Syleena Johnson Biography

The daughter of 1960s R&B singer Syl Johnson, Syleena Johnson has been making a name for herself as a talented vocalist since 2000. Johnson grew up listening to legendary singers Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner, and the influence of her father sure didn't hurt. A genuine love for music began growing inside her at a very young age. As many great singers before her, Johnson honed her voice by singing in the church choir and performing at local clubs in her native Chicago.Johnson majored in music at Drake University and Illinois State, where she partook in a multitude of performances. It appeared that she was one her way until a major scare and potential threat to her career came in the form of nodes on the young singer's vocal chords. It took two grueling years of speech therapy for Johnson to regain her beautiful, soulful voice. Johnson was more determined than ever to make use of her talent and released her debut CD, Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness, in 2000. The title of the records showed she was just getting started and suggested her intent of having a long, illustrious career in the music industry. She penned each song on her debut effort aside from her first single, "I Am a Woman," which came her way compliments of R. Kelly, who appears on the album as well.Chapter 1 details the pain and heartbreak she endured while in a relationship in the mid to late ‘90s. The emotional roller coaster provided her with plenty of material that makes her come across as wide beyond her years on the record. Chapter 2: The Voice followed in 2002 and the next chapter was released in 2005 in the form of Chapter 3: The Flesh. Chapter 3 is her most recent release to date, but Syleena Johnson fans are surely anticipating another record displaying the passion and emotion she puts into each and every one of her songs.