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.
Lawrence took on The Tri-City Singers after a friend vacated his position as musical director.[1] (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.[3] The group's follow-up release Bible Stories would top those same charts when it arrived in 1995.[4] 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 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 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.
Bless Me
Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers Lyrics
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Oh Lord, bless me indeed
Enlarge my territory
Oh Lord, bless me indeed
(I pray for increase)
Bless me indeed
(I pray for increase)
Oh Lord, bless me indeed
Enlarge my territory
Oh Lord, bless me indeed
(I pray for increase)
Bless me indeed
Keep Your hand upon me
That no evil cannot harm me
Sunshine and rain, sickness and pain
God, I humbly come to You
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Oh Lord, bless me indeed
(I pray for increase)
Bless me indeed
Keep Your hand upon me
That no evil cannot harm me
Sunshine and rain, sickness and pain
God, I humbly come to You
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Oh Lord, bless me indeed
(I pray for increase)
Bless me indeed
(I pray for increase)
I pray for increase
Keep Your hand upon me
That no evil cannot harm me
Sunshine and rain, sickness and pain
God, I humbly come to You
Oh, enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Oh Lord, I pray for increase
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
Enlarge my territory
The song "Bless Me" by Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers is a plea to God for expansion and growth. The chorus repeats the phrase "Bless me indeed" which is taken from Jabez's prayer in 1 Chronicles 4:10. The singer asks God to enlarge their territory, which can be interpreted as asking for a broadened scope of influence or increased opportunities. This is followed by a second and third repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the singer's desire for growth and prosperity.
The second verse emphasizes the importance of God's protection in the singer's life. The lyrics ask for God to keep His hand upon the singer to protect them from harm. The phrase "sunshine and rain, sickness and pain" suggests that life can be unpredictable and full of challenges, but the singer is confident that with God's help, they can overcome anything.
The song then transitions back to the chorus, emphasizing the idea of enlarging one's territory and increasing blessings. The final lines of the song repeat the phrase "Enlarge my territory" three times, further emphasizing the singer's desire for growth and God's blessing.
Overall, "Bless Me" is a powerful song of faith and trust in God's provision for a better and more prosperous life. It emphasizes the importance of protection, but also emphasizes the idea of abundance and the desire for growth.
Line by Line Meaning
Bless me, bless me
I ask for your divine favor and blessings to be upon me.
Oh Lord, bless me indeed
I ask for your blessings to impart a significant and tangible impact on my life.
Enlarge my territory
Expand the scope of my life, increase my opportunities and capacity.
(I pray for increase)
I request an increase in abundance, wealth, health, and growth.
Increase, increase
I emphasize my desire for multiplication in every area of my life.
Keep Your hand upon me
I ask for your guidance and protection in all my endeavors.
That no evil cannot harm me
I ask for your help in shielding me from any harm or injustice.
Sunshine and rain, sickness and pain
I acknowledge the ups and downs of life, and ask for your presence in both good and bad times.
God, I humbly come to You
I approach you with a heart of humility and surrender.
Oh Lord, I pray for increase
Again, I ask for your help in increasing all areas of my life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: ANDRAE EDWARD CROUCH, DONALD L. LAWRENCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind