Paula Johns

Paula, who is one of three children, started studying piano at the age of 5. She hails from a musically talented family, Her mother, Mertine, is a great classical mezzo-soprano, and her father, William (Buddy), was an accomplished church organist and director. So you can see, she got her talent honestly.

The Johns family migrated from North Philadelphia to Mt. Airy during Paula's piano lesson stage. She attended Northeast High School, then went off to Pierce Junior College and the Charles Morris Price School of Advertising and Journalism. The advertising and printing field became her life's work until she left home and got her own digs. It was then she began to lift her voice in song, studying at Temple University and with various music coaches.

When asked why she never sang under her Mom and Dad's roof, her answer was not surprising: "I was too shy to sing at home. My parents loved classical music and I didn’t think classical music was the way I wanted to go. All I knew, at that time was that I loved to sing. I just didn’t know what I wanted to sing". She started going to jazz clubs and bars on “open mike” nights. And the rest, as they say, is history!