C.J. Johnson
In March of 1965, Dr. C.J. Johnson recorded an original song, “I Want to Go Where Jesus Is,” for Savoy Records. Sung a cappella and with thunderous enthusiasm by a jubilant congregation, the sound was so raw and primitive that one might have assumed it was recorded forty years prior by Alan Lomax and came straight from the Library of Congress archives. The composition itself sounded as if it was from the pages of Kentucky Harmony. But sure enough, it was recorded at the same time as other Savoy gospel hits of the day, by artists such as Alex Bradford, the Caravans, the Roberta Martin Singers and James Cleveland.
A succession of singles and albums established Dr. C.J. Johnson as one of the country’s foremost hymnologists. His recordings were at once anachronistic and refreshing at a time when gospel music focused squarely on hard-singing leads and heavy instrumental backing. Dr. Johnson’s commitment to the old time sound – straight congregational singing with occasional slaps of the tambourine – earned him an invitation to sing at the White House on three separate occasions.
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