Roland Johnson Obituary, Death – Roland Johnson was a soul singer who hailed from Saint Louis, Missouri, in the United States. One of the silkiest voices you’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. A well-aged treasure that was cultivated from the fertile soil of Saint Louis. One of the silkiest voices you’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. A time-tested gem gleaned from the fertile ground that is the Saint Louis Rhythm and Blues scene. Roland Johnson creates ballads, booty shakers, and everything in between with an authenticity that captivates listeners to a profound degree. Johnson draws his inspiration from the 1960s and creates music that is reminiscent of Otis Redding and James Brown.
Even though Roland Johnson performed in Northern France in January 2008 as a part of Seven Nights to Blues, his name was not one that I was very familiar with at the time. After doing some research on the Internet, I discovered that he was 68 years old and that he and his band Soul Endeavor were influential members of the St. Louis music scene. Paul Niehaus IV and Kevin O’Connor appear to have produced what might be his second album. They contributed the majority of the re-recorded accompaniment between the two of them. To their great fortune, they occasionally hire real string players, backup singers, and even brass instruments.
The vocal similarity that exists between Roland Johnson and Otis Redding is immediately apparent in the album’s opening track, “Can’t get enough,” and it resurfaces frequently throughout the rest of the songs. Not everyone has the same opportunities, but some have achieved great success, like the bluesy. The first track on the album is either “The Things You Do” or the beautiful ballad “Ain’t That Loving You,” neither of which is associated with Bobby Bland or Jimmy Reed. There is a whiff of rock and roll in Sweet little nothings, and there is a hint of reggae in Sweet little nothings. Imagine this, and we are grateful to have the vocals of Renee Smith featured on two different tracks.
