Timothy Wright
Encyclopedia
Timothy Wright generally credited as Rev. Timothy Wright or Reverend Timothy Wright on recordings, was an American gospel
singer and pastor
.
. He played piano for Bishop F. D. Washington and Isaac Douglas in the 1960s and 1970s, including on recordings, and he formed his own gospel ensemble in the mid-1970s, the Timothy Wright Concert Choir. He eventually became pastor of the Pentecostal Grace Tabernacle Christian Center Church of God in Christ
located in Crown Heights, Brooklyn
, and issued albums regularly from 1990.
Wright's 1994 album Come Thou Almighty King, with the New York Fellowship Mass Choir, made Billboard
’s Top 20 chart for gospel albums and was nominated for a Grammy Award
for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album, as was his 1999 release Been There Done That.
On July 4, 2008, Wright was critically injured in a car crash on Interstate 80
in Pennsylvania
, a crash which killed his wife and grandson as well as the driver of the oncoming car. He died April 24, 2009 as a result of these injuries, at the age of 61.
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
singer and pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
.
Biography
Wright started on piano at age 12, and sang and composed for his church choir as a teenager at the St. John's Fire Baptized Holiness Church of God in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. He played piano for Bishop F. D. Washington and Isaac Douglas in the 1960s and 1970s, including on recordings, and he formed his own gospel ensemble in the mid-1970s, the Timothy Wright Concert Choir. He eventually became pastor of the Pentecostal Grace Tabernacle Christian Center Church of God in Christ
Church of God in Christ
The Church of God in Christ is a Pentecostal Holiness Christian denomination with a predominantly African-American membership. With nearly five million members in the United States and 12,000 congregations, it is the largest Pentecostal church and the fifth largest Christian church in the U.S....
located in Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Crown Heights is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The main thoroughfare through this neighborhood is Eastern Parkway, a tree-lined boulevard designed by Frederick Law Olmsted extending two miles east-west.Originally, the area was known as Crow Hill....
, and issued albums regularly from 1990.
Wright's 1994 album Come Thou Almighty King, with the New York Fellowship Mass Choir, made Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
’s Top 20 chart for gospel albums and was nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album, as was his 1999 release Been There Done That.
On July 4, 2008, Wright was critically injured in a car crash on Interstate 80
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area...
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, a crash which killed his wife and grandson as well as the driver of the oncoming car. He died April 24, 2009 as a result of these injuries, at the age of 61.
Discography
| Title | Release Date | Label | U.S. Top Gospel Albums Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Testify | 1983 | 6 | |
| Live At Washington Temple C.O.G.I.C. | 1985 | 14 | |
| Hallelujah Is Highest Praise | 1987 | 4 | |
| Jesus Will | 1987 | 19 | |
| Just Believe | 1989 | - | |
| Living in a World | 1988 | 38 | |
| Who's on the Lord's Side | 1989 | 3 | |
| I'm Glad About It | 1992 | 4 | |
| We Need a Miracle | 1993 | 20 | |
| Come Thou Almighty King | 1994 | 10 | |
| Moving in the Spirit | 1995 | - | |
| Live From London | 1996 | 36 | |
| Let Freedom Ring | 1997 | - | |
| Been There Done That | 1999 | - | |
| Story to Tell | 1999 | - | |
| I Here Music | 2002 | - | |
| Live in New York | 2003 | - | |
| Let's Celebrate (He Is Risen) | 2005 | - | |
| Jesus, Jesus, Jesus | 2007 | 13 | |
| Godfather of Gospel | 2009 | - |