Johnny Gill

One of four sons of a minister, Gill was raised in a religious family, and it was through that that he was first introduced to music, specifically through gospel songs. He got his start very early, singing in a family gospel group, and would gradually go on to continue with his singing career throughout his teens, so much so that he was forced to continue his education with the help of a tutor, rather than through the regular schooling route. Despite that, he had planned to go on and study electrical engineering at college, but eventually decided to pursue his musical path instead.

He would move towards an R&B sound as he got older, first releasing a debut solo album - self-titled - in 1983 after his demo made its way to the president of Atlantic Records, and then through his work with the boy band New Edition, who he joined in 1987. He helped them to move towards a more mature sound on their ‘Heart Break’ LP. He continues to work sporadically with New Edition, but also has gone on to cement his reputation as one of the stars of new jack swing in his own right, as well as work with contemporaries like Keith Sweat.