Joi Cardwell facts for kids

Joi Cardwell (born October 8, 1967) is an American singer and songwriter. She grew up in New York City. As a child, she loved singing and entered many competitions.

Joi became famous in the early 1990s. She sang on two popular dance songs, "Club Lonely" and "Saved My Life," with Lil' Louis. Both songs reached number one on the dance charts! Her first solo album, The World Is Full of Trouble (1995), made her a global star. It included hit songs like "Jump for Joi" and "Love & Devotion," which were very popular on the dance charts. Her second album, Joi Cardwell (1997), also had many hits, such as "Soul to Bare," "Run to You," and "Found Love."

In 1999, she started her own record label, No-Mad Industries. She released her third album, Deliverance, on this label. Her fourth album, The Plain Jane Project (2005), had top-ten hits like "Freedom" and "It's Over." Joi continued to release albums on her own labels, including Wanderlust (The Soundtrack) (2009) and Must Be the Music (2011). In 2014, she released her seventh album, The Art of Being, on her new label, Curly Gurly Records.

In 2016, Billboard magazine ranked Joi Cardwell as one of the top 50 Dance Club Artists of all time.

Early Life and Musical Start

Joi Cardwell was born in New York City in the late 1960s. She grew up in different parts of Queens. When she was just five years old, she performed on stage at Carnegie Hall in a dance show. This helped her get used to being on stage from a young age.

Before becoming a solo artist, Joi worked as a backup singer. She sang for famous artists like Melba Moore, Jermaine Jackson, LL Cool J, and The Pointer Sisters. After finishing college at New York University, she studied voice for a year. This helped her gain more control over her singing. She then started writing songs for big R&B artists like Kashif.

Music Career Highlights

Starting Out in Music (1988–1993)

Joi's connection with Kashif led to a record deal with Arista Records in 1988. She was part of a pop R&B girl group called The Promise. However, there were many similar groups at the time, so it was hard for them to stand out.

Joi then saw an ad looking for a backup singer for a live tour. This led her to work with house music artist Lil' Louis. She recorded two songs, "Club Lonely" and "Saved My Life," for his album Journey with the Lonely. Both songs became number one hits on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.

Lil Louis was impressed by Joi's singing and songwriting. She helped create a new sound that mixed dance beats with meaningful lyrics. Joi's songs often sound like she's thinking deeply about life, while still making people want to dance. After meeting Lil Louis, Joi wrote the song "Dancing in My Sleep." Soon after, she was recording demos and starting her career as a dance and R&B singer.

In 1993, Joi toured Japan for eight months. She was a backup singer for Japanese soul singer Toshinobu Kubota. This big overseas tour gave her valuable experience. She returned to the U.S. ready to focus on her solo singing career.

First Solo Albums (1994–1998)

In 1994, Joi Cardwell signed with Eightball Records. This was an independent record label in New York. Her first single, "Trouble," was released that year. It reached number 11 on the Dance chart.

Her first solo album, The World Is Full of Trouble, came out on May 15, 1995. This album had two very popular songs: "Jump for Joi" and "Love & Devotion." In 1995, she also sang on the song "Luv Connection" for Towa Tei's album Future Listening!. Joi also sang on "The Creator Has A Master Plan" for the Brooklyn Funk Essentials' album Cool & Steady & Easy. She even toured with this group that year. In July 1996, her single "You Got to Pray" was released. It became a number one hit on the Billboard Dance Club Play chart.

Joi's second solo album, Joi Cardwell, was released on November 11, 1997. The first song from the album, "Soul to Bare," reached the top five on the Billboard Dance Club Play chart. Another song, "Run to You," was a huge success and reached number one in the United States. The album also included "Found Love" and "Power." By the end of 1997, Joi Cardwell had sold over 1.5 million records around the world! She left Eightball Records in 1998.

New Labels and More Music (1999–2015)

In April 1999, Joi Cardwell started her own independent record label called "No-Mad Industries." She released the song "Last Chance for Love" from her new album. This song reached number 17 on the Dance Club chart. Her third album, Deliverance, came out on her new label. In 2000, "Last Chance for Love" won an award for "Best Dance Song" at the GLAMA Awards.

In 2003, Joi released a collection of songs called More (1992–2003). It included new songs and remixes. In 2004, she joined the Keep Hope Alive Project. This project helped raise awareness for AIDS in the music industry. Joi sang on the song "Keep Hope Alive" with other house music singers. She also wrote and recorded her own song, "Be Yourself," for the album.

On November 18, 2005, Joi released her fourth studio album, The Plain Jane Project. This album had more R&B-style songs, different from her earlier electronic dance and house records. The song "Freedom" spent thirteen weeks on the Dance Club Play chart and reached number 7. "It's Over" reached number 4, and "What It Feels Like" reached number 30.

Her album A Beautiful Life was released only in Japan in 2007. On April 7, 2009, she released her fifth album, Wanderlust (The Soundtrack). This album featured songs like "Imperfect," "Happy," and "People Make the World Go Round." Her song "People Make The World Go Round" was nominated for an IDMA Award for "Best House/Garage Track."

Joi released her sixth album, Must Be the Music, on March 19, 2011. In 2013, her single "Love Somebody Else" won an IDMA award for "Best House/Garage/Deep House Track of the Year." In September 2014, Joi released her seventh album, The Art of Being, on her own label, Curly Gurly Records. This album included new songs and a new remix of "Jump 4 Joi."

Recent Years (2016–Present)

In 2016, Joi Cardwell released the single "What Love's Gonna Do." In May 2017, she re-released her business book called "Keep Your Eye on the Game and Not the Fame." On May 26, 2017, Joi announced on Facebook that she would be stepping back from the music industry. She planned to release a few more songs and then open a wellness center. She released "We Can Do Better" and "Days of Our Lives" in June 2017.

In October 2017, Joi was featured on the song "State of Confusion" by DJ and producer Honey Dijon. In March 2018, she released a new version of her song "Trouble" called "Trouble 2018." On June 1, 2018, Joi released her eighth album, Pride and Joi. This album included new remixes of her earlier songs.

Musical Style and Influences

Voice and Songwriting Style

Joi Cardwell has a powerful singing voice. Critics have praised her vocal skills, with one saying she "exploded with Ella Fitzgerald-style scatting."

Joi's music is mostly house, but she also mixes in traditional jazz, funk, and blues. Her album Deliverance showed her exploring neo soul and using more soul and hip hop sounds. Even though she sings mostly in English, Joi has performed Japanese songs as a backup singer for Toshinobu Kubota during his tours in Japan.

Joi has helped write most of the songs she has recorded, both with Lil' Louis and as a solo artist. Her songs often have dance themes, like "Run to You" and "You Got to Pray." She believes that song lyrics should be "meaningful and memorable." Joi has also helped produce many of her records. She is a talented pianist and often includes piano in her songs. She also played violin and piano on the song "Brittany" for Lil Louis' album From the Mind of Lil Louis.

Musical Inspirations

Joi Cardwell has been inspired by many famous musicians. Her musical influences include Billie Holiday, Barbra Streisand, and Minnie Riperton. For songwriting, she looks up to Ashford & Simpson, Marvin Gaye, and Curtis Mayfield. She has also been influenced by Sarah Vaughan and Donna Summer.

Other Projects

Jump for Joi Wellness Center

In 2017, Joi Cardwell shared her plans to open a wellness center. She became certified in yoga, meditation, and as a holistic health coach. She also trained in trauma informed practices and yoga nidra.

In 2019, Joi opened the Jump for Joi Wellness Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. This center offers classes and programs for people of all ages. They have gentle yoga, asana (yoga poses), yoga nidra, pre-natal yoga, and guided meditation for children.

Discography

• The World Is Full of Trouble (1995)
• Joi Cardwell (1997)
• Deliverance (1999)
• The Plain Jane Project (2005)
• Wanderlust (The Soundtrack) (2009)
• Must Be the Music (2011)
• The Art of Being (2014)
• Pride and Joi (2018)

Tours

Headlining Tours

• Brooklyn Funk Essentials Tour (1995)
• My First Christmas with You Japan Tour (1995–1996)
• The Joi Cardwell Tour (1997)
• Greatest Hits Album Tour (2011)
• The Art of Being Tour (2015)
• European Tour (2016)

Supporting Tours

• Évry'ting Cook An Curie! Tour (1993) (with Toshinobu Kubota)
• Oyeees! Tour (1996) (with Toshinobu Kubota)
• Nothing But As One Tour (2001) (with Toshinobu Kubota)

Books

• Keep Your Eye on the Game and Not the Fame (2001)
• Jump for Joi: Thoughts for Inner Strength Vol. 1 (2017)
• Jump for Joi: Thoughts for Inner Strength Vol. 2 (2017)

Awards and Nominations

Joi Cardwell has won and been nominated for several awards for her music.

• GLAMA Awards
  • 1997: "You Got to Pray" – Won "Best Dance Song"
  • 2000: "Last Chance for Love" – Won "Best Dance Song"

• IDMA Awards
  • 2009: "People Make the World Go Round" – Nominated for "Best House/Garage Track"
  • 2013: "Love Somebody Else" – Won "Best House/Garage/Deep House Track"

See also

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart