print: Michael Tillmon : Interview (December, 2006) » BlackGospel.com, Your Gospel Music Ministry Source!

Interview with Michael Tillmon
December 2006, BlackGospel.com by Christopher Heron

Chicago continues to play its formidable role as the epicenter for where Gospel music is honed and nurtured by soloists, groups and community choirs. From its hey days that introduced to the world Albertina Walker, The Caravans and Mahalia Jackson to the evolution of contemporary Gospel music represented by the late Milton Brunson and The Thompson Community Singers, Gospel music continues to find new voices and representatives in Chicago.

One of its newest ambassadors is Michael Tillmon, a talented, faithful music minister who is leaving an imprint on the city and state with his new release – Connected. BlackGospel.com took a few minutes to find out more about his special sound and style that’s about to take the country by storm.

Christopher Heron: Michael, I have a few questions about your music ministry and your new album. Exactly how has the city of Chicago shaped and influenced your music ministry? And who are some of your favorite artists you grew up with and how they inspired you to compose, direct, and minister musically?

Michael Tillmon: A few of the artists who have been an inspiration in my life are the The Hawkins Family, The Thompson Community Singers, The Winans, and the late Reverend Milton Brunson. The late Reverend Milton Brunson was the one who inspired me the most. Chicago is where so much of my different experiences took place. What I experienced there allowed me to bring out the positive style in my writing. I was able to write about how you can make it in life, no matter what you go through. I’m happy about that; the Lord has continued to bless me.

CH: How did your family upbringing affect your life and ministry in Chicago?

MT: I am the ninth of thirteen children. I learned that we had to share and we had to help one another. That experience had a great impact on my life. I learned how to touch another’s life by lending a helping hand.

CH: Chicago has led the way among community choirs. As I name a few, tell me the impressions you have from merely listening, watching, or studying some of these choirs. You mentioned the late Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers. What did they mean to you in terms of a community choir?

MT: One thing that I noticed was that Milton and the Tommies were the type of choir who would allow everybody to participate. Every time he would put on a concert program, Milton would allow the city of Chicago to come together to show their talent and shine among fellow Chicagoans. They would let the world know they were singing about Jesus. They spread the good news. I really enjoyed that time during my younger days.

CH: One of the Tommies protégés was Ricky Dillard & The New Generation Chorale. What were your impressions of their choir, back in the 1990’s?

MT: On a different slate, they are exciting especially to the young, because they stretch their vocal tones and bring more color to their singing. They have reached a higher level. I think they have done a great job doing that.

CH: It seems like every time you turn around, we are being introduced to another new talent in Chicago, whether it’s Kevin Vasser, Malcolm Williams or someone just around the corner. Why is Chicago responsible for so many new and exciting talents?

MT: Chicago is very versatile. It is a melting pot where everybody gets the chance to shine. We have so many different talents in one place; therefore, you will see a lot of new acts with different styles. Many of the youths who are up and coming have different musical styles.

CH: You have been called in your life to minister and witness through music. Tell us about this journey that has led you to this point in your life, and now to the release of your latest album, Connected.

MT: I am excited about the music ministry and the need to reach people in order to touch their lives. People who otherwise may be in despair and not have hope. It has caused me to be a witness and through song, show them a way out. My music shows them how to lift their head and how to make it to a higher level through God.

CH: How long have these songs been in your heart and on your mind before putting pen to paper and composing these songs for this particular album?

MT: I started writing this particular album when I was about sixteen years old. When I started, I was always told, ‘It’s not your time.’ So, I sat on these songs, but they were always in my heart. I thank God for people like Tony White and Ernest Jefferson who listened to the songs and who believed in me.

CH: There are people who aren’t aware of the level of difficulty and how much adversity you encounter when you put together an album as an independent artist. Can you share with us some of the trials, tribulations and ultimately the victories you went through to produce this album? And what it represents to you both as a product and as a form of your ministry?

MT: Dealing with public opinion was one of my greatest difficulties; listening to what others had to say. I think what an artist has to do is know himself and remember that he can do anything that he wants to do. When he puts his mind to it, he can write the songs that he wants to and bring out any talent that is inside of him.

CH: I believe that you received a lot of support from family, from long-standing friends as well as new friends in the industry. Who has helped you and has given you the inspiration and the confidence to put these building blocks in place to, as you put it, ‘Connect you with others to make this project happen?’

MT: First, I would like to thank God for my mother and my father. They were great supporters of my talent and kept pushing me by saying, ‘You can make it.’ There are two writers. One is Tyrone Dickerson, who helped me with my styles. He was the one who gave me advice on what to do in the music industry. I thank God for him. And, Tony White, how could I forget that brother? The late Bishop Wright also supported me in this ministry.

CH: In conclusion, when the public finally gets the opportunity to hear “Connected”, what is the message you want people to receive? And what is the message that you were trying to drive home in this recording?

MT: I want the world to know that there is still hope. I want them to know that there are still songs of inspiration in these times of desperation. I want them to know that they can make it as long as the breath of life is in them. All they have to do is look to the One who gave it to them.

For more information on Michael Tillmon, visit www.spiradist.com. To contact Michael Tillmon, email ejefferson@spiradist.com or call 214-350-6066.