Top 10 Things You Might Have Not Known About The Iconic Musician Johnny Clegg #RestInPeace
Top 10 Things You Might Have Not Known About The Iconic Musician Johnny Clegg #RestInPeace – Johnny Clegg is a famous South African musician who has died and made an impact in SA through his music.
The man affectionately known as the ‘White Zulu’ continued to entertain audiences all over the world, and we can proudly look back over a colourful career that was never short of inspiration and enthusiasm.
- The prominent musician was as South African as they come, although it will be a surprise to many to note that he was actually born in Lancashire, England on June 7, 1953. He relocated with his family when he was six months old, settling in Zimbabwe at first, prior to a short stint in Zambia and then his family came to South Africa.
2. Clegg rose to stardom in his homeland in the 1970s following the establishment of the multiracial band Juluka with Sipho Mchunu. The duo recorded seven albums, two of which went platinum, five others were gold.
3. The Mzansi artist was honoured with the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) on June 13, 2015. The order rewards and acknowledges individuals who have served in fields such as in the arts and public service. Clegg was honoured by Queen Elizabeth,
4. Well, Johnny Clegg’s talent and passion for music rubbed off on his son, Jesse Clegg, who has gone on to cultivate success as a rock musician on the South African music scene, receiving two SA Music Award nominations for his debut album in 2008, titled When I Wake Up. Music is certainly in his blood, as his Zimbabwean-born mother was a cabaret and jazz singer.
5. When you date back In 1986, Clegg launched his second group, Savuka. The music band was nominated for Best World Music Album at the 1993 Grammy Awards. The group did not stand the test of time and soon separated. In their limited union, Savuka sold nearly two million albums. Despite the reunion of Juluka in the 1990s, Clegg focused on elevating his brand as a solo artist.
6. Well, we believe, although we stand corrected that, Clegg’s Most prominent Work Was His Song: ‘Scatterlings of Africa’ in which he emancipated as part of Juluka. The song would surface on the soundtrack to the 1988 Oscar-winning motion picture, “Rain Man,” although, it was the Savuka version that could be heard in the movie.
7. The veteran, Johnny Clegg, has performed in all four of Nelson Mandela’s 46664 Aids Awareness Concerts in both South Africa and in Norway, revealing his underpinning for the former South African president’s charity, and pledging his own benevolent ways by persistently allocating time to give back through his music to the concerts that Madiba would scheduale.
8. He will be remembered for his philopatric works in regards to charity and social justice and he has previously assisted organisations such as the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), which works to help those with multi-drug resistant TB.
9. Johnny Clegg was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the year 2015, although, he was persistent with his tour and went on to perform circulated the world. The South African singer, Johnny Clegg has died at the age of 66 following a long battle with pancreatic cancer, on Tuesday, 16th of July 2019.
Clegg said in a 2017 interview that his cancer diagnosis left him “another parallel world that I work in with my diagnosis. Pancreatic [cancer] is lethal. There’s no way out of it.”
10. In addition to Jesse, Clegg is survived by his wife Jenny, and his other son, Jaron.
Written by: Aphiwe Theodorah Mvinjelwa
