Michelle Johnson is a contemporary jazz-influenced singer-songwriter based in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she is known as “The First Lady of Jazz.” After years of singing backups for many musical legends, she is currently recording her first solo album. The music video for her latest single, “I’m All In” has over 24,000 views since its release in the fall of 2019.
Michelle is a multilingual international vocalist whose versatility, affinity for languages, unique voice and impressive range have made her a hot commodity in the music business. She grew up primarily in Cairo, Egypt and then attended and graduated from Yale University. Her original path to Harvard Law School diverged onto a different route when her passion for the entertainment industry eventually won out. She has performed on Broadway and shared a stage with or recorded with several artists including Paul McCartney, Gladys Knight, Barbara Streisand, Elton John, Sheena Easton, Slash, Paul Rogers, Rosanne Cash, Neal Schon (of Journey) and PM Dawn. She has also worked with David Foster, Josh Groban, Spyro Gyra, Wynonna, Vince Gill, and Cher.
The versatile vocalist also performs regularly in sold out, self-produced shows at the Smith Center’s Myron’s Cabaret Jazz in Las Vegas, and sings everything from jazz and R&B to classic rock and opera. She has performed on Broadway, and has been seen on several major television networks in the USA and overseas.
She also produces entertainment for major corporations and continues to contract choirs, singers, and musicians for headliners like Barbara Streisand, Rosanne Cash, the Righteous Brothers and several other celebrities. She has appeared on Jay Leno and the Tonight Show, the Arsenio Hall Show, Soul Train, and many shows in Asia and Europe, and was contracted as the vocal arranger/soloist opposite Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, and Robin Williams in HBO’s “Comic Relief.” Michelle performed with Sugarland at the AMC Awards on CBS.
Her unique talents as both an entertainer and producer take her across the country and the globe several times a year via her production company, Diva Las Vegas Productions. Clients include Mercedes,Toyota, IBM, AT&T, Bayer, HBO, MTV, the NBA, and countless recording artists.
You can also hear her signature sound on numerous television and radio jingles. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, she is now a Las Vegas resident and is the voice of the Las Vegas “UNLV Tickets” jingle among other popular spots. The gospel choir she founded was handpicked to perform with Barbara Streisand at the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and has appeared with countless celebrities under Michelle’s direction.
Michelle is the recipient of the National Association of Women Business Owners “Woman of Distinction” Award for her contributions in entertainment, and she is also the 2020 Las Vegas Black Music Awards recipient of the Lena Horne Award for Musical Excellence.
In addition to live performing, directing and event producing, Michelle is also a writer and a coauthor of the inspirational book “Power of the Platform” and is currently in the process of writing a book about the music industry. Her passion is uplifting people through the power of music, and she hopes to create a non-profit music therapy foundation to help at risk youth and survivors of trauma and abuse. She also mentors female entrepreneurs and empowers women through her music and advocacy work.
