Keith "Wonderboy" Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Keith Lamar Johnson |
| Also known as | Wonderboy |
| Born | May 17, 1972 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | September 30, 2022 (aged 50) Atlanta, Georgia |
| Genres | CCM, gospel, traditional black gospel, urban contemporary gospel |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1998–2022 |
| Labels | World Wide Gospel, Worldwide, Verity, Central South, Blacksmoke |
Keith Lamar Johnson (May 17, 1972 – September 30, 2022), who went by the stage name Wonderboy, was an American gospel singer-songwriter.
In 1998, he started his solo music career with the release of Through the Storm, published by World Wide Gospel Records. He released fourteen albums, over the course of thirteen years, with World Wide Gospel Records, Worldwide Records, Verity Records, Central South Records, and Blacksmoke Records. Eleven albums charted on the Billboard magazine Gospel Albums chart with other chartings on the Independent Albums and Heatseekers Albums charts.
Early life
Johnson was born on May 17,[1] 1972, in Brooklyn, New York,[2] and he was given the moniker "Wonderboy" at the age of five because of his wondrous vocal acumen.[2] He started singing with the Boys Choir of Harlem and his father Philip Johnson's quartet group the Spiritual Voices.[3]
Music career
His music career started in 1998, with the release of Through the Storm by World Wide Gospel Records,[4] and this would be just one of eleven albums to chart on the Billboard magazine charts, with most of the chartings occurring on the Gospel Albums.[5] A few placements were on the Independent Albums chart, for 2000's Live and Alive, 2001's Tribute to Quartet Legends, Vol. 1, and 2002's Send a Revival, and those just happen to be the albums that placed on the Heatseekers Albums chart.[5] The labels he has released albums with are World Wide Gospel, World Wide Records, Verity Records, Central South Records, and Blacksmoke Records, and he has released fourteen albums with those labels over the course of his thirteen-year career.[4] His backing vocalist and band are called the Spiritual Voices.[2]
Death
Johnson died on September 30, 2022, aged 50, after being found unresponsive at his home in Atlanta, Georgia.[6]
Discography
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions[5] |
|---|---|---|
| US Gos | ||
| Through the Storm |
|
25 |
| Our Gift to You [World Wide Gospel] |
|
– |
| Live and Alive |
|
12 |
| Would You |
|
– |
| Tribute to Quartet Legends, Vol. 1 |
|
8 |
| Send a Revival |
|
4 |
| New Season |
|
12 |
| Our Gift to You [Verity] |
|
– |
| Unity |
|
20 |
| Just Being Me |
|
23 |
| The Best of Keith Wonderboy Johnson |
|
37 |
| Stronger Than Ever |
|
25 |
| Back 2 Basics: Chapter Two |
|
20 |
| Keep Pushin' |
|
20 |
| Restructure, Renew & Reunion |
|
– |
References
- ↑ Keith, Johnson [@keithwonderboyj] (May 18, 2013). "Lord thank u for letting me celebrate another birthday! Thank God" (Tweet). Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2015 – via Twitter.
- 1 2 3 Carpenter, Bil (2005). Uncloudy Days: The Gospel Music Encyclopedia. Backbeat Books. p. 224. ISBN 978-0-879-30841-4.
- ↑ "Gospel Quartet King Keith "Wonderboy" Johnson Dead at 50". Milwaukee Community Journal. October 10, 2022. Archived from the original on October 10, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
- 1 2 "Keith Wonderboy Johnson : Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Keith Wonderboy Johnson: Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
- ↑ "Keith "Wonderboy" Johnson Passes Away at 50". Black America Web. September 30, 2022. Archived from the original on October 1, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
External links
- Keith "Wonderboy" Johnson discography at Discogs
- Keith "Wonderboy" Johnson at IMDb