Before, With, After, My Life With The Legendary Jackson5 Family

By Stanley Johnson

It is the incredible story of how a young boy sang his way all the way from the basement of his family home in New Jersey to an illustrious 25-year career in the music industry as a vocalist, songwriter, arranger, producer and composer. One of the most admirable on his vast list of accomplishments is the fact that he had the opportunity to become a producer for the world renowned Jackson family. From the time he was a little boy, Stanley Johnson knew he was musically inclined. Blessed and highly endowed with the ability to sing, write and arrange music and play instruments, he put his many talents to work as often as he could, proving that hard work and determination truly have their rewards. His many endeavors include creating his own all-boy group as well as participating with other groups. His book captures the excitement of taking time to rehearse, creating unified group wardrobes, learning choreography --- all the things that are necessary to make those who will be great in entertainment great. It also explores the uneasiness that comes with living a life in the public’s eye as an entertainer, as well as the importance of staying focused and not falling victim to the many temptations that often seek out those who live in the spotlight.
Along Stanley’s journey, he worked hard enough to grace the stage of the Apollo Theater and as a member of the soulful R&B group Tomorrows Edition and has made musical performances with legendary Kool and the Gang, among others. But it was one phone call that was received in 1990 that would change his life forever. He joined a friend and fellow colleague in the music industry and ventured to Encino, California for the specific purpose of producing the very first album for Jackson Records. Without a doubt, this was a most rewarding and exciting mark in his career, and Stanley candidly shares the highlights of this awesome experience. Through domestic and international travel, Stanley Johnson has gained an impeccable reputation as one of the most gifted in the music industry. His story is truly one that embodies the American Dream, offering hope and encouragement, and leaving one with the feeling of satisfaction that anything is possible. Upon reading “Before With After” My Life With The Legendary Jackson5 Family, one will walk away encouraged and inspired to seek opportunities, make the most of them and then live to tell about it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stanley Johnson
• Release date: May 27, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476054490

Stanley Johnson

A former Member of the European Parliament and father to the Prime Minister, Stanley Johnson has written widely in both fiction and non-fiction.

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Before With After My Life with the Legendary Jackson5 Family

Stanley Johnson

Copyright 2012 by Stanley Johnson

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First, I must give praise, glory and honor to God for truly, He is my Lord and Savior and I wouldn’t even have a story to tell if it had not been for Him. I want to acknowledge my daughter Ayanah and loving wife, Phyllis, for all the support she has shown as I worked to bring this vision to life. I love you and I thank God for you. I would also like to recognize my editor, Alonia Jernigan, and Sandra Stomp for their awesome gift of communication. My prayers are continually headed their way.

One thing I have come to realize in the winding and sometimes unrelenting course my life has taken is that life has many seasons. There are seasons of happiness and seasons of success. And then there are also seasons of searching and disappointments. I know because I have experi- enced them all. But one thing I have learned through it all is that God is always there, opening doors that no man can close and fighting the battles I would have lost if I didn’t let Him take over. Just like there is a diversity of seasons, so has my life been decorated with a mixture of joy and pain. I have been blessed to experience peaks and mountains wherein I worked with the best and brightest in the entertainment industry. Yet, there were other times when I found myself in the valleys and pits of life, wondering how in the world I got there. Nonetheless, I give God all the glory and praise for my life of music. I can’t help but look back at the road that led me here.

Thinking back to my childhood days of when I grew up in the 60s, 70s and as I grew into manhood in the 80s and 90s in New Jersey reminds me of a wonderful and profound time in my life. My mother, grandmother, aunts, uncles and all their children relocated to New Jersey from Pelham, Georgia when I was only two years old. Even if I didn’t know it then, I later realized that I grew up in an average, middleclass home. I lived with my mother, two older brothers, three younger sisters and a step father.

I literally grew up three blocks from the Hudson River. New York and New Jersey are in such close proximity to each other that I actually thought I could throw a rock that would land on New York. At night as I lay in bed, the last thing that I would see through my window was the Statue of Liberty; it was like I could reach out and touch it. Yes, it was just that close. Next to the Statue of Liberty is another national landmark called Ellis Island. Everyone should learn the history of Ellis Island.

Growing up in Jersey City was a multicultural experience for me. There were people from all walks of life. And in addition to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, there were also other famous landmarks that I had the privilege of visiting as a kid such as The World’s Fair, Bear Mountain, Museum of Natural History, Coney Island Amusement Park / Beach, Palisades Amusement Park as well as Bergen Point Amusement Park, to name a few.

I still have fond memories of the environment that I grew up in the nostalgia that I have of those days still brings a smile to my face. For example, in August of 2009, I was watching tele vision and I overheard the announcer saying that Tiger Woods and the PGA tour would be playing in Jersey City, New Jersey. I said to myself, Golf in Jersey City.

I tried to imagine the specific place they were talking about. Just the mere thought that Tiger Woods was going to be in my home city created a great feeling of excitement. I couldn’t wait to watch the event. You see when I was a kid, my friends and I played on every piece of the pavement in the city, so the fact that he was on my home turf was incredibly amazing to me. It really was nostalgic.

With a child’s wide-eyed excitement, I was able to catch the last day of the PGA event. While I was watching, I couldn’t make out just where they were playing. It was such a beautiful golf course, I said to myself. But, still I was lost. Midway through the event the