John Stoddart

Celine Dion. India Arie. Al Jarreau. Fred Hammond. Kirk Whalum. Take 6. Will Downing. Patti Austin. Michael McDonald. Philadelphia native John Stoddart has either written for, sung with, played for or produced each of these great artists. And they are just a few of the names that pepper John Stoddart's musical resume.

"In my 30-year career, there is not one musician in whom I have more confidence, for whom I have more respect, with whom I have traveled more miles and negotiated more musical and life challenges than John Stoddart,” says Grammy and two-time Stellar award-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum, who is also a multiple Grammy and Dove Award nominee. In fact, Kirk is such a fan that he utilizes John’s talents on many of his live dates as well as in the studio on many of his projects, including his critically-acclaimed Gospel According to Jazz series.

John grew up in a musical family and was singing and playing the piano in church almost as soon as he could walk. His formal training began at 13, convincing him that he had found his career. In 1993, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Piano and Voice from Washington Adventist University (formerly Columbia Union College) in Takoma Park, Maryland.

Even before graduating, John had formed Urban Junction East Music, his production and publishing company. He quickly began to accrue credits as a session vocalist, arranger, songwriter and producer with artists such as Wintley Phipps, Sandy Patti, Boney James, Al Jarreau, Bob James, Celine Dion, Darin Atwater and the Soulful Symphony, Will Downing, Take 6 and Patti Austin.

John has also partnered with saxophonist Kirk Whalum as co-producer, arranger and/or musician on several of Kirk’s Grammy-nominated recordings —Hymns, In the Garden, The Christmas Message, and Everything is Everything, a Tribute to Donny Hathaway. John was the associate producer on Whalum's The Gospel According to Jazz Chapter III, which won a Grammy in 2011 for the song “It's What I Do.”

John’s composition “I Still Believe,” was featured on guitarist Norman Brown’s album Just Chillin’. Blue-eyed soul legend Michael McDonald contributed lead vocals to the song, which won the Grammy award for Best Pop Instrumental Album.

John has also performed at prayer services for Presidents William Jefferson Clinton and George W. Bush, an HBO Inaugural Special ( his arrangement of “God Bless America” was performed by Diana Ross) and at various awards shows and events, including the pre-Grammy Gospel Extravaganza, the Stellar Awards, the Dove Awards and the Trumpet Awards. John also performed at the 2004 Quincy Jones/MTV “We Are the Future” concert in Rome, Italy, to benefit the children in war-torn countries.

In 2010, John created and orchestrated arrangements for the first-ever John F. Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts Joyful Sounds Gospel concert with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC. John was also one of the performers at this event.

While John is a sought-after collaborator, he is first and foremost a solo artist who records and tours on his own when he’s not sharing his gift with other artists. Most of his albums have been released on his own label, Urban Junction East Music: A Not So Silent Night and Love So Real (1998), Sweet (2006), Faces (2008) Faith, Hope Love (2010) and Only On Christmas Day (2013). In 2003, John debuted his major label album, Wings To Walk This Road (Warner/Reprise). He is in the final stages of production for his first-ever live studio audio/video project entitled "Parable & Promises" to be released early in 2018.

Though based in Alabama where he is Artist in Residence at Oakwood University, John’s music and artistry have global reach as he continues to record, perform, produce, write and even lecture about music for appreciative audiences around the world. His first priority, though, is to Helen and their daughters Analise and Anya-Noelle. It’s a Divinely inspired one, borne of John’s own convictions about faith, hope and love.