In 2000, the Associates, now lead by Draper’s fiancé Patrina Smith, reunited to record their final album in Memphis All About Him (Jesus). It will be years from now before people look back on his work and realize what a talent he really was.” “O’Landa was on the cutting edge of contemporary gospel music. “This is a big loss to the gospel world,” said Ann McCrary at the time. His death left a cavernous hole in modern gospel, of which he was one of the genre’s brightest stars. Only a few weeks after the release of Reflections, O’Landa Draper died unexpectedly at the age of 34 while preparing to perform in Nashville. Draper and his choir also joined Billy Joel during his live performance of the song at the 1994 Grammy Awards, giving them the type of wide-spread exposure of which few gospel groups even dream. Their biggest moment in the spotlight, however, occurred in 1994 when O’Landa Draper and the Associates were included on Billy Joel’s hit single and music video “River of Dreams,” the superstar’s most successful song of the decade. Draper and the Associates began touring across the United States, including performances for presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. That’s just the way he was with others and his own choir.”Īs the group’s reputation spread, so did their opportunities. And he would be so humorous in the way that he would point out what you needed to work on that you wanted to give him your best. “A lot of people don’t like working under that kind of perfection, but the end result was a good sounding choir. “He’d bring the best out of you without being harsh,” remembered gospel artist Ann McCrary. They sang with such clarity, with excellent pitch.” His influence on other gospel musicians, which would only increase with time, was already being felt as well, as directors across the nation strove to match his demonstrative style. “But the music never suffered because of it. “His choir was highly choreographed,” said Teresa Harris, publisher of Gospel Today magazine. Within the world of gospel, the young O’Landa Draper was swiftly garnering attention and praise for his dynamism and vigor as a director, as well as the discipline of his group. Soon after, they released their debut album Do It Again, which was followed by their Grammy nominated release Above and Beyond. The group’s first big break came in 1989 when they backed celebrated gospel singer Shirley Ceaser on her popular recording “I Remember Mama.” The following year, Draper and the Associates signed a four-year contract with the Word Records label, making them the first Memphis-based choir to ever sign with a major label. Before long, the size of the choir had ballooned to 60 voices strong and quickly gained a reputation as a versatile and powerful ensemble led by one of the most charismatic leaders in the genre. Upon graduation, a then 22-year-old Draper set about forming his own 12-member group called O’Landa Draper and the Associates. I would sit in my room and shed tears, feeling the importance of what the words were saying and the life that they could bring.”Īfter graduating from Overton in 1982, Draper continued his education at Memphis State University, eventually becoming the director of the university’s gospel choir. “I was so mesmerized by the effect of gospel on me. “I just knew there was something there,” Draper later recalled. Draper soon joined the school’s glee club, where he began to write and sing gospel music and study under the leadership of well-respected choir director Lulah Hedgeman. When he was 13, Draper and his family moved to Memphis, where he enrolled at Overton High School, one of the city’s best performing arts schools. His mother, Marie Draper, played an important role in her son’s fascination with gospel music, as she worked as both a recording artist and a music promoter. O’Landa Draper was born in 1963 and grew up in Alabama and Washington D.C., where he immersed himself in the music of the church.
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