Johnny Gill
Johnny Gill was born in Washington D.C. to Annie and Johnny Gill, Sr. He also has three brothers named Randy, Bobby, and Jeff. Johnny started out singing in a family music group called Wings of Faith at the age of five. Together, the group sang in his father's church. Wings of Faith mostly sang Gospel songs because, as Johnny once said, "My dad was a minister, so R&B wasn't allowed. But we soaked in the sounds anyway. The sounds were in the air..."

Johnny's solo career began in 1983 when his childhood friend, Stacy Lattisaw, convinced him to record a demo. The demo he recorded fell into the hands of the president of Stacy's record label, and his self-titled debut album was released on Atlantic Records...
Johnny had known New Edition since they released "Candy Girl" in 1983, and New Edition would joke that if he could hit a dance step right, he could be in the group. When Bobby left the group to pursue a successful solo career, they asked Johnny to join the group. Johnny had already signed a contract with Motown Records, but he joined New Edition on MCA records with the understanding that he would be a solo artist on Motown.

New Edition released the "Heart Break" album in 1988. Johnny gave the group the more mature and complete sound they were looking for. On the album, he sang solos on songs such as "Can You Stand The Rain," "N.E. Heart Break," and "Boys To Men."
During that year, Johnny played bass guitar on the Eddie Murphy song "Bubble Hill." The year after, he provided the finger snaps on Janet Jackson's hit "Escapade" and sang "Give Love On Christmas Day," a song which was once sung by New Edition on their 1985 Christmas album, on a Motown Records compilation album titled "Christmas Cheers From Motown."

In 1990, Johnny released a version of the "Johnny Gill" album that was a milestone in R&B history marking the first album to have been produced by the top two R&B producing teams of that time, L.A. Reid and Babyface and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
"Rub You The Right Way" was the first single from that album. Other hits from the album included "My, My, My," "Wrap My Body Tight," and "Fairweather Friend." In 1991, Johnny was featured on the "New Jack City" soundtrack singing "I'm Still Waiting" and the Shanice singles "Silent Prayer" and "You Ain't All That." Johnny has also made appearances on songs such as "Brains Goin' Cra-ze" by MC Brains and "Yeah" by Eddie Murphy (which also featured Luther Vandross, Janet Jackson, Babyface, etc.). He also made guest appearances on the "Mo' Money" and "Boomerang" soundtracks and the En Vouge video "Giving Him Something He Can Feel." Johnny also made a little-known guest appearance on the show "Out All Night," which starred Patti LaBelle, Vivica A. Fox, Duane Martin and others, singing "There U Go" from the "Boomerang" soundtrack.

In 1993, Johnny released the album "Provocative." The album featured songs like "I Got You," which included a guest appearance by Boyz II Men, and "The Floor." Background vocalists on the album included Mint Condition, Babyface, and Karyn White. After New Edition released their reunion album, "Home Again," in 1996, Johnny released another solo album titled "Let's Get The Mood Right." The album featured songs like "Love In An Elevator," "Maybe," and "It's Your Body."

For more information on this multi-platinum recording artist, visit http://www.johnnygill.4t.com/


The Manhattans
Legend has it that George "Smitty" Smith, Edward "Sonny" Bivins, Winfred "Blue" Lovett, Kenneth Kelly and Richard Taylor came to call themselves the Manhattans because, as teenage singers in Jersey City, New Jersey, they'd dream about the big time while gazing across the Hudson River at the Manhattan skyline. It's a nice story, but unfortunately it is not true. In fact, the quintet took its name from a cocktail known as the Manhattan that's made from whiskey, vermouth, and bitters. Still, the name suggested class, something the Manhattans have epitomized throughout their long career. First tenor Bivins, who characterizes the group's elegant style as "progressive doo wop," first got together with baritone singer Taylor while they were serving with the Air Force in Germany during the late 1950's. After being discharged, Bivins, Lovett and Smith formed the Dulcets in 1960. In 1961, The Dulcets recorded "Pork Chops" on the Sue Label. In 1963, with the addition of Kelly and Taylor, they formed The Manhattans.

Although they began making records in 1963, the Manhattans didn't strike it big until the mid 1970's, when they successfully bucked the disco trend with a series of romantic ballads for Columbia Records. They had eight songs in the R&B Top 10 between 1973 and 1978, with the composition "Kiss And Say Good Bye" going to Number One on both the R&B and Pop Charts in 1976 and placing in the top five in England and Australia. "Shining Star" made it to number five on the Pop Charts, staying on the charts for 14 straight weeks.

The Manhattans continue to bring their smooth, classy live sound to their fans, with over 100 shows worldwide last year alone. With Edward "Sonny" Bivins at baritone, Al Pazant at bass, Lee "The Reverend" Williams at lead vocal and Charles "Charming Charlie" Hardy and Harsey "The Candyman" Hemphill sharing 1st and 2nd tenor, The Manhattans continue to be one of the most sought after live R&B units of the day.

For more information on this dynamic group, visit their website at www.themanhattans.net

Taylor Dayne

Multi-platinum recording artist Taylor Dayne may call her new album Satisfied, but the world-class performer is anything but, as she prepares to release her first studio album in almost 10 years on her own Intention Music label, distributed by Warner Music Group's Adrenaline/ADA.

"The title is very tongue-in-cheek," she admits, taking its name from her cover of U.K. blue-eyed soul sensation Lewis Taylor's song of the same name. "There are all kinds of love on this album: unrequited, damaged, broken, hurtful, heart filled … It's all about asking yourself, ‘Are you sure this is where you want to be? Are you happy with the choices you've made?'"

The New York-born artist's three albums for Arista Records, Tell It To My Heart, Can't Fight Fate, and Soul Dancing, produced twelve Top 20 singles, among them the chart-topping "Love Will Lead You Back." "Tell It To My Heart" sold more than 75 million albums and singles worldwide, garnering three Grammy nominations along the way. On her new album, Dayne co-wrote four of the songs, including the first single, "Beautiful," with Norwegian tunesmith Hitesh, as well as "Love Chain," "The Fall" and "Hymn."

"It was time to roll up my sleeves, get back into the studio and show people I'm not done yet," she laughs.

Other top-name producer/writers on Satisfied include Mike Mangini (Baha Men, Digbable Planets, O-Town, Bruce Hornsby, David Byrne), Peter Wade (Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Natasha Bedingfield), and the New Radicals' Gregg Alexander ("You Get What You Give") & Rick Nowels (Stevie Nicks, Madonna, k.d. lang, Nelly Furtado, Santana), among others. There are also marvelously soulful covers of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge," the Rolling Stones' "Fool to Cry" and Des'ree's "Kissing You," from the soundtrack of Baz Luhrmann's William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, reminiscent of her hit version of Barry White's "Can't Get Enough of Your Love."

"My job as an artist is to make sure that I make the material I choose mine, by interpreting it my way," says Taylor.

The initial track, "Beautiful," was inspired by a particular individual, she says, noting his name can be detected in the lyrics. "It was someone I was very infatuated with… and the song captured the glow which resonates from that feeling."

Just don't call Satisfied a comeback because Taylor Dayne has never really been away, even if the last five years one of her chief roles has been as single mother to her twin boy and girl.

The new album offers Dayne an opportunity to show off the versatility of her amazing pipes, which have gotten deeper, richer and more confident with age. She is equally at home on soaring ballads like "Beautiful" and the show-stopping "Hymn," both of which she co-wrote, as she is with the Spector-meets-Heart rock of "Crash," the come-hither sensuality of "Kissing You," the dance-floor beat of "I'm Over My Head" and the reggae rhythms of "She Don't Love You" and "Dedicated."

"I've always had a very passionate and large voice," says Taylor, adding that she grew up on rock bands like the Beatles, The Stones, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and Bad Company. "But the moment I heard Al Green and Marvin Gaye, it was all over."

She applies that sultry technique to her unique covers of the Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge" and the Stones' "Fool to Cry," taking both songs back to their roots in soul and R&B.

"The songs on the album have come from everywhere," she says. "I went through tons of CD's with my A&R team to choose material best suited for me. I knew the songs had to come from a universal place, for it to resonate with people. It's all about the song, which is something I learned from Clive [Davis] when I first started. Finding the right material is key, it should allow you to tell your story, let your true voice come through and reach people simultaneously."

With Satisfied, Taylor Dayne takes matters into her own hands, following up her previous indie release, 1998's personal Naked Without You, which produced the Top 10 Billboard Dance Music hits, "Whatever You Want" and "Naked Without You."

It's the culmination of a period where she concentrated on her acting, debuting in the film Love Affair with Warren Beatty and Annette Benning, before going on to roles in the hit TV series Rescue Me and Cold Case, as well as the Tony Award-winning Elton John/Tim Rice Broadway musical Aida. Her songs have also been included in the soundtracks of the Robert DeNiro film Flawless (the #1 Billboard Hot Dance Music smash "Planet Love") and the multi-platinum Lizzy McGuire ("Supermodel"), among others.

"This is a very exciting time musically for me and this record reflects that" she explains. It was great to have the opportunity to create magic with some of the producers and writers I have admired over the years. This record has been a long time coming. We've put together a great independent team that can rival any major. I'm in great hands."

Of course, now that Satisfied has arrived, Dayne is raring to get back out there and start performing these new songs live for her devoted following.

For more information on this “Tell It To My Heart” singer, log on to www.taylordayne.com