Johnny Gill: I'm still winning

Once in a while, a great musician comes by and grips the pulse of an entire city. Last weekend was the turn of the talented R&B crooner, Johnny Gill.

I had the head-scratching task of trying to get an interview with the star, catching up with him at a Nairobi hotel on Saturday morning.

“You will only be allowed less than ten minutes after the press briefing for the interview. He needs to catch up with sleep before his performance later in the evening. He needs his voice for the music, right?”

I nodded in the affirmative as his security chief gave the tight instructions. The interview was more of a fireside chat at the hotel lobby, a plus for a man who had just landed in the country a few hours earlier.

Born 46 years ago in Washington DC to Annie and Johnny Gill Sr, the younger Gill started his singing career in a family music group called Wings of Faith at the age of five. Together, the group sang in his father’s church.

“I have always listened to music since I was a child. My dad was a serious singer back then. I thought that everyone can sing since everyone in my view was going to church where the singing was being done. Of course, there was no room for R&B in church,” says Johnny in a chuckle.

He started his solo singing career in 1983 at the instigation of his childhood friend Stacy Lattisaw. In the same year, one member of the group New Edition made a joke that if Johnny could hit the right dance move, then he would be incorporated in the set.

His break came when he was asked to join the group and fill the gap left by Bobby Brown. The group released the album Heart Break in 1988 with Johnny provided the much needed mature sound. On this album, Johnny sang solos on songs such as Can You Stand the Rain and Boys To Men.

He went on to play with great artists such as Stevie Wonder, Shanice, R Kelly, Babyface, Jazz legend George Howard, and the late funk pioneer Rick James. He also worked with Eddie Murphy in his song Bubble Hill as well as Janet Jackson’s Escapade.

“It is not every other day that you get to perform with great men and women in the industry. Some have shaped the person I am today,” he says.

Undeniable talent
It has been 30 years since he entered the musical scene and 16 years since his last recording. Nevertheless, the true voice of the timeless Johnny has returned to reclaim his position atop of the music charts and to serve as a reminder that undeniable talent, like good wine, gets better with time.

“It is a great privilege for me to get a chance to play music for my people. It is a moving experience to be in Kenya and I promise to give not a 100 but 150 per cent tonight,” he said.

And he did not disappoint. After a curtain raiser by this year’s Tusker Project Fame winner Ruth Matete, Carnivore grounds burst into an uproar the moment Johnny hit the stage. Dressed in a cream suit, he worked the crowd into frenzy with hits from his recently released album Still Winning.

As the evening wore on, the  legendary solo artist drew out his long list of chart topping hits including: I’m Still Waiting, My, My, My and one of the most beloved wedding songs of all time, You For Me that also appeared on the soundtrack to Tyler Perry’s blockbuster hit Madea’s Family Reunion.

Johnny has been credited for using his great voice in elevating New Edition to uncharted levels and steering the all-star team that included Keith Sweat and the late great Gerald Levert to success.

His introductory remarks came after breaking quite some sweat. “People, it is great to be here. This is my first time in Kenya and indeed in Africa, but certainly not the last. The moment I landed in Kenya, I knew I was home.”

What accounts for his success in various genres of music?

“A musician has to be versatile. Though I am an R&B singer, I have to listen to all genres of music. This is important as you get to see what other musicians have to offer. It is a learning process. I would actually love to partner with a Kenyan musician in the future,” said Johnny.

Energetic
To his detractors his message is plain and simple: “People have to realise I have been in this business for 30 years. That is not a short time. In the meantime, there have been serious challenges brought about by the current technology where people have become vicious and cruel. Some have been careless and are irresponsible on what they put out there to malign others. I want to present the truth and acknowledge any wrongs. Either way, I’m still winning. Unless you have been around that long, take a hike. I am still standing.”

Johnny has been cited numerous times over his brilliant career and outstanding contribution to the arts and civic concerns. It was with this in mind that he was appointed by then US President George Bush Sr as one of the national spokesmen for the prestigious Points of Life movement that recognises men and women making a difference in their communities.

“Can you imagine being invited to the Oval Office by President Bush and discuss not only music, but also golf? Those are opportunities that do not repeat themselves in everyday life,” said Johnny.

Johnny  may have left Kenya the same night of his performance, but his voice certainly lived on in the ears of the folks he had worked hard to entertain.