Ian J. Knighton

Lyricist, songwriter, psalmist, playwright, worship leader, director. These are a few descriptive words to describe Ian J. Knighton; to sum it up he’s “Smooth As Silk”. Reared and cultivated from a performance family, this native of Georgia has been a musical prodigy in his own rite for 21 years. Knighton has been singing since the age of four in churches, talent shows, programs, and major competitions all across the East coast as well as internationally. Knighton is a seven year trained operatic tenor and soon to be nationally renowned gospel trendsetter with his debut album, “Order of Operation: P.E.M.D.A.S.”, scheduled later this year for release. This album is a “revelatory revolution musicality” created to guide one through process of a true experience with God. As in math, the acronym PEMDAS, means “Praise/Prayer, Exalt, Ministry/Magnify, Declare/Destroy, Adore, Serve/Save”. Each song on this project flows into these character words to create the process to the “Order of Operation”. These songs were inspired by firsthand experience of the anointing and power of the Holy Ghost. Ian J., as affectionately called, smoothly and sincerely sings each song with compassion, poise, and continual gratitude to Christ. You’ll hear a compilation of jazz, traditional gospel, contemporary gospel, and classical and operatic vocalizations. During preparation to this present time, he has been named Georgia NATS’s Association 2nd Operatic professional graduate student in 2006. He lives by the motto, “you determine what you do, who you are, and what is to become of you. Dream-and make that dream a reality.” Enduring many hardships and experience, Ian J. has overcome them all. In 2007 while residing in Florida, life looked pretty bleak to him and he almost gave up on his career, his ministry, his life. Nevertheless, through grace and mercy of God, he pressed on and move to Sacramento, CA and “revamped his destiny trail”. Knighton has performed and worked in numerous stage plays with many of the secular and gospel music arena such as, Jackie Clark-Chisholm, from The Legendary Clark Sisters; Tamekia Scott from Excape, Christopher Williams, R& B legend and actor, and Tyga Graham from Tyler Perry’s play “I Can Do Bad All by Myself”, just to name a few. He prays to make a greater impact on the West coast through music, spirituality, and education. He has sung in numerous state and nationally acclaimed choirs and was afforded the opportunity to direct five of them, receiving four National School Choral Awards. He has been a featured soloist for the governor and legislative board of Georgia. Recently, Knighton has been named one of BET's Top 20 Semi-Finalist to Sunday Best Season Two. Ian says in regards to his accomplishments, “Without the knowledge of Christ and his anointing I would be like the next person, just a regular with a nice voice for singing with no power.” Ian’s second passion is providing one-on-one support to underprivileged and developmentally challenged Jr. high school level. He states, “When I am not singing or ministering God’s word, I am planting seeds in children that their lives might change, that they might love God, and grow up and follow the same cycle.” Ian J. Knighton is joyously married to Ophelia Smith-Knighton.