Donald Lawrence studied at Cincinnati Conservatory, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in music. While in Cincinnati, he was also the Minister of Music at the Southern Baptist Church on Reading Road. To his credit, Donald's musicality has seen many incarnations, as vocal coach to the R&B group En Vogue, musical director for Stephanie Mills, songwriter for The Clark Sisters, and producer for a host of artists including Peabo Bryson and Kirk Franklin. Donald Lawrence has been an inspiration to many.
Lawrence took on The Tri-City Singers after a friend vacated his position as musical director.(NOTE: The three cities that The Tri-City Singers come from are Spartanburg, SC, Gastonia, NC, and Charlotte, NC.) The group debuted in 1993 with A Songwriter's Point Of View on a then-brand-new independent record label called GospoCentric Records. The set debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top Gospel Charts. The group's follow-up release Bible Stories would top those same charts when it arrived in 1995. It was the first to be billed as Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers and featured black church-ubiquitous hits such as "A Message For The Saints", "I Am God" and "Stranger". The album was released on Lawrence's newly minted label Crystal Rose Records which was distributed through Sparrow Records.
In 1997, Donald Lawrence produced the live portion of Karen Clark Sheard's Grammy-nominated Finally Karen debut. Lawrence & Tri-City also released the seasonal Hello Christmas the same year. Later, Lawrence signed a contract with the Island Records imprint Island Inspirational. Though a live recording did take place for release, the album never materialized.
In 2000, Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers signed to EMI Gospel. To promote the new album, a maxi CD of the lead single "Testify" to the mainstream. House remixes by Junior Vasquez sent the song to #33 on Billboard's Mainstream Dance Charts. When tri-city4.com was finally released in 2001, the set peaked at #2 on Billboard's Top Gospel Charts and #13 on Billboard's Heatseekers Charts. The album also got a profile boost from the all-star standout "God's Favor", featuring vocal turns from Karen Clark Sheard, Kim Burrell, and Kelly Price.
Lawrence only waited a year before delivering the follow-up Go Get Your Life Back in 2002. "The Best is Yet to Come", a song sonically much in the vein of the previous smash "Testify," was chosen as the album's lead single. This release featured guest appearances from Ann Nesby (formerly of Sounds of Blackness) and gospel pioneer Bishop Walter Hawkins. The momentum continued with the 2003 release of Restoring The Years, a greatest hits album featuring two new songs.
The next album would mark a fresh start for Donald Lawrence. I Speak Life was his first solo album, the debut for his newly inked recording contract with Verity Records, and also the first release under his new sublabel Quiet Water Entertainment. Though the album was without The Tri-City Singers, guest appearances were plenteous. Donnie McClurkin, Hezekiah Walker, Faith Evans, Richard Smallwood, and Carl Thomas all contributed to the album. Even jazz notables Ramsey Lewis and Lalah Hathaway were on hand for a remake of the Bible Stories classic "Don't Forget To Remember". The effort earned Lawrence a total of 7 Stellar Award nominations, and 6 wins.
In March 2006, The Tri-City Singers announced that they would retire, but not before one last live recording. Finale: Act One and Finale: Act Two were released simultaneously on April 4, 2006. Each release was a CD/DVD set that chronicled the audio and video of one half of the concert, with packages that locked into one another respectively. A special edition of Finale was later released with both CDs and DVDs. The blowout concert included guest appearances from Bishop Walter Hawkins, Karen Clark Sheard, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Daryl Coley, LaShun Pace, Darwin Hobbs, and many other gospel luminaries. The album's lead single "The Blessing Of Abraham" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance in December 2006. His sophomore solo album, The Law of Confession Part I was released in February 2009. Donald said in an interview that The Law of Confession, Part II will be released soon, but he's focusing on other projects.
Encourage Yourself
Donald Lawrence/The Tri-City Singers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sometimes you have to speak victory during the test.
And no matter how you feel,
Speak the word and you will be healed;
Speak over yourself,
Encourage yourself in the Lord.
Sometimes you have to speak the word over yourself,
But God is present help.
The enemy created walls,
But remember giants, they do fall;
Speak over yourself,
Encourage yourself in the Lord.
As I minister to you, oh I minister to myself,
Life can hurt you so,
'til you feel there's nothing left.
(No matter how you feel),
(speak the word and you will be healed).
Speak over yourself. [x4]
I'm encouraged.
I'm encouraged.
I'm encouraged.
I'm encouraged.
I'm encouraged,
I'm encouraged,
I'm encouraged,
I'm encouraged.
I'm encouraged,
I'm encouraged,
I'm encouraged,
I'm encouraged.
(Speak over yourself),
(encourage yourself in the Lord).
The lyrics to Donald Lawrence and The Tri-City Singers' song Encourage Yourself speak to the struggle of keeping faith and positive thoughts in the face of adversity. The song emphasizes that sometimes, in order to keep pushing forward, we have to encourage and speak positivity into our own lives. The first verse emphasizes the importance of speaking victory over oneself during difficult times, reminding the listener that the power of words can play a huge role in our thoughts and emotions. The second verse reminds the listener that obstacles may present themselves, but trusting in God can help us overcome even the strongest opposition. The chorus repeats, encouraging the listener to speak for themselves and find strength in their own words.
One way to interpret this song is through the lens of self-care and inner strength. Encouraging yourself is important to maintain a positive attitude and find the strength to move forward, especially when you feel like you have nothing left. The song also shows the power of words and how they can shape our thoughts and healing.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes you have to encourage yourself.
There are times when you have to motivate and encourage yourself on your own.
Sometimes you have to speak victory during the test.
When facing challenges, you have to believe and speak positivity and success over the situation.
And no matter how you feel, Speak the word and you will be healed; Speak over yourself, Encourage yourself in the Lord.
Regardless of how you feel, declare positive affirmations and encouragements over yourself and trust in God to heal and uplift you.
The pressure is all around, But God is present help.
Even though you are surrounded by pressure and stress, God is always there to help and support you.
The enemy created walls, But remember giants, they do fall;
Although the enemy may try to stop you with obstacles and barriers, remember that even the biggest challenges can be overcome.
As I minister to you, oh I minister to myself,
The singer is not only encouraging the listener, but also reminding themselves to stay positive and inspired.
Life can hurt you so, 'til you feel there's nothing left.
Life can be painful and challenging to the point where you may feel helpless and drained.
(No matter how you feel), (speak the word and you will be healed).
Reiterating the fact that speaking positivity and faith over yourself can bring healing and peace.
Speak over yourself. [x4]
Encouraging repetition and dedication to speaking positivity over oneself.
I'm encouraged.
The artist is expressing their feeling of upliftment and inspiration.
(Speak over yourself), (encourage yourself in the Lord).
Emphasizing the importance of speaking affirmations and encouragements over oneself, while also trusting in God for support.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP
Written by: Donald Lawrence
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rajakandil3135
I am not well physically.
I have my garage full of my grand children goods
The winter is coming They will need what I have
Please help me ship them I beg you
I love you MR TRUMP
YOU ARE THE ONLY PRESIDENT THAT RECONIZE
THE SAHARA
MAY GOD BLESS YOU.
HELP ME AND HELP THE MISFORTUNE MISFORTUNE
@itsmondli
It's 2024 and I am encouraging myself. I am encouraged!! 👏👏🙌
@WandaBeasley-pi4hl
Yes that what you do 🙏🙏🙏and mean it and you will be healed I believe that .ok keep your head up some time it might take years but don't give up ❤️🙏😁🤓✌️
@itsmondli
@@WandaBeasley-pi4hl thank you, kind soul! 🙏❤️
@NikkiaSings
Be Thou ENCOURAGED!!! 🗣️👏🏾❤️✨👑 Run On!!!
@abusednomoresilence
Encouraging ourselves. 🙏🙏🙏
@itsmondli
Amen!! 🙏❤️
@shaunp31329
Who’s still here, listening at this song in 2023? Such a powerful song! The tongue is powerful, and the WORDS we speak into existence is even more powerful. God bless you🙏🏾❤️!
@natashasmith108
I'm in the hospital right now in 2023 November and this song is speaking in volumes to me
@adiva4lyfe2
Whew I listen every single morning!!!!’
@michaelrussell761
I'm listening daily it powerful enough to motivate the world if we stop and listen