We recently connected with Clay Johnson and have shared our conversation below.

Clay, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

I was involved in forming my first real band in college at Louisiana Tech University, and it was for an on campus talent show of all things. We were all music students who were frustrated with the lack of opportunities to perform with the university jazz band, so we put together a rhythm section and four horns with me on vocals, and we shed a few songs. One of which was a burning tune by Harry Connick, Jr, called “Just Kiss Me,” and we brought the talent show house down with it! Somehow, from that performance, someone got wind that we were open for business and they called us to play a couple’s 50th anniversary party at the American Legion in nearby Monroe, LA. We didn’t know enough songs to play a party, so we had to cram some serious rehearsal time to get a one hour set semi-polished.

When the day came we showed up half-cocked, not at all ready for a professional gig. Our drummer had forgotten his pedal and had to kick the bass drum with his foot! But, we played their favorites from Great American Songbook, and they loved it. I don’t remember how much my take was for that night, but it was probably around $75. It’s not the dollar amount I remember, but the feeling of getting paid to perform. I couldn’t believe that I could earn money by entertaining audiences!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Raised in a family of preachers, teachers and Folk/Gospel singers, I was born to inspire and entertain. My passion for singing has developed since early childhood when my parents brought my siblings and cousins on stage to sing in their church tours. Since then, I have performed in thousands of concerts, musicals and shows on stages from L.A. to NYC and all over the globe. Even while earning a trombone scholarship to Louisiana Tech University, I was already deeply involved in the world of vocal performance and consequently sang with the university jazz band regularly. My vocal interests led to opportunities in choirs, barbershop quartets, theatrical musicals, acapella groups, and several bands. Shortly after the turn of the millennium, I began singing with the Fabulous Equinox Orchestra led by my best friend Jeremy and have been singing (and sometimes playing trombone) with EXO ever since.

I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for Jeremy, my life-long friend and business partner. Picture this: in 1987, two timid young boys and total strangers to one another were herded into the awkward new world that was junior high in West Monroe, Louisiana. As fate would have it, by some glitch in the system these two kids out of hundreds of students were assigned with the exact same schedule—all seven class-periods were identical. Our moms made the decision then and there to force a friendship upon their unsuspecting prepubescent sons. Eventually, we began to tolerate each other and slowly a lifelong friendship took root with music as our strongest bond. Through high school and into college at Louisiana Tech, we explored a myriad of musical genres, performing Rhythm & Blues, Rock-N-Roll, Classical, Jazz, Christian and even Hip-Hop. As the years rolled by our friendship remained, even as we each started our own families. After learning the hard way of how not to run a band, Jeremy formed the Equinox Orchestra and asked me to come sing on a few tunes. That was the catalyst. Soon after, we moved their tribes to beautiful historic Savannah, Georgia. From our new home base on the Southeast Coast, we have been amazed to see the Fabulous Equinox Orchestra grow beyond our wildest dreams. We have been trusted to provide luxury entertainment across the country and around the world for over 20 years for some of the most recognizable names, including US Presidents, UN Ambassadors, sports icons, stars of film and TV, music legends, Fortune 500 companies, numerous governors and heads of state, billionaires and news makers. Our excellent reputation has grown through meaningful relationships, character, hard work and the pledge to over-deliver on every commitment time and time again.

As a creator and curator of entertainment for well over 25 years, I feel very confident in my ability to grab the microphone and take the audience on a journey, even at a moment’s notice. However, at the same time, I still consider myself an aspiring artist in this field, striving to get better with every performance at every event. I have learned a ton by making every mistake in the book and growing from them all. I’ve learned to listen, to read the room, and to be flexible.

On the inspirational front, I hosts a weekly podcast called “Parking Lot Pastor,” travel as a missionary and guest speaker, and he is currently pursuing his Masters of Theological Studies at Shepherds Theological Seminary (shepherds.edu). My love for the “good news” has taken him all around the U.S. and the world to work with churches and communities as a minister and missionary (i.e., Ukraine, India, Ethiopia, Poland & Israel). In the middle of the pandemic, we officially launched our non-profit organization called Equinox Global Missions, which simply exists to use our music to be blessing to people who need it most. We take world class musicians into places like title 1 schools, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, prisons, and homeless shelters. We also partner with other non-profits, both domestically and internationally, to help them connect with their communities through public concerts and fund-raisers.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Yes, I mentioned Equinox Global Missions. If it were up to me, we would do this all the time – take exceptional live music into places where it would never go to educate, uplift, and inspire. These are the moments that fill my cup–watching a young inner-city student hear a live band for the first time, seeing an elderly Alzheimer’s patient smile and sing along, being in a foreign country and celebrating with people who can’t comprehend my words but completely understand the music. I realized a long time ago that I am not good at many things. People have always told me how gifted and multi-talented I am, but that’s only because they see me perform. I am terrible at math, I am no handyman nor mechanic, I am extremely unorganized and forgetful, but I know how to inspire and entertain people. So I want to use that as much as I can while I’m on this earth, even if I don’t get paid to it.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

The Bible (leadership of Moses, passion of David, wisdom of Solomon, words of Jesus, and the organizational epistles)

Rocket Fuel by Wickman and Winters

Entré Leadership by Dave Ramsey

Simon Sinek’s Start with Why and Leaders Eat Last

Contact Info:

• Website: equinoxkrewe.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/equinoxorchestra/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFabulousEquinoxOrchestra
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@fabulousequinoxorchestra

Image Credits
Kris Rea D. Paul Graham David Parks Geoff Johnson