Gary Johnson, the bass player with 80s pop band China Crisis, has died peacefully at the age of 61. The news was confirmed by his younger sister Jan Hughes in a comment on a China Crisis fan page on Facebook.
Family confirmation and tributes
In her post, Hughes wrote: "Gazza was my elder brother. He passed peacefully today at 12:05 with his wife Jopie by his side. Lovely to see some lovey comments about him, and him being such a talented bass player. Remember him getting his first guitar and learning to play it in his bedroom as a teenager. Sad day for all. Sleep tight bruv."
No cause of death was revealed.
Career highlights
Before joining China Crisis, Johnson was a member of Liverpudlian New Wave band Hambi & the Dance, who released the album Heartache in 1982. He then played with China Crisis between 1983 and 1989, and rejoined them for a period in 1995.
Alongside bandmates Gary Daly, Eddie Lundon and Kevin Wilkinson, Johnson saw 10 singles enter the UK Top 50 chart, with five reaching the Top 40. Their most famous hit, Wishful Thinking, from the second studio album Working with Fire and Steel – Possible Pop Songs Volume Two, peaked at No. 9 in 1984.
Later years and musical legacy
Johnson maintained a close bond with frontman Gary Daly and provided bass tracks for Daly's debut solo studio album, Gone from Here, released in May 2019.
He remained deeply embedded in the Merseyside music community, regularly performing live sets around Liverpool in his later years, including at The Big House (Yates's Wine Lodge on Moorfields) as part of a long-standing Sunday live music tradition.
Tributes flooded in on Facebook. One friend wrote: "I am so sorry to hear this news. It's a long time since I last saw Gazza but I only have great memories of those wonderful times. He was a lovely chilled guy and his bass playing was absolutely sublime."
Another added: "RIP Gary 'Gazza' Johnson, bassist for China Crisis, who gave us some excellent lines over the years." A third said: "How very sad. I loved watching Gazza at the Cavern a couple of times. Such a talented musician. RIP Gazza. Thinking of Gazza's family and his band members at this very sad time." A fourth shared: "I just heard the sad news of Gazza Johnson's passing earlier today. A wonderful bass player. Safe travels Gazza xx."
