Cynthia Johnson

Cynthia Johnson

Cynthia Johnson
Background information
Birth name Cynthia Johnson
Born (1956-04-22) April 22, 1956
Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States
Genres Funk, disco, R&B, jazz, pop, soul, rock
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, actress, producer
Instruments Vocals, saxophone
Years active 1973–present
Labels Casablanca Records, Megabien Music
Associated acts Lipps Inc., Flyte Tyme, Sounds of Blackness
Website cynthiajohnson.net

Cynthia Johnson (born April 22, 1956) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and producer. She is best known as the lead singer of the band Lipps Inc. with the worldwide smash hit "Funkytown".

Musical career

Beginnings

Prior to becoming the lead singer of Lipps Inc., Johnson had become well-known locally for winning the 1976 Miss Black Minnesota, USA pageant, and for being the lead vocalist of the well-known Minneapolis band Flyte Tyme for seven years. Being also an accomplished saxophone player, Johnson utilized her saxophone talents in Flyte Tyme, and she was also the songwriter of many of their songs. Johnson also co-wrote some songs with band members Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, today a multi-Grammy award winning songwriting and producing team.[1] Johnson completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota, Morris in 1978, and continued to perform with Flyte Tyme for a brief time. Shortly after she left Flyte Tyme, the band evolved into The Time, a side project of Prince.

Lipps Inc.

Johnson was the lead singer of the popular Minneapolis-based band Lipps Inc., best known for its 1980 song "Funkytown". The song hit No. 1 in 28 countries, sold more than 35 million copies worldwide, and earned a place in the "One-Hit Wonders" section of the Rock & Roll Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Other singles include "Designer Music" and "Rock It", but the group never matched the success of "Funkytown", which continues to influence popular culture from the movie screen (e.g. Shrek 2 ) to the Olympics (2010 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy). The group received several awards, among them three Billboard Music Awards and "Soul Record of the Year" by the AMOA association. Johnson left the band after the group's third album Designer Music was released.

Late 1980s to present

Johnson has continued her musical career and remains active as a member of the three-time Grammy Award-winning gospel group Sounds of Blackness, as a musician on albums by Maceo Parker and Prince, on labels such as Motown, and on projects of Grammy-winning producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. She also has worked as a jingle singer on commercials for products from 3M, Volkswagen, Nissan, Target, FedEx, Ford and McDonald's. She has also sung for U.S. presidents. Johnson was the host of the first episode of the FunkyTown TV series, produced by the Minneapolis-based production company, Megabien Entertainment.[2]

Solo career

In addition to working with others, Johnson continues her career as a solo artist. Her debut album, All That I Am, was released on December 15, 2013 on the Megabien Music label. Johnson's next album will be produced by award-winning producer Mark Howard and Hans W. Stachowiak.[3]

Discography

Solo albums and lead vocalist

Additional appearances

Filmography

Awards and recognitions

References

  1. ↑ "Cynthia Johnson, lead vocalist of Flyte Tyme for seven years". Cynthiajohnson.net. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
  2. ↑ "Funky Town" (in German). 3sat.de. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  3. ↑ "New album of Cynthia Johnson to be released in 2014". Megabien.net. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Cynthia Johnson - Discography". Cynthiajohnson.net. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
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