- Hi, I am Satori Shakoor, your host of Detroit Performs Live From Marygrove.

- And I'm Orlando Bailey with Bridge Detroit.

And I'm thrilled to be a part of the episode of Detroit Performs tonight here at Greater Grace Temple on Seven Mile in Detroit.

- Orlando joins me in celebrating gospel in Detroit.

We'll be talking to multiple gospel performers who have helped to make our city one of the greatest gospel music cities in the country.

- That's right, and this is all thanks to our curator, Sande Rose, who is the administrator of the Detroit Chapter of the Gospel Music Workshop of America.

So get ready to be immersed in the world of gospel tonight.

- Get ready to move, sing and praise here on Detroit Performs Live From Marygrove.

- [Announcer] Funding for Detroit Performs is provided by the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, Gregory Haynes and Richard Sonenklar, the Kresge Foundation, the A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Foundation, the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.

(upbeat music) - Well, welcome to Detroit Performs Live from Marygrove.

It's my pleasure, I'm excited to be sitting here with Orlando Bailey of Bridge Detroit, and Sande Rose, the curator for today's episode.

Hi, Sandy.

- Hi, how are you?

- Good, hi, Orlando.

- Hi, Satori, I'm so excited to be able to join you.

- Yes sir, yes sir.

- Listen, I want to ask you this question about gospel really being a genre that embraces community, and embraces family.

Talk a little bit about what that means.

- Yes, gospel music is for everybody.

Grandma can have gospel, junior can have gospel, everybody can have it, and you can sit and listen to it together.

And it should mean something because it comes from the heart.

And what comes from the heart reaches the heart.

And gospel music is meant to inspire and uplift communities, neighborhoods, people.

And that's what the whole purpose of gospel music is.

We sing to the Lord, but we uplift each other.

- All right, so who did you bring as a guest on Detroit Performs today?

- I brought some people with me today.

I brought Dr. Iris Taylor, who is the chairperson for the Gospel Music Workshop of America, the Detroit Chapter.

And I brought a representative for Young Men 4 Christ, who is a young upcoming quartet group.

And I brought Anthony White, who is from the Detroit Youth Choir.

- And we're sitting in one of the most magnificent sanctuaries and churches in Detroit.

Where are we?

- We are in none other than Greater Grace Temple, the City of David, right here on Seven Mile and Telegraph in the beautiful city of Detroit.

- What does it mean to be sitting inside of Greater Grace Temple?

I mean, the story of this church and its leadership is so storied, right?

It's so layered.

- Yes, and this place is about gospel music, especially, starting with the father, Bishop David Ellis.

He was all gospel music.

And we still listen to his music today, we watch his videos.

And then we're here with Bishop Ellis.

And he is a phenomenal, phenomenal gospel singer.

He was a drummer at one time, a lot of people don't know, but he's got a long history in gospel music as well.

- Well, thank you so much, Sande, for being with us today.

- Thank you for having me.

- All right, so put your hands together and stomp your feet.

We're going to the stage.

(contemporary Christian music) ♪ We praise thee O God ♪ ♪ For the Son of thy love ♪ ♪ For Jesus who died and is now gone above ♪ ♪ Hallelujah thine the glory ♪ ♪ Hallelujah amen ♪ ♪ Hallelujah thine the glory ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Come on put them together ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Lord we need a revival ♪ ♪ Revive us again ♪ ♪ We praise ♪ ♪ We praise thee O God ♪ ♪ For the Son of thy love ♪ ♪ For Jesus who died and is now gone above ♪ ♪ Hallelujah thine the glory ♪ ♪ Hallelujah amen ♪ ♪ Hallelujah thine the glory ♪ ♪ Yeah yeah ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Oh do you need a revival ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Lord please send a revival ♪ ♪ Revive us again ♪ ♪ Oh revive us ♪ ♪ Revive us again ♪ ♪ Fill each heart with thy love ♪ ♪ May each soul be rekindled ♪ ♪ With fire from above ♪ ♪ Hallelujah thine the glory ♪ ♪ Hallelujah amen ♪ ♪ Hallelujah thine the glory ♪ ♪ Yeah yeah ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Do you need a rival ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Lord we need a revival ♪ ♪ Revive us again ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Revive us again ♪ ♪ Fill each heart with thy love ♪ ♪ May each soul be rekindled ♪ ♪ With fire from above ♪ ♪ Hallelujah thine the glory ♪ ♪ Hallelujah amen ♪ ♪ Hallelujah thine the glory ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Lord we need a revival ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Can't do nothing till you come down ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Oh revive us yeah yeah ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Oh we need you Jesus ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Oh hallelujah it's a higher praise ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Whoa glory glory to you ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Yeah yeah hallelujah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Oh revive us ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Oh glory glory ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Lord we need your Spirit ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Can't do nothing till you come down ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Oh revive us ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Here's the highest praise ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Nobody greater ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Yes we need your Spirit ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Lord we need your glory ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Yeah revive us ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Lord revive us ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Can't do nothing till you come ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Send your Son and the glory ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Fill our hearts Lord ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Fill our spirits Lord ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Come on we need you Jesus ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Anybody need a revival ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Yes do you need a revival ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Lord we need it in our homes ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Yes we need it in our spirits ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Oh revive us ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ ♪ Oh revive us ♪ ♪ Again ♪ ♪ Again ♪ ♪ Again ♪ ♪ Again ♪ ♪ Revive us ♪ (audience applauds) - Welcome back to Detroit Performs.

And what an amazing performance of "Revive Us Again" by the Gospel Music Workshop of America, Detroit Chapter.

And speaking of the Detroit Chapter, we have Dr. Iris Taylor who is the president.

Welcome, Dr. Taylor.

- Thank you, thank you, thank you for having me.

- Yeah, talk a little bit about that song and that performance.

- That was recorded when we celebrated our 50th anniversary as being one of the inaugural chapters of the Gospel Music Workshop of America national organization.

And it was an amazing night.

We had over 3500 people who attended, and it was an exciting time when we brought back all the previous members of the Gospel Music Workshop of America, Detroit Chapter, and it was a great night.

- Can you talk about Detroit, right, and its significance within the genre of gospel music, both historically and in the present?

- I think the fact that we've had the talent in the city of Detroit has just been enormous across the entire continuum, and it continues to be.

And so a lot of the great choirs came out of the city of Detroit, and a lot of the great soloists came out of the city of Detroit.

And one thing that the Gospel Music Workshop of America does is it embeds and it integrates the major talents with those who are just striving to be talented, those who are just striving, who just want to sing the good news of the gospel.

And so it's an opportunity, as Reverend Cleveland used to say, where everybody is somebody.

- And I'm just curious to find out how was gospel and Motown?

What was that relationship like?

- If you look at the history of most of the original Motown artists, they all came out of the church.

And so the integration of how you were raised, what you were exposed to, where you first had a chance to display your talent, oftentime was in the church, and it was just a migration.

So we have come full circle.

Gospel has migrated into a lot of other areas and a lot of other areas now is migrating into gospel.

- Thank you so much, Dr. Taylor.

And we are headed to the stage for another foot stomping performance.

- We understand that this world is in a bad condition.

And God is yet still proving how good and faithful He is to us.

(soft music) Listen.

♪ We live in a world ♪ ♪ Full of distractions ♪ ♪ Satan is working to run us astray ♪ ♪ But I know that you're ♪ ♪ You're with us every day ♪ ♪ Oh my Lord ♪ ♪ You've done things ♪ ♪ Nobody else would ♪ ♪ You stand up for us ♪ ♪ When we're misunderstood ♪ ♪ And I thank you for being just that good ♪ - I got another person who told me like this, listen.

♪ Heavenly Father ♪ ♪ You know sometimes ♪ ♪ We try to do things on our own ♪ ♪ But you never leave us alone ♪ ♪ Oh my Lord ♪ ♪ You've done things ♪ ♪ Nobody else would ♪ ♪ You saved my life when nobody else would ♪ ♪ And I thank you for being just that good ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Lord I thank you for being just that good ♪ ♪ When I look back over my life ♪ ♪ And I see how far He brought me from ♪ ♪ He's been just ♪ ♪ Just that good ♪ ♪ I wish I could have somebody wave their hands ♪ ♪ And say Lord I thank you ♪ ♪ For being so good ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ I want to thank you ♪ ♪ For being just that good ♪ ♪ Do I got me a witness ♪ ♪ That can say it was nobody but Jesus ♪ ♪ Thank you for being just that good ♪ ♪ Lord just spared my life ♪ ♪ I should've been dead a long time ago ♪ ♪ But He saved my soul ♪ ♪ Do I have me one witness ♪ ♪ That don't mind saying ♪ ♪ Lord you've been good ♪ ♪ Lord you've made a way ♪ ♪ When I was down by myself ♪ ♪ You stepped right in ♪ ♪ Do I have me one witness that can testify tonight ♪ ♪ And say it was nobody but Jesus ♪ ♪ Nobody but Jesus ♪ ♪ Nobody but Jesus ♪ ♪ Thank you for being just that good ♪ ♪ Somebody ought to stand tonight ♪ ♪ And say Lord you look beyond my faults ♪ ♪ You supplied my needs ♪ ♪ For being just that good ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ I want to thank you ♪ ♪ For being just that good ♪ ♪ I want to take this time out ♪ ♪ To tell God thank you ♪ ♪ I want to thank you ♪ ♪ For being just that good ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Hey hey hey ♪ ♪ I want to thank you ♪ ♪ For being just that good ♪ (soft music) - We're coming back from a wonderful performance from Young Men 4 Christ.

And we're sitting here with Frank and Cordell of the group.

Thank you guys so much for being with us.

- Thank you.

- Thank you for having us.

- Oh man, all right, so talk a little bit about the song that we just heard, "Thankful."

- My cousin, Eric Johnson Jr., Reverend Eric Johnson Jr, is the lead soloist on the song.

And it just talks about being grateful and thankful during the time that we live in now, and also just talking about the pandemic and things that we went through, losing different people, going through a lot during that period of time as people in general.

So we're just grateful and thankful for what God has brought us through.

And we're here able to tell that testimony.

- [Cordell] Yes.

- How did you form?

- The story consists of myself, my father and my uncle and my cousin.

I was asked to do a solo on a certain Sunday, and I said, "Why not just have my father come play with me?"

My uncle came later on.

But my dad played keys on the keyboard.

We had a guy named DeVante Harris, and as well as Adrian Johnson, my other cousin.

And it's just been skyrocketing from there.

It's been blessings on blessings, and we're grateful.

- When did you guys know that singing was something that you wanted to do?

You say you were 12, right?

So you have been singing- - A long time.

- A long time, what about you, Cordell?

- Likewise, the same way.

I was probably, I want to say, playing around with it, just doing it in church choirs and stuff from the age of like, 10, 11 and so on and so on.

I didn't really get seriously into it as far as singing at more than just churches to actual concerts and things, until I got, you know, of age, 18 and older.

And that's when it really, like, took over my life.

And then from there my brother in Christ reached out to me and they were like, "We want you to be a part of."

And I've been with them for, I want to say like four years, about four years now.

- What is the message?

What are you being thankful for?

Everything?

- Everything, life, health, strength.

People take so much that goes on in a day in the world that we live in for granted.

And literally, God keeps me rooted, He keeps us rooted.

And not only keeps us rooted, but let's be honest, we're not perfect, nobody on this earth is perfect.

And even in our sin, even in our, whatever that you do in life, God still covers you.

So it's like you can't take anything for granted.

You can't take anything for granted.

It's nothing but grace and mercy.

- Well, thank you, Cordell.

- [Cordell] Thank you.

- Thank you, Frank.

And we're going back for some more.

We're headed back to the stage at Detroit Performs Live from Marygrove.

♪ God's gonna trouble ♪ ♪ The water ♪ ♪ Wade in the water ♪ ♪ Wade in the water ♪ ♪ Wade in the water ♪ ♪ Wade in the water ♪ ♪ Wade in the water ♪ ♪ Wade in the water children ♪ ♪ Wade in the water ♪ ♪ God's gonna trouble the water ♪ ♪ Oh God's children gonna ♪ ♪ Wade in the water ♪ ♪ Wade in the water children ♪ ♪ Wade in the water ♪ ♪ God's gonna trouble the water ♪ ♪ Oh God's children gonna ♪ ♪ See that host all dressed in white ♪ ♪ God's gonna trouble the water ♪ ♪ The leader looks like an Israelite ♪ ♪ God's gonna trouble the water ♪ ♪ Hmm wade in the water ♪ ♪ Wade in the water children ♪ ♪ Wade in the water ♪ ♪ God's gonna trouble the water ♪ ♪ Oh God's children gonna ♪ ♪ Wade in the water ♪ ♪ Wade in the water children ♪ ♪ Wade in the water ♪ ♪ God's gonna trouble the water ♪ ♪ Oh God's children gonna ♪ ♪ See that band all dressed in red ♪ ♪ God's gonna trouble the water ♪ ♪ Well it looks like the band that Moses led ♪ ♪ God's gonna trouble the water ♪ ♪ Children wade in the water ♪ ♪ Wade in the water children ♪ ♪ Wade in the water ♪ ♪ God's gonna trouble the water ♪ ♪ Oh God's children gonna ♪ ♪ Wade in the water ♪ ♪ Wade in the water children ♪ ♪ Wade in the water ♪ ♪ God's gonna trouble ♪ ♪ Trouble trouble trouble water ♪ ♪ Wade in the water ♪ ♪ Children go on and wade ♪ ♪ Wade in the water ♪ ♪ Children wade ♪ ♪ Oh children God's ♪ ♪ Gonna trouble the water ♪ ♪ Wade in the water ♪ - And we are back from that performance from Detroit Youth Choir.

We love these kids so much, and it's an honor to be sitting here with the musical director, artistic director, Anthony White.

How are you, sir?

- Hello, thanks for having me.

- Oh my God, you're doing so many, many great things.

You're a world traveler.

Tell us about the adventures- - Television star.

- of Detroit Youth Choir.

- Television star.

- All of the above.

- Yes.

- Well, let's put it like this, the Detroit Youth Choir has been extremely busy lately especially with the rollout for our docuseries, our six-part docuseries on Disney+ which is a big deal for our organization.

I mean, just imagine a docuseries on our youth organization in the city of Detroit.

Like, sometimes those words don't go together, but it's kind of cool.

You know, I believe our young people deserves that.

- How do you approach directing?

Is it like theater?

- Well, we have six wonderful choreographers that teaches our young people aside from our choir directors, we have like four choir directors too.

But everybody have their own style.

So that choreographer's style is not like that choreographer.

So everybody is fusing their styles.

That's what makes DYC DYC.

I always say, "We're the only youth choir popping on the East Coast or possibly in the United States."

- How does gospel music inspire what the Detroit Youth Choir does?

- Well, let me tell you a secret.

One of our secrets is that we use gospel music to warm up before we go into rehearsal.

So we'll pick a song.

I think one of our favorite is ♪ Better is one day in your house ♪ ♪ Better is one day ♪ You know, it's called "Better Is One Day" and we learned that off of YouTube looking at another artist, his name is Trey McLaughlin.

And Trey, if it wasn't for Trey, we wouldn't have warm ups for our choir, because for the last six years, we've been using Trey's gospel warm ups.

- It trains your ear as well.

- It trains your ear, and then we go into harmony.

And harmony is the base for everything DYC.

- Thank you, Anthony White.

Thank you for all you do.

- Thank you for having me.

- Orlando Bailey, it's been so much fun.

- It's been an honor, thank you.

- Thank you.

And thank you for watching Detroit Performs Live From Marygrove, our special edition of gospel.

And we will see you next time.

- [Announcer] Funding for Detroit Performs is provided by the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, Gregory Haynes and Richard Sonenklar, the Kresge Foundation, the A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Foundation, the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.

(upbeat music) (soft music)