I am so excited to once again be speaking with Singer, Songwriter & Producer Chadwick Johnson, whom I have been a fan of since 2022.

When I heard that Chadwick was going to be returning to 54 Below with an all new show & was going to be talking about my top Entertainment Idol, Dolly Parton, I knew we had to catch up!

In this NEW interview, Chadwick once again answered my call, but this time around he shares:

• Why No Stranger To Love, was inspired by the music of the 70s and 80s
• How his 2025 debut at 54 Below shaped the way he connects with an audience now
• The way he gets playful, flirty, fun with the lyrics of his new single
• Why music is too deeply woven into his soul to ever walk away from it
• The healing power of “If You Could Read My Mind” and why the song still moves him.
• A heartfelt glimpse into his unforgettable studio time with Dolly Parton
• So much more

Connect with Chadwick: Website, Facebook, Instagram

Connect with 54 Below: Website, Facebook, Instagram

Billboard charting singer and songwriter Chadwick Johnson returns to 54 Below in No Stranger to Love, featuring new original releases and soulful standards of love and passion with selections from the icons who have inspired his artistry: George Michael, Donny Hathaway, Michael McDonald, and more, with a special tribute to Dolly Parton.

Discover the stories behind the songs as Chadwick invites you on a journey to explore this timeless music.

Chadwick Johnson's No Stranger to Love will play 54 Below in NYC for ONE NIGHT ONLY, on Friday, October 2, 2026 at 9:30pm! Click Here for Tickets!

1. This October you are returning to 54 Below with your brand new show, No Stranger To Love. What are you looking forward to most about performing this concert? I am so looking forward to being back at 54 Below and sharing this soulful new show. There is nothing like the energy of a NYC audience and performing live in that incredible city!

2. What should audiences know about this show before attending? For this show I chose to open up a bit more and share with the audience a handful of the soulful artists who have really inspired me and the current direction of my original music that I have been writing and recording over the last year. Think 1970’s and 80’s soul. Artists like Michael McDonald, Donny Hathaway, George Michael.

3. In 2025, you made your 54 Below debut. What did you learn from that experience that now informs how you perform this one? 54 Below is a venue with such a rich history so it was pretty powerful to make music in that space and on that stage.

The energy in the room was incredible, not to mention the 54 Below staff and production team are all top notch pros and really do all they can to make the shows run so seamlessly so that the artist and audience can focus on connecting with one another in a meaningful way, which is what it is all about.

Chadwick Johnson
20th Anniversary of the Composers Showcase
Las Vegas at Reynolds Hall 2026
Photo Courtesy of Chadwick Johnson's Social Media

4. Your new concert is called No Stranger To Love, which is one song you will be performing. Some of the lyrics in that song are, "Come on baby make your moves on me." How do you like someone to make the first move should they want to date you? Yes, No Stranger to Love is my most recent single which I co-wrote with Kalani Queypo. I teamed up with Dolly Parton’s long time producer, Kent Wells to collaborate on my new record and this was the first single that we released from our project. 

You ask about the lyrics from this song and as I’ve moved through the process of writing for this new record I kept feeling like I needed to remember how to have FUN, you know, be a bit more playful, and maybe even flirt with a stranger.

I feel like that playful attitude is a good place for me to be as we navigate all the craziness of the world around us, so these lyrics came from a lighthearted place and I hope people can feel that and draw some joy from it.

5. Another song you are slated to perform is "Careless Whisper" by Wham. The lyrics to that song are, "I'm never gonna dance again, guilty feet have got no rhythm." Has there ever been a time you felt like giving up music? If so, what did you think you would do instead? I’ve always loved this iconic song. George Michael is an incredible inspiration to me, but to be honest music is weaved into my soul so deeply that I have never really thought of giving it up.

Of course it is difficult at times to navigate something that is so personal to me as music is and make a “business” out of it, but it is really the pure and beautiful connection that music creates between people that keeps me going and striving to find new ways to grow and share my music with people.

6. One more song you are scheduled to sing is "If You Could Read My Mind." If we could read your mind right now, what would it tell us? LOL, well let’s put it this way, I’m just glad that no one can read my mind, but this Gordon Lightfoot song is certainly one of the most beautifully provocative lyrics ever written.

I think it captures the confusion and passion around some relationships. Maybe being able to read your lover's mind would make it all easier, but then all the magic and mystery would be gone.

It’s one of those songs that I never tire of singing and each time I do it seems to heal another corner of my heart in some way.

I hope audiences can feel that and find some healing of their own in its message.

Chadwick Johnson & Dolly Parton
Photo Courtesy of Chadwick Johnson's Social Media

7. In this new concert, press notes also state that you are going to talk about your time in the recording studio with Dolly Parton. Without giving too much away of what you are going to talk about, what can you tell us about your time with Dolly?  Yes, like so many across the globe I was quite heartbroken at the news of Dolly’s passing. I had the incredibly unforgettable honor to meet with her in the studio several months back and share cuts from my new record with her. 

As you can imagine she was so gracious, down to earth, and full of intuitive wisdom. I look forward to sharing that story during the show and paying tribute to her by singing one or two of my very favorite Dolly songs.

She was truly one of the greatest songwriters and storytellers of all time and the way she tirelessly worked to love on everyone and bring our divided world together was so inspiring to me.

8. If you could have sang a duet with Dolly Parton on one of her songs, which song would you have liked to sing with her? What a dream come true it would have been to sing just about anything with Dolly. Of course there is the iconic duet she did with Kenny Rogers on Islands in the Stream which would be fun, but I also think that her song But You Know That I Love You could have made a very sweet duet, so I would probably pick something more unexpected like that.

9. In our 2025 interview you mentioned that you were writing a new multigenerational musical called The Mainlanders, for Children’s Theater Company in Minneapolis, MN. How are things going with that? This musical is so close to my heart and a wonderful story that I can’t wait for people to experience. We have been doing re-writes and workshops. As you know, developing a musical is an in depth process, but it is really fun to see it evolve. 

10. What is coming up for you that we should be on the lookout for? We are in the mixing phase of my new soul record, so once we have those mixes finalized I am super excited to share this new music with you, and with all of my friends and fans.

Please stay connected with me for that announcement on social media and at: ChadwickJohnson.com

More Chadwick Johnson Interviews:

2022 (Read Here): Taking My Breath Away with Unbreakable
2025 (Read Here): What The World Needs Now is at 54 Below

Chadwick Johnson
Photo credit: Adrian David Payne

More on Chadwick Johnson:

Chadwick is a singer, songwriter, and producer who approaches the craft as a storyteller and revels in the complexities of the human experience. 

Chadwick's sound echoes the soulful stylings of Lake Street Dive, the soaring vocals of Ben Platt, and the lyrical depth of Brandi Carlile. 

Earlier this year Chadwick joined forces with Grammy and Academy Award nominated producer Kent Wells (Dolly Parton) and featured saxophonist Grace Kelly to release their new single “No Stranger to Love.”

The Contemporary Blues track is the first from Chadwick’s forthcoming full-length album.

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