Elijah Rhea Johnson (born June 24, 1998) is an American singer and actor, best known as a former member of the boy band Mindless Behavior. He began his career as a child actor, portraying Young Simba in the Broadway production of The Lion King.[1][2] Later in his career, EJ became the lead singer of the Kidz Bop crew until 2013.[3] EJ is also known for performance on stage many times as a child and for his singles "Meet Me on the Dance Floor".
Elijah Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Elijah Rhea Johnson June 24, 1998 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Other names | Elijah J, EJ |
| Occupations |
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| Musical career | |
| Genres |
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| Instrument | Vocals |
| Labels | |
Life and career
editIn April 2014, Elijah was announced to be a new member of Mindless Behavior.[4] He remained a member of the group, among Princeton and Mike River, until its disbandment in 2017.
In June 2016, Mindless Behavior released their first album as the new "MB" titled #OfficialMBMusic. The album made number 100 in the Billboard Year End Chart. It was released instead of their recorded album "Recharge" due to member Ray Ray leaving the group and having Mike River as a replacement. This left the group as a trio with members Princeton, EJ, and Mike River. Later that summer, the group was part of a film called Misguided Behavior, which was released later in the summer of 2017. Elijah J's anticipated solo EP was due to be released at the end of 2017.[5] EJ also starred in the 2022 BET movie, The Millennial.
Johnson stars as Michael Jackson/MJ in the Broadway production of MJ the Musical on April 4, 2023, replacing Myles Frost.[6][7]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Cass | Dwayne | |
| 2017 | Misguided Behavior | Kevin Miller | |
| 2022 | The Millennial | Jacob |
Stage
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | The Lion King | Young Simba | Disney production at, Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, National Tour[8] |
| 2023 | MJ the Musical | MJ/Michael Jackson | Lead Star, Broadway |
References
edit- ^ Katsilometes, John (October 16, 2009). "Soon-to-depart Elijah Johnson makes most of his run in The Lion King". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ "A Visit From Elijah Johnson, "Young Simba" star of The Lion King". Young Achievers Club News. March 11, 2010. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ Chance, Todd (May 19, 2013). "Kidz Fun Fest brings weekend of music, fun featuring Holland and Detroit natives". MLive. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ Devin (April 4, 2014). "Mindless Behavior Announces New Member". Rap-Up. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
- ^ "Misguided Behavior: The Movie". Misguided Behavior. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
- ^ Staff, TheGrio (March 14, 2023). "Elijah Rhea Johnson to be new lead in Broadway's MJ The Musical, Myles Frost to leave show". TheGrio. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ Wild, Stephi (March 13, 2023). "Elijah Rhea Johnson Will Take Over the Role of Michael Jackson in MJ THE MUSICAL". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ Katsilometes, John (October 16, 2009). "Soon-to-depart Elijah Johnson makes most of his run in The Lion King - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved March 27, 2023.