Music Legend Johnnie Wilder Dies In Clayton Home

Music legend, Johnnie Wilder Jr. died Saturday at his home in Clayton. The Dayton-native was 56 years old.

The lead signer and co-founder of the group Heatwave, Wilder spent more than a decade working with students at Central State University.

Heatwave burned up the charts in the late 1970s, bringing home gold- and platinum-selling albums. Wilder was the front-man.

In 1979, a car accident turned the shining star into a quadriplegic, but he continued to make music his life.

In 1994, Wilder came to WCSU to teach students about the music industry. His co-workers called him a genius.