Jonathan McReynolds
Contemporary gospel artist Jonathan McReynolds, a native of Chicago, Illinois' South Side, learned to play drums and keyboards prior to taking up singing in high school. He was briefly a member of the group Mind Over Matter, which released an EP before his solo move. McReynolds recorded a short set of songs and distributed it to family members with no intention of an official release, but it reached John Hannah, a local pastor and DJ who aired some of the material on Chicago's WGRB. The Very Unofficial EP was eventually released to the public and showcased McReynolds' intimate fusion of modern R&B, jazz, and contemporary singer/songwriter rock.
In May 2012, his single "I Love You" reached Billboard's Hot Gospel Songs chart. His proper debut album, Life Music, followed that September on Light Records and hit the top half of the Billboard 200. So did the follow-up, Life Music: Stage Two, which topped the gospel chart after its release in 2015. It produced two Top Ten gospel songs in "Pressure" and "Gotta Have You." He landed in the Top Three of the Gospel Albums chart for the third time in a row with Sessions EP in the summer of 2016. Released in early 2018, McReynolds' third full-length, Make Room, was recorded live and featured guest performances from Tonya Baker, Dee-1, and others. ~ Andy Kellman & Marcy Donelson
