1. Born Sheila Crump on January 25, 1949, in McKeesport, Pennsylvania to a father who was a neurosurgeon, and a mother, an accountant, both were also accomplished pianist.

 

2. Relocated 12 times during her childhood before finally settling down for good in Maywood, Illinois, just outside of Chicago.

 

3. Was an accomplished young musician, in high school Johnson served as the concertmaster of the Illinois All-State Choir, and upon graduating from Proviso High School in 1966 she received a full scholarship to study music at the University of Illinois. 

 

4. Graduated from Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in music performance and education.

 

5. Met and married Robert Johnson, sewed her own wedding dress using a McCall’s pattern. The whole wedding ceremony including the dress cost 50 dollars.

 

6. Moved after graduation to Washington, D.C. There she landed a job teaching violin at the prestigious Sidwell Friends School, while her husband, Robert Johnson, took a job with the Public Broadcasting Corporation. To supplement her meager teacher’s salary, Sheila Johnson also began teaching private violin lessons.

 

7. Co-founded Black Entertainment Television (BET) in 1979. 

 

8. First film, Kicking It, premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT. She served as sole executive producer on her second film, A Powerful Noise, which premiered at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

 

9. Second wealthiest black female in the United States. Net worth estimated in 2016 at $710 million.

 

10. Founded Salamander Hospitality, a hospitality and management company through which she owns and manages two resorts and an inn, among other properties.

 

11. Vice Chairman of Monumental Sports & Entertainment; as the majority owner of the Washington Mystics WNBA franchise and a minority owner of the NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals.