Soul Legend Johnnie Gee ,,mesmerized,

[John Doez]

Through passion and perseverance, the group continued to perform nationally opening for groups such as the Chi-Lites, O’Jays, Millie Jackson and other Disco/Funk artists. In 1972 Lil Johnnie Gee and Step By Step were setting up to perform at a local club in Minneapolis, MN called the Filling Station. After several hours of setting up, the group decided to go to the hotel to freshen up.  Upon their return they could hear a guitar doing a phenomenal solo, and with much surprise a 16 year old local guitarist by name of Rogers Nelson was caught playing a Step By Step members guitar. He was asked to put down the equipment, he hopped off the stage and ran off with a smile. Today, that artist is known by many as “Prince”.

 

Through touring with national acts, in 1975 the group began opening for Brunswick Recording artists the Chi-Lites, after several touring dates, tour manager Tim Butler and Marshall Thompson of the Chi-Lites introduced Lil Johnnie Gee and the Step By Step Band to Nat Tarnopol, CEO of Brunswick Records. After auditioning for the label the group was signed and recorded their first album on Brunswick Records titled, “I Always Wanted To Be In The Band” which was released in 1976. Frank Sinatra’s personal string section with the Chicago Symphony performed all string arrangements for The Step By Step LP. The album was a masterpiece which rocketed up the Pop and Soul charts and immediately made the Step By Step Band the most sought after Northern Soul & Pop artists in the country during the Mid 70’s. At their peak, Lil Johnnie Gee & the Step By Step Band were perhaps the most consistent young song writers in Soul Music history from the Midwest.

In 1979, Johnnie Gee enlisted in the United States Army for 3 ½ years and completed his tour with an Honorable Discharge. Fresh out of the Army in 1982, Johnnie Gee wasted no time getting right back in the music saddle and started his own record label/production company “Sidetraxx Records and Entertainment”. The label produced 4 popular singles, breaking yet again more records with artist such as “Jr. Mafia”, “Bizzy Bone” of Bone Thugs and Harmony and a host of many others collectively selling over 550 thousand copies worldwide.

 

In 2006, released a “Brunswick Top 40 R&B Singles 1966-1975” collection is a treasure trove of very popular and hard to find genuine soul classics. Younger consumers will instantly recognize many of the tracks from recent recordings by Joss Stone, Paul Wall and Beyonce, who sampled the Chi-Lites’ 1970 hit “Are You My Woman (Tell Me So)” to create her Grammy-Award winning song  “Crazy in Love.” Under the leadership of Nat Tarnopol and Carl Davis, Brunswick Records rose to become one of the most important Northern Soul labels of the classic soul era.