TED WINN
The horn-driven "Reap" speaks of reaping joy after a time of tears. It's the perfect segue for the inspirational "Moving Forward" that reminds Winn of his own triumph over tears. "It resonates with me on a multitude of levels," he confesses. "I sing it because I won't to motivate people to shake their baggage off and pursue life. It's also a theme I apply to my life. Going back to my childhood and being raised by a single mom. Not having a relationship with my dad. My grandfather dying before he saw my music career develop. I had to focus on what lies ahead instead of what lay behind and make sure the rest of my life is as purposeful, intentional and fulfilling as possible."
Over and over, Winn seeks to encourage the listener on songs such as "The Lifter," a churchy old school-styled ballad. "Ever since I've been a member at Total Grace in Atlanta, Bishop Jonathan and Dr. Toni Alvarado have always taught the congregation that God cares about every aspect of our lives," Winn says. "One Sunday as I was entering the church, I got word that a friend passed away and I was really down. That Sunday, Co-Pastor Toni Alvarado called me up to sing Byron Cage's song 'Psalm 3' not knowing I was wrought with emotion. That song mentions God as a lifter and that's what moved me to write that song."
Winn is not only an encourager but also a praiser. On the Sunday morning choir paean "Great is Our God" Winn is joined by a new generation of gospel stars, DeWayne Woods, Jonathan Nelson and Myron Butler. The mellow "O My Soul" is a majestically pristine classical soul effort with live strings and a chorale setting. In a nod to Fred Hammond's urban praise hybrids, Winn offers the mid-tempo "Trust His Name." Of that song, he says "If a police officer comes to the door, you aren't responding to the officer; You are responding to the authority he has in the name of the entity he represents. So when I say that I trust in Jesus' name, I'm trusting in not only the literal name but the authority that backs up that name."
These are spiritual truths Winn learned in his native Memphis. He credits his family with keeping him grounded. He and his sister were raised by a single mother and extended family members. "My family has always been close and my biggest supporters," he adds. "Anybody who knows me, knows I love them." Keeping him in church and focused on music kept Winn out of trouble. "As long as I had music, I was good," he says. He graduated from the prestigious Watkins Overton Creative & Performing Arts High School where he was also very active in the choirs.
After a stint in the Air Force, Winn sang with Kevin Davidson & The Voices of Binghampton before forming his own group, Ted Winn & Deliverance. In 1995, he and Sheri Jones-Moffet formed the Ted & Sheri duo. While Winn was matriculating at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ted & Sheri signed their first recording deal in 1999. Since then, the duo recorded two best-selling CDs The Healing Starts Here and Celebrate. But, for now, he's happy to take center stage and sing about balancing the spiritual and material worlds around us. "I want to inspire people to live lives that are full and healthy," says Winn. "It is my belief that God wants us to appreciate and experience him in a multiplicity of ways."
Ted Winn