O'landa Draper
| O'Landa Draper | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 29, 1963 |
| Origin | Memphis, Tennessee, United States |
| Died | July 21, 1998 (aged 34) |
| Genres | Gospel |
| Occupation(s) | Choir director, songwriter, singer, musician |
| Labels | Word, Warner |
| Associated acts | Hezekiah Walker, Kirk Franklin, Billy Joel, Ricky Dillard, Donald Lawrence, Albertina Walker, Shirley Caesar |
O'Landa Draper (September 29, 1963 – July 21, 1998) was a Grammy Award-winning Gospel music artist. He was the founder of the Associates Choir and is considered to be one of the top gospel artists of the 1990s. Draper was nominated for the Grammy Award, Stellar Awards and the Dove Award multiple times.
Draper was known for his choir directing style. Songs that were well known by fans of Draper's work were, "My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord", "Lift the Savior Up, "Stand Up", Gotta Feelin'", "He Touched Me", and "Give It Up".
Draper grew up in Alabama and Washington D.C. listening to gospel music as a child. His late mother, Marie Draper, was a gospel music promoter and artist, and was a main reason for his fascination in the genre. When he was 13, he moved to Memphis and attended Overton High School (Memphis, Tennessee) where he joined a glee club. He began to write and sing gospel music in the club. After he finished his musical studies in high school, he moved on to the Memphis State where he directed the school's choir. After school he would work part-time for Federal Express.
In 1985, he formed his own choir and named them "The Associates" in Memphis, Tennessee. Gospel artist Earnest Pugh was once a member of The Associates.
Draper and the choir signed over to Word Records and recorded their first label album, Do It Again in 1990. Their second album, Above and Beyond, was their first Grammy nominated album. The choir went on performing across the United States, performing for presidents such as Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The choir also sang back up for Billy Joel during the 1994 Grammy Awards, performed with celebrities such as actress Jennifer Holliday, performer B.B. King and other gospel artists such as Albertina Walker and Shirley Caesar. Draper hosted gospel workshops around the world in nations such as Europe and in countries such as the Bahamas. He recorded a live workshop that took place in 1994 in Memphis, Tennessee. It featured artist such as Kirk Franklin and Yolanda Adams. In that same year, Draper recorded Live: A Celebration of Praise, his second Grammy nominated album. The album's well known song "My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord" was the only song recorded for VHS.
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