Gospel Singer Ashlie Marie Releases Debut Album
Ashlie Marie's mother was a singer but she began singing publicly at the age of eight years old at People's Community Apostolic Church in Inkster, Michigan, where she was born and raised.
She couldn't have gotten away from music if she had tried, coming from a musically inclined family, which means that everyone in the family either sang or played an instrument. Being the oldest of five children and being church kids, they grew up on a church pew. It is almost as though music has always been her reality and she has always had to kind of find a way to live in regular everyday life. Her imagination has over shadowed her reality so she had to learn how to co-exist. Ashlie wasn't in the choir or played an instrument in high school or anything.
She was apart of the choir in music class in elementary school but music came to life for her when she was about three years old. She remembers being obsessed with the Clark Sister's song "You Brought The Sun Shine". Music has always been apart of her DNA, coming from a family where her mother sang, her dad played the piano and her brothers played piano, drums, and saxophone. Her sisters sang, she sang and her brothers sang so it was kind of a way of life for the entire family.
In this interview with the GR Times, Ashie discusses gospel influences, her background and her new album.
GRT: Were you working on a gospel album while you were in Detroit or not until you moved to Grand Rapids?
Ashlie: While I still lived in Detroit I was very much involved from a church perspective with choirs, praise teams, so I was super active in the church. As a kid I went to People's Community and when I turned about four teen I started attending Greater Grace Taylor where I was involved in the choir and the state choir and the state praise team as well as the district choir and praise team. My mother was apart of Ron Winans recording choir, so we attended rehearsals all the time. There were people like Marvin Winans, Donnie McClerkin, Lisa Page and Rudolf Stansfield are all people who I love and admire in the gospel music arena.
GRT: How many albums have you released?
Ashlie: This will be my first album but I have had music out. I have done some features with people like Deborah Perry and her group as well as people like Ryan Rutley and other groups as well as doing background vocals for several artist over the years. I have done background vocals for artist like Jonathan Dunn, Christina Bell, and Fashawn Mitchell. I have also been on the The Word Network several times. It wasn't until this year that we decided to do a full project which I am very excited about.
GRT: What can people expect from this album?
Ashlie: The best way to describe the album is that it is a journey. It talks about everything from the process of evolution which involves the patience in the process and includes the journey of life itself, including the highs, lows, the in between, the confidence, the fear, the courage, the storm and the peace and every person listening to the songs on the album will be able to see themselves in it. The project itself is a snap shot into what my evolutionary journey has been. The Ashley now in some of the songs may be encouraging to the Ashley then and in some of the songs the Ashley to come is encouraging the Ashley now. People will find that there is forgiveness, joy, reconciliation, confidence, transformation and every listener should be able to find themselves in at some point of their journey. Prayerfully the songs will help people to see that where you were is not where you are and where you are is only the beginning of where you are going. It was recorded in Detroit but I have a few more songs that I want to record. My album entitled "Dear will be available will be available on all streaming platforms on next week Tuesday but the single "Patience" is available now. The entire album will be available later on in the year. We want this music available to everyone so for People who don't stream, it will also be available on CD and on vinyl.
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