I'm so very thankful to announce the release of my new project, Not Your Everyday Clay. I have been blessed to work with the amazing and gifted Mike Hines as my producer, engineer, and creative musician friend for this CD. He also is the co-writer on most of these songs. Jack Pearson stepped in to co-write a couple more of the songs as well as to add his phenomenal guitar work. Blessings continue throughout the CD with the awesome addition of Randall Bramblett on keyboard and organ, Michael C. Steele and Rob Hensen on electric bass and double bass, Gerry Hansen on drums, Bethany Dick-Olds on violin/fiddle, Chris Arias on accordion, Jonathan Barnes on acoustic guitar, and Zack Johnson on electric guitar. I have a thank you list a mile long inside the CD insert as this project took lots of love and prayer and gifted people! And our amazing God powering it all!!! It was an incredible joy!!

Hittin' the Note Review of Not Your Everyday Clay

Not Your Everyday Clay
Sheila Kelly Johnson
Kid Grace Music
by John Lynskey

Not Your Everyday Clay is Sheila Kelly Johnson's second release, serving as a strong follow-up to 2005's Through This Wall. Based in Macon, GA, Sheila represents the best of contemporary Christian music, with a stylistic nod toward Amy Grant and a vocal delivery reminiscent of Shania Twain. Backed throughout by some outstanding musicians, including Randall Bramblett on keyboards and guitarists Mike Hines and Jack Pearson, Sheila shines on the 11 original numbers found on the album.

"Thank You God" opens Not Your Everyday Clay, and it exemplifies what Sheila's music is all about. A poignant message of hope and salvation, she sings with joy over the gentle, lilting notes of Mike Hines. The title track is a true redemption song, accentuated by Jonathan Barnes' moving guitar work. "His Love has Lifted Me" has a Southern gospel tinge to it, as Sheila's powerful delivery is fueled by Randall Bramblett's jumping piano.

The strong message found in "No Sympathy for the Devil" is driven home by Sheila's determined vocals and the thumping beat of drummer Gerry Hansen. Jack Pearson's dobro adds a lovely depth to "He Lifts Us Through it All," "Brand New Day" pops with energy thanks to the guitar interplay of Mike Hines and Zack Johnson, and the easy-flowing "Old Shoes" co-written by Sheila and Jack Pearson, is the perfect number to close out the album.

Not Your Everyday Clay proves that praise music can rock, and that Sheila Kelly Johnson has been given a musical gift from God.

The Telegraph, Macon, GA
December 18, 2005

Macon Woman Uses Music to Promote Ministry
by Chuck Thompson

Macon's Sheila Kelly Johnson is taking her love for music and hoping to use it in a new ministry she is creating to help orphans.

Johnson co-wrote all of the songs on her debut CD, "Through This Wall", and sings lead on all of the soft rock numbers of praise and thanksgiving.

Helping on the project were a number of veteran musicians from Macon and Athens, including former Sea Level band members Davis Causey and Randall Bramblett. Kris Robbins of Cord of Three co-wrote many of the songs, and Causey the others.

"This is something I've wanted to do all my life," Johnson said. "I was fortunate to have the help of a lot of very talented old friends and new ones they introduced me to."

Others who helped write or arrange the songs or play and sing for the recording sessions in Athens include Mike Steele, Jonathan Barnes, Skeebo Knight, Jim Hurst, Andy Carlson, Gerry Hansen, Jay Beckwith, Tom Ryan, Brooke Burrell Lefevre, Matt Waters, and Jim Weathersby.

Johnson hopes proceeds from sales of the CD will help fund Kid Grace Ministries, which she recently started as an outreach to share the Gospel with orphans. She also plans to use her music as a way to connect with children living in orphanages that she visits.

 
Excited about the release of this new project—await to see how God may use it.

I am exceedingly thankful to have had the privilege of working with Davis Causey, Jim Dineen, and John Keane in the production, engineering, mixing and mastering of this CD. You guys are fantastic! It was quite a blessing also to write with Davis, Kris Robbins, Jonathan Barnes, and Skeebo Knight—what a great group of writers, players, and friends you are. I am so thankful to have had Randall Bramblett with his seemingly unlimited musical abilities on this project as well! And how can I celebrate my friend, Jim Hurst, enough as well as Gerry Hansen, Michael C. Steele, Larry Carlson, Jay Beckwith, Tom Ryan, Brooke Burrell LeFevre, Matt Waters, and Jim Weathersby. You guys were awesome. And special thanks to Lee Roy Parnell, Monroe Jones, Chip Miller, Kirk West, and "other mother" Dot Bruce for your many helps and kindnesses. And of course, I tip my hat to Jessi Law at AMG, and Jason Horst at Piksl Design for your great work with the cd design and the site design. Again, my thanks to you all for the excellent manner in which you use your God given skills and abilities.

Review of Sheila Kelly Johnson's Through This Wall
by Bill Ector, Hittin' the Note

Music that defines one's faith in God can take many forms, from gospel to traditional to more modern sounds. Sheila Kelly Johnson takes her songs in the latter style, and infuses horns, strings, and traditional instruments as she sings of her strong beliefs. She wrote or co-wrote all ten songs, and she has recruited some fine players to accompany her spiritual musical journey. Davis Causey, Randall Bramblett, and her main co-writer, Kris Robbins, provide the perfect background musically, accompanied by a large variety of others who obviously join in with Sheila and her spirit and love of God.

Taking some of her lyrics from the Scriptures, Sheila and her compatriots create a soft, sweet, and glorious tribute to God. Her songs fit her voice perfectly, as she sings of asking for the empowerment to answer God's Call. Some of the songs are solemn, others are upbeat, and they even throw in a little bluegrass sound as well.

Sheila's mission in doing this record, in part, is to "glorify God with our lives, to use the gifts he gave us, to encourage the weary, to kindle the fire of the energetic, and to launch Kid Grace Ministries." Her love for the orphans of the world is admirable—it is her way of doing her share of God's work on earth, and the songs on this CD certainly help express the depths of her commitment to attaining that mission.