Dewayne Woods

Just as powerful as this young man’s incredible vocal ability is his amazing testimony. Described in “DeWayne’s Testimony,” it’s a recollection of God’s incredible healing power. Prior to the stunning ballad, “God Still Heals,” Woods speaks about his dramatic healing from HIV, articulating the awe-inspiring account that started in the early 90s. “I was diagnosed in 1993 with HIV. After the diagnosis, I went through a series of treatments, but back then, they really weren’t sure what to do and what medicines worked. Each time I would go to the doctor’s office, the diagnosis seemed to get worse,” states DeWayne. After a serious health scare, he ended up in the hospital for two weeks. It was what happened in his hospital bed that set him on the path to a miracle.

“During those days, I was in so much pain, that I would just sing,” explains Woods. “I couldn’t do anything else. Then, I said one day, ‘God, if I’m going to sing about You and sing about You being a healer, then I need you to heal my body – not just for me, but so the world will see that you’re still a healer.” It was at that point that he had literally “let it go” and left the matter in the hands of God. A few years later, however, he decided to get rechecked. When he went to the hospital, they tested his blood and DeWayne says, “they told me that I was negative.” The staff was baffled; they were the same people who had originally treated him. He even had to stand before a national medical review board and complete a battery of tests; all to make sure the disease was totally absent from his body. They couldn’t find a trace of it.

As if that weren’t enough, another reminder of the protection and security found only in God, “Strong Tower” is a potent yet bouncy cut based on Proverbs 18:10. It’s a festive and fun track where the instruments seem to let loose in praise. “Sunshine” finds Woods and Candy West, known for her background work with Kirk Franklin, tag-teaming on a funky, stimulating track. A praise jam perfect for the church gospel choir, “God Is” features Woods’ former choir mates, The Tri-City Singers. Making a bold musical move, the song melds the old with the new and slips in the classic “God Is.”