Gospel veteran Bryan Wilson has lived all over the place. Born in Danville, IL, he spent his youth in Chicago, made his name in Mississippi, graduated from a South Carolina college and went to grad school in Princeton, NJ. For two years now, Wilson’s been a music staffer at one of Washington, D.C.‘s most renowned churches, Evangel Cathedral.
Since Wilson’s been in the area, he’s gotten to know the diverse local music scene, from the churches to the jazz lounges. He’s currently working on a gospel CD that will fuse the rhythms of gospel, retro soul and go go that will be released later this year. However, his most recent song is the up-tempo tune “Everybody Clap Your Hands” that was recorded at X-posure Studios in Bowie, MD. The tune peaked at #38 on the national BDS Top 100 gospel airplay chart this past summer.
The tune is now nominated for Best Gospel/Inspirational recording in the 25th Annual Wammie Awards taking place Sunday, February 20, 2010 @ 8:00 p.m. at the State Theatre, 220 N. Washington, Falls Church, VA. Wilson’s track is competing with songs by Charles McPhatter, Tolumide and Y’Anna Crawley. “I am so honored,” Wilson says. “The DC community is loaded with a wealth of great talent. It feels good to be embraced by the music community here and it really gives me a sense of home.”
The Wammies (Washington Area Music Awards) recognize significant career achievements by area musicians. Past show participants include Emmylou Harris, Bo Diddley, Jimmy Dean, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Sweet Honey in the Rock. Wilson recorded “His Eye is on the Sparrow” with the Mississippi Children’s Choir in 1994 when he was 12 years old. It sold over 100,000 copies and led to two solo CDs for Malaco Records, a performance on the Stellar Awards, and collaborations with M.C. Hammer and Walter Hawkins. After graduating from Claflin University and working towards a master’s degree at Princeton University, Wilson returned to music in 2008 with the critically acclaimed CD, A Second Coming. Wilson’s track “If You’re Talking About Jesus” is featured on Time Life Music’s best-selling CD “Shoutin’ Down The Aisles.” Visit www.bryanwilson.com for the latest happenings in Bryan Wilson’s career.
