Billy Johnson

Billy J has been on the music scene since his debut release “One Step Closer” in 2005, which became one of the fastest selling independently released CD’s to date overseas and abroad. Billy J has become a household name overseas and has gained a lot of fans along this journey. Born November 4, 1983 in Detroit, Michigan to mother Kim Johnson and father Billy Underwood, Billy J gives a lot of credit to his magnificent mother. While growing up he used to hear her sing with other family members, or she’d be at home singing while she was cleaning. He started singing in the same church choir his mother and other family members did under the same direction of his Aunt Helen Moore where she imparted priceless information that he still carries with him today. He also credits several R&B singers that paved the way for him like: Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Donnie Hathaway, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, The Four Tops, and so many more. Billy J took some time off to regroup and hone his skills; he wanted to perfect his craft in every way. He didn’t take much time off before he started working on material for his second album titled ‘Journey of a Man.’ Billy J took his time and recorded this album and deemed it ‘one of his best albums yet.’ He also wanted to have a different sound, so he called on Craig Te, an amazing writer from Detroit, to help him achieve his goals. With that, they created another masterpiece. After the release of his latest work, he decided to take a break again, not knowing it would become six years. During this time, he focused on school and received his Associates, Bachelor’s and lastly his Master’s degree in Criminal Justice. This six-year hiatus allowed Billy J to live and learn life lessons. God blessed him with a son who is his life. All of the ups and downs of losing his grandmother (whom he loved dearly), relationship issues and family problems, allowed him to pull from those experiences and emotions. This also gave him subjects to write about and produce about thirty songs for the next CD, ‘Bipolar.’ This album takes you on a journey of love, sex, & heartbreak. This album is one of darkest he has written. At 32, Billy J seems to have it all together and now he’s back with a blazing hot new single titled ‘I'm Back’ ft ZDash and ‘Come Into My Room’, which also have video releases. His goal with this album is to give men, both current and future (especially men of color) the courage and inspiration needed to make it in todays’ society. It is with this album that Billy J willingly and readily let you, the listeners, meet another side of him. Shortly after the release of his CD Bipolar he was faced with a life altering challenge; he needed to have both of his hips replaced. Having the business mind that he does, Billy J quickly went into overdrive and shot two videos for the upcoming singles off the album, ‘Come into My Room’ and ‘Send up Love,” which was dedicated to his beloved Grandmother. Dealing with the hip pain for over a year which limited his standing, walking, and dancing abilities, he finally decided to proceed with the surgery because it was needed to move forward with his career. The surgery went well, and all he could think about was getting back to doing exactly what he loved since he was seven years old. Recovery time took a little longer than expected, but during his recovery time he listened to tracks and began writing and working on ideas for the project he wanted to release. Billy J wanted to venture out and not only perform and make music, but he wanted to start a production company where he could create musical outlets for other up and coming artists. In hopes of forging relationships with venues, he desires to highlight raw talent and give R&B artists the spotlight they deserve as currently nothing like this exists. He also wanted to prove that R&B music isn’t dead; especially in Motown. With that he started MTJ Productions. Keep your eyes open for future events, concerts, etc. produced by MTJ Productions. In late 2019, Billy J started working on his latest music. The pandemic came in swiftly and derailed all recording plans. During this time, he kept writing and perfecting his craft and his sound. His writing process showed so much growth and maturity. He worked with some amazing writers and features on this project such as: Grammy award winning songwriter Antea Birchett who has written songs for Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, and Justin Bieber, just name a few. He also worked with: Sam Watson, Katrina Carson, Patrick Cooks, Craig Te, Jeff Dean, Jai Fears and Gucci Rie and he was excited for everyone to hear the finished product. Finally, after two and half long years his latest project ‘Black Tie Affair’ was released in July of 2022. During the pandemic, he began receiving scripts for movie roles and although it’s something he wanted to always do, he was very hesitant about trying something new. After declining a role several times, it kept coming back. He finally accepted the role and that’s when he realized he was ready to concur acting as well. He has been involved with three films within the last three years. ‘The Noise in Music’ in 2021, ‘Black Lies’ in 2021 and ‘Parental Advised Discretion’ in 2022. He’s currently reviewing other scripts to determine his next role. Keep your eye out for Billy J as he’s gearing up to hit the road this summer 2023 for the Black-Tie Affair Tour. Dates are coming soon.