On May 30, 1982, my mother gave birth to me at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital (of which I became an employee of 19 years later) and thus began the stressful journey toward my independence. I was raised with my sister, Miranda, who was 3 1/2 years old at the time I was born. Sibling rivalry abounded with such reckless abandon that people looked at us with envy....oh, who am I kidding with this stuff...we fought as any bro and sis would. This, in fact, brought us closer together and we began to depend on one another for spiritual and emotional guidance. Me and sis went on to write many songs together, one of which is called “Touch the Sky” that was originally a poem written about our mom. Much of Miranda's style inspired much of the way I write today.
My mom & dad, Marcia & Tony (Anthony Sr.), brought us both up in a Christian home full of love and diversity. We were never held down to one thing, but in fact encouraged to seek the truth for ourselves which gave us a deeper faith and a deeper walk in Christ. We were all used to afternoons pickin' and grinnin' on the front porch, singing old country and bluegrass songs my parents and grandparents sang when they were small.
At 14, I received Christ as my Savior and at 17 I received the call of Christ on my life to minister to this world in words & music. In 1999, after graduating, I pursued a two-year degree in computer sciences & graduated from a community college with several awards and certificates in the winter of 2001. In the fall of 2002 I became a Youth Pastor at East Albany Church of God and in the following spring I felt God’s leading to resign and pursue my music full-time.
The album “Legacy” brings to life my true heritage from the time I was 5 years old to the present. It covers all the styles I was brought up around like bluegrass, country and country gospel, classic rock, alternative, & contemporary Christian. This being my first album I wanted the people to know I respect my roots and I pay homage to my heritage quite often. There’s a saying that goes “you can’t get above your raising” and I feel that God has blessed me to build on the foundation He laid for me so long ago.
As of relationship-wise, I am currently seeking a new relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and I'm pursuing a greater level of intimacy with Him that I may continually grow in Him and know Him more. Jesus says in Matthew 6:33, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." All that matters in this world is our relationship with Christ. I challenge you, reader, to take the plunge into the very depths of Christ's Spirit and Truth...you'll never regret it...
Photo by Sara Harper