Dewayne Woods

Few artists of any genre have entered the industry with the resume of DeWayne Woods. Protégé’ of famed producer Donald Lawrence, Woods’ luminous vocals have graced recordings by some of today’s biggest talent, including mega-popstar Celine Dion, jazz saxophonist Kirk Whalum and Atlantic Starr, for which he sang lead vocals on two albums. Woods has also backed some of Gospel’s finest. John P. Kee, Kurt Carr, Karen Clark Sheard and many others have sought him out for recordings and live performances. Woods, along with Grammy nominated producers PAJAM, also shared Vocal Producer duties on Byron Cage’s “An Invitation to Worship.”

A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Woods received his musical education at Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts, followed by a stint with the group, Joy Unlimited. But it was his “random” meeting with John P. Kee that would define the trajectory of his musical career, as he soon after became a member of The New Life Community Choir and ended up leading the group’s hit, “Show Up.” One opportunity led to another and he began singing with Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers, eventually getting his turn at the mic with “Go Get Your Life Back.”

Now, Woods moves from behind the scenes to center stage with his debut project Introducing DeWayne Woods & When Singers Meet - the first release from Donald Lawrence’s Quiet Water Entertainment under the Zomba Gospel umbrella. Although he’s been comfortable in the shadows, Woods felt now was time to release his solo recording. “I always knew that I wanted to do a solo project – probably since I was 17 years old,” Woods shares. “But I’ve learned in ministry that you have to grow. That was a season for me, doing a lot of background work; and I still do have a passion for being a background vocalist.”

But Woods’ days as a backup singer may be permanently over once listeners catch an earful of “Let Go,” the project’s lead single. Not only is the breathtakingly beautiful ballad destined to become a classic, but it’s a certain tear-jerker for anyone wrestling with a situation seemingly out of hand. Penned by noted songwriter and producer P.J. Morton, the song begs the listener to “let go and let God.”

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.”

All of the vocals on this cut – background vocals included – are stellar, a testament to the gifting of Woods’ singing aggregation, When Singers Meet. The group consists of 20 Kansas City singers hand-picked by Woods himself. They’ve been singing together since 1998 and became the featured background vocalists on Teresa Hairston’s Gospel Heritage Project G3 and on Darwin Hobbs’ Worshipper.

Also and actor, Woods has appeared in a number of stage plays with artists such as Peabo Bryson, Dave Hollister, Morris Day, Deniece Williams, Dottie Peoples and Cuba Gooding, Sr. He also starred in the musical stage play “Sing Hallelujah”, the brainchild of Donald Lawrence and Worth Gardner.

With a multiplicity of talents and undeniable passion, DeWayne Woods is an artist who will naturally find his way to the top of the Gospel music industry, which is great because he is a man with much to sing about.