Creative, distinctive, self-assured and trendsetting. Just a few of the adjectives attributed to Donald Lawrence, one of the most fascinating individuals currently recording Gospel music. Spanning nearly a dozen years, Donald's artistic career as a Gospel singer, songwriter, producer and director has quickly gained national attention for its stark originality and commitment to excellence. His prolific, profound and infinitely personal compositions have set him apart as a special talent with an ambitious goal in mind for God's music and ministry.

Donald's career found its early inspiration growing up in the Carolinas. But his love for music and the arts would take on a serious tone upon his arrival at the University of Cincinnati's Conservatory of Music. It would be there where his training and studies would prepare him for a professional life in music theatre. However, God's plans had other intentions in mind for Donald Lawrence, as circumstances would lead him to assume the pivotal position of musical director for 90's R&B sensation Stephanie Mills.

But it would be his eventual role as director and producer for The Tri-City Singers that would establish him as one of the most important figures to emerge on the Gospel scene in the 1990's. His critically acclaimed releases - A Songwriter's Point Of View (GospoCentric), Bible Stories (Crystal Rose) and Hello Christmas (Crystal Rose) set a new standard and sound for excellence in Gospel music that would be mimicked by every aspiring choir, producer and musician for years to come. His unique production and slick arrangement also caught the attention and ear of other heralded artists such as Kirk Franklin, Karen Clark Sheard and Ricky Dillard, who would all eventually invite Mr. Lawrence to the table to work on their respective album releases.

In fact, Donald's resume reads like a 'who's-who', which include collaborations with Twinkie Clark, Dr. Bobby Jones, Bishop T.D. Jakes and Iyanla Vanzant, to name just a few. In his latest release, I Speak Life (Verity), Donald Lawrence introduces a new roster of artists he calls friends, reaffirming his preeminent position as a leader in this genre of music.

Still, his reverence for the pioneers of this music such as Andrae Crouch, The Hawkins Family, Thomas Whitfield and The Clark Sisters is well documented. And Donald remains a master of both the traditional and contemporary formats of Gospel music. BLACKGOSPEL.COM coveted the opportunity to speak with such an important figure whose music and message is changing the course of this industry and countless souls for generations to come.

Christopher Heron: You've always had a love for artistic expression, Donald. It's very evident in the themes of your previous releases. Your artistic expression has also extended to you're the theatre where you share a love and close association with. Share with us your recent collaboration with the production of the stage play Sing Hallelujah, that's currently running in Chicago. And does your ties with the theatre date back to when you were a college student at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music?

Donald Lawrence: Sing Hallelujah was a piece of work developed when I was still in school in Cincinnati with my professor, Worth Gardner. We were actually working on another piece which required Gospel music to fall into certain segments of the play. Anyways, my professor was overwhelmed with the music that I introduced. He asked me, "How many more pieces did I have?" I told him, "I had a number of original compositions and lots of music that I knew from other incredible composers." So from there, the production - Sing Hallelujah - developed for a long period of time.

We finally introduced it at the Cincinnati Playhouse In The Park. From there, we took it to the Village Theatre in New York, back to Cincinnati and then eventually to the Chicago Center of the Performing Arts. My love for theatre goes back to my days at the Conservatory. But I think I always loved it but didn't realize it. When I was younger, I always enjoyed movies put to musicals and I remember taking drama in my senior year in high school. So, I definitely enjoyed the combination of music and drama from the time I was a young man.

CH: You've always approached your music and recordings with such an original appeal. Each album holds a very prominent theme and message. As well, you've always showcased, not only several of the most gifted artists in Gospel music like Karen Clark Sheard, Daryl Coley and Walter Hawkins, but several icons in R&B like Stephanie Mills and Peabo Bryson. You're most current album, Speak Life, takes it to another level. The album features some of the most reputable names today in popular culture such as Faith Evans, Carl Thomas and Lalah Hathaway. Give us a sense of what you were attempting to achieve by bringing these talents together, alongside Gospel standouts like Donnie McClurkin, Hezekiah Walker, Vanessa Bell Armstrong and others within the Gospel industry, on your latest album, Speak Life.

DL: Many of these artists are my good friends. I respect their musical talents. When I reached out to them to discuss participating on this album, they simply asked, "When and where?" I think that every artist has different voices, different elements and parts to offer to this project. I also believe that when I introduce certain voices to sing certain songs, their voices will stand out more. And what I mean by that is that these artists are likely to reach a different and often wider audience. I enjoy fusing the two worlds. It's very hard to do that. Music is sometimes an expression of where you've been. It's hard to fuse the two different music roots unless you've been there to experience it.

I did end up with some R&B roots from my early days in school and from working with Stephanie Mills for a 7-8 year stint as her music director. Those experiences helped me to understand that culture a little more. I didn't grow up listening to the music. But working for it, professionally, taught me a lot about the Urban music industry. So, authentically, I had church music expression and Urban music expression as part of my history. So when I fuse the two worlds, it kind of works because I have both musical expressions in my past.

CH: You've put together a series of very memorable albums dating back to A Songwriter's Point Of View, followed by Bible Stories, Hello Christmas, Tri-City4.com, Go Get Your Life Back and most recently, I Speak Life. Which one of these albums is your favorite or perhaps your proudest work to date?

DL: Oooh, that's hard to say. A lot of people seem to love my latest album - I Speak Life. Many say it's my best work. I don't know if I thought that when I was finished. When you work on a project with all your energy, sometimes you have to step away from it for a while to really appreciate it because when you listen to the final product, it's easy to find things wrong with it. It's really hard for me say which album because every album represents a different season in my life. When I've written songs for my albums, it was always written from a place where I was situated in my life at that particular time. And this album - I Speak Life - is a perfect representation for where I am right now.

CH: You've also been an artist who isn't shy to chart his own course within the industry. You've worked with an array of major recording labels, starting with GospoCentric Records, Crystal Rose Records, Island Black Music, EMI Gospel and now, most recently, Verity Records. You've also gone on record as one who intends to eventually start his own label. What goes into your decision-making when committing to a record label or deciding to launch an Independent label?

DL: It's definitely a strong system that needs to be in place. How strong is the label your working with, in sales? How strong is the label with radio? How strong is the label with marketing? How strong is the overall machine? The current arrangement I have with Verity Records was two years in the making and was very complicated and was finally closed once both sides were happy. When I'm thinking about a record label, I try to look down the road, maybe three to five years, and see if it's going to be a good place for me and what I want to achieve. Of course, it's a learning process because when I first started, I didn't know a tenth of what I know now. I learned a lot through trial and error...but not a lot of errors. I try to be cautious, a slow mover. I don't have a problem with risk. But I try to be a cautious, calculated mover as an artist.

CH: You certainly are a maverick, both in a professional and artistic sense. Most Gospel music fans could recognize that well-composed song written and sung by Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers. Do you strive to produce music that is a reflection of your personality and expression or do you embrace and incorporate modern music from today into your own compositions?

DL: I thought it was more important to stick to who I am. If there was anything that I wanted to do for today, it would be maybe what I wanted to say in my music. I think you get into trouble trying to follow trends because you keep changing your style. And by the end of your career, no one knows who you really are. If there's anything I try to stay current on, it's the message more than the sound.

CH: Having grown up in the Carolinas, Cincinnati and now in the 'Windy City' - Chicago, Illinois - what has been the impact of these regions on your music?

DL: It's weird because even though I lived in Carolina, I grew up listening to music from Detroit and California, more than anything. Most of the writers and musicians I've worked with have lived, at some point, in Detroit or LA. So my music has been influenced more so by what I've listened to than where I've been.

CH: In closing Donald, what is the message for this season you hope to convey in the album and song, I Speak Life?

DL: The power of positive speaking. Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue..." I just wanted to make everyone realize the power that God has trusted us with when it comes to speaking things into existence. The more positive you speak, the more positive things happen in your life. The more positive you speak to your body, the more healthy it becomes. The more positive you speak to people in your circle, the more positive they become. So, it's just a time of positive speaking.