Inside Gospel
Pastor Timothy Wright
By Lisa Collins, Senior Music Editor, GospelMusicChannel.com
The gospel community is saddened by the tragic news of a fatal July 4th accident that left Rev. Timothy Wright critically injured while claiming the lives of his wife, Betty, 58, and his 14-year old grandson, D.J. Wright. The three were returning to New York from the Auxiliaries in Ministry (AIM) Convention in Detroit when a man driving the wrong way on eastbound I-80 in Pennsylvania, struck their car head-on. The 2002 Lincoln Blackwood driven by Wright was struck a second time from behind by a third car.
Betty Wright died at the scene. D.J. Wright, left brain dead and on life support, passed away two days later. The wrong way driver – who was believed to have been intoxicated – was also killed and two passengers in the third vehicle were injured.
Wright, affectionately known as the “godfather of gospel,” has released more than a dozen gospel recordings, including his signature hit, “Who's On The Lord's Side,” and is best known for his work with choirs. His most recent CD Jesus, Jesus, Jesus was released in February 2007 and earned him a 2008 Song of the Year Stellar Award nomination as well as a Traditional Male Singer of the Year nomination.
“What a tragedy,” said Milton Biggham, the former director of Savoy Records, the gospel label on which Wright recorded five releases, including “Who's On The Lord's Side” and “Trouble Don't Last Always,” and the writer of his most recent lead single, “You Must Come In At The Door.” “Tim wrote and recorded a song called ‘We're Gonna Make It’ and I believe he will.”
“We're all keeping him in prayer,” said Demetrius Stewart, G.M. at Pure Springs Records. “Such a tragedy.”
Bishop Albert Jamison, who chairs the Gospel Music Workshop of America, led a prayer service at Grace Tabernacle Christian Center COGIC, the Brooklyn, New York-based church he co-pastored with Betty.
At press, the prognosis for the GRAMMY-nominated artist was good, though he remained in intensive care with a punctured lung, head injuries, and several broken bones at the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania, not yet told of the passing of his wife and grandson. Married 37 years, the couple has five sons.
A full slate of summer tour dates has been postponed.
Meanwhile in Detroit, the gospel industry lost another soldier with the sudden passing last week of Bishop Charles Craig, who performed with his brother Linsey Craig as the Craig Brothers. Bishop Charles, who served as a vice chair of Gospel Music Workshop of America (heading up the Security, Nurses, and Ushers auxiliary) suffered a massive heart attack July 5. He was 58.
All this as many in the quartet community were paying their respects to Ira Tucker, lead vocalist and driving force behind the world-renowned gospel quartet the Dixie Hummingbirds. The GRAMMY-winning artist, who once turned down $10,000 to sing R&B while standing in a record executive's office with just $40 in his pocket, performed for nearly 70 years with the group, which was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2007.
On a lighter note, Kirk Franklin's forthcoming biopic may have been delayed, but for those who can't seem to get enough of the gospel dynamo, Lionsgate is set to release the DVD version of Hopeville, the successful 2003 concert tour featuring Franklin with Yolanda Adams and Donnie McClurkin. The two-hour DVD of 14 performances includes hit songs such as “I'm Gonna Be Ready,” “We Fall Down,” and “Brighter Day.”
Donald Lawrence is gearing up for a July 30 recording of his next solo project, his second for Zomba Gospel. The project, tentatively titled The Law of Confession, will be recorded at the Living Word Christian Center in Chicago. Other artists prepping releases for this fall include Hezekiah Walker, which coincidentally is being produced by Lawrence and is also set to record live this month, and Kurt Carr, who is currently at work on his next studio release.
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About the Writer
Lisa Collins, a Los Angeles native and resident, is a syndicated columnist, writer, publisher and former Billboard Magazine columnist. Her career in gospel began in 1988 with her creation of “Inside Gospel,” a daily/weekly syndicated radio series that provided news, profiles and product updates relative to the gospel music community. For the next eight years, she would also serve as executive producer of the show that was broadcast in more than 100 markets nationwide. Collins has also served as a segment producer for BET and authored well over 300 articles on a variety of issues for a number of national publications from Essence to Upscale. Her background in the field of entertainment reporting is extensive, featuring cover stories and interviews with the likes of Richard Pryor, Michael Jackson and Prince.
