In addition to cutting her newest
albums, Joanna is planning to make some
live, in-studio recordings of several of her
new songs for the YouTube channel over
the next few months.
In the spring of 2017, McGill's music
foundation organized a community giveback
event on Good Friday where the
organization facilitated a fish fry for the
entire community along with a fun day
in the park for the kids. She recorded a
second-line gospel video in her hometown
of Picayune that is still being edited and
she is also working on a documentary
that chronologically tracks her career
after winning the Essence Fest/Walmart
competition.
The road that led up to the Walmart
Gospel Superstar award was a rocky one
for Joanna; one that would have discouraged
a less-determined performer. She
COVER STORY
had auditioned for “American Idol”,
“Sunday Best” and “The Voice” and
didn’t receive a call-back for any of
them. “I entered those and they didn’t
go anywhere,” she said. “But it’s television
and I’m me. I’m real. I don’t
have time to play games or make up
stories. You have to have a catchy story
for them (the judges) to grab onto and
that’s just not me.”
These experiences initially made
Joanna reluctant to enter the 2015
competition at Essence Fest but she
was persuaded to do so by a female
member of her church and her sisterin
law (Catrena Hale) at the time.
Submitting an online entry video of
“Amazing Grace” on the deadline day,
she became one of the five finalists and
was eventually declared the winner.
Haddon was one of the judges, along
with Tamela Mann and Phil Thornton,
two other gospel recording industry
giants.
The support Joanna receives
on the home front is a source of
great joy for her. “They are all definitely
very supportive,” she said.
“My mother is like my promoter.
Anytime she goes anywhere she
has her Joanna gear with her,
passing out flyers, selling T-shirts,
whatever else she can do. She’s
very supportive at every event I
have. My husband and our kids
are there, too. Everybody works.
Everybody sells product. They
all work at the table. My oldest
daughter promotes me at school.
My husband promotes all of my
work at his job and to his friends
and everywhere else.”
Reciprocating for the vocal gifts
she received from her mother
and the work her mother does
to promote her daughter’s career, Joanna
envisions one of her next projects as a
duet for the two of them. And, as for the
children, both of whom play instruments,
Joanna believes one or both of them can
be her musicians when they get older.
“What a great combo we could be,” she
mused.
As the praise and worship leader at His
Will Worship Center in Slidell, Joanna
sums everything up by saying, “I definitely
have to give all praise and honor to God
because it is through Him that all of this
is possible. I stepped out on faith and I
put fear behind me and allowed God to
do what he does. He has given me these
gifts of talent and a wonderful, loving
family and I have never regretted a day
in my life.”
You can follow Joanna Hale-McGill on her
website at https://JoannaHaleMcgill.com/ or
on social media. Her music can be ordered
online at her website or downloaded for individual
songs on all digital music outlets. ��
Joanna Hale-McGill & Deitrick Haddon
8 | BREAKTHRU MEDIA | breakthrumediamagazine.com JANUARY / F E B R UARY 2 0 1 9
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