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.
In The Presence Of A King
Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An aristocratic dynasty
The goal of the enemy,
Is that you don't know who you are
There's power when you speak
Be mindful of words you release
I know that life has challenged you,
You were born to rule
There is a king in you
There is a king in you
Is there no King in you,
Then why do you speak, speak with such defeat
Is there no King in you,
Then why do you speak, speak with such low esteem
I know life has challenged you,
But the King in me speaks to the king in you
You were born to rule
There is a King in you
There is a King in you
The lyrics of Donald Lawrence's song "There Is a King in You" speak about our true identity and the power that it gives. The first line "You come from Royalty, an aristocratic dynasty" emphasizes the fact that we are children of God, who is the King of Kings. This means that we have royal blood running through our veins, and we were born to rule.
However, the enemy's goal is to make us believe that we are less than who we really are. This is why the lyrics say "The goal of the enemy, is that you don't know who you are". We need to be mindful of the words we speak because they have the power to create or destroy. When we speak with defeat or low esteem, we are not living up to our true identity as royalty. Instead, we should recognize that "there's power when you speak" and speak from the place of authority that comes from our identity as children of God.
The chorus repeats the phrase "there is a King in you" to emphasize the main message of the song. It encourages us to recognize and embrace our true identity as royalty and to live in the power and authority that comes with it. It is a reminder that we were born to rule and that we have the potential to impact the world around us for good.
Line by Line Meaning
You come from Royalty,
You have a divine lineage and come from a family of esteemed nobles.
An aristocratic dynasty
You belong to a powerful and privileged family who have achieved great things.
The goal of the enemy,
The objective of those who go against you is to make you forget your worth and identity.
Is that you don't know who you are
The enemy wants you to remain unaware of your true identity and the potential you possess.
There's power when you speak
Your words carry immense power and can influence your life and those around you.
Be mindful of words you release
You should be careful of what you say and the energy behind your words to positively impact your life.
I know that life has challenged you,
I understand that life hasn't been kind to you and you have faced difficulties.
But the King in me speaks to the King in you
The highest part of me speaks to the highest part of you, reminding you of your true potential.
You were born to rule
You were brought into this world to lead, accomplish great things, and make your mark in society.
There is a king in you
You possess the qualities and potential of a mighty king, and you should never forget that.
Is there no King in you,
If you don't recognize the king within yourself,
Then why do you speak, speak with such defeat
Why do you talk negatively and hold yourself back when you have the potential for greatness?
Then why do you speak, speak with such low esteem
Why do you speak with such self-doubt and a lack of confidence when you have so much to offer?
There is a King in you
Reminding you yet again of your innate potential for greatness and leadership.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: DONALD L. LAWRENCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tere Mertz
In The Presence Of A King - DONALD LAWRENCE
Do you know what it is
Can I tell you how it is
Oh to know how it feels to be in the presence of a King (repeat)
Sweet presence
God's presence
Experience fullness of joy
God's presence
Bathe in His presence
It's an honor and a privilege to be in the presence of a King Such an honor and a privilege to be in the presence of a King
Do you know why it is
Can I take some time and tell you how it is
Oh to know how it feels to be in the presence of a King
Sweet presence
God's presence Experience fullness of joy God's presence
Bathe in His presence
It's an honor and a privilege to be in the presence of a King
It's an honor, privilege to be in the presence of a King
There is privilege and deliverance here in the presence of a King There is healing, deliverance in the presence of a King
In the presence of a King In the presence of a King In the presence of a King
Denise Cottrell
It truly is an honor to be His presence.
Catherine Elston
Beautiful song
victor umoh
Leaves me with tears knowing that it’s a privilege to be in the presence of the king. Where would I have been if he wasn’t there?
Dianne Bryant
Thank you, Father for the honor of being in Your presence. For in your presence is fullness of joy!
Pamela McGee
I listen to this song and relate it to being in HIS PRESENCE WHEN ITS ALL OVER DOWN HERE..MY LORD NO MORE SICKNESS I'LL BE HEALED AND DELIVERED FROM ALL THIS EVILNESS DISEASES WORRIES TRAILS AND TRIBULATIONS..THANK YOU LORD FOR THAT DAY HALLELUJAH
C. Taylor
Amen....listening to this song from my childhood in #2019🙏🙏🎼🎤
Jennifer Lewis
Beautiful song
Jennifer Lewis
Beautiful song... can't get enough of it.
useurheart1
Thank you for the honor and privilege Lord. You're so awesome!!! Continue to encamp your angels around us. So grateful God thank you Sir
Linda Sykes
Nothing can compare to being in The King's Presence!!! l Love HIM