on in 1981. Cool as Ice was the next and it became a big hit. It got played in America. They loved it and they ended up doing a tour in the USA. This was 14th May 1982.
Cool as Ice was massive in America.
As things developed and whilst in America he met Bobby Brown among others. They got a lot of love in New York.
Derick also worked in The Hacienda, a famous club in Manchester, where the journey developed even more. He joined a band called Swing out Sister as they wanted a bass player, that is where Derick played with them for the next 30 years or so. This is how he met Corrine Drewery. Some years later and also alongside and during that time he joined Just Jack and played with them. All leading him to tour in Japan and the Philappines with various bands.
Also a few years later he played with Just Jack he was the bass player with them and that is when Stars in their eyes was released amongst many others.
He had also been a drum tech for New Order and The Charlatans, Johnny Brooks and Steve Morris.
His mum is a great influence in he and his families lives, she put up with those boys, not only was Barry a musician, three of his other brothers were musicians and she had to put up with banging on the floor, as they practiced, their mum would be downstairs. their mum never complained once. She believed in her boys that they would do something amazing. Always supporting of the family. She is so proud and she worked so hard to buy them instruments.
The rest is history.
That is how Derick Johnson started on his musical journey!
Derick Johnson
Playing with the band during lockdown
Swing out sister
Written by Julie Modla
