Williams rose to noteriety when she joined Destiny's Child, one of the most successful female groups of all time with whom she earned a Grammy Award for "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" for single "Survivor".
Raised in a Christian family, Williams learned to sing in her church's choir. She later sang in a musical quartet called United Harmony alongside sister Cameron. After attending Auburn High School and being a part of the C.A.P.A (Creative And Performing Arts) program there, she pursued a degree in criminal justice at Illinois State University before leaving to pursue a career in music. Whilst touring as a backing vocalist for R&B star Monica, the opportunity arose for Williams to join Destiny's Child in 2000.
After the release and promotion of the grammy-nominated Destiny's Child album Survivor, Williams became the first member to release a solo studio album in 2002. Her debut, Heart To Yours , shot up to #1 on the Billboard Gospel Chart, where it spent a total of 46 weeks and also peaked within the top 20 of the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums before being listed at #6 on the year-end Gospel Albums chart. Also a critical success, the album won Williams an award for "Best Gospel Act" at the 2003 MOBO Awards. Billboard ranked Williams as the #5 Top Gospel Artist of 2002. Williams then made her acting debut in the Broadway hit, Aida, replacing R&B singer Toni Braxton; making her the first and only member of Destiny's Child to appear on Broadway.
Following the success of her debut, Michelle released her sophomore album, entitled Do You Know, in 2004 which peaked at #3 on the Billboard Christian Albums chart, #2 on the Billboard Gospel Chart and was well received by critics who lent particular praise to her songwriting ability.
In 2006, she made her television debut in the UPN comedy Half & Half, where she played the role of Naomi. In 2007, Williams returned to theatre, starring in the first US national tour of The Colour Purple alongside LaToya London and Stephanie St. James, which earned her a nomination for "Best Lead Female Actress" at the 18th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards.
Williams released her third (and first commercial pop) album, Unexpected in 2008. The highly-anticipated and critically-acclaimed pop debut features singles; "We Break The Dawn" which peaked at #47 in the UK, #38 in Hungary and #4 on the US Dance chart; "The Greatest", which topped the US Billboard Dance chart; and "Hello Heartbreak". In 2009, "The Greatest" was listed at #39 on the decade-end, 2000-2009 Billboard Dance chart, one place behind "Lose My Breath" which Williams released as a member of Destiny's Child.
In 2009 she starred in the hit West-End production of Chicago, making her the first African-American to be cast in the lead role. The following year she replaced Ashlee Simpson in the Broadway production of the legendary musical before beginning an engagement at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles. She further pursued acting in 2011, originating the lead role of Lena Summer in David E. Talbert's What My Husband Doesn't Know, which was released on DVD the same year.
In 2011, Williams released a collaboration with dance artist Ultra Naté titled "Waiting on You" which became her third top 20 entry on the US Billboard Dance chart where it peaked at #11.
In 2012, it was announced Williams had signed with Light Records/eOne. In 2013, Williams joined the US national tour of three-time Tony Award-winning musical Fela! and reunited with Destiny's Child at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show.
In 2013, it was announced that Williams will star in her own reality show titled My Sister's Keeper, produced by eOne, to coincide with the release of her fourth solo album.
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2 The actress Michelle Ingrid Williams (Marilyn Monroe ) features on the soundtrack of the film My Week with Marilyn singing It's a Wrap, I found a Dream, That Old Black Magic and a medley of 'When love goes wrong, Nothin' Goes Right' & 'Heat Wave'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Week_with_Marilyn#Music
Gospel Medley
Michelle Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've been so good to me
Thank you, Lord, hallelujah
I'm grateful for my blessings
I'm grateful for my struggles
Trials and tribulations I've been through
I've realized no one can love like You do
Thank you, Lord, hallelujah
I feel your presence near
Thank you, Lord, hallelujah
I won't hold back my tears
I gave you my trust
And you took me out of the dark rain
My Lord I survived it
I give You the praise
Lord, You've been so good
You've been so good to me
I'm so grateful for my blessings
Givin' You all the praise
Lord, You've been so good
You've been so good to me
I'm grateful for all of my blessings
Giving You all the praise
Jesus loves me, oh yes He does
Jesus loves me, oh yes He does
Jesus loves me, oh yes He does
For the Bible tells me so
So so, oh so
(My Jesus loves me, I know)
A-a-a-men, a-a-a-a-men
A-a-a-men, a-a-a-a-men
A-a-a-men, a-a-a-a-men
A-a-a-men, a-a-a-a-men
The Gospel Medley by Michelle Williams is a song of gratitude and praise to God for his goodness and blessings. The opening line of the song, "Thank you, Lord, hallelujah," sets the mood for the rest of the song. The singer praises God for all the good things he has done in her life and expresses gratitude for the struggles and challenges she has faced as they have helped her realize that no one can love like God does. The refrain, "Lord, You've been so good, You've been so good to me, I'm grateful for my blessings, giving You all the praise," emphasizes the message of gratitude and thanksgiving.
The second part of the song is a rendition of the famous Christian children's song "Jesus Loves Me." The repeated refrain, "Jesus loves me, oh yes, He does, for the Bible tells me so," reinforces the singer's belief in God's love and his faithfulness. The final lines of the song, "A-a-a-men," is a declaration of praise and affirmation of the singer's faith in God.
Overall, the Gospel Medley is a powerful song of gratitude, praise, and faith in God. It portrays a deep reverence for God, his love, and his goodness, even in the face of struggles and challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Thank you, Lord, hallelujah
I am expressing my gratitude to God for all that He has done for me.
You've been so good to me
God has been gracious and kind to me.
I'm grateful for my blessings
I appreciate and cherish all the good things in my life that God has given me.
I'm grateful for my struggles
Even though I have faced difficulties and hardships, I am thankful for the lessons I learned through them.
Trials and tribulations I've been through
The challenges I faced helped me grow stronger in my faith.
I've realized no one can love like You do
I have come to understand that God's love is unmatched and incomparable to any other kind of love.
I feel your presence near
I sense that God is with me and that gives me peace and comfort.
I won't hold back my tears
I am not ashamed to cry and express my emotions to God.
I gave you my trust
I chose to place my faith and confidence in God.
And you took me out of the dark rain
God rescued me from a difficult and challenging situation.
My Lord I survived it
With God's help, I was able to overcome a tough obstacle.
I give You the praise
I am glorifying and honoring God for His goodness and faithfulness.
Jesus loves me, oh yes He does
I believe that Jesus loves me unconditionally and forever.
For the Bible tells me so
God's Word, the Bible, assures me that Jesus loves me.
So so, oh so
I am reaffirming my belief that Jesus loves me.
A-a-a-men, a-a-a-a-men
I am expressing my agreement and affirmation of everything I just sang by saying 'Amen.'
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RICHARD LEE SMALLWOOD, KIRK FRANKLIN, BEYONCE GISSELLE KNOWLES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind