Musician-producer Al Johnson dies at 65

Al Johnson, who was the lead singer of the 1960s rhythm and blues vocal group the Unifics and later produced and arranged recordings by such performers as Roberta Flack, the Whispers and Jean Carne, died Oct. 26 at Prince George's Hospital Center in Cheverly, Md. He was 65 and lived in Capitol Heights, Md.

He had a heart attack during treatment for a colon infection, said his son, Al Johnson III.

Known for their elaborate choreography and dapper attire -- they always performed wearing white gloves -- the Unifics virtually defined the sweet soul vocal group sound in Washington during the late 1960s.

Their hits included "Court of Love" (1968), in which Johnson sang the role of a legal complainant testifying in court about a woman who wrote him a "Dear John" letter. The group followed that recording with "The Beginning of My End" (1969), a tear-jerker about a girl who drives off after quarreling with her lover and then dies in a car accident.

While Johnson often sang seated on a stool, the other Unifics performed elaborate steps and hand gestures, sometimes pantomiming a song's entire story line.

The group formed in 1966 at Howard University, where Johnson studied architecture. While other singers came and went, Johnson sang the lead part until the Unifics broke up in 1972.

He later led the short-lived group Positive Change, then continued as a solo performer and arranger. He and Carne, a jazz-influenced vocalist, recorded a 1980 hit duet, "I'm Back for More." Johnson's extensive arranging credits included popular recordings such as Terry Huff and Special Delivery's "The Lonely One" (1976), Tata Vega's disco-flavored "I Just Keep Thinking About You Baby" (1979), and Peabo Bryson and Flack's duet "Can We Find Love Again?" (1983), which Johnson produced and wrote with Flack.

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He also arranged Vega's Motown album "Totally Vega" (1977), which included Johnson's composition "Ever So Lovingly."

Alfred Orlando Johnson Jr. was born Feb. 11, 1948, in Newport News, Va. His father died when he was 9. His mother worked as a nurse and later as a police officer.