Jazz singer trades Harvard Law for Vegas
She is known and hailed as “Las Vegas’ First Lady of Jazz,” Michelle Johnson is not only a producer who has worked with many legends and launched several sold-out productions but as a star and popular singer in her own right much admired by her show business colleagues around town. Brought up in Egypt, Michelle somehow made it to the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip.
Michelle knows from her unique journey that she and her fellow entertainers are of a different breed and here she attempts to explain those differences but reaches the conclusion they are no different from anybody else. Read on as Michelle who originally was set to attend Harvard Law School to become a lawyer gave that up for showbiz and here attempts to solve the conundrum.
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How are you wired? That is the question I hear most from people who are attempting to get inside the mind of entertainers. We are for sure a different breed, and I don’t claim to have all the answers, but what I do know is that deep down, we are really just the same as everyone else. There are fundamental things that most people want: to be loved, to be safe, to be accepted, and ultimately to matter and have a life that has some meaning and purpose behind it.
I believe the difference with entertainers is that we often live that quest out loud. The ups and downs of our lives can be heard in our music, our acting and just in our everyday goings on … we are “live out loud” people for the most part. It can’t be helped.
There is a sort of transaction or transfer that happens when people go to see a show. Entertainers need to “empty” themselves of the feelings inside of them. That is how we breathe. That is how we survive. Those who come to see entertainment need to be filled …. with a distraction, a message, a lesson or some kind of healing.
We transfer our energy, our story, our angst and our serenity to you by laying it out plainly. We must get it out. And you drink it in, apply what you are seeing and feeling to your own lives. It is a lovely, symbiotic relationship in a fantastic ecosystem that I have been proud to be a part of since I began singing professionally at the age of about 21 once I graduated from college.
So … why did a Yale graduate and English major who grew up in Cairo, Egypt, and traveled the world as the child of a Liberian diplomat and American educator end up abandoning her original plan to attend Harvard Law School for a life spent singing on the Las Vegas Strip, touring with headliners and producing shows all over the world? I know that’s a mouthful. It feels odd even saying it …. but that’s my story.
I believe that the “transaction” I mentioned above is the reason I became a singer. It’s not just about having a gift, it is about having a voice and a message, and needing to be heard. Despite my varied interests and passions, my need to let out all the stories and life lessons inside of me through music had the greater tug. After Yale, I moved to New York City and my paralegal job lasted a year before I knew that music was my master. I have never looked back.
Upon moving to Las Vegas back in 1995, I discovered a vibrant and supportive community of incredible entertainers who have become lifelong friends. Ironically, despite this city’s moniker as “The Entertainment Capital of the World,” the actual depth, diversity and brilliance of the local talent pool is this city’s best-kept secret.
On any given night, you can hear singers and musicians in shows and lounges or see actors in plays who can go toe-to-toe or even surpass the superstars who come through on tour in concerts and plays, or even those celebrities who have residencies. Las Vegas is a remarkable place. I will never regret the opportunities I enjoyed in New York, including my time on Broadway and my recording session and touring jobs, but this town …. this town has stolen my heart.
Here, I have been privileged enough to work with artists like Sheena Easton, Gladys Knight, Clint Holmes, David Cassidy and so many more, all of whom lived here for a while or still do. I have been blessed with the chance to put up and develop my own shows at our beautiful Smith Center through the generosity of Myron Martin, Paul Beard and Glenn Medas — a life changing opportunity for me. At 8 p.m. on Sept. 15, I get to do it all again with my tribute to Carole King in a show called “Tapestry Unraveled” at the Cabaret Jazz. So honored … truly.
It has been a whirlwind this past year. It may all look glamorous and seem easy, but behind the bluster and pizzazz of almost every entertainer I know, there is a vulnerable, insecure, complicated soul yearning to be heard. An introvert dressed in an extrovert’s clothing. We simply “must” do what we do or else we will disappear.
So, thank you for hearing me, seeing me, and taking what I give on that stage every night. Thank you from all of us. This is what we live for. To give you all we have through our art, and to hopefully leave you and this planet in a better state … healed, revived, encouraged, and renewed. To answer my original question, That is how we are wired. We are just like you … with excessive rhinestones and glitter added. Enjoy!
From the Sol Weinstein penned song Bobby Darin closed every show with:
“If I had this to do again
And the evening were new again
I would spend it with you again
But now the curtain falls.
Your cheers and laughter will linger after
They’ve torn down these dusty walls
People say I was made for this
Nothin’ else would I trade for this
And just think I get paid for this…”
Goodnight ladies and gentlemen and God love you, thank you.
You can learn more about this amazing lady at www.michellejohnson.com.