Chatting with Chadwick Johnson about his new live CD, song selection and Las Vegas
Las Vegas pop-soul singer-songwriter Chadwick Johnson is celebrating his new CD “Live in Las Vegas,” recorded live during a performance last August at Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, with a concert and party Wednesday night at Hard Rock Live! on the Las Vegas Strip.
Wisconsin native Johnson, who interestingly also is a team roper and is the lead singer of Las Vegas Retro Vibes, caught my attention when he penned a guest column for us last year and shared a moving story about his original song “Remember Love” and how it positively affected an Alzheimer’s patient.
Johnson’s labor of love, “Live in Las Vegas,” features 17 original tracks and covers —“Remember Love” is among them as a studio and bonus track — and was recorded live at Cabaret Jazz by Kevin Harvey and Kevin Ruschmann. The album was mixed and mastered at The Hideout Recording Studio in Henderson by Luis Pacheco.
Proceeds from Wednesday’s concert benefit Keep Memory Alive at The Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health through The Hard Rock Heals Foundation. The talented Johnson, whose versatile voice is as striking as his looks, chatted about his new album ahead of Wednesday’s concert and celebration:
Chadwick, tell me about your new CD.
It is a live album that we recorded at The Smith Center at Cabaret Jazz on Aug. 20 during the show that we did there benefiting Alzheimer’s research and The Lou Ruvo Center. This is the follow-up, the live album, and there are 17 tracks. This is my first live album, so I’m really excited, and I love the way it turned out. We mixed it at The Hideout Recording Studio here in Henderson.
Among the 17 tracks, what are a few that stand out for you?
There are five of my originals on there. In the last year, I’ve been focusing more on my original music and putting more of them in my shows. There also are songs on my bucket list, songs that I’ve always wanted to do and remake and put my spin on, like “Lilac Wine.” That was a really special one. I’ve always wanted to do “Nothing Compare 2 U.” I’ve always loved that song. “I Don’t Need No Doctor” really showcased the band. I work with some really wonderful musicians, young guys with so much talent.
How did you choose the 17 tracks?
When you put together a show, you want to hit so many emotions. You want people to have fun and experience a lot of different emotions. I’m primarily a ballad singer, so I probably pick those and a handful of originals to build a great show and maybe stretch myself on some of the uptempos. I pick songs that are really important to me and that will take people on a journey.
What are your favorite songs to perform?
That is always evolving and changing. Definitely the ones I’ve mentioned. One that I haven’t done that I’d love to do is “Creep” by Radiohead. But it’s really special to do your own original music and share it with people. Most of those songs come from a really personal experience.
When did you first know that you wanted to sing for a living?
I was singing in church. My grandfather was a Baptist pastor, and my grandmother always sang in church. She’s a great singer and piano player. My earliest memories are sitting on the piano bench next to her singing at 5 years old. We still get together and get lost singing. I think I knew that I wanted to sing for a living, that started in high school when I sang national anthems for rodeos across the country.
What do you find challenging about Las Vegas?
The business side of entertainment, but that is everywhere. It’s really tricky to take something that you’re so passionate about, that you do because you love it … and balance business with the artistic side.
What have you enjoyed most about performing in Las Vegas the last three years?
There is so much entertainment here. I knew so little about Las Vegas before I moved here from Los Angeles. How much live music and live entertainment there is here. There is something special about a live performance. It happens that one night. What you share with the audience never happens just like that again, and that is so special. The locals here really support live music — that was an awesome surprise.
What can your fans expect at the CD release concert and party?
We’re going to do a lot of the songs from the live album, most of them, and we’ll have a few fun surprises. It will be fun! I’m going to continue to push myself to be original and write more songs and record more songs and find more outlets to get original music out to the public.
Chadwick Johnson, with guests Jonathan Karrant and Zowie Bowie, is at Hard Rock Live! on the Las Vegas Strip at 8 p.m. Wednesday. More: ChadwickJohnson.com.
