Emi Morris - "Indescribable" The Rehearsal

NOTE: Emi Morris did not perform in the Worship Unplugged Showcase due to having laryngitis. However, we didn't think that alone should be reason enough to eliminate her from the selection process. Please NOTE: Keep in mind, Emi's video performance below is REHEARSAL!

Meagan Nicole Morris, now known as “Emi Morris”, was born on January 5th, 1990. Always exhibiting a very unique and colorful personality, Emi at age three began singing songs, “big” songs, from Whitney Houston’s sound track “The Body Guard” in which she began getting attention from friends and family. Early at pre-school age, her teachers and peers recognized her talents and she began performing in school plays and talent contests. By age seven, Emi wrote and arranged her first song “Crucified,” presenting this song to her parents, from there she performed this song in church during youth day. The congregation was astonished! And from there birthed a divine force in her life that could not be redirected. Music and the arts is what Emi knew she wanted to do.

Emi exhibited so much passion for the arts and love for her peers in school. She began in her community, school and church using her gifts any time the opportunity presented. At the age of twelve she was selected as one of thirty students from five-hundred applicants in the metro-Atlanta area to do “America’s greatest moments”, a commercial giving tribute to great American leaders known and unknown through the TBS network during the 2002-2003 school year.

Emi began professionally recording her own self written and arranged music by age thirteen. In the year 2005 Emi released a miniature album self entitled at the time “Meagan Morris” selling over four-hundred copies. An arrangement of sultry pop melodies, for her it became and remained a success; representing a peak into her music future of what very possibly awaited her. Winning Miss 9th and 10th grade at Lithonia high school, the winner of majority of her high school talent shows and the winner of the Urban Teen idol contest in 2006, Emi continued her passion of music while also taking time for interest in film. In the year 2007, Emi starred as “Ratasha Williams” in the independent film “Waiting to be loved”, the story of a parentless troubled teen finding a way out of self destructive situations, shown at the local movie theater in Lithonia, Georgia. She also wrote the theme song and performed it for the film generating nearly one thousand plays on her web page where it was posted.

Emi Morris, at 19 years of age, currently attends New Birth missionary Baptist Church and serves as the Worship leader and Praise team coordinator in the youth ministry among other services at the church. She has maintained Honor student status graduating from high school in the top ten percent of her class at Miller Grove High School, while continuing that excellence at Clark Atlanta University where she has made the Deans list both semesters and stands with a 3.66 GPA. Emi Morris is now in the process of creating an organization “Daddy’s Girlz”, a non-profit organization that will empower young women to seek love and protection from their Heavenly Father, and Emi wants young women to know how to over come sadness and emptiness through obtaining the truth that “they too are loved with or without a physical father in their lives”. She is also in the process of completing two new books “Daddy’s Girlz: What God wants his daughters to know” self entitled behind the organization, and a new novel “The way God smells,” a story about a young girl growing up in the south in the sixty’s enduring harsh realities and finding solace in the way that God “smells”.

Emi’s love for song writing and varieties of music has not allowed her to be limited to specific music but has broadened her love for all music; allowing her to be skilled at country writing styles, pop, rock, soul and blues, having performed in all these categories. Many believe this leaves audiences unable to place her in a box and instead mesmerizes the audiences with her ability to excel at them all.

Emi is an amazing songwriter, singer, actress, soon to be author and community leader willing to do the necessities to use her gifts and talents to touch lives through her art when ever… where ever. She believes that Faith is the foundation to a long lasting and powerful life changing career. And as she believes in that, we believe she is destined to do just that-change the world.

Felicia Rives - "Here I am to worship"

While Felicia's name may be new to the music industry, it is a name that has already left its mark in the area of praise and worship. Calling herself a “songwriter who is blessed with a voice”, Felicia's heart is to write songs that reveal more and more truths about the Father, regardless of the listener's race or background. “I want to write songs that reveal the love of God to unbelievers and cause them to want to give their hearts to the only Unconditional Lover.” Her diverse musical background enables her to write songs that cross over racial and generational boundaries. Her songs have already received recognition from prestigious songwriting competitions such as VH-1 Song of the Year, Great American song, Songwriter Universe, and The Gospel Music Association.

Felicia started her journey on the praise and worship team at World Changers Church International in College Park, Georgia. While growing in her ministry Felicia has also had the opportunity of using her powerful soprano voice to sing background for artists such as Perry Reid (formally known as “Pebbles”), Fred Hammond, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Stephen Hurd, Debra Killings, V. Michael McKay, Byron Cage, and Phil Driscoll. She has since grown in her worship ministry and now serves as the Worship Coordinator at Atlanta City Church (North Campus). Under the leadership of Senior Pastor Rick Snow, Felicia directs the choir as well as leads worship on a regular basis.

Michele Meeks - "Holy is the Lord"

Gainesville, GA.

Michele is a gospel & classical vocalist and song writer who is passionate about worshipping God, about declaring His praises in the earth, and about calling forth people everywhere to worship God and fulfill His purposes.

Michele grew up in Wilson, North Carolina and started singing at a very young age. As she grew older her love for singing grew as well as her vocal abilities through singing in the church choir and ensembles, vocal competitions, school choir, the community chorale and weddings.

Michele attended Lee University in Cleveland, TN where she entered the School of Music and earned her Music degree. During this time at Lee she joined the gospel and worship choir, Lee University Campus Choir, that tours nationally and internationally to churches and communities declaring the worship of God. It was during her time in the Campus Choir that she became an extravagant worshipper of God and answered the call to be a worship leader, to go beyond just singing about God, and leading people to worship God.

Since that time she has served as worship leader in the local church and currently serves in the music ministry at Free Chapel of Gainesville, GA. She ministers in other churches and events when not ministering with the Free Chapel worship team.

In addition to leading worship, Michele is also passionate about encouraging and empowering the local body through teaching the word of God and helping people recognize and activate the gifts God has placed within them to touch the world and advance His Kingdom.

Collier Starks - "Holy"

Collier Starks has been singing, leading choirs, and preaching since he was just a young boy. Starks is a songwriter and a singer and performs with a level of intensity and emotion that is second to none. Starks’ efforts have been featured in many media outlets including Theresa Hairston’s Gospel Heritage Workshop and BET’s The Way We Do It.

Recently opening for Elder William Murphy, Collier Starks was applauded for his passion and worship. Collier Starks was born in Columbus, Georgia in 1975 to Willie and Charlotte Starks. Raised in a family with roots both in music and in preaching, it became apparent at a very young age that Starks had been blessed with those gifts, as well. He preached his first sermon at age 16, and began pastoring at the age of 24.

Marvin Winans, Rance Allen, Marvin Sapp, Daryl Coley, and Marcus Cole are all musical influences for Collier and have helped him develop his own musical style. His favorite singer of all time is Sam Cooke.

Starks is very involved as a Senior Pastor at Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church, located in Newnan, Georgia and is married to the lovely Lady Tameka Starks and the father of Kendall and Collier Jr,

Colliers’ love for music is demonstrated through his commitment to the craft, his steadfastness to the call, and his love for the Christ who truly is the reason why he sings.

Adam Surfus - "How great is our God"

Adam Surfus is a new artist in the Gospel music genre but hopes to be a lasting addition to this beautiful world of soulful praise and worship music. Although he is just beginning his career, he has had plenty of practice by leading praise and worship at Atlanta City Church in Fairburn for a few years now. Adam desires to lead people into worship so that they can walk in the freedom of knowing who they are in Christ. “When we worship Jesus, we are choosing to take the focus off of ourselves and circumstances and proclaim the truth of who He is. As we do that we connect with Him and become more like Him, which brings about genuine liberty in the Lord.” He desires that all people who hear him sing will experience that real freedom that comes from knowing how much Jesus loves them.

Adam is also the director of the City Bridges Food Pantry and is involved in outreach ministry to the homeless in Atlanta each month. He sees a very strong connection in both ministering in song and in acts of love outside of the church walls. He says, “Both leading worship through music, and hugging or praying for the homeless are about connecting with the heart of God, they are both important to Him.” He wishes to use his influence as an artist to raise awareness about the importance of outreach ministry in the local community.

Paulette Washington - "Hallelujah"

Paulette Washington is known by her anointed singing, which comes from her heart. She
says, "I like to give the people songs that goes beyond their ears and minister to their heart; which brings about deliverance." This southern, young lady captivates audiences with her soulful deliver of gospel singing. She lives her songs and is not afraid to share her testimony on stage in order for the audience to experience the message.

Paulette is a native of Monroe, GA. She had an upbringing of singing with her family known as "The Floyd Family." She was only four years old when she recorded her first album. Since that time and to the present, her persona is continuously moving the hearts of others, both young and old.

Many opportunities had begun to open up for more recognition. In 1980, during the Labor Day weekend, she sang the National Anthem at the Atlanta Braves game. In 1981, the Atlanta Journal Constitution wrote how "this little girl stole the show from Al Green at the Gospel Benefit for the 'Families of Missing and Murdered Children' in Atlanta." Paulette was overcome by the positive responses in the mid-eighties while performing with some of today's leading artists such as Shirley Caesar, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, The Williams brothers and more.

Paulette's heart was soon turned to reach for lost souls in foreign countries. Afterwards, she became involved with an international evangelistic ministry allowing her to sing in Manila Philippines, Costa Rica, Israel, Bahamas, Hawaii, Mexico, and throughout the United States.

Paulette states, "But of all of my performances, I've been touched the most by singing to those individuals who may have fallen along the wayside of life and just needed a word of encouragement to continue."
When Paulette Washington pours her soul into a song, people listen and are mesmerized; anyone who has heard her passionate delivery would agree. She's an explosion of high-energy emotion, gift-wrapped in music. Remember her name and you won't ever forget her VOICE!!!

Lydia Pace - Opened the show with "When The Saints Go To Worship"

In 1974 in a little town called Pool Creek, about 20 miles south of Atlanta Georgia, Lydia Pace was born into the loving family of Superintendent Murphy and Evangelist Bettie Pace affectionately known as “Mother & Dad Pace”. Before her parents were given the awesome responsibility to pastor the Rehoboth Deliverance Center Church of God in Christ located in Barnesville, GA., they were pastors at home teaching their ten children to love the Lord and each other with all their hearts and live peaceably with others. Lydia is the youngest of all nine siblings; She has one older brother (Bishop M.J. Pace, who is currently the pastor of “The Powerhouse of Deliverance Cathedral”) and eight sisters (who are nationally know as “The Anointed Pace Sisters”). Though she considers herself blessed to have been born into such a talented family, she is most grateful for being brought up in the beauty of holiness which gave her a sure foundation for building a Godly life.

In 1994 Lydia attended Gordon College, in Barnesville, GA., where she majored in teacher education. While in college she was offered a position at the Old National Christian Academy in College Park, GA. where she worked as a teacher’s assistant for two consecutive years. After her final year at Gordon, she was charged by the Lord to travel with her older sister, Evangelist Duranice Pace, as an amour bearer, reader, and soloist. It is during these four years that she received a higher education that could never be captured between the pages of any book or adequately expressed in the lecture halls of your most prestigious universities. Lydia and her sister traveled all over the United States, Europe and Korea. Through her numerous encounters with spiritual wickedness in high places, she cleaved to the word of God, expressly Luke 10:19 amplified version:
“Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the powers that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you.”

In 2004, after serving faithfully at ‘The Rehoboth Deliverance Center Church of God in Christ”, the Lord challenged her to leave her parents and join New Birth Missionary Baptist Church where she currently serves in ministry. If there is anything to be noted about this servant it is her impenetrable love for the Lord and determination to obey him in all He asks her to do.

Whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men, Knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the Reward of the inheritance: for you serve the Lord Christ.

NOTE: Lydia is appearing in this Worship Unplugged project courtesy of Tyscot Records.

Colossians 3: 23-24

Showcase Flyer

Worship Unplugged LIVE DVD RECORDING FEB. 2010

Details coming real soon. The showcase is over.. now lets choose the 4 artists that will make the first Worship Unplugged DVD in Feb. 2010.