Name Jed Johnson Siblings Jay Johnson Movies Bad, L'Amour | Date killed July 17, 1996 | |
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Born December 30, 1948 ( 1948-12-30 ) Alexandria, Minnesota, USA Died July 17, 1996, East Moriches, Brookhaven, New York, United States Similar People Paul Morrissey, Andy Warhol, Luigi Kuveiller, Perry King, Susan Tyrrell | ||
Jed Johnson (December 30, 1948 – July 17, 1996) was an American interior designer and film director. 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 TWA Flight 800 exploded shortly after takeoff in 1996.
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Warhol years
In 1967, Johnson and his twin brother Jay moved from Minnesota to Manhattan. 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.
Johnson was later a member of the Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board, formed the year before his death.
Designer
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. He built on this career, eventually forming a partnership in both business and life with the architect Alan Wanzenberg, and taking on clients such as Mick Jagger and Richard Gere.
He was awarded the Interior Design Magazine Hall of Fame Award in 1996.
Death
On July 17, 1996, Johnson was a passenger on TWA Flight 800. He, along with 230 other passengers and crew members, was killed when the plane exploded off the coast of Long Island, New York.