TYE TRIBBETT & GA
Anoint (v): to choose by or as if by divine election
When one listens to his lyrics and feels the spirit which encompasses gospel performer Tye Tribbett, it's easy to see that Tye is indeed anointed. A native of Camden, New Jersey, Tye -- whose father was a preacher and mother was a choir director -- heard his calling early on. "I always wanted to do something for the Lord," he acknowledges.
On his third full-length album Stand Out (also available as a DVD), Tye Tribbett and his aptly named choir, Greater Anointing (G.A.), deliver a series of passionate gospel performances celebrating and sharing the glory of God's Kingdom. Recorded live at Rock Church International in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in August 2007, Stand Out premieres a collection of spirit-filled musical testimonies to the power of the Living Word. With his new songs, Tye Tribbett is ready to stand up and Stand Out for the Rock of Ages. "It's time," he says, "for a new normal to be presented."
Tye, who learned how to play keyboards before he could recite the alphabet, has been making bold declarations with his music for years prior to launching his gospel career.
In 1996, Tye founded a gospel choir, Greater Anointing (G.A.), consisting of a group of family and friends whose hearts were set simply on praising the Creator through the gift of great music. Tye knew from the beginning they'd tapped into something real and glorious. "That first rehearsal blew my mind," he says. "The musicianship, the quality of the voices and the spirit of the choir, the character of everybody…I knew that this was it. I knew that this is what I was supposed to be doing."
Today, Tye Tribbett and the members of Greater Anointing are a family united in ministry with everyone from Tye's beloved wife of ten years to his brothers, sisters and cousins operating in varying capacities throughout G.A.
Tye Tribbett & Greater Anointing broke into the popular mainstream in 1998 with a group of performances on the The Prince of Egypt (Inspirational) album, one of three high profile soundtrack collections released for the Academy Award winning animated film from DreamWorks.
Following that success, Tye Tribbett & G.A. went on to tour and perform with some of the biggest names in the secular pop music world including Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Luther Vandross, Elton John, Don Henley and Jill Scott, among many others. A showcase with Philadelphia neo-soul performer Vivian Green propelled Tye to the forefront when his keyboard skills and buoyant showmanship were recognized by some key players in the music industry. Tye was signed soon thereafter to Columbia Records.
For Tye, the worlds of sacred and secular music were difficult to reconcile and the potential conflict tugged at his heart. During the years between his first two albums, Life (2004) and Victory Live! (2006), Tye suffered two dramatic losses in his life. Tye says that, among these periods of intense grief and deep reflection, he heard the still quiet voice of God state clearly, "Cleanse yourself of anything that could remotely not represent me." Aware of a higher calling, Tye realized his path had been chosen for him. "A lot of times we don't know what God wants us to do," Tye says, "but we know what He doesn't want us to do."
Listening to the voice of faith within, Tye stepped out and challenged G.A. to consecrate themselves, forsaking any revenue from secular music for one year, relying solely on the Lord to provide. Everyone in G.A. accepted the challenge and the result was Victory Live! Released in May 2006, Victory Live! entered the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart at #1, generated the #1 Gospel Radio single, "Victory," and earned Tribbett two Stellar Award wins and three Grammy nominations -- Best Gospel Performance ("Victory"); Best Gospel Song ("Victory"); and Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album. Not even a doubting Thomas could dispute the results. Tye Tribbett & G.A. were doing the music the Lord wanted them to do.
"I want to offer the truth," says Tye. "I want to offer what is superior. I want to present a standard. There is nothing more solid than Jesus Christ and His Word." Stand Out is a project that delivers not only truth, but the standard that Tye hopes to bring to his audience. "An experience is over once the moment is gone," he continues. "Once something is established, it will start when you hear it at that moment, but it will never stop. The standard of choosing right over wrong and light over darkness is, to me, the standard. God loves us so much but He is disappointed. I want to present Christ as the standard."
