Johnny Gill is oh so very relevant!
For my good pal Brandon over at http://theb2xpress.wordpress.com/ who so mistakenly tried to infer that the great Johnny Gill was not relevant to the Washington, DC community and did not have a place in the CHOTR Throwback Thursday collection.
Not only was Johnny Gill BORN in DC he went to Kimball Elementary which is on Minnesota Ave - in Southeast DC!
Take that! :)
P.S. Johnny if you are reading -call/twitter me! :)
Gill was born in Washington, D.C. The stepson of a minister, he started singing at age five in a family gospel group called "Wings of Faith," which included his brothers Bobby, Jeff, and Randy Gill (himself a solo recording artist and member of the group II D Extreme). His recording career began in 1983 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. Gill then teamed up with Stacy for a duet album, which featured their first hit together, "Perfect Combination." A second album on Atlantic Records, yielded the song "Half Crazy," which is still a fan favorite.
Gill began a new chapter in his career in 1987, when he was recruited by Michael Bivins to be the new fifth member of New Edition, a 1980s R&B group. The previous fifth member, Bobby Brown had been voted out of the group and enjoyed a successful solo career before reuniting with the group as a sixth member.
With Gill as one of the lead singers, the group developed a more mature, adult sound, hitting the charts with songs such as "Can You Stand The Rain," "N.E. Heartbreak," and the Gill-led "Boys To Men." He is the oldest member of New Edition.
Continuing his role as a romantic balladeer while emerging as a New Jack Swing star, he released a second self-titled album in 1990 which included the hits "My, My, My," "Rub You the Right Way," "Fairweather Friend" and "Wrap My Body Tight". On this album, Gill played guitar, bass, bongos, and drums in addition to performing lead and background vocals.
In 1993, Gill released another solo project, Provocative, which included the songs "Quiet Time to Play," "A Cute, Sweet, Love Addiction," and a moving gospel, "I Know Where I Stand." In 1996, Gill was reunited with New Edition, including Brown, as they recorded Home Again, an album noted for the singles "Hit Me Off" and "Still In Love". The title song, "Home Again," although not released as a single is one of the most impressive vocal performances recorded by the group to date.
In 1996, Gill also released Let's Get the Mood Right, which included the title song, "Love In an Elevator," and "Maybe" which, although not released as a single, is considered by many to be one of his greatest vocal performances ever. The following year, he collaborated with Gerald Levert and Keith Sweat to form the supergroup LSG (Levert/Sweat/Gill) which resulted in the multi platinum debut album, Levert-Sweat-Gill, and a follow-up album in 2003 entitled LSG2.
Gill, the only member of New Edition who is not from Boston, was raised in Washington DC where he attended Kimball Elementary, Sousa Junior High, and Duke Ellington School of the Arts. His career dictated that he complete his high school education through the services of a tutor. Gill had planned to attend college and pursue a degree in electrical engineering, but his career came first.
His latest recording, "You For Me (The Wedding Song)" from the Madea's Family Reunion soundtrack received strong reviews from music critics as well as the general public. In 2008, Gill, as a member of New Edition, was the recipient of the Golden Note Award at ASCAP's 21st Annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards.
In addition to finishing work on his upcoming solo CD, as of September 27, 2008, he began touring with Ralph Tresvant and Bobby Brown in a new group named Heads of State. Gill is celebrating the 25th Anniversary of his first recording as a solo artist.
With over 80 television and film appearances as a singer and actor, Gill earned much acclaim for his cameo role on the hit TV show, Family Matters (TV series) and recently thrilled audiences singing "You For Me" in the movie "Madea's Family Reunion."