Jay Johnson (singer) facts for kids

James "Jay" Johnson is a famous bass-baritone singer from Detroit. He was a key part of the Detroit doo-wop and soul music scene before Motown became huge. Jay Johnson was a member of the group Nolan Strong & The Diablos. You can hear his voice on their songs recorded for Fortune Records starting in late 1956.

While at Fortune Records, Johnson also recorded with Andre Williams' 'New Group.' He was also the main bass voice on Nathaniel Mayer's popular song "Village Of Love".

Later, Johnson started his own groups called The Velvet Angels and The Four Sonics. Today, he performs with a new version of the Diablos group, which he put together. It's called Nolan Strong's Diablos. Jay Johnson is the only original member in this new group.

Jay Johnson and The Diablos

Jay Johnson joined the group Nolan Strong & the Diablos in 1956. He was 15 years old at the time. Another artist from Fortune Records, Andre Williams, introduced Johnson to Nolan Strong. Johnson also performed and recorded with Andre Williams' New Group.

You can hear Johnson on Williams' songs like "Bacon Fat" and "Just Because Of A Kiss". Andre Williams’ "New Group" included Johnson, Gino Parks, Bobby Calhoun, and Steve Gaston.

Johnson's first recording session with the Diablos was for the songs "Can't We Talk It Over" and "Mambo of Love". These were recorded in late 1956 and released in 1957. When the first Nolan Strong & the Diablos album, "Fortune Of Hits," came out, Johnson had replaced George Scott as the bass singer. However, the album cover still showed the older group members, without Johnson.

The Velvet Angels Group

By the 1960s, the Diablos group was slowly breaking up. Johnson moved to New Jersey to start a new group called The Velvet Angels. This group was based in the New York City area. The Velvet Angels included Johnson, former Diablos member Willie Hunter, Bobby Calhoun, and Cy Iverson. Nolan Strong even joined them for one recording session.

The Velvet Angels became well-known in Jersey City. They performed exciting shows at local clubs. Their a cappella singing (singing without instruments) mixed gospel, doo-wop, and early soul music. This unique sound started to attract big crowds.

By 1964, the group decided to stop performing due to problems with members. The Velvet Angels recorded at least 19 songs. They became quite famous in the doo-wop community. This happened after some of their a cappella practice tapes were sold and later released on the Medieval record label. When the members left New Jersey, Calhoun went south and worked with Stax Records. Iverson, Hunter, and Johnson all returned to Detroit.

The Four Sonics Band

After returning to Detroit, Johnson sang for a while with a group called the Five Monarchs. However, he never recorded any songs with them. Johnson still wanted to achieve major success in music. So, he decided to form his own group again. In the late 1960s, the Four Sonics were created.

At first, the Four Sonics included Bill Frazier (tenor lead), Steve Gaston (tenor), Eddie Daniels (baritone), and Johnson (bass). The group recorded songs for Andrew Harris at his "Super Sonic Sound" Studio. This studio is where the group got their name, Four Sonics.

They released two songs in 1968 on Harris' Sport label. The first was "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" (a song also sung by Dusty Springfield) with "It Takes Two" on the other side. Soon after, they released "The Greatest Love" (written by Johnson and Anita Watson) led by Bill Frazier. The other side was "Easier Said Than Done," led by Eddie Daniels.

The Four Sonics performed a lot and were the main act at many shows in Detroit. The original Four Sonics group grew when Johnny Dixon joined them. Instead of changing their name to the Five Sonics, they chose "Four Sonics + 1." Johnson said that Johnny Dixon had an amazing singing range, from baritone to soprano.

In 1968, as the Four Sonics + 1, they recorded one song on the Sepia label: "Tell Me You're Mine" with "Lost Without You" on the other side. Even though Johnson had formed the Four Sonics, there were some problems within the group. Because of this, another song was released by the Four Sonics on Triple "B" when Johnson was not singing with them. These songs were "Blue Velvet" and "Where Are You" (with Dixon singing lead).

In the 1970s, there were more changes for the group. Dixon, Daniels, and Gaston left. They were replaced by Vernon Williams (from Satintones, Royal Holidays & Pyramids) and Sylvester Potts (from The Contours). Later, Bill Frazier left the group and a lady named Gloria Sykes joined. This version of the Four Sonics released one record on the JMC label: "There's No Love" and "If It Wasn't for My Baby." Four Sonics records are very valuable to collectors of Northern Soul vinyl.

Jay Johnson Today

Jay Johnson is currently performing with a new Diablos group. It is called Nolan Strong's Diablos. This group features all new singers, including Bobby Turk, Art Howard, and Mike Clark. The group is currently booking shows and performing.