Career
Initially hired by Andy Warhol to sweep floors at Warhol"s Factory, he subsequently moved in with Warhol and for twelve years was his lover. As a passenger in the first class cabin, he was killed when Trans World Airlines Flight 800 exploded shortly after takeoff in 1996. Two weeks later, he delivered a telegram to the Decker building which was being renovated by Paul Morrissey before it became the new home of Andy Warhol"s Factory.
Johnson accepted an on-the-spot job offer to sweep floors, but quickly moved into editing several films including Andy Warhol"s Dracula and L"Amour, and eventually directing Andy Warhol"s Bad.
He picked out a townhouse for Warhol on East 66th street and designed its interiors. He lived there with Warhol for a number of years.
Among other offshoot projects, Johnson designed the offices of Interview magazine. Through that work, he met Sandra and Peter Brant and worked with them on eleven projects.
On July 17, 1996, Johnson was a passenger on Trans World Airlines Flight 800.
He, along with 230 passengers and crew members, were killed when the plane exploded off the coast of Long Island, New New York