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.
God Is
Donald Lawrence/The Tri-City Singers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And my portion forever
God is the strength of my heart
And my portion forever
My heart was wounded
I was pricked in my reins
Whom else in heaven, none on the earth
My heart's desire is to be with Thee
God is the strength of my heart
And my portion forever
God is the strength of my heart
And my portion forever
My heart was wounded
I was pricked in my reins
Nevertheless, I'm forever with Thee
God is the strength of my heart
And my portion forever
God is the strength of my heart
And my portion forever
God is the joy and the strength of my life
He moves all pain, misery and strife
He promised to keep me, never to leave me
He'll never, ever come short of His word
God is the strength of my heart
And my portion forever
God is the strength of my heart
And my portion forever
God is the joy and the strength of my life
He moves all pain, misery and strife
He promised to keep me, never to leave me
He'll never, ever come short of His word.
God is
God is the strength of my heart
And my portion forever
The lyrics of Donald Lawrence/The Tri-City Singers’ song "God Is" expresses a personal and profound relationship with God, declaring Him as the strength, portion, joy, and foundation of the singer’s life. With a reflective and introspective tone, the opening phrase "God is the strength of my heart" highlights the singer’s awareness of his/her own limitations and frailties, acknowledging that the only source of power and resilience comes from God.
The repetition of the phrase "And my portion forever" underscores an unwavering hope and trust in God, recognizing His infinite and everlasting presence in one's life. The second verse describes a moment of brokenness and pain, wherein the singer's heart was wounded, and yet, the comfort comes from knowing that even though all ground seems lost, nothing can separate him/her from the love and security of God. In the final section, the lyrics express again that God is the joy and strength of one's life and that He always keeps His promises, giving believers a reason to rejoice and celebrate His faithfulness.
Overall, the song "God Is" is a declaration of faith and hope in the face of adversity, affirming that God is the source of power, provision, and purpose in the singer's life.
Line by Line Meaning
God is the strength of my heart
God gives me the strength to face any challenge or obstacle in life.
And my portion forever
God is my eternal inheritance, the one who provides for my needs both now and forever.
My heart was wounded
I felt broken and hurt in my soul.
I was pricked in my reins
I felt deep pain and anguish, like a sharp needle piercing the depths of my being.
Nevertheless, I'm forever with Thee
Despite my pain and struggles, I know that God is always with me and will never leave me.
Whom else in heaven, none on the earth
There is no one else in heaven or on earth that can compare to God and His power.
My heart's desire is to be with Thee
My greatest longing is to be with God and to experience His love and goodness.
God is the joy and the strength of my life
God brings me happiness and fulfillment, and He empowers me to live my life to the fullest.
He moves all pain, misery and strife
God has the power to remove all suffering, sadness, and conflicts from my life.
He promised to keep me, never to leave me
God has made a promise to always watch over me and stay by my side, no matter what.
He'll never, ever come short of His word
God always keeps His promises, and I can always trust in His word.
God is
This simple statement emphasizes that God's existence and power are undeniable and eternal.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP
Written by: Calvin B. Rhone
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joannehines7806
Minister Woods BROUGHT THE HOUSE DOWN! Miss worship like this!! Glory to God!! Lord, make haste in bringing spiritual revival in this world!! Hallelujah & Amen!! ✝ 👼 🙏
@ministersd
God is a HEALER! Out of the hospital. PRAISED Him while I was an inpatient and PRAISING Him as an outpatient! Hallelujah!!
@schawlmainestanfield68
Amen.God is everything to me, my strength and my portion. The joy of the Lord is my strength.❤
@veronicabuchannon3900
Hallelujah ❤
@gaylahall2880
HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAHS, AMEN 🙏🏾 🙏🏾 To Almighty God Be The Glory, Forevermore!! 🙏🏾✝️✝️✝️🙏🏾
@vincenthannah7209
I know for myself that he is a HEALER. I was in the hospital sick almost unto death for 4 months. Could not walk and had to utilize a bed pan and have nurses cleanse me afterwards. But GOD, but God!!! RAISED ME UP.
@godwinkayode6617
Glory to God!
@profbishop
Praise God for your healing🙌🏾
@paytonclyde4820
A tip: you can watch movies on Flixzone. I've been using it for watching all kinds of movies lately.
@fordbryce7832
@Payton Clyde definitely, been watching on Flixzone for since december myself =)