Kerry Douglas knows a winner when he sees and hears one, and such is the case with James Johnson, Jr. “James represents a new class of emerging Gospel artists with a unique sound and a relevant message the world needs to hear’, says the multiple award winning Blacksmoke Music Worldwide and Kerry Douglas Radio Promotions CEO. “When I experienced the fullness of his ministry and music, I knew he would be one of the ones anointed to continue the Blacksmoke legacy”. James steps to the batting cage with You Made Me, his EP set for release on March 8th.
Raised a preacher’s kid in Baltimore, James was immersed in the sounds of the sanctified church giving him a solid foundation alongside his studies at the Baltimore School for the Arts, the Peabody Conservatory and Berklee College of Music. James heard and answered a greater call to ministry furthering his studies in divinity from the Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University, As an adept music minister with a heart for the presence of God and the people of God, James unites people in worship as he leads the music ministry at First Sterling Baptist Church in Sterling, Virginia. James has had the opportunity to both write and perform with a cadre of luminaries in Gospel, including Tye Tribbett, the late Troy Sneed, The Arkansas Gospel Mass Choir, Alvin Slaughter, Maurette Brown-Clark, Stephen Hurd, Jonathan McReynolds, Erica Campbell, Bishop Marvin Sapp, Pastor John P. Kee and others. He is the recipient of several Stellar Award nominations.
James sees the EP as the gateway through the journeys of his life. “The songs on “You Made Me” are deeply personal, inspired by my own experiences and the incredible moments that God has allowed me to witness”, he shares. “Through every lyric and melody, I aim to capture the essence of these moments and share them with the world. Impacting radio right now is Agree, a powerful song of faith and dependence on the promises in the word of God.
James is readying for a promo tour hitting select cities in the upcoming months.