Johnny Gill

Did You Know?

• Gill has had over 80 television and film appearances as a singer and actor.
• He had a cameo role on the TV show Family Matters.
• He sang 'You For Me' in the 2006 movie Madea's Family Reunion.

Early life

Johnny Gill was born on May 22, 1966, in Washington, D.C., to Johnny Gill Sr., a Baptist minister, and Annie Mae Gill. He began singing at age five in a family gospel group called Little Johnny and 'Wings of Faith', which included his brothers Bobby, Jeff, and Randy Gill. He attended Kimball Elementary, Sousa Junior High, and Duke Ellington School of the Arts, completing high school through a tutor. He initially planned to study electrical engineering in college but chose to focus on singing.

Music career

Gill's recording career began in 1982 at age 16, when childhood friend Stacy Lattisaw convinced him to record a demo that reached the president of Atlantic Records. His self-titled debut album followed on Atlantic subsidiary Cotillion Records, and he then teamed with Lattisaw for the duet album Perfect Combination. A second solo album, Chemistry, was released in 1985. In 1987, Michael Bivins recruited Gill to join New Edition after Bobby Brown was voted out and lead singer Ralph Tresvant was rumored to be leaving for a solo career. Gill became the only member not from Boston and, as the oldest member, shared lead vocals with Tresvant on the album Heart Break, which included songs such as 'Can You Stand The Rain' and 'Boys to Men'. His self-titled third album in 1990 featured hits 'My, My, My', 'Rub You the Right Way', 'Fairweather Friend', and 'Wrap My Body Tight'. In 1993, he released Provocative, with songs including 'Quiet Time to Play' and the gospel track 'I Know Where I Stand'. The 1996 album Let's Get the Mood Right included 'Love In an Elevator' and the single 'Maybe'; that same year he reunited with New Edition for Home Again. In 1997, he formed the supergroup LSG with Gerald Levert and Keith Sweat, which released the multi-platinum debut Levert.Sweat.Gill and later LSG2 in 2003. In 2004, New Edition reunited, signed with Bad Boy Records, and released One Love, featuring the single 'Hot 2Nite'.