Bio
Behind the Scenes
Josi J is an extraordinary singer-songwriter hailing from the vibrant musical city of Knoxville, Tennessee. With unwavering dedication and immense talent, she has enchanted Southeastern audiences for nearly a decade through her captivating performances. Her exceptional journey includes a noteworthy appearance on the prestigious Knoxville Unplugged in 2014, where her musical prowess left an indelible mark. Josi J's songwriting prowess is nothing short of remarkable, characterized by her biographical storytelling style. Her music delves deep into the human experience, weaving intricate narratives that resonate with the hearts and minds of her listeners. Her musical influences are a testament to her eclectic and discerning taste. Drawing inspiration from legends like Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, she merges the raw power of rock and the soulful melodies of blues into a unique sonic tapestry. Her artistic palette extends to include the likes of 4 Non Blondes, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, Sarah Jarosz, Pink, Alanis Morissette, The Doors, Aerosmith, Van Halen, Black Sabbath, Black Label Society, Pantera, and Avenged Sevenfold, showcasing her versatile and genre-blurring approach to music.
Behind the Band
Sum of Talented Parts
The band works together day and night preparing for performances in order to make sure their recordings and live shows are in full harmony. Check out the faces that make up Josi J & Dessert below.
FRANK
Drums
Frank Sheadrick Jr. was born and raised in Knoxville, TN. He started his musical career at the young age of five playing drums at a local church. At the age of 14 he migrated to the bass guitar. He graduated from Karns High School in 2001 and attended Cumberland University in Lebanon, TN. Shortly after, he transferred to Full Sail University where he graduated 8th in his class with a 3.5 GPA in Music Production and Sound Engineering. Frank has worked and toured with artists such as the Jay Storm Project, Tina Brown, The Queen of Blues Denise Lasalle, Sunny Killbrew (Saxophone Player for the SOS Band), 5-Foot Giant, Ronnie Call, Young L.A., The Temptation Revue Ft. Nate Evans, and a host of Knoxville artists. Frank has also worked at several studios including SoKnox Studios where he was the studio manager from 2015-2021, ProMotion LLC Studios, and Sequoia Studios. He is now touring and drumming for the group Josiah & The Greater Good and Josie J & Dessert.
KALEFF
Keyboards
Kaleff's musical background started at 5 years old, playing in church with his father who was a singer and guitarist. Growing up a military brat he learned from a variety of musicians all over the world. During that time he picked up the bass, guitar, and piano. In Kaleef's teenage years he and his father opened up for The William Brothers, The Christianeers, and many other quartet gospel groups. He also learned that he was a descendent of two original members of The Gap Band! In fact, his uncle wrote "Yearning For Your Love." Kaleff served in the U.S. Army for eight years and as a contractor for another eight, moving around the world again. He had lived in over 43 states and 3 countries by the time he moved to Knoxville, TN.
GEORGE
Saxophone
George was born into a musical family. His grandmother was a music teacher and for extra money taught piano in her spare time. His father was an upright bass player and his mother a singer. Both of his older brothers played trumpet and clarinet. George started on drums as a child then moved to alto sax in High School. He then went on the road for the summer with various artists including Percy Sledge, Garnett Mims, James Brown, B.B. King, Clifford Curry, Aretha Franklin, and Jonah Ellis. Continuing to college he got a degree in music education which led him to teach for 6 months. He was also a DJ known as "Sugar Bear" for a couple of years in Knoxville, TN. This all led him to performing at local churches and nursing homes with W.H.O.O.P.E. Entertainment where he met Kaleff and Josi J.
JOEY
Guitar
Guitar is more than a hobby to Joey. He has always used it as a way to express himself and it has pushed him to do bigger and better things. He started taking guitar lessons at the age of 8. After 4 years he started getting confident enough to get some stage time at blues jams and with some established bands around the Knoxville, TN area. He grew up in a home with Southern Rock, Classic Rock, and Blues roots. Anything from Johnny Cash to Stevie Ray Vaughn, Boston, AC/DC and many more. Now his influences range from Jazz, R&B and Soul to Country, Bluegrass and Americana. He continues to work on different styles to express himself in new ways.
PRESTON
Guitar
In the beginning, Preston never wanted to play guitar. His parents divorced when he was 3 and when he was at his Dad's he played a lot of Guitar Hero. His mom wasn't a big fan of video games so he rarely played much when there. However, she recognized his interest in music and convinced his grandfather to give him a 1953 Fender Telecaster as his first guitar. After a few years of begging his mom for Guitar Hero, he finally took the bait and tried a real guitar. After he started playing a real guitar he never looked back.
MIKE
Bass
Mike loves playing the Bass Guitar! It's the thing that he's best at, and the thing he's done the longest. There was always Jazz and R&B music playing in his house when he was a child. He remembers lots of Miles Davis, Ahmad Jamal, Bill Evans, James Brown, and anything Motown. He didn't realize that his ear always gravitated to the bass in all of those songs, something that only became more apparent as he became a teenager. His parents got him a bass and an amp for Christmas when he was 14. He's been playing ever since.