After years of dabbling with the idea, Newton’s Billy Johnson is set to release his first gospel single Friday, following it up with a celebration recognizing his single and his ministry’s 15th anniversary.
Johnson’s single, “You are God Alone”, releases Friday on all digital platforms. On Saturday, Johnson will celebrate both his release and the anniversary of his ministry, Psalmist Billy Johnson and God’s Creation, at St. Hill Missionary Baptist Church. It was at St. Hill where the son of Billy Ray Johson and Joyce Kelly honed his musical gifts at beginning as a small child.
“I’m just a country guy that’s born and raised in Newton. I grew up in a small church called St. Hill Missionary Baptist Church, and started singing at the age of five,” said Johnson. “With God first, my mom molded me into where I am today.”
Johnson added that music runs throughout his family, as his brother plays professionally and his grandfather, Jamie Lee Evans, was a profound quartet gospel singer who recorded with The Harmoneers.
You are God Alone
According to Johnson, it has been an eight-year process of getting to the point of recording his music.
“I started, stopped, started, stopped. At the time, I didn’t feel I had the time to put the work in. And then God said, ‘Come on, I’m going to give you one more chance. You’ve got to get it if you’re going to get it,” said Johnson. “So, this time I went through with it. I started back in January of this year and just literally finished it last Saturday.”
Johnson said he penned “You are God Alone” with the help of Rodrick Fox at Excelling Entertainment in Meridian, which is where he recorded the single. Johnson said that he wrote the song when he was at a low point in his life.
“God has unlimited power. He can do anything,” said Johnson. “There was nobody but God that could bring me from that low place I was in. So that’s what the title of the song comes from.”
Johnson said that if all goes well with his single, he plans to record more music in the future
“This single was just to test the waters and see how things are with the community and the world, because it will be playing on radio stations and different things of that nature,” Johnson said. “Maybe we’ll come back and release three or four songs, then maybe an album.”
But for the time being, Johnson said he’s really excited to have folks download his single and come out and worship this weekend.
“Download the single on the 26th and then come out to out to our anniversary/ single release celebration on the 27th and have a phenomenal praise and worship experience!”
Saturday's celebration at St. Hill Missionary Baptist Church begins at 6 p.m. The Mistress of Ceremony will be Prophetess Tara Monique of Newton, with praise and worship by Joshua Generation from Laurel. Special guest groups include Renewed from Decatur, Jovie Wilkerson Ministries from Jackson, Agape Christian Fellowship Choir from Jackson, New Dimension from Laurel, The Appointed Angels from Newton, Unity Fellowship Choir from Decatur, Deion Towner Mime Ministry from Decatur
