From: Sista Irie I am deeply saddened to report that Austin's Michael E. Johnson, leader of the Killer Bees, passed to Zion yesterday. Michael, a Viet Nam vet, recovered drug addict, drug counselor, musician, father and friend, succombed to serious health problems which continued to worsen over the last few years. The Austin reggae family had hoped the necessary medical help would have been forthcoming. In 1987, The Killer Bees were the first American band to play at reggae Sunsplash in Jamaica. I flew with the band on the charter to Jamaica for the performance and will never forget Michael's reaction when they tried serving ham sandwiches to all the RAS on board! Michael E. Johnson and the Killer Bees made huge inroads for American based reggae bands. They, along with Liberty Lunch owner, Jay Meyers, introduced our musical city to national and international reggae which has dramatically grown over the years. However, in the last few years, due to Michael's health the band could only play on occassion. For a really nice article on the Killer Bees, written by Austin's music writer, Michael Pointe, several years ago, check out this website: http://austin.about.com/citiestowns/southwestus/austin/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm