Puff Johnson and Cameron Johnson are two names that may sound familiar to fans of music and basketball, respectively. Puff Johnson was an American R&B singer-songwriter who rose to fame in the 1990s with her hit singles “Forever More” and “Over and Over”. Cameron Johnson is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Pittsburgh Panthers and the North Carolina Tar Heels. But are these two Johnsons related by blood or by name only? Let’s find out.
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Puff Johnson’s Life and Career
Puff Johnson was born as Ewanya Johnson on December 10, 1972, in Detroit, Michigan. She had formal voice training and attended High School for the Performing Arts at California State University. She started her music career as a background vocalist for Christopher Williams and R&B trio The Good Girls. She also performed on rapper Tupac Shakur’s song “Me Against the World”, which was featured on the Bad Boys movie soundtrack and his album of the same name.
In 1996, she released her debut album Miracle, which was executive produced by Randy Jackson. The album spawned the singles “Forever More” and “Over and Over”, which achieved commercial success in Europe and Australia. She also appeared on the soundtrack of the comedy film The First Wives Club with the latter song. In 1997, she toured Europe as an opening act for Michael Jackson and 3T.
Puff Johnson did not release any further material and slipped out of the limelight. However, she was listed as a co-writer on several projects in the early- to mid-2000s, including Pam & Dodi’s self-titled Geffen Records debut, rapper I-20’s debut studio album Self Explanatory, and singer Leela James’s debut album A Change Is Gonna Come.
In March 2008, Puff Johnson was diagnosed with cervical cancer and relocated to South Africa where she began working on an unreleased second album. Unfortunately, she succumbed to the disease on June 24, 2013, at the age of 40.
Cameron Johnson’s Life and Career
Cameron Johnson was born on March 3, 1996, in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. He is the son of former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Charles Johnson and former Miss Pennsylvania Jennifer Kraus. He has a younger brother named Donovan who also plays basketball.
Cameron Johnson graduated from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School, where he averaged 27.8 points, eight rebounds and five assists per game as a senior. He signed with Pittsburgh in April 2014 and redshirted his first year due to a shoulder injury. He played three seasons for the Panthers, averaging 11.9 points per game and hitting 41.5% of his three-point attempts as a redshirt sophomore.
He graduated from Pittsburgh with a degree in communications in three years and transferred to North Carolina as a graduate student without sitting out a year. He played two seasons for the Tar Heels, leading the team in scoring with 16.9 points per game as a senior. He also set a school record for three-point percentage in a single season with 45.7%.
Cameron Johnson was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the eleventh overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft but was traded to the Phoenix Suns on draft night. He played three seasons for the Suns, reaching the NBA Finals in 2021 but losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. In August 2023, he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets along with Ben Simmons in a blockbuster deal that sent Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan to the Suns.
Are Puff Johnson and Cameron Johnson Related?
The answer is no. Puff Johnson and Cameron Johnson are not related by blood or by marriage. They share a common surname but have different family backgrounds and origins. Puff Johnson was born in Detroit, Michigan, while Cameron Johnson was born in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Puff Johnson’s parents were Mack Johnson Jr. and Marie, while Cameron Johnson’s parents were Charles Johnson and Jennifer Kraus.
According to Wikipedia, there are many people with the surname Johnson who are famous or notable in various fields of endeavor. Some of them are related to each other, while others are not. The surname Johnson is derived from the given name John, which means “God is gracious”. It is one of the most common surnames in English-speaking countries.
Therefore, Puff Johnson and Cameron Johnson are just two examples of people who happen to have the same last name but are not related in any way. They both have their own achievements and legacies in music and basketball, respectively. They both deserve respect and admiration for their talents and contributions to their respective fields.
