Who knew Houston was home to a superhero. But this one doesn’t rock a secret identity.
He’s Melvin Johnson; by day, an educator teaching music at Charles Drew Elementary in the Crosby Independent School District. He’s also New Faith Church’s music director.
But when it’s time for Johnson to play his tunes, that’s when his powers truly emerge and express themselves in multiple forms. These include the owner of Sincerely Yours Music, a live music entertainment company; leading his band, the Melvin Johnson Experience, on their six-year residency jamming on stages at Hobby and George Bush Intercontinental airports; and playing live at various venues. And the brother’s skills are serious enough that he’s performed with Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake at Super Bowl XXXVIII, George Clinton, Will Downing, Chante Moore, and countless others.
Also, Johnson, a Houston native, has released his first album, “Little Red Wagon,” and is hard at work on his second, “Delayed Flights.”
The Defender caught up with the non-caped crusader to find out how the musician, writer, composer, father, cook, fun lover, and storyteller makes it all work.
Defender: How do handle your workload and still maintain your sanity?
Johnson: I think all of those are really the filter. Just like this first album; it was me processing who I am and the stories I’ve learned through my dad and my sister, technically with their passing. How do I move forward past that? The name of the album is “Little Red Wagon.” It’s symbolic of the journey as a man, from a boy. Lessons learned from my dad, from my sister. And learning as a man, in their passing, how do I navigate my little red wagon? My dad would say, “Son, it’s your little red wagon. You can push or pull it.” And of course it was funny as a kid, but, growing up and realizing that we all have little red wagons. The reason why I made the album is those songs are all stories. In realizing who you are, all you can do is just express yourself through whatever gifts you have. That’s what I’ve been doing, from then until now. I’m still writing a lot of music. During the pandemic, I wrote nine albums worth of music.
Defender: What led you to this career in music?
Johnson: Sometimes you find things and other times they find you. Music has really just been that thing that found me when I was young. My mom bought a Fender Rhodes from a minister of music down the street, and it was in the house for me to play, so I just would hit notes on it. My sister, she was a singer. My mom sang. My dad, he was a singer. So, it was music in the house. I started on trumpet and drums originally, but also on piano, I just hit notes. As I got older, I found out how much joy it really gives me. I’m a conversationalist. I didn’t realize that it was possible. But the same way I love to speak to people and learn more or tell about myself is the same thing I do through my songs. That’s the reason why I kind of coined the phrase “Real Music for Real People.” It’s all conversation.
Defender: Do you put yourself in a particular musical genre?
Johnson: Yes and no. So, a guy told me this: “You are the sum total of your experience, your exposure, and your education.” My experience has been growing up in the Black church and being in many different environments. My education is, I’ve studied jazz. I have a degree in classical. My exposure, I “done been in the club.” I’ve been on the gig scene. I’ve done corporate bands. So, just as I do in conversation, I put all that together. It’s a gumbo. It’s me. It’s impossible just to stick to one side. So even when you listen to my first album out, the debut album, “Little Red Wagon,” I’m going multiple different places on there just because I didn’t want a body of music that was just stuck in a genre. I make what I call real music.
Defender: Any advice for young aspiring musicians?
Johnson: Yeah, practice, practice. Work on your craft. Then work not just on practicing, but practice on expressing what you want to say, whether you’re playing whatever kind of music. Learn to say what you want to say. Don’t think others thoughts. Be creative. Be unique, and don’t care. Do what you do. Somebody’s going to love it. Somebody’s going to appreciate it and value it as long as it’s honest and pure.
