Renee Credle Sets Baton Aside to Record Debut Solo Album

Gospel enthusiasts will recognize Renee Credle as the only directress among three directors of the New York State Mass Choir, the group that sang alongside GMWA Chairman Bishop Albert Jamison on the Light Records album Show Yourself Mighty.

On September 8, 2009, wider audiences will also learn that directress Renee Credle is also an accomplished gospel singer. That’s the day her debut solo CD, Grateful For Your Love, will be released on Major Chords Productions.

Renee started her musical journey as a child in Brooklyn, where she was raised in St. Mary Church of Christ under the leadership of Bishop James Chambers. The singer remembers fondly the family gatherings in her grandmother’s living room every Sunday morning. An extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins would assemble before service for group prayer and then head off, en masse, to St. Mary. The family prayed, sang and made gospel music together. No surprise, then, that by the age of eight, Renee was singing in church. “Gospel has been my life,” she explained.

From St. Mary Church of Christ, Renee went on to sing professionally. She did background vocal work for former Doobie Brother Michael McDonald, and also for Vickie Winans back in the 1980s, before the gospel fashionista began releasing a string of successful solo albums. Renee also appeared in a gospel musical, “Tell-It, Sing-It, Shout-It.”

The Brooklyn-born singer has taken gospel music to Austria, performing before appreciative Viennese audiences for the past decade. When asked how Austrians respond to gospel music, Renee said they sit quietly during the program, listening intently to the singing. “But at the end of each song, they are wildly enthusiastic,” Creadle adds. “They are hungry for gospel.”

Three years ago, a new door opened for Renee when recording artist Melvin Crispell asked her to direct the New York State Mass Choir. “Asked? Melvin announced that I would be directress,” laughs Renee. She was honored.

Recognizing her individual singing talent, Renee’s friends encouraged her to record a solo CD. Stepping out on faith to do so, she was pleased by the positive response. “We have not because we ask not,” Renee reflected. “Everyone I approached to help with the project said yes. Reaping what you sow takes on a whole new meaning when you see it in action.”

In particular, Renee’s long-standing friendship with producer Martin Christie led her to sign with Major Chords Productions, which is releasing Grateful For Your Love.

Renee explained why the music on the CD is eclectic: “I didn’t want the project to be boxed in, categorized as contemporary or traditional, because God is not like that. He’s a little bit of everything. I want the project to have something that can touch everybody. Some people won’t even step foot in a church, but if one song can give them the energy to get through the week, the CD has done its job.”

Early singles from the album, such as the traditional, gospel waltz-tempo “My Everything,” showcase a singer with a powerful presence who is no stranger to the slow boil of well paced gospel singing. On “Saved,” Renee is unafraid to work up and down the register like a jazz songstress on a heady vocal rollercoaster ride.

Will the possibility of solo success spoil Renee Credle? “No, I’m not highly lifted up,” she says. “I just want more people to hear about Jesus. In the end, I’m plain old Renee.”

For more information, contact Malluda Productions at (917) 434-5800.