Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson is by far the most successful quartet singer of his generation. The man behind quartet hits such as “Send A Revival” and “Let Go and Let God” has a new album with his group, The Spiritual Voices, in the works. It’s entitled, “Back 2 Basics,” and is scheduled to hit stores in the first quarter of 2011. The mellow R&B-flavored radio single, “True Love,” is currently #23 on the Radio & Records gospel airplay chart and climbing. “Over the years, I’ve put my trust in a lot of people and they let me down,” Johnson confesses. “I had to go back and realize that Jesus Christ is the only true love who will never let me down.”
“I call the album Back 2 Basics because my group is known for doing traditional music that everybody can listen to,” Johnson explains. “My record label started bringing in producers and songwriters with a different sound than mine to expand my audience and to freshen my sound. That’s all good. Songs like `True Love’ come from that collaboration but I call myself a universal gospel singer. I keep it simple and sing all kinds of gospel for anybody and everybody.”
The “Back 2 Basics” CD hits stores in January but in the meantime, Johnson’s fans can digitally download a deluxe EP featuring six of the songs from the new CD on ITunes, Amazon mp3, and other online music portals. One of those songs is the finger-popping ditty, “I’m Gonna Make It.” Johnson says, “I love that song. I’m hoping that will be my next radio single. I think that can go all the way to the top.”
Johnson has been making noise on the gospel landscape since 1998 when he burst on the scene with the smash hit, “Hide Behind The Mountain.” He quickly became known as a young man with an old soul for mixing introducing quartet to a young generation of gospel fans. Since then, he’s birthed modern-day quartet standards such as “I Made It,” “Send A Revival,” “Be Right,” and “Let Go and Let God.”
When asked what keeps he and his music fresh after all these years, Johnson says one thing. “Dreams,” he offers. “Dreams keep it fresh. I dreamed about doing this since I was a little boy. Not too many people can say they are living their dream. God made that dream a reality and every time I hit a stage, I’m gonna rock the house and stop the show.”
