Last Updated on March 18, 2023

Donald Lawrence Biography

Donald Lawrence is an American gospel music songwriter, record producer, and artist.  The multiple Grammy and Stellar Award winner has collaborated with a diverse roster, as vocal coach to the R&B group En Vogue, musical director for Stephanie Mills, songwriter for The Clark Sisters, and collaborator with a host of artists including Peabo Bryson, Kirk Franklin, Karen Clark Sheard, Donnie McClurkin, and Mary J. Blige.

He has been a musical director for Stephanie Mills, vocal coach for En Vogue, songwriter for The Clark Sisters, and producer for Kirk Franklin. Lawrence has been the musical director for The Tri-City Singers since 1993. The Tri-City Singers or Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers, they have released 12 albums.

Their debut A Songwriter’s Point of View hit #2 on the Billboard Top Gospel Charts. Donald produced a portion of the Grammy-nominated album Finally Karen by Karen Clark Sheard in 1997. The Tri-City Singers’ 2000 album tri-city4.com reached #2 on the Billboard Top Gospel Chart and #13 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.

Their 2004 album I Speak Life won six Stellar Awards and 2006’s Finale: Ace One won seven. In 2008 Lawrence won another Stellar Award for Producer of the Year for The Clark Sisters’ Live! One Last Time album.

Donald Lawrence was featured on the title track “Released” by Bill Winston Presents Living Word”. He is also the host of Verizon’s “How Sweet The Sound Choir Competition”.Lawrence has also done some songs as a solo artist some of his solo albulms include:

• “Don’t Give Up” with Kirk Franklin, Hezekiah Walker, and Karen Clark Sheard (Island, 1996)
• “Testify (Remixes)” (The Tri-City Singers) (EMI Gospel, 2001)
• “Never Seen The Righteous” (The Tri-City Singers) (EMI Gospel, 2002)
• “The Best Is Yet To Come” (The Tri-City Singers) (EMI Gospel, 2002)
• “The Blessing Of Abraham” (The Tri-City Singers) (EMI Gospel, 2006) (Billboard #97 R&B)
• “Back II Eden” (Donald Lawrence & Co.) (Zomba/Verity Records, 2009)
• “YRM (Your Righteous Mind” (Donald Lawrence & Co.) (Zomba/Verity Records, 2010)
• “Spiritual” (Donald Lawrence & Co.) (Zomba/Verity Records, 2011)
• “The Gift” (Donald Lawrence & Co.) (eOne Music, 2013)

Donald Lawrence Age

Donald was born on May 4, 1961, in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America. He is fifty-eight years of age as of 2019.

Donald Lawrence Education

He studied at Cincinnati Conservatory, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in music. While in Cincinnati, he was also the Minister of Music at the Southern Baptist Church on Reading Road.

Donald Lawrence Height

Donald Lawrence stands at a height of  1.64 meters. Additionally, he weighs  67 kilograms.  He has a well-built body along with black colored eyes and black color hair.

Donald Lawrence Tri-City

Lawrence took on The Tri-City Singers after a friend vacated his position as musical director.

The group debuted in 1993 with A Songwriter’s Point Of View on a then-brand-new independent record label called GospoCentric Records. The set debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top Gospel Charts. The group’s follow-up release Bible Stories would top those same charts when it arrived in 1995. It was the first to be billed as Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers and featured black church-ubiquitous hits such as “A Message For The Saints”, “I Am God” and “Stranger”.

In 1997, Donald Lawrence produced the live portion of Karen Clark Sheard’s Grammy-nominated Finally Karen debut. Lawrence & Tri-City also released the seasonal Hello Christmas the same year.

In 2000, Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers signed to EMI Gospel. To promote the new album, a maxi CD of the lead single “Testify” to the mainstream. House remixes by Junior Vasquez sent the song to #33 on Billboard’s Mainstream Dance Charts.

When tri-city4.com was finally released in 2001, the set peaked at #2 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Charts and #13 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Charts. The album also got a profile boost from the all-star standout “God’s Favor”, featuring vocal turns from Karen Clark Sheard, Kim Burrell, and Kelly Price.

In 2004 “I Speak Life” was Donald Lawrence’ first solo album, the debut for his newly inked recording contract with Verity Records, and also the first release under his new sublabel Quiet Water Entertainment.

Though the album was without The Tri-City Singers, guest appearances were plenteous. Donnie McClurkin, Hezekiah Walker, Faith Evans, Richard Smallwood, and Carl Thomas all contributed to the album. Even jazz notables Ramsey Lewis and Lalah Hathaway were on hand for a remake of the Bible Stories classic “Don’t Forget To Remember”.

In March 2006, The Tri-City Singers announced that they would retire, but not before one last live recording. Finale: Act One and Finale: Act Two were released simultaneously on April 4, 2006. Each release was a CD/DVD set that chronicled the audio and video of one half of the concert, with packages that locked into one another respectively.

Donald Lawrence Net Worth

Lawrence is an American gospel songwriter, record producer, and artist who has a net worth of $1 million.

Donald Lawrence Award

Donald is a multi-award-winning artist. In the 2006 Stellar Awards, he went away with multiple prices. He was the Artist of the Year for his song I Speak Life. Additionally, his CD, I Speak Life won the CD of the Year award. He also earned the Producer of the Year award for producing I Speak Life. Donald also went home with the Group/Duo of the Year award for I Speak Life. Contemporary Group/Duo of the Year award was also awarded to him that year for I Speak Life. 

2007 was not any different. Their song Act One also won multiple awards.  Some of the awards it earned included Artist of the Year, Choir of the Year, Producer of the Year, The contemporary CD of the Year, Contemporary Choir of the Year, Special Event CD of the Year and  Music Video of the Year

In 2008, he earned Producer of the Year for The Clark Sister – Live! One Last Time“22nd Annual Stellar Award Winners (2007)”. GospelFlava.com. Retrieved 2007-01-14.

Donald Lawrence Cancer

During a recent performance in Memphis, TN Gospel recording artist Donald Lawrence shared some very unexpected news. While performing at a post-game concert for the Grizzlies, and while singing his song “Not Making Sense, Making Faith” Lawrence told the audience that he had not been too visible or had not performed with his singers recently because he had been diagnosed with cancer and was being treated in Los Angeles.

During his performance, Lawrence said this was the first time in 3 months that he has seen or performed with his singers and that the past few months have been very trying.