His lyrics, sentiments and musical composition on his album, Either/Or, have won me over. The appeal is the simplicity in his style of music and the realism in his lyrics. Too, I am huge on acoustics and this particular album is high on that vibe. I need MORE MORE MORE.Though I am aware that he has passed on, I appreciate him leaving his music for us to discover and appreciate. I wish I had known about his music before he died. In 1999, I drove out to Omaha, Nebraska from Iowa city, Iowa with some friends to attend a wedding there. The town is small with not much to do. Whenever I think of Omaha, I think of the movie, Election with Reese Witherspoon. One of my all time favorite movies. Now, I will also equate this town as Elliott's birthplace.Elliott eloquently expresses the depression that many of us suffer from. Wish I had his music when I lived out in the Midwest for I may have been able to cope knowing I was not alone in my feelings about life, etc.Elliott please know that your memory lives on and I look forward to learning more about him.You are appreciated, Elliott!
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Johnnie Gee (Milwaukee's Kids Soul"
Hello, The original Johnnie Gee here, Making sure America knows I'm still alive, still releasing music, own my label "sidetraxx Records", and more.
Johnnie Gee story is the stuff of which legends are made. It is a saga that began in America's heartland at age 9 in Milwaukee Wisconsin, where Johnnie Gee was born on September 29th, 1959 to Elgie and D.W Gee, into a family of seven brothers and sisters.
When Mama Gee, herself a blues lover, noticed her sons' growing interest in music and performing, she devoted herself to the careful development of their nascent talents. Through hard work and dedication, Johnnie, Dewitt, Jerome, and other friends became ,The Exclusive Step By Step. The group began performing professionally in and around Milwaukee and Chicago in 1969; later that year, the siblings took their polished song-and-dance act to Wisconsin's famous "Cuca Records", where James Kirchstein produced LP's and singles from 1959 until the early 1970s.
While the company's bread and butter came from its vast catalog of polka and ethnic LP's, Cuca also recorded pop, rock 'n' roll, rhythm & blues, folk, and traditional jazz, with an output of over 1000 45-rpm singles. Because most of the artists were from Wisconsin or adjacent states, the Cuca recordings present a concentrated view of the area's ethnic and popular music. Read more about Cuca records here.
Johnnie Gee has promoted his career for over 30 years and still has a strong presence among his fans. At age nine, Johnnie recorded his first single with Step By Step; by age 13 he was already earning his own living as an entertainer. After 37 years, Platinum Records, Brunswick Records, Cuca Records and Sidetraxx Records have brought back the classic early sounds of Step By Step and Johnnie Gee.
Johnnie Gee and "Step By Step" went on later to record and sign with the famous "Brunswick Records". Johnnie Gee and The Step By Step Band turned the place out, winning over Nat Tarnopol. The staff reaction was welcoming , the founder of the New York-based Brunswick Records, then the most successful R&B label around.
Captivated by what they saw and heard, Nat signed the group immediately. Thus began one of the most successful runs by a recording group in soul, pop, R&B music history. Johnnie Gee is currently back on the scene with his new 'EP' "One More Time", Time After Time and The ABC's Of Kid Soul, if you like retro soul, pop or R&B, music with a professional sound from a recording artist that still has original product selling thousands in Japan, China , Australia, US , The Netherlands and many more countries around the world. The original Album that started Johnnie Gee's career has just been re-issued by several large distribution companies such as JVC, Victor Ent, BMG and many more.
I'm very happy with the new release "Home Schooled: The ABC's Of Kid Soul", it brings back the love in music and the original sounds that you can't get in current bands or artist today, enjoy "Time After Time", it was the highlight of my young career, and the begining of "Step By Step" band.
Please visit my web sites at:
www.gecomgroup.net www.myspace.com/johnniegee www.gecomcorpinter.com www.gecomcorpinter.com/bboytraxxmall.html
You also can find Johnnie Gee in any major search engine by simply typing in "Johnnie Gee"
Thanks so much, hope to hear from you soon..
Johnnie Gee