Business
George E. Johnson, Black Hair Care Pioneer and Chicago Businessman Who Created Afro Sheen, Dies at 99
Video: George Johnson joined “Chicago Tonight: Black Voices” on March 5, 2025, to discuss his memoir, “Afro Sheen: How I Revolutionized an Industry With the Golden Rule, From Soul Train to Wall Street.” (Produced by Bridgette Adu-Wadier)
George E. Johnson Sr., a pioneer in Black hair care who founded the Chicago-based Johnson Products Company, died Monday at age 99, according to a family statement.
Johnson “passed away peacefully” at his home in Chicago, according to his family.
Johnson Products Company became the first Black-owned business listed on the American Stock Exchange in 1971 and was a national sponsor of the hit television show “Soul Train.” The multimillion-dollar business was a fixture in Black homes and salons, and became a source of pride with brands like Afro Sheen and Ultra Sheen.
Founded on Chicago’s South Side, Johnson Products Company served an often overlooked market during a time when Black people had limited options for hair care products. Johnson and his late wife, Joan, founded Johnson Products Company in 1954 after securing a $250 loan.
“George was a visionary business leader who built a haircare empire, broke barriers on Wall Street, and helped fuel the fight for civil rights,” Johnson's family said in a statement. “Above all, he was a devoted family man whose example inspired generations and whose legacy of entrepreneurship, community leadership, and philanthropy continues through his descendants today.”
Johnson authored the book, “Afro Sheen: How I Revolutionized an Industry With the Golden Rule, From Soul Train to Wall Street.” During an interview on “Chicago Tonight” last year, Johnson spoke about how the golden rule — treating others as you would want to be treated — guided his life and his business.
“It has made me what I am and what I’ve been,” said Johnson, who credited Fuller Products Company founder and mentor Samuel B. Fuller. “[Mr. Fuller] lived by the golden rule. He was my mentor, and his encouragement, looking at what he did, and what it did for him, I decided, that’s how I’m gonna try to live.”
Johnson was born in 1927 in Richton, Mississippi, and moved to Chicago as a child with his family. Johnson worked at a young age, shining shoes, bussing tables and setting pins in a bowling alley to help his mother make ends meet, according to a family statement.
When asked what he hopes people take away from his life story during an interview on “Chicago Tonight,” Johnson said: “Help one another.”
Johnson founded Independence Bank, and he became the first Black person to serve on the board of directors of the electric utility Commonwealth Edison. The George E. Johnson Educational Fund awarded more than 1,000 college scholarships.
Johnson is survived by his second wife, Madeline Rabb, four children, 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Funeral service details will be shared in the coming days, according to his family.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]
