Vocalist extraordinaire Darwin Hobbs and perpetual funnyman John Gray will be among the guests on TBN’s Praise the Lord tonight at 10pm ET.
Darwin’s got a new album hitting stores next Tuesday, the 22nd, and I hear that John Gray has a new DVD coming soon.
Should be a great show– who’s tuning in???
We’ve been praying for one person in this industry for weeks now and I’m thrilled with the participation and feedback we’re gettin’… click here to see what it’s all about, then let’s get it goin’.
This week, I’m adding Darwin Hobbs to The Prayer List.
Darwin is an incredible vocalist with a ministry that is second to none. His music experience in this industry ranges from session work in CCM and gospel, to a thriving solo career, and everything that goes along with it. He’s got a new album coming on June 22nd, but that’s not the gist of this post. Let’s lift him up…
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Father, thank You for the life and ministry of Darwin Hobbs. Thank You for his servant heart, for his faithfulness to his calling and for his relationship with You. Thank You for giving Darwin such an incredible gift to equip him to fulfill all that You created Him to be. I pray that nothing and no one would be able to interfere with Your creation, Your calling and Your plan.
Lord, it is my prayer that You would allow Darwin’s music ministry to bless many. I pray that people would hear his music–new and old– and be encouraged in their walk with You, be inclined to worship You more through their lives. I pray for his spoken ministry as well. I pray that You would increase his opportunities to share his testimony of brokenness that You have healed. I pray that his story would lead others to You, to give You glory alone.
Bless Darwin’s union with his wife, Traci. Let them continue to be an example of true love, a love that was predestined before time began, a love that is symbolic and representative of the love that You have for Your church. Whatever their dreams and hopes for their life together, God, I pray that it be done according to Your will. Prove Yourself, as always, to be a redeeming and restoring God who resurrects broken promises and dashed dreams, giving them new life. And allow Darwin and Traci’s joy to flourish and never be shaken.
I pray for Darwin’s continued health. I pray that he continue to recover from his recent surgery and that all it was intended to accomplish in his body would take effect. I pray for his healthy decisions and a life of discipline, followed by results, in those areas that He is seeking to change in his physical body. Please give him strength for that journey, Lord.
God, please touch Darwin’s life with your grace. Mark his life with mercy, that he would be a man who is rich in compassion and full of love. The gentle spirit that he exudes, let it be multiplied many times over in the lives of those he encounters as he goes. Bless him as he goes, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Okay, family. Will you please stand with me in prayer for Darwin Hobbs? Post your prayers in the comment section… let’s make it huge for God’s glory!
Folks– take a listen to “Champion,” the first single from Darwin Hobbs’ upcoming project of the same name. As a reminder, the full album– the first live recording of his career– is due on June 8th.
“Champion” is a song empowering and encouraging people– we’re overcomers… we’re champions. The track is already ripping through radio and I think you’re gonna like it.
It’s got a praise & worship, battle cry type of vibe to me… definitely a song intended to be DECLARED! I can see praise teams giving it a go on Sunday mornings…
AND, word has it that Darwin Hobbs has just signed a recording deal as the FIRST artist on Imago Dei/Universal, a new label venture by none other than MAX SIEGEL (former President of Verity Records). WOW… Congrats Darwin!
Click here to listen to “Champion,” then leave a comment to let me know what you think!
Who caught Bobby Jones Gospel on BET yesterday? It featured some INCREDIBLE performances from Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Darwin Hobbs and LeJeune Thompson.
Vanessa performed her hit single, “Good News,” and the classic and TIMELESS “Peace Be Still.” In my humble musical opinion, the choir behind her didn’t quite know some of the nuances of their part, but the performance was still awesome.
Darwin Hobbs is just a worshipper, plain and simple. He is a great performer because he offers the audience a personal encounter with God, in that moment, every time. He performed “We Worship You Today” and did a great job with it. For his second go’ round, Darwin sang the hit “He’s Able,” which has been, like… the rock worship ballad for the past year. Deitrick Haddon wrote QUITE an anthem with that song– it’s awesome.
Aaand, LeJeune. My, oh my. LeJeune Thompson is one of the most underrated female vocalists in gospel and I don’t quite know why. In any event, she sang “Lost Without You,” from her 2008 sophomore release, Metamorphosis. It’s a mellow cut laced with incredible vocals… great job.
Who else saw it yesterday? What was your favorite performance of the episode?
Christian fam– let’s keep gospel artist Darwin Hobbs and his family in prayer. As many of you have heard by now, his father passed yesterday.
Darwin reached out to me yesterday evening and asked if I could let you guys know how appreciative he is of your support. He asked if I would “thank everyone for all the calls, emails, Facebook and Twitter shouts of condolence” about his father’s passing.
Let’s make sure to keep loving on him, in person or in prayer. Cool?
Word has it that Darwin Hobbs has stopped charging a set fee for his ministry engagements. Instead, he’ll only take an honorarium of an unfixed price.
This shift in his booking process is part of what he expresses is a mandate from God for him. I think it’s commendable and, clearly, will require a faith walk. Let’s pray for Darwin & his wife, Traci.
Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to ya, Darwin! Today’s his birthday, folks!
On a broader note, is this a good paradigm for other artists in the industry to adopt? I’ve spoken with artists who say their fees are high because they’ve got a lot of expenses (band, singers, etc.), but I’ve also seen prices unnecessarily inflated for one person to come and sing to a track. What would it look like for more artists to ask for a simple honorarium as opposed to a set fee?
Whatd’ya think?
Word has it that Darwin Hobbs is just about ready to release his newest album, titled Champion. The project, his seventh, is the musical result of the first live recording in his 12-year career as a solo artist.
Darwin is aiming for a May 2010 release, with the single (and title track) hitting radio as early as January (now, THAT’S how you work an album!). Co-production comes from Hobbs, with the super-gifted Daniel Weatherspoon (Donald Lawrence, Shekinah Glory Ministry) taking the lead on production work.
I’ll let you guys know more details as I get ‘em, but word on the streets is that the recording was INCREDIBLE. I can only imagine how great the mixed and mastered project is gonna be!
How many Darwin Hobbs supporters are out there? Which of his album(s) are your faves?
I THOROUGHLY enjoyed watching BeBe & CeCe Winans on their episode of Revealed last night. Who else caught it?
They were in their usual, jovial form– BeBe crackin’ jokes about CeCe, CeCe defending herself and trying to set the record straight. And they were in excellent voice, too.
They opened the show with “Heaven” and “Addictive Love” before singing a couple of tracks from their new album– “Never Thought” and the hit single “Close To You.”
It wasn’t long before they got to my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE BeBe & CeCe song (CeCe said it was her fave, too)– “Lost Without You.” The melody never gets old for me. It’s just classic. They even invited Darwin Hobbs, who sat in the studio audience, to join them in a few bars on the vamp.
The duo closed out their set with “Reason To Dance” from their new project. I kinda didn’t want the show to end. 
If you missed it, check your local listings– I think they’re airing an encore performance of it TONIGHT at midnight on Gospel Music Channel.
Show of hands– who else is even MORE excited for the reunion tour to get started???
Word has it that Darwin Hobbs is prepping for the first live recording of his solo career– it’ll be in Nashville on Friday, September 18th and admission is FREE. Location TBA.
Lemme take this time to say this– folks sleep on Darwin, but he’s one of the baddest vocalists you’ll find in the game. I’m talkin’ BGV’s, lead vocals… ALL OF IT.
You can play around if you want to, but I know where I’LL be on September 18th…
Memorial Day Weekend was a BLAST. Now back to the grind!
This song is kinda just where I am this morning– HE’S ABLE.
This song is delivered simply, but with a powerful message that REALLY encouraged my soul this morning. And it doesn’t hurt that Darwin Hobbs has one of those insanely rich voices that I could listen to aaallllll day. This track is from a Deitrick Haddon & Voices Of Unity release.
Here’s “He’s Able”:
