Joyce Sims is a recording artist, musician, songwriter, and producer. She became one of the hottest dance floor Divas during the late 80"s with her classic single ("You Are My") "All and All". She topped the Dance charts in the US, the Pop charts internationally. Joyce broke on to the music scene in 1986 with her debut single ("You Are My") "All and All". The single was an international smash hit. It topped Billboard Sales and Dance charts. Joyce follow up single "Lifetime Love" topped the charts as well. Her debut album "Come Into My Life" charted top 10 Billboard R&B. In the UK the album was certified Gold. "All and All" and "Come Into My Life" have become club anthems and can still frequently be heard playing on mainstream radio stations.
Joyce returned to the charts in 2006 with the single "What The World Needs Now Is Love" from the CD "A New Beginning. She teamed up with hit maker producers, remixer, Junior Vasquez and Glen Friscia of "Friscia & Lamboy". The debut single, "What The World Needs Now" debuts at 19 and climbed into the top 10 on the Billboard Club Play Chart. Her music can be found on the sound track of the movie "Species" Her music has been recorded and sampled by such diverse musical icons as Jazz vocalist "Randy Crawford". Sampled by R&B singer "Angie Stone", Rapper "Snoop Dog", to name a few. A gifted singer/songwriter she writes all her material. She loves writing at the piano.
Joyce always had a little "edge" to her work, and a unique tonal progression, which became her signature sound. (About.com) Already an established recording artist, and publisher, she continues to broaden her musical boundaries by forming August Rose Records. Her first release “Wishing You Were Here” found success on the UK Club charts as well. In 2010 Joyce partnered with UK producer LoverushUK for the remix of her dance classic Lifetime Love. The single peaked at #15 on UK Music Week commercial Pop Top 40. Joyce is currently in the studio recording her fourth studio album for release later this year. Joyce has a strong presence in the US and Overseas, and is excited about her new music, and the new ventures on the horizons.
Syleena is the daughter of blues/soul singer and music producer Sylvester "Syl" Johnson, who recorded with numerous artists in the 1950s and '60s before starting a solo career in the mid-1960s. Her mother is Brenda Johnson, who was the first black female police commissioner in the United States. She grew up the suburbs outside of Chicago and developed a love for music and singing at an early age and even participating in the Gospel choir at Thornridge High School in Dolton, Illinois. Her father, did not encourage her singing career, since he'd had his ups and downs in the industry.
Syleena's life before becoming a known artist had several setbacks, including her parents splitting up when she was 15 and also having to have surgery to remove nodules on her vocal chords, which required two years of speech therapy to recover from. But her first break as a professional came in 1994 when she appeared as a singer and songwriter on her father's 1994 comeback album Back In The Game. (Also featured on the album were Syleena's uncles, Blues guitarist and singer Jimmy Johnson and bassist Mack Thompson.) Also in 1994, Syleena began taking classes at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, majoring in music.
In 1996, Syleena transferred back home to Illinois State University, still focusing on a music major. In 1997, she cut a demo tape which eventually led to her being signed by Jive Records. After taking time off from school to deal with personal issues, she used her life experiences in the songs on her debut album, Chapter 1 : Love, Pain & Forgiveness, which was released in May, 2001. Thus far, she has released five albums, all of which deal with very personal themes and real-life situations. All albums have been critically acclaimed though not huge sellers commercially. Chapter 5: Underrated is in all good stores now.
"I am an old soul especially because I am the youngest of a bunch of girls in my family. It was five girls and a boy, and I’m the youngest so I’ve always had to, you know, rise to the occasion. I just matured faster because everybody was older than me. I think that’s what kind of made me more mature but, also my dad was a blues singer and we used to listen to old school and all kinds of music. I think that got into my system and spirit as well. So, it was like I didn’t have a choice. I guess that’s why, musically, I come across as old school." – Syleena Johnson to singersroom.com
By Mark Edward Nero / www.simonprecilla.com
Discography:
2011: Chapter V: Underrated
2009: Chapter IV: Labor Pains
2005: Chapter III: The Flesh
2002: Chapter II: The Voice
2001: Chapter I: Love, Pain & Forgiveness
