Johnny Gill Life as a Singer

Singer (1966–)

Johnny Gill is an American R&B musician, songwriter and singer best known as a successful solo recording artist and as lead singer of platinum-selling boy band New Edition.

Johnny Gill (born May 22, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. He is the sixth and final member of the R&B group New Edition, and was also a member of the supergroup called LSG; with Gerald Levert and Keith Sweat. He is currently in the new group Heads of State with New Edition members Bobby Brown and Ralph Tresvant touring.

 

Synopsis

Born in Washington, D.C., on May 22, 1966, Johnny Gill began his career singing gospel in his father’s church, as part of the family gospel group, Wings of Faith. When a family friend helped him get a record deal at age 16, he began sharing his mature, distinctive voice with fans of R&B and pop music. He went on to become lead singer of the popular boy band New Edition, and eventually released a hit solo album, Johnny Gill, in 1990. He has continued making hits, at one point joining superstar singers Keith Sweat and the late Gerald Levert to form the R&B supergroup LSG.

Early Life

Born in Washington, D.C., on May 22, 1966, Johnny Gill Jr. was part of a musical family. His father was a minister, and beginning at the age of 5, Gill sang in his family’s gospel group, Wings of Faith, composed of him and his brothers Bobby, Jeff and Randy. Even at a young age, Gill stood out because of his mature voice, sounding wise beyond his years.

A childhood friend, singer Stacy Lattisaw, helped Gill to record a demo, which got him a record deal in 1983, at age 16. His first self-titled album garnered some attention, but he really began to get national attention when he next made a duo album with Lattisaw. Their hit single, “Perfect Combination,” brought a new level of awareness to the young singers.

Music career

Gill’s recording career began in 1983, at the age of 17, when his childhood friend, singer Stacy Lattisaw, convinced him to record a demo. This demo fell into the hands of the president of Atlantic Records, and his self-titled debut album was released shortly thereafter- featuring the minor hit “Super Love”. On this album, Gill played guitar, bass, bongos, and drums in addition to performing lead and background vocals. Gill then teamed up with Stacy for a duet album, which featured their first hit together- the title track, “Perfect Combination”. A second album on Atlantic Records yielded the song “Half Crazy”.

Later career

On September 27, 2008, the days Johnny Gill was back on the road singing on his own he began touring with New Edition bandmates Ralph Tresvant and Bobby Brown in a new group named Heads of State.

In July 2010, Notifi Records, based out of St. Louis, MO, signed Gill to a recording contract. On October 11, 2011- 16 years after recording his last solo album- he released his recent studio album Still Winning.

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