City Winery Nashville

Syleena Johnson with Special Guest Sean Black City Winery Nashville FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2022 AT 8 PM A Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, arranger, and producer, Syleena Johnson has built a lasting career as a distinctively forthright R&B artist equipped with a powerful voice. The daughter of unsung soul great Syl Johnson, she was born in Harvey, Illinois and grew up listening to Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Tina Turner, the Dells, and Mavis Staples. She performed in local bands and sang in her church choir at Greater Christian Unity, and later worked in classical and gospel choirs as well as in jazz ensembles at Drake University and Illinois State University, where she majored in music. Johnson's soulful rasp, reminiscent of old-school R&B singers, set the tone for her confessional songs. Her first recordings appeared on a mid-'90s album of duets with her father, but she made her proper debut with Love Hangover (1999), which featured covers of Diana Ross' "Love Hangover" and Womack & Womack's "Baby I'm Scared of You." Johnson was featured on "Donda Chant", the opening track to Kanye West's tenth album Donda, released in August 2021.