Keith Pringle

Last updated

Keith Pringle
Birth nameRoy Keith Pringle
Born (1952-08-06) August 6, 1952 (age 68)
Detroit, Michigan
OriginLos Angeles, California
Genres Gospel, traditional black gospel, urban contemporary gospel
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, organist
InstrumentsVocals, singer-songwriter, organ
Years active1977present
LabelsSavoy, Hopesong, Heartwarming, Muscle Shoals, Malaco, Platinum
Associated actsPentecostal Community Choir

Roy Keith Pringle (born August 6, 1952) is an American gospel musician and organist, who is the founder of Pentecostal Community Choir. His first album, "Let Everything That Has Breath Praise the Lord", was released in 1979. He went on to release more albums with Savoy Records, Hopesong Records, Heartwarming Records, Muscle Shoals Records, Malaco Records, and Platinum Entertainment. Five of these albums would chart on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart. He received a Grammy Award-nomination for the song "Call Him Up" that was on the 1980 album "True Victory".

Contents

Early life

Roy Keith Pringle was born on August 6, [1] 1952, [2] in Detroit, Michigan, who was reared in the Church of God in Christ, where at around sixteen years old the New Bethel Young People's Choir had him be their organist. [3] He would graduate from Northwestern High School, and move to Chicago, Illinois for a time, then he would finally relocate to Los Angeles, California. [3] He got his college education at Los Angeles City College, while attending Reverend James Cleveland's church the Cornerstone Institutional Baptist Church. [3] Where he was requested to go with Rev. Cleveland to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after he got called forward to play the organ during one of the church's offertory periods. [3] In September 1978, "No Ways Tired" was recorded live at the Salem Baptist Church in Omaha, Nebraska, and Pringle was requested by Rev. Cleveland to sing on the track. In the middle of one of the refrains, Cleveland said "Sing it for me Keith." Pringle ad libbed and the song was a success. It was a gold record and nominated for a Grammy. [3]

Music career

His music career as an act independent of Rev. Cleveland commenced in 1979 with the formation of the Pentecostal Community Choir, with the album, True Victory, that was released by Savoy Records, and it even got him a Grammy Award-nomination for the song "Call Him Up". [3] [4] The first album to chart, I Feel Like Going On, was released by Hopesong Records in 1983, [4] and this placed upon the Billboard magazine Gospel Albums chart at No. 11. [5] While his next album, Perfect Peace, was released in 1984 by Heartwarming Records, [4] and this placed at No. 3 on the aforementioned chart. [5] The subsequent album, All to You, was released in 1987 by Muscle Shoals, [4] and this placed at No. 23 on the Gospel Albums chart. [5] He released, No Greater Love, in 1989 by Savoy Records, [4] and this was a chart topper on the aforementioned chart. [5] The last album to chart, Magnify Him, was released by Muscle Shoals alongside Malaco Records in 1991, [4] and this placed at No. 15 on the Gospel Albums chart. [5]

Discography

List of selected studio albums, with selected chart positions
TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions [5]
US
Gos
I Feel Like Going On
  • Released: 1982
  • Label: Hopesong
  • CD, digital download
11
Perfect Peace
  • Released: 1984
  • Label: Heartwarming
  • CD, digital download
3
All to You
  • Released: 1987
  • Label: Muscle Shoals
  • CD, digital download
23
No Greater Love
  • Released: 1989
  • Label: Savoy
  • CD, digital download
1
Magnify Him
  • Released: 1991
  • Label: Muscle Shoals/Malaco
  • CD, digital download
15

Related Research Articles

Johnnie Taylor

Johnnie Harrison Taylor was an American recording artist and songwriter who performed a wide variety of genres, from blues, rhythm and blues, soul, and gospel to pop, doo-wop, and disco.

Dorothy Moore American blues, gospel, and R&B singer (born 1946)

Dorothy Moore is an American blues, gospel, and R&B singer best known for her 1976 hit song, "Misty Blue".

James Cleveland American musician

James Edward Cleveland was an American gospel singer, musician, and composer. Known as the King of Gospel, Cleveland was a driving force behind the creation of the modern gospel sound by incorporating traditional black gospel, soul, pop, and jazz in arrangements for mass choirs. Throughout his career, Cleveland appeared on hundreds of recordings and earned four Grammy Awards. He was the first gospel musician to earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1984. For his trailblazing accomplishments, he is regarded by many as one of the greatest gospel singers who ever lived. He is best known for his gospel classics "Lord, Help Me to Hold Out," "Peace Be Still," "I Don't Feel No Ways Tired", “Where Is Your Faith," "The Love of God," "God Has Smiled on Me", and his soul-stirring rendition of Gladys Knight & The Pips' "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me."

Mississippi Mass Choir

The Mississippi Mass Choir is an American gospel choir based in Jackson, Mississippi.

Malaco Records

Malaco Records is an American independent record label based in Jackson, Mississippi, United States, that has been the home of various major blues and gospel acts, such as Johnnie Taylor, Bobby Bland, Z. Z. Hill, Denise LaSalle, Latimore, Dorothy Moore, Little Milton, Shirley Brown, Tyrone Davis, Marvin Sease, and the Mississippi Mass Choir. It has received an historic marker issued by the Mississippi Blues Commission to commemorate its important place on the Mississippi Blues Trail.

Thomas Anthony Whitfield was an American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, pianist, choir director and producer best known for helping to shape the fabric of contemporary gospel music with his elaborate choral arrangements and the merging of musical styles ranging from jazz to classical into traditional gospel foundations. This style earned him the respectable title of "Maestro" by many of his colleagues and supporters. He was best known for organizing one of the popular contemporary gospel choirs of all time, the Thomas Whitfield Company, and for producing best-selling records for Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Shirley Caesar, Yolanda Adams, Douglas Miller, Keith Pringle, Paul Morton and for Aretha Franklin.

Albertina Walker American gospel singer and songwriter

Albertina Walker was an American gospel singer, songwriter, actress, and humanitarian.

Men of Standard is an American gospel group.

Walter Hawkins

Walter Lee Hawkins was an American gospel music singer and pastor. He was consecrated to the bishopric in 2000.

Franklin Delano Williams was an American gospel music singer.

Ricky Dillard American musician

Ricky Rydell Dillard is an American gospel musician. He started his music career, in 1987, as a Chicago house musician. His first Christian music album was Promise, by Muscle Shoals Records. His next album, A Holy Ghost Take-Over, was released in 1993 by Malaco Records. The subsequent album, Hallelujah, was released by them in 1995. Crystal Spring Records released, 1996's Work It Out, 2000's No Limit, and Unplugged in 2004. With EMI Gospel, he released, 7th Episode, that came out in 2007. He released, Keep Living, with Light Records in 2011. His next release, Amazing, came out in 2014 with Entertainment One Music.

Milton R. Brunson was an American gospel musician and former pastor and music director of Christ Tabernacle Baptist Church in Chicago, Illinois. Rev. Milton Brunson released his first musical project in 1988, Available to You with Word Records alongside Epic Records. The last album, When You Get High on Jesus, Oh My God, released in 1997 by Hob Records, was a posthumous release. The last album to chart was 50 Blessed Years, that charted on the Billboard charts. All-in-all, he has had ten albums that have charted on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart over the course of his career and some even after his death. He received a nomination for the Best Gospel Album, Group or Choir at the 1988 Soul Train Music Awards and for Best Gospel Album at the 1993 Soul Train Music Awards. He won a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Choir or Chorus Album at the 37th Annual Grammy Awards, while he was nominated two other times.

Troy Lenard Sneed Jr. was an American gospel singer, songwriter, and musician.

Reverend Donald Raymond Vails, Jr., was an American gospel musician and pianist. He started his music career, in 1977, with the release, Donald Vails Choraleers, that was released by Savoy Records. He would release sixteen albums with two labels, Savoy Records and Sound of Gospel. Vails released five albums that charted on the Billboard magazine Gospel Albums chart, He Promised a New Life in 1984 with Savoy Records, 1986's Yesterday, Today and Forever with Sounds of Gospel, 1987's Until the Rapture again with Sounds of Gospel, In Jesus Christ I Have Everything I Need in 1990 also with Sounds of Gospel, and 1994's A Sunday Morning Songbook with Savoy Records. The album, He Decided to Die, was a Grammy Award-nominated release, and it was certified as a gold album by the RIAA.

Doctor and Reverend Charles George Hayes, was an American gospel musician and founding pastor of Cosmopolitan Church of Prayer. He enjoyed a career spanning over 50 years as a musician with the Cosmopolitan Church of Prayer Choir that would be showcased on the church's radio programs. He would release over 30 albums with several labels including Savoy Records Word Records, Epic Records, Intersound Records, Meek Records, Utopia Music Group, Icee Records, MCG Records, Cosmo Sounds Music Group, and Grammercy Records. Hayes released five albums that charted on the Billboard magazine Gospel Albums chart, Turn It over to Jesus in 1989 with Intersound Records, 1992's I'll Never Forget with Savoy Gospel Records, 2002's Rise & Sing Forever with Meek Records, The Remix in 2005 with Icee Records, and 2012's Back Again with Cosmo Sounds Music Group. The album, The Remix, placed on three more Billboard charts R&B Albums, Independent Albums, and Heatseekers Albums.

Reverend Fair Cloth Barnes was an American gospel musician, and the founding pastor of Red Budd Holy Church, Rocky Mount, North Carolina. His recorded music career began in 1983, with the album Rough Side of the Mountain, released by Atlanta International Records ; all his fifteen albums were on that label. That album reached no. 1 in the Billboard magazine Gospel Albums chart, and six others entered the top twenty.

Bishop Jeff Willie Banks, was an American gospel musician and founding pastor of Revival Temple Holiness that was affiliated with The Church of God in Christ. He started his music career, in 1953, with the Famous Banks Brothers, after they were under the tutelage of Mary Johnson Davis from 1947 until 1953. He released his first album, Lord Lift Me Up, that was released by Savoy Records in 1984, which all of his album were released by the label. He would release seven albums, and four of those charted on the Billboard magazine Gospel Albums chart, Lord Lift Me Up in 1984, 1987's Caught up in the Rapture, 1989's The Storm Is Over, He's All over Me in 1993.

Ricky R. Grundy, who went by the stage name Rickey Grundy, was an American gospel musician and leader of The Rickey Grundy Chorale. He started his music career, in 1988, with Sparrow Records releasing Spirit Come Down, and they have released the two albums that placed on the Billboard magazine Gospel Albums chart. Grundy died on July 27, 2015, after a season of health complications.

Pastor Ruby Terry, is an American gospel musician and Christian R&B artist. She started her music career, in 1990 with the release of Chapter One by Malaco Records, and all of her released have been released by that label. Her second album, Live with the Southwest Louisiana Mass Choir, was released in 1992, and it was her breakthrough release upon the Billboard magazine Gospel Albums chart. The third album, What a Time, came out in 1994, and this release charted on the aforementioned chart. She released, God Can Do It, in 1996, yet this failed to chart.

Minister Cedric LeVance Ford is an American gospel musician and leader of Worship Unlimited, currently based out of Houston, Texas because he is the music minister at Reflections of Christ Church. His first album, Featuring Visions: A Choral Ministry, was released by Muscle Shoals Records in 2000, and produced by Dorothy Norwood. He released, Created 2 Worship, with Tyscot Records in 2009, and this was a Billboard magazine breakthrough release upon the Gospel Albums chart at number 34. He was nominated for a NAACP Theatre Award for his role in The Fabric of a Man by David E. Talbert.

References

  1. Keith Pringle and the Pentecostal Community Choir (KeithPringleandPCC) (August 6, 2015). "Happy birthday to Keith Pringle! Let's continue to pray as we lay to rest this weekend our beloved Rickey Grundy". Facebook. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  2. "Roy K Pringle in Texas". Intelius. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Carpenter, Bil (2005). "Uncloudy Days: The Gospel Music Encyclopedia": 241–2.Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 AllMusic. "Keith Pringle : Discography". AllMusic . Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Billboard. "Keith Pringle : Awards". AllMusic . Retrieved April 16, 2015.