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.
Seasons
Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers Lyrics
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And I feel blessings in the air
Those seeds that you've sown
You're gonna come into your own seasons
Walk into your season
I feel seasons everywhere
And I feel blessings in the air
It's time to come into your own seasons
Walk into your season
I believe we're in a time when God's gonna bless the saints
Those who have stayed, those who have prayed
He's gonna fulfill the promise He made, for I heard the Spirit say
It's your time the wait is over, walk into your season
I feel seasons everywhere
And I feel blessings in the air
Those seeds that you've sown
You're gonna come into your own seasons
Walk into your season
I know that you invested a lot but the return has been slow
You throw your hands and say, "I give up"
I just can't take it anymore but I hear the Spirit say that
It's your time the wait is over, walk into your season, oh, oh, oh
You survived the worst of time
God was always on your side
State your claim and write your name
Walk into this wealthy place
I hear the spirit say that it's your time the wait is over
The wait is over it's your time
The wait is over it's your time
The lyrics of Donald Lawrence's song "Seasons" speak of the idea that everything has its own time, its own season, its own space in the world, and its own set of experiences. The seasons do not necessarily refer to the traditional four seasons (spring, summer, fall, and winter) but rather the different stages in our lives. The lyrics suggest that there is a divine time for everything, and we need to be patient with ourselves and our lives. The lyrics imply that we all have fertile soil and can plant seeds of hope, love, and forgiveness that will eventually bear fruit when the time is right. The seeds that we've been planting will come to fruition, and the reward will be great if we trust in the timing of God.
The song's lyrics are inspirational, speaking of hope with a possible reference to Ecclesiastes 3:1-11, which speaks of there being "a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." The words encourage resilience during times of adversity when people need to hold fast to their faith, knowing that there is a plan in place, even when things seem dark. The song's uplifting messages speak to a wide audience and can bring hope and upliftment to people from different walks of life, regardless of what they are going through.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel seasons everywhere
I sense changes and transitions happening all around me
And I feel blessings in the air
I detect positive things that are about to come to fruition
Those seeds that you've sown
The efforts that you have put in
You're gonna come into your own seasons
You will soon see the rewards of your hard work
Walk into your season
Embrace this prosperous time and enjoy the benefits
I believe we're in a time when God's gonna bless the saints
I have faith that God will reward his loyal followers
Those who have stayed, those who have prayed
Those who have remained faithful and have kept up their devotion to God
He's gonna fulfill the promise He made, for I heard the Spirit say
God will keep his word as I have received a message from the Holy Spirit
It's your time the wait is over, walk into your season
You have waited long enough and now is the time to embrace the fruits of your labor
I know that you invested a lot but the return has been slow
I understand that you have put a great amount of effort but have not seen much success yet.
You throw your hands and say, "I give up"
You feel like you have hit a wall and have almost given up.
I just can't take it anymore but I hear the Spirit say that
You may feel overwhelmed, but I have received a message from God's Holy Spirit
You've waited for too long; The wait is over-Walk into your season
You have been patient and waited for your success for long enough, now it is your time to claim what is yours
You survived the worst of time
You have come through some difficult times
God was always on your side
God has been with you during the tough times
State your claim and write your name
Take ownership of your new season by declaring your goals and plans
Walk into this wealthy place
Enter into this season of success and abundance that is waiting for you
I hear the spirit say that it's your time the wait is over
I have received a message from the Holy Spirit that your time has come and you have waited long enough
The wait is over it's your time
Your time has come and you can no longer wait
The wait is over it's your time
Your time has come and you can no longer wait
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing
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