After a dozen gospel albums, almost 30 Billboard R&B chart singles and four Grammy nominations, Candi Staton has recorded her first praise and worship CD. I Will Sing My Praise to You (October 21, 2008 release date) is also the legendary singer’s first album with Jacksonville, FL-based Emtro Gospel that has produced recent Billboard Top Ten hits on Troy Sneed, Alvin Darling and Bishop Bruce Parham. "It doesn’t get any better than this," says Emtro Gospel CEO Troy Sneed. "Candi is a living legend and we’re happy to have her in the Emtro family! Wow!"
Staton is equally thrilled about the new relationship. "I’ve heard a lot of great things about Emtro and I look forward to working with the incredible team Troy has put together. They love praise and worship music and so do I," says Staton. "I always wanted to do an authentic praise and worship album. There’s a time and season for everything and this is my time to do it."
"This is my personal contribution to God," Staton says. "Its not about trying to please anybody but God. This is my personal praise and I will to do it unto Him. But, I named the CD `I Will Sing My praise to You’ so that each listener can put themselves in that spot and say, "Lord, I will sing my praise to you."
The 14-song project was produced by newcomer John Brockman."He’s the music director at Hope & Life Fellowship [in Snellville, GA] - the church I attend," says Staton. "I love the music department there. The praise and worship is so uplifting every Sunday so I asked him would he be interested in producing me and he said yes."Aside from penning half of the songs such as the traditional-styled ballad "Grace, They Call it Amazing" and the funky "Jesus Makes My Morning Sing"; Staton, who usually writes all of her own songs, performs songs by several well-known praise and worship artists this time around.
"They are the same songs we sing at church," she explains. She puts her stamp on Israel & New Breed's "Alpha & Omega" and "Here I Am to Worship." She also covers Stephen Hurd/Matt Redman's "Undignified" and Paul Baloche's majestic anthem "Our God Saves." Staton also shines on "Butterfly," a rousing handclapper by a young songwriter from Grand Prairie, TX named Shonna Stallworth. The project is rounded out by three bonus cuts, including the inspirational dance-styled tune, "It's Your Season."
Staton grew up in gospel music. As a teenager she sang with the Jewel Gospel Trio in the 1950s and toured with Sam Cooke, Mahalia Jackson and the Staple Singers. In 1969, she made the leap into secular music with a string of Top Ten hits for Capitol Records such as "Stand By Your Man" and the Grammy-nominated "In the Ghetto." She then moved to Warner Bros. Records where she enjoyed disco smashes such as "Victim," "When You Wake Up Tomorrow" and the 1976 million-seller "Young Hearts Run Free." In 1983, her first gospel album "Make Me An Instrument" peaked at #7 on the Billboard gospel charts and garnered her third Grammy Award nomination. Various remixes of Staton’s gospel song "You Got the Love" have hit the Top Ten of the British pop charts in 1991, 1997 and 1996. The song has sold 3 million copies worldwide and been featured in the finale episode of HBO’s "Sex in the City" TV series. In the intervening years, she recorded a dozen other gospel albums and hosted the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) weekly series "Say Yes" (originally "New Direction") from 1986 to 2004.
