Dottie Peoples

Dorothy "Dottie" Peoples (b. August 12, 1950) is an American gospel singer from Dayton, Ohio. After completing high school, she toured with gospel pioneer Dorothy Norwood, a member of the Caravans. After a stint in jazz, she relocated to Atlanta in 1979[1] and returned to her gospel roots. She has been dubbed "Songbird of the South."[2]

Dorothy Peoples
Born1950
Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
GenresGospel, jazz
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, producer, tour director
Years active1974–present
LabelsChurch Door, Atlanta International, AIR Gospel, DP Muzik Group
Websitedottiepeoples.com

Early life

The firstborn of ten children, and the only singer in the family, Peoples was born on August 12, 1950 in Dayton, Ohio.[3] Her father worked two jobs, one at General Motors, to support the large family. According to Richard Gincel of the Atlanta Constitution, Peoples well remembers walking a mile to school in snow up to our heads because her family could not afford bus fare. During her summer vacations, Peoples would stay with her grandmother in Birmingham, Alabama and would attend church with her all day on Sundays. Peoples began singing at an early age when her grandmother encouraged her to join a choir.[3] The singers fascinated Peoples. She pictured herself as another Mahalia Jackson and went on to sing in her church choir and her high school concert choir.

Career

Vocalist with jazz ensemble and Groove Holmes, five years; Church Door Records, 1979–91, general manager; The Dottie Peoples' Showcase, WAOK Atlanta, 1990–96, host, director, producer; Atlanta International Records, 1991-; Harry's Jazz Symphony, 1996, vocalist; producer for Rev. Dreyfus Smith and The Wings of Faith Mass Choir; producer for Rev. Andrew Cheairs and The Songbirds of Byhalia, MS; WOW Gospel, 1999, vocalist.

After high school, she toured briefly with gospel singer Dorothy Norwood and then with Shirley Caesar. Peoples' mother did not want her daughter to go on tour.

She recorded her debut album, Live at Salem Baptist Church, in 1993. On July 28, 2008, Peoples performed a free concert at the East Birmingham Church of God in Christ.

Gospel vocalist, songwriter, producer, tour director, businesswoman, and spokesperson Dottie Peoples has been a star in the gospel music industry for more than 30 years, since she was nine years old. Called the Songbird of the South by Atlanta WAOK radio announcer Brother Esmond Patterson, Peoples won the top four honors at the 1995 Stellar Awards with her album, On Time God. Since then she has perpetually won or been nominated for many awards.

Jazz

Despite her mother's objections about touring, Groove Holmes gave Peoples the opportunity to join his ensemble and for five years she performed in jazz clubs. When she married, Peoples stopped performing, but she could not stay away from singing. Not only did she want to serve God with song, Peoples had the voice to inspire. In fact, with a vocal range of soprano to alto to tenor, she has been compared to Patti LaBelle. The Philadelphia Tribune called Peoples a ``vocal powerhouse. But singing was not the most important thing in her life. She told writer Jimmy Stewart, "I love singing, but it's my personal relationship with Jesus that inspires me to do it."

In the seventies, while working at Salem Baptist Church in Atlanta, Peoples persuaded Reverend Doctor Jasper Williams, Jr. to start Church Door Records. Peoples became the general manager. The record label produced albums for the pastor and the church choir, and later, in 1984, Peoples's first solo effort, Surely God Is Able. In 1987, People's Is It Worth It All nourished the spiritual world on the same label. Two other albums followed.

Gospel

Gospel music exploded in the nineties. In 1990, The Dottie Peoples' Showcase on radio station WAOK of Atlanta helped this explosion. In 1991, a year after Peoples started hosting, directing, and producing the show, she signed with Atlanta International Records. In 1993 her album, Live at Salem Baptist Church, garnered her a Stellar Award nomination for Best Female Solo Performance of traditional music. More nominations—for the Gospel Excellence Awards, Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, and Dove awards—would follow with other albums. Peoples's success with her Live album allowed her to leave her position with Church Door Records and sing full-time.

Peoples's 1995 album, On Time God produced by Rev. Gerald Thompson, would change her role in gospel music. At the Stellar Awards, she won Female Vocalist of the Year for traditional music, Choir of the Year for traditional music, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year for On Time God. That same year, Peoples would receive a Vision Award by Bobby Jones Gospel of Black Entertainment Television and Gospel Today Magazine. ``On Time God would also win the Atlanta Gospel Choice Award for Song of the Year.

Throughout the nineties, Peoples toured with many gospel artists, among them Shirley Caesar, Kirk Franklin, and the Jasper Williams Crusade for Christ Ministry. Her vocals have also been featured on many other albums, such as the Women of Worship '98 album.

Once described as ``single, saved, and successful, Peoples continues to win awards and inspire. She not only sings, but writes many of her songs, such as On Time God and Testify from her 1996 album of the same name. Testify won numerous nominations for awards. In 1999, God Can and God Will: Live In Atlanta became her ninth album. She sang songs from the new release to an audience of 4,500 at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia. An inspiring 225-member choir backed her performance.

Though considered a traditional singer, Peoples also incorporates contemporary songs and styles, such as rap, with her concerts. Peoples maintains, Gospel has to change a bit for the new generation because young people need gospel, need to hear a word from the Lord, now more than ever. By the time I leave the stage, I want to have an impact on somebody's life.

Performances

Peoples has performed with Widespread Panic at the inaugural Bonnaroo Music Festival and with Dorothy Norwood.[3] She sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 1996 Olympics,[3] "He's an On Time God" at the memorial service for John Lewis,[4][5] and at the 2020 Stellar Awards.[6]

She has sung the National Anthem at the Atlanta Hawks basketball games and at the Centennial Summer Olympics. Also, in 1996, Peoples performed with Harry's Jazz Symphony and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the first time a gospel singer had been featured.

Other endeavors

Dottie has an honorary Doctor of Sacred Music from Global Evangelical Christian College (Part of the International Circle of Faith Colleges and Seminaries network). Dottie toured many places with her close friend Garnelle Hubbard-Spearman.[7]

Peoples tours with a five-piece band consisting of guitar, keyboards, bass, synthesizer, and drums. She produces her own music, plus that of Reverend Dreyfus Smith, her pastor, and The Wings Of Faith Mass Choir, her home church. Peoples also produces the music for Reverend Andrew Cheairs and The Songbirds of Byhalia, Mississippi.

She was a spokesperson for Lustrasilk, a hair product of the Gillette company, and then as a spokesperson for a southern women's clothing store, Colbert's. She can be seen and heard in television commercials.

Discography
  • Surely God Is Able (Church Door, 1984) – 37 weeks on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart, peaking at #17 on June 8, 1984[8]
  • Is It Worth It All? (Church Door, 1987)
  • Live at Salem Baptist Church (Atlanta International, 1993)
  • Christmas With Dottie (Atlanta International, 1995)
  • Live: Featuring "On time God" (Atlanta International, 1995) – 112 weeks on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart, peaking at #3 on February 2, 1996[9]
  • Count on God, Live (Atlanta International, 1996)
  • Testify (Atlanta International, 1997) – 47 weeks on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart, peaking at #14 on August 22, 1997[10]
  • The Collection: Songs of Love & Faith (Atlanta International, 1998) – 1 week on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart, peaking at #38 on August 21, 1998[11]
  • God Can & God Will (Atlanta International, 1999) – 66 weeks on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart, peaking at #8 on Semptember 10, 1999[12]
  • Show Up and Show Out (Atlanta International, 2000) – 31 weeks on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart, peaking at #10 on February 2, 2001[13]
  • Churchin' with Dottie (Atlanta International, 2002) – 80 weeks on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart, peaking at #10 on November 8, 2002;[14] 56 weeks on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-hop Albums chart, peaking at #49 on August 29, 2003[15]
  • The Water I Give (Atlanta International, 2003)
  • Live In Memphis - He Said It (AIR Gospel, 2005) – 1 week on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart, peaking at #50 on July 15, 2015[16]
  • Do It! (DP Muzik Group / Comin Atcha Music, Inc., 2008) – 13 weeks on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart, peaking at #13 on October 10, 2008[17]
  • I Got This: Live! (DP Muzik Group, 2013) – 10 weeks on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart, peaking at #14 on February 22, 2013[18]

Awards
Caption
YearAwards showNominationCategoryResult
1994Atlanta Gospel Choice Award"Pure Love"Song of the YearWon
1994Atlanta Gospel Choice Award(herself)Female Soloist TraditionalWon
1995Atlanta Gospel Choice Award"On Time God"Song of the YearWon
1995Atlanta Gospel Choice AwardBest Choir of the YearWon
1995Atlanta Gospel Choice Award"Everybody Ought to Know Who Jesus Is"Song of the YearWon
1995Gospel Music Workshop of America/Gospel Excellence AwardsAlbum of the Year-Traditional
1995Gospel Music Workshop of America/Gospel Excellence Awards(herself)Female Vocalist of the Year
1995Gospel Music Workshop of America/Gospel Excellence Awards"On Time God"Song of the Year
1995Vision AwardsBobby Jones GospelWon
1995Stellar Awards(herself)Female Vocalist-TraditionalWon
1995Stellar AwardsChoir of the Year-TraditionalWon
1995Stellar AwardsOn Time GodAlbum of the YearWon
1995Stellar Awards"On Time God"Song of the YearWon
1996Stellar Awards(herself)Top Female VocalistWon
1996NAACP Phoenix Awards(herself)Female Vocalist of the YearWon
1997Gospel Music Workshop of America/Gospel Excellence AwardsTraditional Album of the Year
1997Gospel Music Workshop of America/Gospel Excellence Awards(herself)Traditional Female Vocalist of the Year
1997Gospel Music Workshop of America/Gospel Excellence Awards"Count On God"Song of the Year
1997National Association of Independent Record Distributors (Indie Award)Gospel Album of the Year
1997James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement AwardWon
200042nd Annual Grammy Awards[19]God Can & God WillGrammy Award for Best Traditional Gospel AlbumNominated
200244th Annual Grammy Awards[20]Show Up and Show OutGrammy Award for Best Traditional Gospel AlbumNominated
200547th Annual Grammy Awards[21]The Water I GiveGrammy Award for Best Traditional Gospel AlbumNominated

References
  1. "Dottie Peoples". Charleston City Paper. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  2. "'Songbird of The South' Dottie Peoples Honored With Lifetime Achievement Award". Atlanta Daily World. 2013-03-11. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
  3. Bruch, Thomas. "Gospel singer Dottie Peoples jazzed to perform Friday at 2016 River City Soul Fest". Journal Star. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
  4. Bridgeman, Bro Krift, Robert Gutierrez and Megan. "Honoring civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis: Scenes from the celebration of life service in Troy". The Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
  5. Santiago, Michael M. "Troy, Alabama Celebrates Life Of "Boy From Troy" Rep. John Lewis". CBS46 News Atlanta. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
  6. "Stellar Awards to air two-hour best-of special in lieu of new ceremony - Music News - ABC News Radio". abcnewsradioonline.com. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
  7. "Dottie's Peoples Awards & Recognitions". Dottiepeoples.com. Archived from the original on 2012-08-28. Retrieved 2012-09-16.
  8. "Dottie Peoples". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  9. "Dottie Peoples". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  10. "Dottie Peoples". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  11. "Dottie Peoples". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  12. "Dottie Peoples". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  13. "Dottie Peoples". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  14. "Dottie Peoples". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  15. "Dottie Peoples". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  16. "Dottie Peoples". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  17. "Dottie Peoples". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  18. "Dottie Peoples". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  19. "GospelFlava.com - 42nd Annual Grammy Award Nominations - Gospel Categories". www.gospelflava.com. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  20. "GospelFlava.com - 44th Annual Grammy Award Winners - Gospel Categories". www.gospelflava.com. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  21. "GospelFlava.com - 47th Annual Grammy Award Nominations - Gospel Categories". www.gospelflava.com. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.