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:: Official Web
Site ::
www.TedandSheri.com
 It’s been a remarkable
two-year run for Ted Winn and Sheri
Jones-Moffett. Two new Stellar Awards,
appearances and credits on recent albums by
Bishop T.D. Jakes, Bishop Eddie Long and
Hezekiah Walker and a brand new record deal
with Word Music Group all add up to a year of
harvest for the vocal virtuosos, better known as
Ted & Sheri.
Their road to recent success did not come without
considerable cost. The price included the humble
role as unheralded members of Kevin Davidson &
the Voices of Binghampton in the early days, the
rise and fall of a short-lived Gospel group called
Deliverance and valuable professional lessons
as a brand new Independent artist.
Fortunately, the
journey also included important pit stops with two
of the most respected artists in the industry,
Richard Smallwood and Donald Lawrence,
who both recognized their incomparable voices and
sought to recruit them for their respective choirs,
Ted Winn for Vision and Sheri Jones-Moffett
for the Tri-City Singers.
The lessons learned and
the experiences gained have all played a pivotal
part in their current success that’s preparing them
for a career in stardom. As Ted & Sheri prepare for
yet another season of divine blessings with the
imminent release of their sophomore project –
Celebrate – BLACKGOSPEL.COM engaged
this shy yet dynamic duo for a dialogue on what
makes this tandem the hottest pair since Bebe &
Cece Winans.
Christopher Heron:
For many years, you both sang in the Memphis-based
recording choir, Kevin Davidson & The Voices Of
Binghampton. What were the circumstances that led
both of you to explore other creative arrangements
like teaming up as a dynamic duet ministry?
Sheri Jones-Moffett:
We’ve
been singing together for almost eleven years.
We started singing together in the choir, The Voices
Of Binghampton. Ted also started a group at
the time called Deliverance and I sang in that group
as well. It just started off from there.
Christopher Heron: Both
of you have also spent time singing in the company
of two tremendous artists. In your case Sheri,
you’ve been a member of the Tri-City Singers. And
Ted, you’ve been part of the singing cast for
Richard Smallwood’s Vision. How did you both
establish relationships with Donald Lawrence and
Richard Smallwood?
Sheri Jones-Moffett:
O’Landa Draper was our mentor from the
beginning, here in Memphis. He encouraged us in so
many directions within the industry and it was he
who wanted to see Donald (Lawrence) take us both
under his wings. That was back in ’97 or ’98. By
the spring of ’99, Donald called me to join him on a
tour and I did the tour. By the summer of that
year, Richard (Smallwood) called Ted, who was living
in D.C. by then, to join Richard’s group on a few
performances. God set us right in the middle of
those two because we weren’t ready to fly out on our
own quite yet. We needed to sit up under some
veterans like Richard and Donald so that they could
teach us and instill some things in us. We could
also use that platform to try some things we wanted
to eventually do as an artist.
Christopher Heron: As
students of Richard Smallwood and Donald Lawrence,
what were some of the valuable lessons in ministry,
artistry and being a professional you learned from
these veterans?
Ted Winn:
Donald is
a real scholar of the music industry when it comes
to business. So, we’ve learned a lot about the
industry, as it pertains to how things should flow,
what is appropriate and what is not appropriate.
In terms of the professional aspect, he’s taught us
the importance of excellence in everything you do.
The one thing I always note when it comes to Richard
is the importance of being a good example and always
interacting well with the public, just how essential
it is to be cordial and polite to the people you are
ministering to. So, we’ve learned a lot from
them, sometimes it was sitting down and discussing
different points but most of the time, it was just
watching how they would handle themselves, watching
their example.
 Sheri Jones-Moffett:
They taught us to be sensitive to where God is
flowing and directing you and not to settle for
being the flavor of the month. Sometimes, being
trendy means not being authentic to whom you really
are. They taught us to be true to ourselves, to dig
and draw from our experiences and convey those
experiences with others to draw a connection. You
can’t minister effectively until you have
experienced things that people are able to connect
with. That’s the one thing they both taught us…to
be sensitive in those areas and use our experiences
as fuel to draw on before we minister.
Christopher Heron: I
want to offer you belated congratulations for
winning two coveted Stellar Awards earlier this year
in Houston (Best Contemporary Group / Duo of The
Year & Best Group / Duo of The Year). How important
and fulfilling is it as an artist to receive public
commendation from your peers in the industry and
from fans across the country?
Ted Winn: Winning the
awards came as a huge surprise to both of us. We
really didn’t expect to win.
Sheri Jones- Moffett:
We went to the Stellars with the frame of mind of
not winning (laughs).
Ted Winn: We didn’t
expect to get picked. But when people who are your
peers in the industry, who understand what’s going
on in Gospel music, when they affirm and appreciate
what you do and, in a sense, validate what you do,
it feels good. To win an award at the Stellars is
the most rewarding thing because it comes from
people who understand and appreciate the same music
you love and that means a lot.
Christopher Heron: You
recently made a change, in terms of labels. Your
last album was recorded on Church Howse Music but
your upcoming release in October will be released by
Word / Warner. What led to your decision to join
another record label?
Sheri Jones-Moffett:
We were with an Independent label that is directly
responsible for getting the industry and the rest of
the world to pay attention to us. We’re now at a
critical stage in our careers, pertaining to the
next phase of where Ted & Sheri needs to be. And we
felt the leading of God helping us to make that
transition complete. There weren’t any fights or
any animosity in this transition. We recognized
that Word is a larger system that could help our
ministry become available to a larger group of
people which is all we’re trying to do.
Christopher Heron:
We’re approaching the due date of your sophomore
release – Celebrate. How will your new album
differ and compare with your first album, Healing
Starts Right There?
Ted Winn: It’s
comparable in the sense that both albums come from
our experiences and our hearts and has a message and
a direction to be relative. That’s something we’ve
always wanted to be, artists that people could
relate to, not just people who are traditional
Sunday church goers but also people who fall outside
of that scope. In terms of the differences, I think
the music is more mature. There’s a lot more “live”
instrumentation on this album, just because our fan
base grew and we came to realize that there were a
lot more fans of our music from church than we
anticipated. So, as the base grew, we also
gravitated towards our fans interests.
Christopher Heron: In
my humble opinion, Gospel fans and the public at
large hasn’t seen as talented, dynamic and
compelling a duet as Ted & Sheri since the days of
BeBe & CeCe. What is the likelihood of maintaining
a successful career as a recording duet in this day
and age? And what does Ted & Sheri bring to the
table that is distinctively unique as a Gospel
artist?
Sheri Jones-Moffett:
Well, we do what we do. We’re only running a race
with ourselves. We’re doing this because we
understand that there is a business side to
recording which includes competition for sales but
it’s not at the forefront of our minds. We clearly
understand that we’re assigned by God to each other
and to do what we do in this world, together.
There’s something we have to say that no one else
can say but us. We understand this clearly and it’s
not to slight anyone because what someone else has
to say will not threaten us in the least. Their
message and ministry will be totally different from
what we have to say. And they’ll likely reach an
entirely different audience from Ted & Sheri.
Christopher Heron:
There’s clearly chemistry between Ted & Sheri, which
is heard in your duets, the compositions you both
make and in your interaction. Was chemistry there
right from the start or has it developed and matured
over the years to a point where you each know the
other’s thought process instinctively?
Sheri Jones-Moffett:
It was instant and it was God-given. It came
through our friendship. We would be thinking the
same thing or we’d say the same thing or we wouldn’t
even have to say something to be on the same page.
Ted Winn: Or we’d sing
the same thing at the same time (laughs)
Sheri Jones-Moffett:
It was really a God-given chemistry.
Ted & Sheri’s new
album, Celebrate, is
available in stores on October
26, 2004. For more information on Ted & Sheri,
visit the official web site at
www.TedandSheri.com. To contact Ted & Sheri for
booking and public appearances, send your emails to
info@tedandsheri.com.
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