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.
God
Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thou who created the plan
Who orchestrated my life's journey
God, you are my god
God of decisions, creator of answers
Thou who ordained my way
Through my transition, held my positionGod, you are my god
I will forever give you praise
Honor and celebrate your name
God of the past, present, and who is to come
Oh (god, you are my god)
(I will) forever give you praise
(Honor and) celebrate your name
(God of the) past, present, and who is to come
God, you are my god
(I will) forever give you praise
(Honor and) celebrate your name
(God of the) past, present
And who is to come
Who is to come
Whatever you do with (me) it's alright
(You have my total trust), you have my trust
(Glory and) honor, (dominion and) power
(God, you are my god
God, oh god
You are the only wise god
(God, you are my god)
God, you are my god
In this song, Donald Lawrence is expressing his gratitude and devotion to God, acknowledging Him as the one who has known his beginning, created the plan for his life, and guided him through its journey. Lawrence believes that God is the ultimate decision-maker and creator of answers, who has always been present in his life and provided guidance and support during times of transition. He asserts that God is the God of the past, present, and future, and that he will continue to praise and honor His name always. Lawrence's declaration of trust in God shows his deep reverence and appreciation for His wisdom and power.
The lyrics of this song are a reflection of Donald Lawrence's personal relationship with God and offer a message of hope and inspiration to listeners. The song has become a popular gospel anthem, encouraging people to put their trust in God as the ultimate authority in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh thou who knowest my beginning
Acknowledging God as the one who knows the singer's origin and source of existence
Thou who created the plan
Recognizing God as the architect or designer of the singer's life plan
Who orchestrated my life's journey
Realizing that God is the one responsible for guiding and directing the path of the singer's life
God, you are my god
Affirming God's divinity as the deity the artist follows and worships
God of decisions, creator of answers
Describing God as the ultimate source of answers and solutions to the artist's problems and questions
Thou who ordained my way
Acknowledging God as the one who established and directed the singer's route in life
Through my transition, held my position
Grateful to God for being a constant support and strength during times of change and instability
I will forever give you praise
Committing to praising and worshiping God for all eternity
Honor and celebrate your name
Showing respect and gratitude towards God's name and person
God of the past, present, and who is to come
Recognizing God's power and control over time - past, present, and future
You have my total trust
Placing faith and confidence in God's ability to handle the singer's life
Glory and honor, dominion and power
Ascribing majesty, authority, and supremacy to God's name and character
God, you are my god
Reiterating the singer's loyalty and devotion to God
You are the only wise god
Affirming God's exclusivity as the only source of true wisdom and knowledge
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: DONALD LAWRENCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JESUSREIGNSAmen
Verse 1:
Oh Thou who knowest my beginning,
Thou who created the plan,
who orchestrated my life's journey;
God, You are my God.
Verse 2:
God of decisions, Creator of answers,
Thou who ordained my way,
through my transition, held my position;
God, You are my God.
Chorus 1:
I will forever give You praise,
honor and celebrate Your name,
God of the past, present, and Who is to come;
oh (God, You are my God).
Verse 1
Chorus 2:
(I will) forever give You praise,
(honor and) celebrate Your name,
(God of the) past, present, and Who is to come;
God, You are my God.
(I will) forever give You praise,
(honor and) celebrate Your name,
(God of the) past, present,
and Who is to come,
Who is to come...
Bridge:
Whatever You do with (me) it's alright,
(You have my total trust), You have my trust.
(Glory and) honor, (dominion and) power;
(God, You are my God).
Vamp:
God, oh God,
You are the only wise God.
Ending:
(Oh Thou who knowest my beginning),
(God, You are my God).
God, You are my God.
(repeat as desired)
@ladyzalayne
Through my transition, held my position ( 4 open heart surgeries, 2 heart attacks, 2 cardiac arrests & 6 strokes, as of yesterday) I will FOREVER give YOU praise!!! #myGOD
@gggray5747
Definitely will be on the soundtrack of my life.❤
@flyytattedtee
This was the first song I ever ministered too at the age of 8, I'm 25 now wow!!
@dorithabrown6781
God, you are my God, the One and only wise God, hallelujah!!
@sanfordmba3555
I heard this song fully in a service of songs yesterday. It still rings in my head. God is still God, our circumstances notwithstanding.
@tolulopeoyetunde6025
I woke up from my sleep singing this song this morning! Lord despite all my circumstances I will forever give u praise!!
@cmebans35
🙌♥️
@cmebans35
Thank You Jesus ~ Jehovah Rapha
Jesus is Healer
My children and prayer warriors are blessed
September 1, 2024
@valeriefreeman9623
This was the song I walked down the aisle to! So Beautiful & Powerful...
My God!
@rhondasteward5123
I can't wait to see His eyes when I sing it to Him, with all my might! The very same way she screams the blessings she was so blessed to receive, I"ll scream even louder! As a matter of fact, I'll start rehearsing my scream of praise to my God right now!