Welcome to The Official Web Site of
Paula Johns
"The Chanteuse"
-- Philadelphia Inquirer, September 2007


“Them There Eyes”

Welcome * Background * Career  
The Actor * The Chanteuse * Upcoming Gigs* Recordings

“She's tall, she’s tan, she’s easy on the eyes,
and she sure can swing!”
-Bob Perkins, WRTI-FM

 Welcome
  Them There Eyes...

 Not only can Paula swing, she writes and arranges her own music, does impressions of various singers,  
 a great actor and comedienne.

 Paula is an accomplished cabaret singer and jazz vocalist. She has received numerous accolades from     
 audiences in Philadelphia, Atlantic City, New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Her sassy and animated
 interpretations of great Broadway tunes and the standards from "The Great American Songbooks" have
 earned her a reputation of "Songbird".  With a voice like butter, she manages to capture the era of the 
 song while bringing it into the 21century with her own unique style.  

  Though often compared to Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn, she does bring her own distinctive panache
 to each song she sings.  Her passion for the music ignites the emotions of her audiences and allows them to
 feel and hear the story that each song tells.

 Background
  Where Do I Begin...  

 Paula, who is one of three children, started studying piano at the age of 5. She hails from a musically
 talented family, Her mother, Mertine, is a great classical mezzo-soprano, and her father, William (Buddy),
 was an accomplished church organist and director. So you can see, she got her talent honestly.

  The Johns family migrated from North Philadelphia to Mt. Airy during Paula's piano lesson stage. She
 attended Northeast High School, then went off to Pierce Junior College and the Charles Morris Price
 School of Advertising and Journalism..

  The advertising and printing field became her life's work until she left home and got her own digs. It was
 then she began to lift her voice in song, studying at Temple University and with various music coaches.

  When asked why she never sang under her Mom and Dad's roof, her answer was not surprising:
 "I was too shy to sing at home.  My parents loved classical music and I didn’t think classical music was 
 the way I wanted to go...All I knew, at that time, was that I loved to sing. I just didn’t know what I 
 wanted to sing". She started going to jazz clubs and bars on “open mike” nights. And the rest, as they say,
 is history. 

                                         “Stay Ready, to keep from Gettin’ Ready!”
                                                          -Sonny Brown

  Paula is always studying and preparing for the next gig. Always professional and ready for whatever 
 should go "down" on a gig. I always told her to STAY READY then you won’t always have to
 be GETTIN’ READY for the next gig.  She’s ALWAYS ready...ALWAYS prepared...but she has 
 always said to me, that as much as you think you are prepared for a gig, you always come home feeling 
 like there was more you could have done...more you could have shared...another song...

                   Paula is a perfectionist! That’s why she is one of the best!

   “I do live by this quote. You never know what kinda call will come through
                                 and what the strangest request will be”. 
                                                Just Stay Ready!

  Career
  Starting Here, Starting now...                
           

 Paula loves the music from the Big Band Era. She works with quite a number of 14 -16 piece big
 band...The Midiri Brothers Big Band is one of them. This band and it’s leaders’, Joe & Paul Midiri
 recreate the sound of the 30’s & 40’s. If you close your eyes when you listen to this band and its “girl
 singer”, you might think you are listening to Ella Fitzgerald with the Dorsey Brothers, or Peggy Lee with the
 Benny Goodman Orchestra.  Another big band that she regularly performs with is The John Clark
 Orchestra.  Their sound is more geared to the Count Basie Swing era.  She also works with the Joe
 Cataldo Big Band and their sound is a little more contemporary. The Garden State Symphonic Orchestra,
 under the direction of Chris Pederson is another orchestra she regularly works with as a guest soloist. 
 With this orchestra, the focus is mainly on show tunes, but if you love John Philip Sousa, this orchestra is
 the best!

                                       “One day, I’d love to sing with the Philly Pops.
                                                      Strings.....Ah Yes!”

  “My first gig was not with a Big Band...that came later. It was at The Top of Centre Square in 
   Philadelphia with the late great pianist Eddie Green. I got this gig because I was going around to 
  different bars and clubs sittin-in with the bands and going to open-mike sessions. That’s where I met
  Eddie Green”.  He was performing at the Top of Centre Square and was in desperate need of a singer 
  for the evening. Well, I guess Eddie called every singer he knew and couldn’t find anyone. I think I was 
  his last call.  Lucky me.  And there you have it”!

  Between Eddie Green and pianist Chris Taylor, they basically “showed Paula the ropes”...helping her 
  to hone her skills...building a repertoire of great tunes.

  For the past few years, Paula has traveled to The Virgin Islands as a regular performer for the St.
  Thomas Jazz Festival at Blackbeard’s Castle. She also performs in various Atlantic City lounges and
  Casino’s and is always requested by The Amazing Kreskin to be the opening act for his show at 
  Harrah’s Casino.

 The Chanteuse
  Life Is A Cabaret...

  Paula met another great pianist, George Mesterhazy who really helped her to develop her own musical
 style. George played piano like Paula sang a song...with an understanding of the lyrics. He seem to
 complete her every musical thought. She started researching the songs and gathering information about the
 songwriters, in hopes of understanding the songs and the writers motivation behind each song. She also
 realized that her audiences really enjoyed the history lesson and the understanding of what the motivation 
 is in choosing a particular song to perform.
||
    “Paula really knows how to tell a story with the humor of Pearl Bailey, 
               the sass of Sarah Vaughn, the elegance of Nancy Wilson 
                                    and the voice of an Angel!”
                                         -Evelyn Simms

  Paula's love for cabaret has pushed her into producing several shows from the “American
 Songbooks”... And she is READY to perform any of them at any given time. Shows such as,

                                                     “Embraceable You” - A Tribute to George & Ira Gershwin.
                                                      (performed for The American Cancer Society at the Philmont 
                                                      Country Club)

                                                      “I’ll Have Another Cole Porter” - A Tribute to the Lyrics of
                                                       Cole Porter  (performed at the Ritz-Carlton)

                                                      “Broadway Baby” - Popular songs from Un-popular 
                                                        Broadway shows. (Performed at The Prince Theatre 

                                                      “They Didn’t Believe Me” - The Music of Jerome Kern.
                                                       (performed at Harrah’s Casino as the opening act for 
                                                       The Amazing Kreskin)
              
              "Ooo La La"                      "A  Tisket, A Tasket" - A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald. 
                                                       Performed at The Philmont Country Club.
   
                             “I enjoy the research aspect of putting a show together. 
                    You really get to know the songwriter, the artist, the lyricist, 
                              and what went into each tune.  The fun part, 
               I get to interpret it and share it with you in my own “special” way”.

                 

 The Actor
 Look At That Face...

                       
                    Billie Holiday                                            Marian Anderson


                             
                          Bessie Smith                                           Aretha Franklin

  Paula loves acting. She loves it so much that she co-wrote a mini-production called “The Great
 African-American Ladies of Song”. She co-wrote this production with Bob Perkins, Radio Personality
 of WRTI-FM radio and Dennis Fortune, Pianist and Recording Artist of FortuneVinsonCruse. Paula
 portrayed, in this one-woman show, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, Marian Anderson, Nina Simone, &
 Aretha Franklin.

                        “Her portrayal of each character, down to 
            their individual styles of dress and singing, where flawless! 
                But when she began to play piano as Nina Simone, WOW!
                                  WHAT A PERFORMANCE!
                                                       -Monica SantaMaria