|
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.
finding
herself, finding success
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.
a
new chapter
Soon
after, Johnson got to work on her follow-up album, Chapter 2: The Voice, which
was released November 2002. Once again, the soulstress explored her personal
feelings to find a thematic thread for the featured songs. This time, Syleena's
shrinking self-esteem -- brought about by the lackluster success of her first
album and problems with her weight -- provided the inspiration. Johnson realized
that her strength came from her talent and her unwavering religious faith.
Hence, The Voice is what keeps Syleena going. And as with Chapter 1, Syleena
got some high-profile help, this time from Busta Rhymes, who contributed to
"Tonight I'm Gonna Let Go."
Despite
escalating artistic accomplishment, Syleena's personal life continues to be
troubled. While still attending Illinois State, she met fellow student Marcus
Betts; though the two soon married, Syleena's itinerant lifestyle was a strain
on the marriage, and the couple decided to divorce. "I don't know if
I even really know what love is," Syleena now confesses. Well we know
we love this bluesy singer and and her signature voice.
|
