On January 19, 2022, Michael Edward Johns, who resided in Hickory, North Carolina, passed away in a calm and private manner at his residence in Hickory. Despite being wheelchair-bound for a number of years, Michael was a kind and compassionate individual who never once voiced his dissatisfaction with his challenging circumstances. At the time, Michael was employed by the Salvation Army in Hickory as a store clerk. Serving others and ringing the bell for the Salvation Army throughout the holiday season brought him a great deal of joy.
People are drawn to him, and he was adored by everyone who had the opportunity to interact with him. His mother, Hazel Bentley, of Vernal, Utah, and his father, Wayne Johns, of Rangely, Colorado, are among those who are able to carry on his legacy. He is also survived by one sister, Robin Ponciano, and three brothers, Randall Johns, Matthew Johns, and Scott Johns. Dustin Johns, his brother, passed away before him. He is the next in line. A son, brother, husband, brother-in-law, father, father-in-law, grandfather, great-grandfather, companion, uncle, coach, mentor, cheerleader, teacher, scout leader, Rotarian, man of faith and service, craftsman, artist, cook, baker, boss, dance partner, singer, world traveler, former Rotary International Director, and friend.
He was also a man of faith and service. He had an impact on the lives of individuals all over the world, and each of those experiences turned out to be a priceless one for him as well as for the people he met along the road. It was a profound love that he received. By living his life with the motto “Service Above Self,” he was able to take advantage of a multitude of chances that came his way. It was via his family that he was introduced to the world, and that was his adventure. He had the ability to brighten a room, strike up a discussion with complete strangers, and make friends with everyone he came in contact with.
He was a blessing to everyone who had the opportunity to know him. Johns was raised in a household that was musically talented, and he even referred to his mother as having a voice that was similar to Doris Day herself. “Both of my siblings participate in singing and playing the piano. Additionally, my stepfather is a talented vocalist. In 2008, he stated to Billboard that he had spent his entire childhood surrounded by music. In his description of his earliest musical recollection, he said, “Sitting around the family Pianola, which is a very old piano from the turn of the century that plays itself – just like the ones in the old Western films.
Although Johns had a deep passion for music, he was also a passionate tennis player who had an ambition of winning the Wimbledon championship. He gave up on that notion when he was 15 years old because, as he put it, “that’s when music found me, and I have not looked back.” However, tennis was the driving force behind Johns’ relocation from his hometown of Perth to the United States. He believed that the tennis scholarship he earned was his passport to the United States, where he might pursue a career in music.
It was planned that he would enroll at Denver University. “I thought it was way too cold there, and it turned out the coach had second thoughts anyway,” he said in an interview with Billboard in the year 2008. Because it was located in the South and because a lot of excellent music was coming out of that region, I decided to attend Abraham Baldwin Agriculture College. I was aware that if I traveled to New York or Los Angeles, I might be consumed when I arrived there.
