Holly Johnson (born
William Johnson, 9 February 1960; legal name
William Holly Johnson) is an English artist, musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist of
Frankie Goes to Hollywood, who achieved huge commercial success in the mid-1980s. Prior to that, in the late 1970s he was a
bassist for the band
Big in Japan. In 1989, Johnson's debut solo album,
Blast, reached number one in the
UK albums chart. Two singles from the album – "
Love Train" and "
Americanos" – reached the top 5 of the
UK Singles Chart. In the 1990s he embarked on a painting career.