The Music of the One Percent: Bryan Andrew Wilson Talks About His Journey Out of Depresssion and His New Album

Bryan Andrew Wilso is currently causing quite a stir in Gospel Music with his chart rising single "Turning Away."  And he has just releeased his brand new record "The One Percent."  We are very honored to be able to catch up with him for this exclusive Hallels' interview:

Hallels:  Bryan, thank you for doing this interview.  Tell us a little about your journey, you began singing when you were a little kid, how did that come about? 

I grew up around music. My mother was a choir director and my grandfather was a lead singer of a quartet group. My family says I started singing before I began to talk. However; around the ages of 9 and 10 my mother noticed my gift was advanced. It's was about this time in my life that we sent a cassette of me singing to Malaco Records. Jerry Mannery, executive of the Gospel division at that time, brought me in to lead a few selections with the Mississippi Children's Choir. 

Hallels:  When your voice broke as a teenager, you were quite disillusioned about the music business.  Would you mind sharing a little about that experience.  And how did the Lord intervened and change your life around? 

I was known for having a high voice with vocal agility but the inevitable voice change came and the sound that made me popular had gone. The songs that gave me notoriety I could no longer sing. I felt that my calling, dream and career had been snatched away from me.. BY GOD!! Being unwise to God's plan and purpose I suffered a bout with depression. It was during this time of not traveling as much or recording as often that my relationship with Jesus Christ intensified. I began to learn His nature and character. He walked me through my maturation process of becoming not only a man but a man of God.

Hallels:  On your brand new record, many of the songs were inspired by your own testimony.  If there's a song on the new record that's the most personal to you, which would it be?  And why? 

The song that's most personal to me is "Turning Away". It is a song of freedom. It allows me to share my testimony of weak times, hurtful times and confusing times, yet it speaks of overcoming by turning away from all that distracts me from God. It tells of Christ's unfailing love for us and me personally.

Hallels:  Why did you name the record "The One Percent"? 

Luke 15:4  teaches that a good Shepherd leaves the ninety-nine and goes out to find the one lost sheep...it is my goal to go out and find that one lost sheep. If Jesus can leave the ninety nine percent to find the one, shouldn't we all?  Without recovering the one percent we will never make 100. 

Hallels:  You do have quite a few interesting covers.  Why did you choose to record Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" and Jesus Culture's "Show Me Your Glory"? 

I chose to cover "Stand By Me" because it's a song most people can relate to.It's a classic and as a child, for the longest time, I didn't realize it wasn't gospel [laughter] So I made it relative to the most important relationship of my life: Jesus Christ our Lord. "Show Me Your Glory" is a heart cry of mine to God. I really want to see His glory in and through my life. The verses speak the prayer of my soul to God so I thought it would be cool to do a new version of it.

Hallels:  If our readers would like to know more about you or purchase your new album, where can they go? 

 WAL-MART!!! Go to WAL-MART!!! It's in over 1,300 Walmart stores so if it's not in the one you shop at, ask them to bring it in! It's also available on amazon.com , itunes.com and all of the major online stores. You can reach me on Facebook and instagram by typing in Bryan Andrew Wilson,  as well as on twitter, where I'm under Iambryanwilson.

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