Jon Gibson (Christian musician)
Encyclopedia
Jon Gibson born in San Francisco, is a pioneering gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....

/Christian Music
Christian music
Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely across the world....

 singer and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....

.http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/jon_gibson_the_us_soul_singer_back_after_a_three_year_break/40346/p2/ He is one of the most influential artists and producers
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

 in Christian, Gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....

 and R&B music with 22 Top Five Hits, 20 Top Ten Hits, nine Number One songs and an Album of The Year to his credit.

Music career, experiences and recognitions

Prior to his religious conversion
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...

, after singing in clubs in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

,http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Jon_Gibson_The_US_soul_singer_back_after_a_three_year_break/40346/p1/ his first record deal as a secular artist was with SOLAR Records
SOLAR Records
S.O.L.A.R. Records was an American record label founded in 1977 by Dick Griffey, reconstituted out of Soul Train Records only two years after it was founded with Soul Train television show host and creator Don Cornelius.-Company history:In 1975, Soul Train Records was founded by Dick Griffey and...

 in 1983
1983 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1983.-January-April:*January – ZTT Records is founded.*January 8 – The UK singles chart is tabulated from this week forward by The Gallup Organization...

 where he worked with both Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...

 (i.e. playing harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...

 on a remake of Wonder's song "Have a Talk with God")http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/body-soul/id387067886 and Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...

 (singing backup vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...

 on the song "So Shy" but not appearing in the video),http://www.last.fm/music/Jon+Gibson in addition to keyboardist Bill Wolfer.http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/bill_wolfer/wolf/ Many have compared Gibson's similar voice and style to both Wonder and Jackson, as well as Donny Hathaway
Donny Hathaway
Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...

.http://www.ccm-radio.com/jon-gibson.html That same year, Gibson also released a track and video called "She Told Me So" on the subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...

 label of SOLAR Records (Constellation Records).http://www.discogs.com/Jon-Gibson-She-Told-Me-So/release/1950408http://new.music.yahoo.com/jon-gibson/

After Gibson was signed to Dick Griffey
Dick Griffey
Richard Gilbert "Dick" Griffey was an American record producer and promoter who founded SOLAR Records, an acronym for "Sound of Los Angeles Records", which played a major role in developing a funk-oriented blend of disco, R&B and soul music during the 1970s and 1980s...

's new Constellation label, Griffey would have fun tricking a number of his SOLAR artists with Jon's tape (although he's Caucasian
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...

, they thought it was Stevie Wonder's voice). Jon's debut came as a guest vocalist for three songs on Bill Wolfer's Wolf album (Wolfer was working with Michael Jackson on the Off the Wall
Off the Wall (album)
Off the Wall is the fifth studio album by the American recording artist Michael Jackson, released August 10, 1979 on Epic Records, after Jackson's critically well received film performance in The Wiz. While working on that project, Jackson and Quincy Jones had become friends, and Jones agreed to...

and Thriller
Thriller (album)
Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982, by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall...

albums during this time).http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000008P2A It was during the process of making that album that Jon was introduced to his musical idol, Stevie Wonder, and worked with a crew of other musicians, including Jackson. Wolfer returned the favor the next year by producing Gibson's debut album, Standing on the One. The debut showed that Gibson was more than a Wonder-clone, and that he had song-writing
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

 skills to go with his 'great voice'. Wonder's 1991
1991 in music
See also:* 1991 in music Record labels established in 1991-Summary:The year 1991 is the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. Nirvana's Nevermind, led by the surprise hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", becomes the most popular U.S. album of the year...

 soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...

 album Jungle Fever
Jungle Fever (soundtrack)
Jungle Fever is the 1991 soundtrack album by Stevie Wonder to Spike Lee's movie Jungle Fever. It was released on Motown. Wonder was asked by director Spike Lee to compose the film soundtrack and film score to the film, which depicted a black businessman falling for a white female associate...

would go on to have Gibson singing backup in return (i.e. on the track "I Go Sailing"), even touring together.http://www.discogs.com/Stevie-Wonder-Jungle-Fever/release/1268286http://www.billboard.com/artist/jon-gibson/6101http://www.jongibson.com/?section=press__reviewshttp://www.wayoflife.org/database/ccmsecularrock.html

Meanwhile, a local bookstore manager heard Gibson's Warner Brothers
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...

/Solar/Constellation release, "Standing on the One", on a secular radio station and realized that beneath the slick and savvy production was a 'powerful message about Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...

'. He bought the album and took it to KYMS, a Christian radio
Christian radio
Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...

 station based in Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...

. It soon became the first Christian radio station in the world to play a Jon Gibson record.http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000008P2A But Gibson was torn between his desire for pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

 stardom
Superstar
A superstar is a widely acclaimed celebrity.Superstar or superstars may also refer to:-People:* Warhol Superstar, associates of Andy Warhol* WWE Superstar, the term used to refer to entertainers from the WWE...

 and his need to give testimony
Testimony
In law and in religion, testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter. All testimonies should be well thought out and truthful. It was the custom in Ancient Rome for the men to place their right hand on a Bible when taking an oath...

 to his Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

 faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...

, so he signed with Frontline Records
Frontline Records (1980s)
Frontline Records was a Christian record label founded in 1986 by James Kempner. The label focused primarily on modern rock, rap, and hip-hop...

 (a Christian record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

) for the album On the Run, a partial re-release of Standing on the One with a few new cuts. The album was well received, rendering his first Number 1 single in Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...

 on Christian radio, entitled "God Loves a Broken Heart". It became the first of a string of over 20 Top Ten CCM Hits.

Although his first rap solo was 1986's "Ain't It Pretty" from the album On The Run, Gibson wrote and produced the first rap hit
Hot Rap Songs
Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...

 in CCM history (by anyone) called "This Wall" featuring M.C. Hammer
MC Hammer
Stanley Kirk Burrell , better known by his stage name MC Hammer , is an American rapper, entertainer, business entrepreneur, dancer and actor. He had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s...

 (it was originally within the lyrics of this song that Stanley Kirk Burrell - or "K.B." - first identified himself as M.C. Hammer)http://new.music.yahoo.com/mc-hammer/tracks/?artist%5B0%5D=mc-hammer&artist%5B1%5D=mc-hammer&page=2, and was featured in TIME/LIFE's 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music
CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music
CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music is the title of a book, edited by Thom Granger and published in 2001 by Harvest House Publishers....

. Prior to this time, he was apart of Hammer's gospel rap group
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

 Holy Ghost Boys, with songs having been produced before being released on their respective albums. For instance, Hammer would later release a song called "Son of the King" on his debut album Feel My Power
Feel My Power
Feel My Power is an EP by M.C. Hammer, produced by Felton Pilate and released in 1987. This album sold over 60,000 copies, which led to several offers from major labels.-Album history:...

(1987) and Gibson released "This Wall" on his Change of Heart album (1988). Burrell, along with Tramaine Hawkins, performed with Jon's band doing several concerts in various halls such as the Beverly Theatre in Beverly Hills.http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000008P2A

Gibson also experienced success with "Friend in You", a ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...

 which is one of CCM's classic hit songs, from Change of Heart. On this album, he did a cover of "Ya Mo Be There", a song originally performed by James Ingram
James Ingram
James Ingram is an American soul musician. He is best known as a vocalist. He is also a self-taught musician who plays piano, guitar, bass, drums and keyboards...

 and Michael McDonald
Michael McDonald (singer)
Michael McDonald is a five-time Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter. McDonald is known for a soulful baritone singing style and a multi-octave range. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan...

, and co-written by Rod Temperton
Rod Temperton
Rodney Lynn "Rod" Temperton is an English songwriter, record producer and musician most famous for writing a number of songs performed by Michael Jackson, including the title track of Jackson's Thriller, the biggest-selling album of all time.-Biography:As Temperton remembers music was in his bones...

 and Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...

. He recorded another cover of Wonder's songs ("Happier Than The Morning Sun") on Forever Friends (1992). Christian rap pioneer M.C. Peace appeared on two of Gibson's albums, with Gene Andrusco, Rick Zunigar and Rob Watson
Rob Watson
Robert D. Watson is a keyboard player, producer and composer best known for his work with the rock bands Daniel Amos and The Swirling Eddies...

 assisting on the album Jesus Loves Ya (another album featured in CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music.)http://www.shoutlife.com/profile_view.cfm?uid=2895

In addition, Gibson has performed and recorded with Billy Preston
Billy Preston
William Everett "Billy" Preston was a musician who gained notoriety and fame, first as a session musician for the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and The Beatles, and later finding fame as a solo artist with hits such as "Space Race", "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from...

,http://new.music.yahoo.com/billy-preston/ Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...

, Nancy Wilson
Nancy Wilson (singer)
Nancy Wilson is an American singer with more than 70 albums, and three Grammy Awards. She has been labeled a singer of blues, jazz, cabaret and pop; a "consummate actress"; and "the complete entertainer." The title she prefers, however, is song stylist...

, Sammy Davis Jr., Nelson Riddle
Nelson Riddle
Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s...

 & The Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Tower of Power
Tower of Power
Tower of Power is an American R&B-based horn section and band, originating in Oakland, California, that has been performing for over 43 years. They are best known for their funky soul sound highlighted by a powerful horn section...

, Kirk Franklin
Kirk Franklin
Kirk Dwayne Franklin is an American Gospel music musician, choir director, and author, and is most notably known for leading urban contemporary gospel choirs such as The Family, God's Property and One Nation Crew .- Early years :...

, Andrae Crouch
Andrae Crouch
Andraé Crouch is a seven-time Grammy Award-winning American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, recording artist, record producer, and pastor.-Early years:Born Andraé Edward Crouch in San Francisco, California....

, John P. Kee
John P. Kee
John P. Kee is an American gospel singer and pastor.-Early life:John P. Kee was born the 15th out of 16 children in Durham, North Carolina. At an early age he began to develop his musical talent both instrumentally and vocally...

, Shirley Caesar
Shirley Caesar
Shirley Ann Caesar is an American Gospel music singer, songwriter and recording artist whose career has spanned six decades...

, BeBe Winans
BeBe Winans
Benjamin "BeBe" Winans is a gospel and R&B singer. He is a member of the noted Winans family, most members of which are also gospel artists.-The PTL Club:...

, Crystal Lewis
Crystal Lewis
Crystal Lewis is an American contemporary Christian/Gospel vocalist, songwriter and author.-Early years:Lewis grew up singing in her father's church...

, Bernard Wright
Bernard Wright
Bernard Wright is an American funk and jazz keyboardist who began his career as a session musician and later released several solo albums in the 1980s....

, Tommy Sims
Tommy Sims
Tommy Sims is a renowned bassist, songwriter, record producer and bandleader.-Music career:From 1987 to 1989 he was the bassist of the popular Christian rock band White Heart which he left to become a studio musician and producer. During 1992-1993, he played bass on the Bruce Springsteen and the...

, Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani
Joseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...

, Bruce Conti, Doug Webb
Doug Webb
Doug Webb is an American musician.Doug was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1960 and moved to California at the age of 3. He is a graduate of Edison High School in Huntington Beach, California and received his Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He began playing...

, Mike Garson
Mike Garson
Mike Garson is an American pianist, most notable for his work with David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Billy Corgan, Free Flight, and The Smashing Pumpkins.- Early career :...

, Wilton Felder
Wilton Felder
Wilton Lewis Felder is both a saxophone and bass player, and is best known as a founding member of The Crusaders, initially called the Jazz Crusaders. Felder, Wayne Henderson, Joe Sample, and Stix Hooper founded the group while in high school in Houston...

, Nate Watts, James Jamerson Jr.
Chanson (band)
Chanson was an American studio based disco group from the late 1970s, led by James Jamerson Jr. and David Williams. The group took their name from the French word for song. They were a one-hit wonder, reaching #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1979 with "Don't Hold Back", on the Ariola...

, pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...

 Rob Mullins, N'Dugu Chancellor, Rick James
Rick James
James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B...

http://www.mevio.com/episode/160492/ccm-radio-interview-with-jon-gibson-1 and Cuba Ingram,http://www.shoutlife.com/profile_view.cfm?uid=2895 among others.

Gibson's hit "Jesus Loves Ya" still holds the record as the longest playing hit single in Christian music
Christian music
Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely across the world....

 history. The track spent eleven weeks at No. 1 and became the top selling CCM single of 1991
1991 in music
See also:* 1991 in music Record labels established in 1991-Summary:The year 1991 is the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. Nirvana's Nevermind, led by the surprise hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", becomes the most popular U.S. album of the year...

. Only three artists received more airplay
Airplay
* Airplay is the amount of time a song is played on the radio.It may also refer to:* AirPlay, an audio & video streaming technology from Apple Inc.* Airplay , Foster & Graydon music project from 1980* Citroën C1, Citroën C1 Airplay...

 on Christian radio stations in that year other than Gibson; Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...

, Michael W. Smith
Michael W. Smith
Michael Whitaker Smith is a Billboard top ten Billboard Hot 100 recording artist and Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. He is one of the best-selling and most influential artists in Contemporary Christian music. Smith also has achieved a considerable amount of...

 and BeBe & CeCe Winans
BeBe & CeCe Winans
BeBe & CeCe Winans are an American Gospel music brother and sister duo. BeBe and CeCe Winans are the seventh and eighth of "Mom" and "Pop" Winans' ten children, most of whom have had successful Gospel music careers.-Musical career:...

. But there were several elements that frustrated the relationship between Jon Gibson and Frontline Records. The main issue was the fact that through the years Gibson was receiving little if no payment for his recordings.http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Jon_Gibson_The_US_soul_singer_back_after_a_three_year_break/40346/p1/ "My contract was over when I completed the album Forever Friends", Gibson says. In the end, Frontline Records ran into serious financial trouble and Gibson decided to create his own record label, resulting in a nearly three-year hiatus before his next disc, Love Education, perhaps his best and most eclectic
Eclecticism in music
Eclecticism is used to describe a composer's conscious use of styles alien to his nature, or from one or more historical styles. The term is also used pejoratively to describe music whose composer, thought to be lacking originality, appears to have freely drawn on other models .-Sources:* Kennedy,...

 release.

During the process, Gibson was tempted by several record companies with lucrative offers, one offering to wire $100,000 to his bank account. He eventually decided to go with Ojo Taylor
Ojo Taylor
Joey "Ojo" Taylor is a bassist, vocalist, and keyboardist best known for his work with the Christian rock band Undercover.Taylor co-owned the Brainstorm Artists Intl record label with songwriter and Adam Again frontman, Gene Eugene. He received his MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles...

 and Gene Eugene
Gene Eugene
Gene "Eugene" Andrusco was a Canadian born actor, record producer, engineer, composer and musician. Andrusco was best known as the leader of the funk/rock band Adam Again, a member of The Swirling Eddies and as a founding member of the roots music supergroup Lost Dogs.-Acting:Andrusco was a child...

 of Brainstorm Artists International
Brainstorm Artists International
Brainstorm Artists International formerly Broken Records , was an artist-run record label founded in 1987 by Gene Eugene, Ojo Taylor, and Barry Hill. The label was distributed globally by Sony/Epic Music, among others, and closed in 1997 due to distribution issues.Located in Fullerton, California,...

, a company known for its high quality albums in the alternative rock
Christian alternative rock
Christian alternative rock is a form of alternative rock music that is lyrically grounded in a Christian worldview. Some critics have suggested that unlike CCM and older Christian rock, Christian alternative rock generally emphasizes musical style over lyrical content as a defining genre...

 and rap territory.http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Jon_Gibson_The_US_soul_singer_back_after_a_three_year_break/40346/p1/ Gibson then got married, had children, and took time off from his music again. Upon returning, he searched for a record contract for two years, finally landing with gospel record label
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....

 B-Rite Music
GospoCentric Records
GospoCentric Records is an Inglewood, California based Gospel music record label started as an independent label by Vicki Mack Lataillade and Claude Lataillade in 1993. The label rose to prominence in the 90's largely on the runaway success of gospel artist Kirk Franklin. The label has grown to...

 in 1999 for his The Man Inside record, a consciously urban-sounding
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...

 album made with master producer Tommy Sims
Tommy Sims
Tommy Sims is a renowned bassist, songwriter, record producer and bandleader.-Music career:From 1987 to 1989 he was the bassist of the popular Christian rock band White Heart which he left to become a studio musician and producer. During 1992-1993, he played bass on the Bruce Springsteen and the...

. It didn't fare as well as previous records, and Gibson again decided to take his career into his own hands, creating his own Imagery Records and releasing his first praise album, Soulful Hymns, in 2002.

Gibson was honored for his contributions as a center piece in the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 documentary Rhythm Of The Heart: The Roots and History of Gospel Music, hosted by the former anchor
News presenter
A news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather...

 of Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...

.http://www.amazon.com/Jon-Gibson/e/B000APJFIShttp://www.mevio.com/episode/160492/ccm-radio-interview-with-jon-gibson-1

Musical style and training

Gibson's compositions have been the subject of study at major universities such as The University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...

,http://www.ccm-radio.com/jon-gibson.html and his arrangements have gained him international respect among musicians.http://www.ccm-radio.com/jon-gibson.html Throughout his career, Gibson has straddled different musical styles and confounded those who tried to label him, creating consistent, original music. While this lack of categorization has limited the promotion of his career (was pop or urban radio really ready to play a white blue-eyed soul singer who sang about his faith?), it has gained for him a loyal following and a catalog
Music catalog
In the music industry, a collection of musical compositions is cataloged into a music catalog. The owner owns the copyrights of the cataloged compositions.-See also:* Music publisher * History of music publishing...

 of respectfully good music.http://www.soultracks.com/jon_gibson.htmhttp://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jongibson

Gibson not only writes
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

, arranges
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...

 and produces
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

 most of his albums, but he also plays all the instruments
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...

 himself, except for a few solos
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...

. Comments Jon, "I'm not a trained musician. I never took music in school. I dropped out of school in 9th grade. I don't know how to read and write notes. I don't play with any proper technique; I just grab instruments and bang on them. Everything I learned to play, I figured out myself. So I'm not the best musician, but if you give me time, without people coming around, pressuring me ('We have to finish this record by the GMA) when I don't have these pressures on me, I can do tracks closer to the feeling I really want if I play it myself. It takes me longer, but I get more of the feeling I really want if I play it myself."http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/jon_gibson_the_us_soul_singer_back_after_a_three_year_break/40346/p2/

Current projects and ministry

Gibson is actively seeking a new recording contract and publishing deal again, after several years away from the music industry to focus on his family, with over 120 published works and 300 unpublished songs. As of 2009, according to his official website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...

, he is currently in the studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...

 recording his 10th solo release and was planning to release the new album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...

 called The Horizons of Knowing in late November/early December 2010.http://www.ccm-radio.com/jon-gibson.html On June 7, 2010, Gibson released the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

 "On a Mission" from the upcoming record which was available as an Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

 download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...

.http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/on-a-mission-single/id378368390http://www.spinthat45.com/2010/06/jon-gibson-is-on-mission.htmlhttp://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/products/Jon_Gibson/Im_On_A_Mission/95080/

Gibson currently leads worship services
Service of worship
In the Protestant denominations of Christianity, a service of worship is a meeting whose primary purpose is the worship of God. The phrase is normally shortened to service. It is also commonly called a worship service...

 across the nation and also performs for multi-genre, mainstream audiences/celebrities worldwide. He is also a music minister
Worship pastor
A Worship Pastor in the Christian Church usually refers to a person who ministers within a church via music performance, as well as counseling and pastoring members of the church's music team....

 at a California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 church. Additionally, he provides music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

s, online chat
Online chat
Online chat may refer to any kind of communication over the Internet, that offers an instantaneous transmission of text-based messages from sender to receiver, hence the delay for visual access to the sent message shall not hamper the flow of communications in any of the directions...

ting, blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...

s and streaming music
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...

 on his social sites
Social network service
A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social...

 such as Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....

 and Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....

, in addition to his personal website.http://www.jongibson.com/news.html

Personal life

Gibson grew up in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...

, only to make his way back to the "City by the Bay" when he was a teenager. A young rebel
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...

, the streets of San Francisco became home for Gibson, and after several encounters with the law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...

 and time in juvenile hall
Youth detention center
A youth detention center, also known as a juvenile detention center , juvenile hall or, more colloquially as juvie, is a secure residential facility for young people, often termed juvenile delinquents, awaiting court hearings and/or placement in long-term care facilities and programs...

, he joined the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

. During this time he discovered a natural ability to write songs
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

. Because of severe allergies
Allergy
An Allergy is a hypersensitivity disorder of the immune system. Allergic reactions occur when a person's immune system reacts to normally harmless substances in the environment. A substance that causes a reaction is called an allergen. These reactions are acquired, predictable, and rapid...

, Gibson was given a honorable medical discharge after only 11 months of service
Military service
Military service, in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary draft . Some nations require a specific amount of military service from every citizen...

.

Upon returning home, between the age of 19-20,http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Jon_Gibson_The_US_soul_singer_back_after_a_three_year_break/40346/p1/ Gibson found his father had become a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

. Jon accepted Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...

 himself, then eventually began using his talents for God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....

. After attending church as a result of his dad's pestering, Gibson recalls, "I got born again inside that car driving home, and when we got to the house, my father wanted to baptise me and did that right away in the bathtub".http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Jon_Gibson_The_US_soul_singer_back_after_a_three_year_break/40346/p2/ Gibson's newest record is inspired by the recent death of his beloved father Stanley Earl Gibson, and the project will be dedicated to his life and memory.http://www.ccm-radio.com/jon-gibson.html

Jon is married to Lisa Rea Gibson, a music industry professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...

 (i.e. public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....

, booking, media
Media agency
A media agency is a company which help companies to communicate with current and potential consumers and/or the general public.These agencies work with their clients to understand the business issues, their markets and their consumers...

, press info
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...

, etc.)http://jongibson.com/ as of 1995, and have had three children together; Jonathon Thomas Gibson, James Robert Gibson and Jesse Earl Gibson.http://www.ccm-radio.com/jon-gibson.html

Discography

  • 1983: Standing on the One (12 inch vinyl
    12-inch single
    The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...

    )
  • 1987: On the Run (12 inch vinyl) -- No. 1: "God Loves A Broken Heart"
  • 1988: Change of Heart -- No. 1: "Friend in You"; "This Wall"
  • 1989: Body & Soul -- Top Ten Hits: "Father Father", "In The Name Of The Lord", "Everyone Needs The Lord"
  • 1990: On the Run
  • 1990: Jesus Loves Ya -- No. 1 for 11 weeks yielding 1991's top selling CCM
    Contemporary Christian music
    Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...

    single: "Jesus Loves Ya"; "Love Come Down"
  • 1991: The Hits
  • 1992: Forever Friends -- 5 Top Ten Hits with No. 1's: "Happy To Know Jesus", "Can't Live Without Jesus"
  • 1995: Songs Of Encouragement And Healing
  • 1995: Love Education -- 3 Top Ten Hits
  • 1998: Change Of Heart/Body And Soul
  • 1999: The Man Inside
  • 2002: Soulful Hymns
  • 2009: Spirit of Christmas Northern Light Orchestra
  • 2010: The Horizons of Knowing


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000008PJAhttp://www.shoutlife.com/profile_view.cfm?uid=2895http://www.youtube.com/artist?a=GxdCwVVULXecXzisQGNpF2q1C1RbhnBl&feature=artisthttp://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/8148320-jon-gibsonhttp://musicpartshouse.com/JonGibson.aspxhttp://www.newreleasetuesday.com/artistdetail.php?artist_id=678http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jon-gibson/id16046314http://www.billboard.com/artist/jon-gibson/6101#/artist/jon-gibson/discography/albums/6101http://www.jongibson.com/?section=press__reviewshttp://www.musicstack.com/records-cds/jon+gibsonhttp://www.breathecast.com/Christian.Music.Artist-Jon.Gibson/Profile-497.htmhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B000028TV1http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/body-soul/id387067886http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jon-gibson-p5936http://www.gospelflava.com/reviews/jongibson.htmlhttp://gosong.net/Jon_Gibson.htmlhttp://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/products/Jon_Gibson/Songs_Of_Encouragement_And_Healing/5870/

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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