Willie Neal Johnson (August 25, 1935 – January 10, 2001) was an American

gospel singer Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is com ...

, who became known as "Country Boy" for his rootsy

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

-driven style and his down to earth, friendly personality. Willie was born in

Tyler, Texas Tyler is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the largest city and county seat of Smith County, Texas, Smith County. It is also the largest city in Northeast Texas. With a 2020 census population of 105,995, Tyler was the List of cities in Texa ...

, United States; he was the oldest of six children in a musical family. His mother motivated her children to pursue their singing careers by taking them to church and making them sing on Sundays. While in his teens he was tapped to join Rev. C. W. Jackson's group the Five Ways of Joy Gospel Singers. A few years later he formed Willie Neal Johnson and the Gospel Keynotes with long-time friends, Ralph McGee, Rev. J. D. Talley, Charles Bailey, John Jackson, Lonzo Jackson, and Archie B. McGee in 1964. After rising to popularity across the

Southwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

the group signed to

Nashboro Records Nashboro Records was an American gospel label principally active in the 1950s and 1960s. History Nashboro was founded in Nashville, Tennessee by Ernie Lafayette Young (1892-1977), who was the owner of a record store, Ernie's Record Mart, and spons ...

where they scored a major hit with "Show Me the Way". They received a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

nomination in 1980 for ''

Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" is a 1979 disco song performed by American R&B duo McFadden & Whitehead, from their debut album ''McFadden & Whitehead''. They wrote and produced the song along with keyboard player Jerry Cohen. McFadden & Whitehead wou ...

". The Gospel Keynotes went on to record over 20 LPs for Nashboro. Line-up changes were common and among the more notable talents which passed through the roster in the following years were: Paul Beasley, Larry McCowin, Donny Timmons, Alfred "Gino" Smith, Ermant Franklin Jr., Robert Williams, Jeffrey Newberry, Val Alexander, Rev. Charles McLean, Lonnie Hill and Teddy Cross. After Nashboro closed its doors they signed to the

Malaco Records Malaco Records is an American independent record label based in Jackson, Mississippi, United States, that has been the home of various major blues and gospel acts, such as Johnnie Taylor, Bobby Bland, Mel Waiters, Z. Z. Hill, Denise LaSalle, La ...

located in

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson, officially the City of Jackson, is the Capital city, capital of and the List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of Hinds County, Mississippi, ...

. In 1985 they changed their name to Willie Neal Johnson and the New Keynotes with Lamanuel Boykin (keyboards), Maurice Morgan (guitar) and the Talley Brothers, Kenneth (KT) (guitar), Sheldon (bass guitar), and David (drums). With Malaco they recorded seven albums. They were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

and the American Gospel Quartet Hall of Fame in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

in 1999. His last recording was an appearance on

Kirk Franklin Kirk Dewayne Franklin (born January 26, 1970) is an American songwriter, choir director, gospel singer, and rapper. He is best known for leading urban contemporary gospel ensembles such as The Family, God's Property, and One Nation Crew (1NC) a ...

's ''

The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin ''The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin'' is a live album by Kirk Franklin. ''The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin'' is the seventh album released by Kirk Franklin and is his first album to be considered a solo artist. The U.S. release on GospoCentric Records ...

'' in 2000, on the song "Lookin' Out For Me." Willie died of a stroke on January 10, 2001 at the age of 65 in Tyler, Texas. He was survived by his wife, Captoria, three sons, five daughters, and by his mother, Luretia.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Willie Neal 1935 births 2001 deaths People from Tyler, Texas American gospel singers Singers from Texas 20th-century American singers Malaco Records artists