DEF JAM Signs First Christian Artist Billy Dorsey

“Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.” Ecclesiastes 9:11

Recording Artist Billy Dorsey is the true embodiment of this scripture. I often call God the Great Orchestrator because my finite mind is always amazed at his infinite possibilities to arrange and control the elements to achieve an overall desired effect. I was introduced to Billy Dorsey by a phone call at 6am one morning from a close friend. I was told that I had to meet and talk with Billy Dorsey. I was told that he was an outreach Pastor at Lakewood Church, a praise and worship leader and that he was nominated for a Grammy and had previously won Stellar and Dove awards. My public relations firm is boutique in size and I normally catch artists in the beginning of their career; this young man sounded quite established I wondered “Lord what are you stirring up now” Of course I was intrigued, I reached out and he responded very quickly. We spoke for about an hour and it was clear that this young man has a passion and praise that is not contrived it is real. He immediately spoke about how the promises of God in his life, he sent me the new music, and he spoke of the mantle that carries on his life as pastor, husband,father, and artist. Billy Dorsey is the first Christian Artist signed to Def Jam records; he has a seven figure deal, his music spans genres, and he uses all the tools that God has given him to draw the people his album is aptly titled “Marathon” we know that as people of faith this walk is not a sprint but a lifelong journey. A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting Billy Dorsey face to face I brought along one of my new clients so that he could take away something from the meeting. We sat for hours and conversation flowed this is my takeaway with Billy Dorsey enjoy!

1.April 16, 2013 is finally here! Whatwere your first thoughts when you woke up this morning?

My first thoughts were,"finally!" It has been a very long journey to this point, from myfirst record deal out of college, to homelessness, to God's promises of success(Grammy, Dove, Stellar Award wins, #1 albums) all coming true, and now my first solo album finally being presented to the world.

2.  I love the title “Marathon” as people of faith we know that this journey is not a sprint tell us a little about your journey from the beginning to now.

I'm the oldest son of two pastors, and in the course of my journey, have gone from leaving college at Louisiana Tech to sign a recording contract with my Gospel group Serenity (with my brothers Emmanuel Williams and Lamont Scott) to seeing that record deal fall thru and ending up homeless in a drug and rat infested studio in 5th Ward, Houston, TX. During that time, God promised me that if I could endure that suffering, He would bless me to be successful (to win Grammy, Dove, and Stellar Awards, and to have #1 albums) and for the world to know my name, all for His Glory and not mine. I have watched every one of those promises come true, and now have the opportunity to let the world know just how good God is, via my debut album Marathon.

3. Many don’t know but you are signed to
Def Jam not as an artist not as Christian/Gospel artist how is this a major move for the kingdom?

Me being signed to Def Jam as the first Christian artist is a major move for the Kingdom because itsignals that the mainstream record companies are starting to realize the potential commercial impact of Christian and faith-based artists, such asLecrae (with whom we have now written and produced on two, award winning,
internationally chart topping albums). Def Jam stepping up to not only put a
seven figure deal on the table for me but also to actively support my project
(shooting the video for the first single, "Enough", out now on YouTube
and Vevo) was groundbreaking for the Christian music community. Once God
blesses my album to be successful, expect to see other Christian Urban and
Christian Hip Hop artists get signed by major labels.

4. You are very active on social media
what advice would you give up and coming artists on how to actively engage their fans, how to boost their image, and yet remain humble.

I am very active on social media because I understand the power of letting people know who you really are and of connecting with the fans who support your music and ministry. I love to share what God is doing in my life also so that those who know or who have heard where God has brought me from (homelessness, etc) can see just what He is capable of doing in our lives when we put Him first and trust Him implicitly. I would advise all up and coming artists to find your own unique voice in social media, and present that. Allow people a glimpse into your world and into the behind the scenes of your career, and be consistent. You may just earn a sizable fan base and people who will gladly get out and help you spread the word about your career, as I have been blessed to do.

5.As an outreach pastor at Lakewood Church in Houston, an artist, husband and father how do you balance it all?

Balancing everything can be difficult at times, because I have a wife and three children, two of whichare still small. You want to be a stabilizing, constant presence in their lives, but also, to be able to provide for them the way they deserve, you have to be on the go quite a bit as well. It has been challenging, but because of the major, God-given successes of the past few years, it is becoming easier. Mywife will accompany me during my Marathon Tour (kicking off in Italy on May 5-12 and ending in Sept/October in Israel) for as many of the countries and cities as she can this year. As far as my role at Lakewood Church, I've been blessed to have tremendous support from the leadership, especially from Senior Director John Bowman, who embraced me and was first led by God to bring me to the church, Evangelist Debra George, who has championed my music and ministry every step of the way, the Men's Ministry and the Singles Ministry, and the Osteen’s(Pastors Joel and Victoria, and especially Associate Pastor Lisa Osteen Comes), who are more kind and supportive than I could have asked for.

6. What can we expect from the album musically?

Musically, my albumMarathon is the future of Gospel music. It has a unique and dynamic blend of pop, rock, soul, Worship, and Gospel sounds, filtering all of the musical influences of myself and my team thebridge (Ty Steez, JayTel, Aphillyated, and I, who wrote, arranged, and produced the entire album) thru a distinctly Christian worldview. This album is going to definitely draw people closer to God, and is going to stir up some much needed conversations about what it means to be a "Gospel artist" in the process!

7. What is the message that you hope will permeate our spirit?

The message I hope permeates the spirit of all who listen is that God is able to do "exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think..." That He
loves us, and wants us to fall in love with Him...and that no matter what
you've been thru or how many times you may have fallen in your life; our God is
a God of second chances.

You can purchase “Marathon” on digital outlets like itunes.com and Amazon.com. Please check out the website/blog   www.billydorsey.com ; and look out for the new music video “Enough” on all music video formats. If you would like more information on booking, touring, or interviews please contact Makasha Dorsey pr@dorseypublications.com