Johnny Gill On His Latest Album “Game Changer II,” Acting, Golf, Carlos Santana & Future Plans

In every arena that he has entered, Johnny Gill has been a game changer. Discovered at 16 years old, he released two albums through Atlantic Records. He next joined New Edition, helping them segue melodically from novelty to longevity on timeless classics like “If It Isn’t Love” and “Can You Stand The Rain.” As a linchpin of legendary Motown Records’ 1990s comeback roster, Gill exploded as a solo artist with an indelible one-two punch from producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (“Rub You The Right Way”) and L.A. Reid & Babyface (“My, My, My”). Next up, with Gerald Levert and Keith Sweat, Gill established L.S.G., the powerful R&B supergroup behind the smash “My Body.” He also formed the supergroup Heads Of State with New Edition cohorts Bobby Brown and Ralph Tresvant.

These days, Johnny Gill is succeeding as an actor — with dozens of film and television credits to speak of — while still releasing great music. For starters, last year’s Game Changer II hit the #1 spot on Billboard’s R&B album sales chart. Game Changer II, like its predecessor, 2014’s Game Changer, is filled with hits. Notably, the album’s lead single “Soul Of A Woman” was inspired by Gill’s mother Annie Mae and its accompanying music video co-stars Emmy Award-winning comic and actress Tiffany Haddish.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Johnny Gill by phone on February 5, 2020, and the full interview — which will also be heard on an upcoming episode of the Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz podcast — is embedded below in its entirety for your listening pleasure. Tour dates, appearances and more information on Gill can be found online by visiting his official website at www.johnnygill.com.

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Tags: Carlos Santana, Golf, JOHNNY GILL, New Edition, Paltrocast, R&B, samuel l jackson, Tiffany Haddish

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."