Barbara Johnson Tucker facts for kids
Barbara Johnson Tucker is a talented singer of Christian music from Conroe, Texas, in the United States.
About Barbara Johnson Tucker
Barbara Johnson Tucker was born in Conroe, Texas, on June 28, 1944. Her parents, Ernest James and Annie Eloise (Lawson) Johnson, were both from Montgomery, Texas. When Barbara was a child, she sang with her mom and siblings (her sister Joy and brother Bud) as "the Johnson Family." They performed at their church, Jerusalem Baptist, in Houston, and in the Gulf Coast area. Many of the songs they sang were written by her mother, Eloise. Barbara is a member of Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church.
Barbara went to schools in Houston, including Jack Yates High School and Texas Southern University. For a short time, she also helped students with their singing in the Fine Arts Department at Texas Southern University.
She was married to Kermit Tucker, who has passed away. They had one son, Robert Christian Tucker, who has two children, Matthew Jonathan and Chelsea J'nai Tucker.
Her Amazing Career
Barbara Johnson Tucker is a well-known performer and music producer in Houston. She used to sing the national anthem at Houston Oilers football games and Houston Rockets basketball games. She also sang on local Christian TV shows.
In 1969, Barbara moved to New York City for a year. She left her job at the US Postal Service to pursue her dream. While there, she got the only singing part in a big play called The Great White Hope, which starred famous actor James Earl Jones. She led the cast in a "congregation song" during a scene where the character Jack Johnson was escaping. Also in New York, she had her first big concert at the Carnegie Recital Hall and filmed several TV commercials that were shown all over the country.
Barbara sang at the important funeral service for Congressman Mickey Leland in 1989.
In 1992, after returning home, she retired from her manager job at Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. Her church then held her first full-time ministry concert.
Famous Songs and Awards
Barbara became famous around the world as the first artist to record the very popular song "Order My Steps" by Glenn Edward Burleigh. In 1993, Barbara released an album that won two Texas Gospel Music Awards. It was named "Best New Album" and its song was "Song of the Year."
Barbara also sang at the funeral service for United States House of Representatives member Barbara Jordan in 1996.
In September 2000, she performed a concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.. This concert was presented by Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
Her Music Albums
While working at the US Post Office in Downtown Houston, Barbara helped start the Houston Post Office Chorale. This singing group performed all over Texas for 25 years. Barbara was featured on their two albums, along with her sister, Joy.
Barbara also leads her own singing group called "A Chosen Few." They have performed for President Bill Clinton and in many places across the Southern United States. In August 2002, they performed a big Christmas music piece called "Born to Die" by Glenn Edward Burleigh.
In 2005, she released a DVD called A Glimpse of History. This DVD is about 35 minutes long and shows the history of African-American music.
In June 2015, when she was 71 years old, she recorded a new song called All That You Have Done for Doranor Records.
Her very first recordings were with her family. The Johnson Family made one LP (a type of record) called Sunshine After the Rain, which was made in memory of her father. They also made a 45 rpm record of her mother's song, Dear God, I Thank You, which Barbara sang again on her popular CD, Order My Steps. Her brother also wrote a fun rap song about his softball friends called "The Right On Trot."
