EXCLUSIVE: Johnny Gill on Growing Up in DC, Finding Out His Dad Had "Side Kids" Later in Life

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Part 2: Johnny Gill Sings the Tune that Got Him Signed to Atlantic Records at Age 16

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R&B star Johnny Gill from the multi-platinum group New Edition spoke about his childhood and early music experiences. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Gill grew up in a home with a Baptist minister father and three brothers. While acknowledging coming from a strict but family-oriented household, he emphasized the importance of a two-parent home and the positive impact this had on him. Gill recounted the excitement of his father bringing home instruments one Christmas, sparking an early passion for music. Intrigued by the various instruments and keen to figure out how they worked, he would often pretend to be sick in order to stay home from school and explore this fascination. This passion eventually led to his self-taught fluency in several instruments, including guitar, drums, and keyboards.