Jon Gibson (Christian musician)

Jon Robert Gibson (born January 3, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. Originally a blue-eyed soul singer, he switched to contemporary Christian music in the late-1980s.[4] Gibson scored a number of hit singles, including "Jesus Loves Ya" (which spent a then-record 11 weeks at No. 1 on the CCM charts in 1991),[5][4] "Love Come Down" (1990),[6][7][8][5] "Friend in You" (1988)[9] and "God Loves a Broken Heart" (1986).[10]

Jon Gibson
Born (1964-01-03) January 3, 1964
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Genres
Instruments
Years active1983–present
Labels
Associated acts
Websitejongibson.com

Gibson's Jesus Loves Ya was ranked No. 90 on CCM Magazine's The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music,[11] while the title track charted at No. 52 on the Top 100 Christian AC in 1991.[12] According to Frontline Records and Gibson's website, he has at least 22 CCM hit songs and 9 No. 1 songs.[13]

Early life

Born in San Francisco, Gibson grew up in San Jose, California and returned to San Francisco as a teenager. After several encounters with the law, and time spent in juvenile hall, Gibson joined the United States Army at age 18 (serving in Germany in the 3rd Infantry Division).[13] However, Gibson was given a honorable medical discharge after only 11 months.[14]

Upon returning home to pursue a music career (with an ability for songwriting), and performing in California nightclubs with his band in the early 1980s, Gibson found his father had become a Christian.[15] He eventually accepted Christ, and was baptized by his father in their bathtub.[14]

Music career

Secular beginnings

At the age of 20, Gibson signed with Dick Griffey's Constellation Records (SOLAR) as a rhythm and blues artist.[16] His debut came as a guest vocalist and songwriter on several songs for The Jacksons' keyboardist, Bill Wolfer's project entitled Wolf (on the Constellation label).[17] The album included Michael Jackson singing background vocals on the Gibson/Wolfer collaboration "So Shy".[18][19][20] Griffey circulated Gibson's demo tape, with people believing they were listening to Stevie Wonder (who Gibson sang "Ebony and Ivory" with while on tour in 1983).[21]

Gibson released his debut album, Standing on the One (1983),[22] via Constellation. He also produced the single, "She Told Me So",[23] via Elektra Records (with a music video that premiered on MTV) in 1983.[13][24] However, Gibson was torn between his desire for pop stardom and his need to give testimony to his faith.[25] Therefore, he entered the Christian music industry when he signed with Frontline Records by 1986.[26]

Contemporary Christian period

Gibson's second album, On the Run (1986), rendered his first No. 1 single in contemporary Christian music (CCM) on Christian radio. "God Loves a Broken Heart" became the first of a string of over twenty Top 10 CCM hits.[27] Gibson also experienced success with the No. 1 single "Friend in You", a ballad which is one of CCM's classic hit songs, from Change of Heart. The album included a cover version of "Yah Mo B There" (co-written by Rod Temperton and Quincy Jones), a song originally performed by James Ingram and Michael McDonald.[28]

Although his first rap solo was "Ain't It Pretty" from On the Run, Gibson wrote and produced the first rap hit in CCM history called "The Wall" featuring M.C. Hammer (a song that Stanley Kirk Burrell – or "K.B." – originally identified himself as M.C. Hammer and Gibson as "J.G.").[29] Gibson had been in a gospel rap group with Hammer called the Holy Ghost Boys,[30] with songs later produced and released on their respective albums.[31] Hammer released a song called "Son of the King" on his debut album, Feel My Power (1986).[32] Gibson released "The Wall" on his third album, Change of Heart (1988).[33] Burrell and Tramaine Hawkins previously performed with Gibson's band, in concerts at various venues such as the Beverly Theatre in Beverly Hills.[34]

Gibson collaborated with Stevie Wonder on his fourth album, Body & Soul (1989).[35] Wonder played harmonica on a remake of his own song, "Have a Talk with God",[36] from Songs in the Key of Life (1976). The album peaked at No. 23 on July 29, 1989 (charting for 25 weeks)[37] Wonder's soundtrack album, Jungle Fever (1991), had Gibson singing backup on the track "I Go Sailing" (as well as touring together).[38]

Gene Andrusco, Rick Zunigar and Rob Watson assisted on Gibson's fifth album, Jesus Loves Ya (1990).[39][40] The album produced two hit singles: the title track and "Love Come Down".[6] In 1991, "Jesus Loves Ya" was a top selling CCM single for 11 weeks.[5][4] However, several elements frustrated the relationship between Gibson and Frontline Records. The main issue was the fact that Gibson was receiving little if no payment for his recordings.[14] His sixth album, Forever Friends (1992),[41] yielded five Top 10 hits[42] and was voted Album of the Year by CCM Magazine.[4][43] The album peaked at No. 3 on August 8, 1992 (charting for 37 weeks),[44] but Frontline Records ran into serious financial trouble.[31] "My contract was over when I completed the album Forever Friends... I was definitely free from Frontline", Gibson says.[14] He decided to create his own record label,[45] resulting in a nearly three-year hiatus before releasing his seventh album, Love Education (1995).[46] The album peaked at No. 19 on April 15, 1995 (charting for 5 weeks).[47]

Gibson later signed with Ojo Taylor and Gene Eugene of Brainstorm Artists International.[14] He then got married, had children and took time off from his music again.[48] Gibson searched for a record contract for two years,[31] before landing with the gospel record label B-Rite Music for his eighth album, The Man Inside (1999).[49] It was a consciously urban-sounding album made with producer Tommy Sims.[50] It didn't fare as well as previous records, then Gibson created Imagery Records for his ninth album.[51] He released his first praise album, Soulful Hymns (2002), via his own label.[52]

A portion of the funding for a Project 10 album was raised via Kickstarter.[53] In June 2010, Gibson released the single "On a Mission", which was available for download.[54] A planned tenth album, The Horizons of Knowing,[40] went unreleased in late 2010.[55] "I'm on a Mission"[56] appeared on Gibson's tenth album, The Storyteller (2012),[57] a tribute album to his father Stan Gibson (who led him to the Christian faith in 1981).[58] It was released on an independent record label by Soul Scan Music, and mixed by engineer Dennis Moody.[59]

Gibson released the single "Silent War" in March 2022,[60] his first new music in a decade.[61] The track was made public for download on Gibson's website and social media.[62] He is currently working on his 11th studio album.[13]

Musical training and style

Gibson writes, arranges and produces most of his albums, as well as plays most of the instruments.[63] Comments Gibson:

"I'm not a trained musician. I never took music in school. I dropped out of school in 9th grade. I don't know how to read and write notes. I don't play with any proper technique. I just grab instruments and play them. Everything I learned to play I figured out myself. So I'm not the best musician, but if you give me time without people coming around pressuring me – 'We have to finish this record by the GMA' – when I don't have these pressures on me, I can do tracks closer to the feeling I really want if I play it myself. It takes me longer, but I get more of the feeling I really want if I play it myself."[14]

Throughout his career, Gibson has straddled many musical styles, limiting the promotion of his career.[64] However, he employs an eclectic soul band called The Groove Masters.[65] In 2005, Prince hired Gibson's band for his Golden Globe Awards house party, collaborating with Justin Timberlake, Herbie Hancock, Maroon 5 and Matthew McConaughey.[66][67][68]

Gibson's unique vocal tone[69] has been compared to Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Donny Hathaway.[40] According to Chris Rizik of SoulTracks, Gibson was difficult to classify. "Gibson's a white guy who sounds like Stevie Wonder, a sweet balladeer who pioneered Christian rap, and a singer who reeks attitude in his mission of justice and ministry."[31][70][71]

Personal life

Gibson married Lisa Rea in 1995, and had three children: Jonathon Thomas Gibson, James Robert Gibson and Jesse Earl Gibson.[40] Gibson became a licensed minister after his youngest son was born on Christmas day in 2004.[72] He currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.[73]

Gibson leads worship services across the nation and performs for multi-genre, mainstream audiences/celebrities worldwide.[74] He has also been a music minister at a California church[31] and a former music director of CSN Radio (KAWZ).[72] Additionally, Gibson was the former Program Director and Network Manager of Effect Radio (in Twin Falls, Idaho),[75] a network of Christian music radio stations across the U.S.[76]

Gibson was a frequent guest on Trinity Broadcasting Network and helped launch their studio in Milan, Italy.[77][78]

Discography
  • Standing on the One (1983) – 12-inch vinyl debut album with title track[79]
  • On the Run (1986) (re-released 1990) – No. 1: "God Loves a Broken Heart"[80]
  • Change of Heart (1988) – No. 1: "Friend in You"[5] & "The Wall"[33] (ft. MC Hammer)[81]
  • Body & Soul (1989) – Top Ten Hits: "Father Father", "In the Name of the Lord" & "Everyone Needs the Lord"[82]
  • Jesus Loves Ya (1990) – No. 1: "Jesus Loves Ya" & "Love Come Down"[7][8][5]
  • The Hits (1991) – with "Jesus Loves Ya (Blackwell Remix)" & "Everybody Sing a Christmas Song"[83]
  • Forever Friends (1992) – 5 Top Ten Hits with 4 No. 1s: "Happy to Know Jesus" (ft. MC Peace),[84] "Can't Live Without Jesus", "You Are the One", "Forever Friends" & "Found a Home"[85][86]
  • Songs of Encouragement and Healing (1994) – collection album[87][88]
  • Love Education (1995) – 3 Top Ten Hits[89][90] with title track[91]
  • The Man Inside (1999) – No. 20 on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums[92][93]
  • Soulful Hymns (2002) – soul versions of traditional hymns with "Awesome God"[94] & "Amazing Grace"[95]
  • Spirit of Christmas (2009) – Christmas album by Northern Light Orchestra with Gibson as a member[96][97]
  • The Horizons of Knowing (2010) – unreleased Project 10 album[98]
  • The Storyteller (2012) – urban contemporary record with "I'm on a Mission"[99][100]
  • Live in '85 (2017) – bootleg concert album from 1985 with "Ain't It Pretty"[101]

Additional credits and collaborations

Notable concerts and tours

References
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