Hezekiah Walker

By Rene Williams

You’d be hard-pressed to find an African-American church that doesn’t have at least one Hezekiah Walker song in their repertoire Songs like I’ll Make It, The Lord Will Make A Way Somehow, I Need You To Survive, Oh Lord We Praise You, Let’s Dance, Power Belongs To God, the Grammy-nominated Lift Him Up and the infamous Ma-Shon-Da have won Hezekiah Walker & The Love Fellowship Choir thousands of fans all over the world Lovers of the group have made them one of the most admired choirs In an industry of shrinking choirs, they’ve been a crucial part of providing the church with new, biblical-based songs to sing from the choir stand.

The group’s charismatic leader, Hezekiah Walker, has been in the industry since the mid-80s and has been a large part of the success of the choir With their latest project 20/85 The Experience, Hez, as he’s affectionately known, seems to just get better with age The Grammy award-winning artist talks about celebrating 20 years in the industry, the changes he’s witnessed and his relationship with Puffy and Lil Kim.

Gospelcity.com: You’re pastor, choir director and recording artist Do you find it difficult balancing those roles?

Hezekiah Walker: Well, it’s a little difficult balancing the roles I play, especially being a pastor I pastor two churches, one is 15 minutes away from Philadelphia in Bensalem, PA and I also pastor in New York City So it’s really difficult pastoring in two cities and putting on the artist’s hat But it’s fun The roles differ – being a musician, choir director and a singer – it’s a big difference there, but I love all of them.

GC: How long have you been pastoring Love Fellowship Tabernacle?

HW: I’ve been pastoring since 1994 We started the church in New York in 1994 and we started the church in PA in 1998.

GC: Wow, that must be tough pastoring two churches…

HW: Yes, it’s tough But you know what gives me the inspiration – the people, when I see them being blessed And the music has attracted people to the church so that’s been really good.