Featured News News Lifestyle Arts & Culture Teenage entertainer Tim Johnson Jr. talks life after 2014 StarQuest singing competition; Tim Johnson Jr. says God opened doors for him after winning 2014 StarQuest kids competition
August 18, 2016
By Kimberlee Buck
Contributing Writer
From stage plays to the big screen, 16 year-old Tim Johnson Jr. has been making a name for himself by capturing the attention of big names and directors in Philadelphia, Las Vegas and now Los Angeles.
Not only can he sing, dance, act and model but he can also play the piano, guitar and guitalele.
In 2014, Johnson received the opportunity to grace the Taste of Soul StarQuest singing competition stage. After moving on to being a finalist, he ended becoming the StarQuest kid’s winner.
Preforming in front of thousands of people was nothing new for the teenage entertainer. Prior to singing in the StarQuest competition, he played Young Simba in the Disney stage play the ‘Lion King’ in Las Vegas. He also appeared in several web series such as ‘Son Shine,’ ‘A Different Tree,’ and ‘Deeper than Black.’
“StarQuest gave me the opportunity to showcase the gifts that God gave me,” said Johnson. “Overall, it has helped me grow as a performer.”
After StarQuest, Johnson went on to appear in an Apple Watch ad and land a role as Chauncy in the Nickelodeon television series ‘Bella and the Bulldogs.’
Recently, the young entertainer finished working on film called ‘Fist Fight’ starring actors Tracy Morgan, Ice Cube and Charlie Day. The comedy is about two school teachers who get into a fight which results in one of the teachers losing his job.
The teen musician will be playing the role of Jordan in the 2017 film.
What’s next for Johnson? New music of course.
“I’m currently working on a new project. We don’t have a name for it yet, but it is going to be something special,” said Johnson.
When Tim Johnson Jr. isn’t in the studio, acting or appearing in commercials, you can find him spending time with his younger brother and sister, and having fun.
Johnson had a few words of wisdom for this year’s participants.
“You gotta be who you are when you go up there. Sometimes when you see other people doing good, you like ‘oh I gotta do that’ or ‘I gotta match that.’ But you just gotta do good by yourself, be who you are and really express who you are because no one can be you,” said Johnson.
StarQuest singing competition is back and we want to see your talent! Visit www.tasteofsoul.org/starquest to submit an online video of you singing or show up to our in person auditions. Who knows, you could be the next kids winner.