Click to enlarge photos.

MARIETTA - For the Marietta-based gospel group, "Destiny Praise," the past two months have been an ongoing blessing, since the release of their new album entitled, "Driven."

Their inspirational hit single, "His Will," exploded onto the gospel and R & B charts. And their music video is being aired on both the Gospel Music Channel and Black Entertainment Television.

The song is the first single off their new album, which was released on June 3.

"I'm real happy to see just how popular the song has gotten and how people have really gravitated towards it; it's a blessing," said B. David Stevens, 33, of Marietta, leader of the nine-member vocal ensemble.

The other members of Destiny Praise include: Amanda Brathwaite, 39, of Mableton; Charles Burnette, 37, of Woodstock; Dorian Carde, 27, of Marietta; Marcus Clark, 33, and Jeannine Davis, 31, both of Woodstock; C. Hope Demps, 34, of Smyrna; Talandria Gosha, 32, and Maya Tolbert, 28, both of Vinings.

In June, they performed songs from the album at the Wal-Mart store off Cobb Parkway in Marietta, and got a chance to meet many of their local supporters.

"Literally hundreds of CDs have been sold from there," said Demps, who's also an attorney. "We know it's the people of Cobb and of our church helping us. On the first week we came out number 16 on the Billboard Charts as far as the highest record sales."

Since the album's release, Destiny Praise has traveled across the country, from Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia to Indianapolis to promote it. On Friday, they're scheduled to tape an appearance on CBS's Early Show.

"It reflects what many people are going through," Carde, a teacher, said of the single.

"When you think of some of the things that are discussed in 'His Will,' whether it be smoking joints, drinking, going out to strip clubs or even finding validation from other people, a lot of that is reflective of not only what we have dealt with, but what we know that humanity as a whole deals with."

Destiny Praise describes its sound as "urban," layered with a combination of other musical genres.

"I love the phrase, 'urban praise and worship,'" said Tolbert, who sings soprano.

"We definitely have hearts that are after God, and that's going to ring through whatever we sing. Whether it has an acoustic, Rhythm & Blues, rock or pop feel. The heart of God is going to come true."

After two previous independent releases, Destiny Praise grabbed the attention of the record industry.

They performed last year at the Gospel Choice Music Awards in Atlanta, along with other gospel notables such as Trin-i-tee 5:7, and won the Best Duo/Group category. In 2005, they performed before a nationally televised audience at the 13th annual Trumpet Awards. The group has also opened for some of the most famous gospel artists in the nation, including Yolanda Adams, Donnie McClurkin, Mary Mary, Kim Burrell, John P. Kee and Kirk Franklin.

"We have a real (heartfelt) connection to Kirk Franklin," Demps said. "He may be unknowingly like a God-daddy in some ways because he came and spoke at our very first debut recording back in 2001."

"He even said, 'Everybody who's here now in 2001, won't be here.' And we've had some changes. But the group that we have now, I think that's one of the things we fight literally for is to stay unified."

Destiny Metropolitan Worship Church off Terrell Mill Road in Marietta is where the group first met as church members and was later formed.

In 2001, the church's pastor Dr. Bryan Crute and his wife, Lanette, founded Destiny Style Records as the group's record label, which is a subsidiary of the church.

"(Destiny Praise) was formed from the praise team of our church. So a lot of us actually started out with Dr. Bryan Crute and his wife, Lanette, at Destiny doing praise and worship some years before the group was actually put together," said Stevens, who leads worship services at the 6,000-member church.

Brathwaite said Destiny Praise's mission is, "To preach the gospel through this avenue of music, which is so universal that it touches everyone and moves in ways that we can't even see."

Davis agreed. "No matter where we go or what exposure we have, we'll always be transparent," she said.

"We're always going to be the same expressive communication of the heart of God. Regardless of what the technical sound is, as the sound evolves, we'll always be the same."

mhoward@mdjonline.com

Comment on this Story

Comments posted below are not edited and do not necessarily represent the views of the Marietta Daily Journal. Comments are reviewed before they are posted.

Please enter the validation words. If you cannot read them, you may obtain a fresh set of words by hitting the button.