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| Syleena Johnson |
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"I'm always going to have a story to tell."
- Syleena Johnson
| Date of Birth: 1977 |
| Birthplace: Chicago suburb Harvey, Illinois |
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| Syleena has made waves as an emerging soul siren -- her introspective debut album, Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness, garnered rave reviews, while her recent sophomore release, Chapter 2: The Voice, has had just as much critical success. |
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| As a singer-songwriter, Syleena is honest and deeply contemplative. Though all great artists let their personal experiences diffuse into their work, Syleena puts her life under the microscope more than most. Her music has helped her endure pain in the past, and now it gives us pleasure. |
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Born in 1977, the native of Chicago suburb Harvey, Illinois, is the daughter of Syl Johnson, a noted blues singer who penned the hit, "Take Me To The River," and Brenda Thompson, America's first black female police commissioner. Syleena Johnson took to music early, growing up not only with a musical father, but also listening to influential artists such as Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Tina Turner, The Dells, and Mavis Staples. She would later apply this love of soul as a member of her high school gospel choir.
But Syleena's road to music was hardly easy. Her father Syl was not encouraging, as his lackluster success with his craft led him to think little of the music industry. On top of that, Syleena suffered from vocal nodules and had to go through speech therapy. And when Syleena was 15, her parents split up. Despite these setbacks, Syleena's relationship with both her parents and her music remained strong: She contributed as a singer and songwriter on her father's 1994 album, Back in the Game.
That same year, Syleena Johnson began attending Iowa's Drake University. Originally a psychology major, success at a talent show convinced her that her strength had always been in music. She switched to a music major and began recording her own songs. In 1996, she transferred to Illinois State University. In September 1997, Johnson met an assistant scout for Jive Records at a charity basketball game. That contact allowed her to send in a demo tape, which had an immediate impact; days later, she got a callback from a Jive executive with an offer for a deal. "That's a miracle," Syleena later observed. "Demo tapes don't get heard like that." The experience renewed her resolve.
A hiatus from school in 1998 coincided with the collapse of her relationship with an abusive boyfriend. But the ordeal gave Johnson the raw material for her album, which traced a young woman's failed relationship and the healing that followed. The album, Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness, was released in 2001, and even featured a song -- "I Am Your Woman" -- written by R. Kelly, who was so impressed when he first heard Syleena that he wanted to work with the young singer. The album received much praise, but despite its No. 1 position on Billboard's Heatseekers chart the week of its release, the album was not a commercial success. |
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