By Sheryl Aronson
CEO, of Soul Records, Robert E. Johnson, once again is reviving the essence of Soul as he premieres the cable television talk series… After the Show. Hosting from his hometown of Camden, New Jersey, Johnson taps into the bountiful talent of the new recording artists on Soul Records as well as the superb musicians that have had a history with the Philadelphia Sound originating in that area. The Host Robert E. Johnson has a background in music himself and composed the instrumental soundtrack for After The Show. Johnson commented, “If you liked the original soundtrack for Soul Train titled, The Sound of Philadelphia, which was composed by Gamble and Huff, you will definitely enjoy the complete soundtrack to After the Show.
I interviewed Robert Johnson in May 2015 as he made a West Coast trip to Los Angeles to scout out new talent for Soul Records. “It has always been said that ‘The Soul never dies’…” Robert Erskine Johnson told The Hollywood 360, when asked how he obtained Berry Gordy’s old vintage label, Soul Records. Mr. Erskine was inspired to bring this legendary label back into the present day recording industry because while he was sitting in church one Sunday, he received a vision, or the call by God to Resurrect Soul Records. He didn’t think Soul would be available because of it’s illustrious reputation, but as his vision predicted, the label and trademark were waiting for him to revive it’s name and he was able to acquire both items. Johnson’s vision for the resurrected Soul Records was to bring back the classic sound heralded by the 60’s and 70’s Rock and R&B scene, however combining it now with a fresh, modern-day feel.
Now, Soul Records has a home with After the Show to spotlight the talent that reflects Robert E. Johnson’s convictions and love for the music. His first guest on the cable television series was vocalist, Roy Williams. Roy has been called the “voice of the last Intruder.” Williams was not only part of this famous R&B group, he began his career with Executive Suite back in the 1970’s. It was the heyday for soul music, quickly establishing a presence throughout the county.
When asked how he began his career in singing, Williams said, “My mother was a minister and loved music. She would play blues, jazz, and soul all the time around the house. The one song she loved to sing was Summertime. I had heard the song sung so much by her, by the time I was four or five years of age, I was able to sing back the lyrics to her. She loved it.”
With a strong background in singing gospel music at church, Williams developed his voice. He was discovered by the DJ, Butterball, in high school, and landed a spot with the group Executive Suite. He told an amusing story about first encountering Earth, Wind and Fire as a member of Executive Suite. “The Ebonys, and my group, Executive Suite were performing at the same show with EWF. No one had ever heard of them before and we were laughing and joking about how they were dressed in bell-bottoms and sequence. We, on the other hand, were dressed in our suits looking like the Temptations. However, when EWF got onstage and began playing, our mouths hung open. It was one of the most favorite musical experiences.”
Roy told another wonderful story about how he won the Dance Off Contest between he and a Soul Train dancer. “We battled off dancing…first he would show his moves on the West Coast and I showed off mine in Philadelphia. I got voted as #1 in the country. I even called out Michael Jackson when he came to Phili back then. But I never heard from him.”
Nowadays, Roy Williams is being produced by Butch Ingram, Society Hill Records and has a new CD on the market called, The Real Thing. He sings some old favorites like Misty, Summertime, Impossible Dream, and Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing. “Butch commented on the range of my voice and said, ‘you have to be the real thing’ because I can sing falsetto, tenor, baritone and bass. I bring that incredible range to every song and genre and can sing in any key.”
Roy Williams and Robert E. Johnson had a great time together chatting on After the Show about the old days attending Camden High School where many of their friends became famous musicians and composers. Johnson created a very homey atmosphere with his easy- going style of questioning; however, Johnson also displayed his sharp, prolific knowledge of how soul music developed in this area of the world. When asking Roy Williams what the singer wanted to end the interview on…the veteran vocalist said, “Ground yourself in faith. Try to live it more than you speak it. People will realize…you are the real thing.”
Exclusive Soul in The Hollywood 360 will be reporting on all the upcoming events for Soul Records. We are excited to present: Soul Records and After the Show.
You can watch After the Show:
The music below is titled”After The Show” the music soundtrack I created and recorded for the “Soul Records Presents-After The Show” television show.
You can purchase Roy Williams on Itunes, Spotify, Amazon, Izra Box in Europe.
Watch Roy Williams sing, Impossible Dream on Youtube:
