For four years, my mum allowed only church music in the house.
I started out in gospel music. A lot of people don't know that I started out in gospel music, and I've never lost sight of it.
For me, when I grew up playing music, I played music in church and people were shouting and having a big time, and church wasn't something where it was subdued. If you played something, you brought it to church with you.
Well, I've always said that country music has always shared a very unique relationship with gospel music - the hooting and hollering, you know, always in abundance.
Any musical person who has never heard a Negro congregation under the spell of religious fervor sing these old songs has missed one of the most thrilling emotions which the human heart may experience.
I actually grew up listening to music as like - church music and stuff like that.
The inward sighs of humble penitence Rise to the ear of Heaven, when peal'd hymns Are scatter'd with the sounds of common air.
The singing of our sacred hymns, written by the servants of God, has a powerful effect in converting people to the principles of the Gospel, and in promoting peace and spiritual growth.
...hymns have been a powerful instrument of God to draw people closer to His Word and the saving riches therein.
I came up in gospel.
I sang with Anita Bryant in the Southern Baptist churches.
The idea of music coming from the Church is not new.
In church, sacred music would make believers of us all — but preachers can be counted on to restore the balance.
I had experiences or exposure to music in church. I went to a church, it was very unique. It was a predominantly African American Catholic church. So they would have - one mass would be traditional church music, and then the other mass would be gospel music.
And you know, we'd go to church. We were Baptists. And every now and then there'd be a tent would set up, and it was the Holiness folks. And we liked their music.
