Preachermann and the Revival

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At a time when the art of the live performance is losing ground to homemade internet videos, and neophyte music groups are being awarded record deals without ever having wooed a single live audience, New York City’s Preachermann testifies to the tried and true formulas for achieving lasting success in a ‘here today gone tomorrow’ culture: hard-work, talent, perseverance, charisma, and humility. His voice, lyrics and stage performance stand on soul-shoulders as varied as the Isley Brothers, Lenny Kravitz, Ritchie Havens, Bob Dylan, Al Greene, and James Brown, and yet all of these influences bow to his own remarkably deep and refined endowments. 

What sets him apart from his peers is that his sultry brand of neo-soul is not only fresh, it is fearless; not merely sensuous, but conscious. And unlike so many modern soul artists whose work is weighed down with clichés, he has an uncanny knack for clever wordplay that bridges the serious side of life with the levity that makes it livable. The title track to his 2006 LP, Negroes Stay Crunchy in Milk, is but one shining example of Preacher’s capacity to skillfully and seamlessly blend prophetic lore with ironic metaphor to make timeless music that crosses broad boundaries without selling itself out. 

Among those in the know, Preacher’s live performances – the sheer spiritual splendor of them – are among the few must-see underground gems in New York City. In addition to earning artist-in-residence status at the venerated downtown staple, the Bowery Poetry Club, Preachermann has thrown down in legendary venues like CBGB, The Knitting Factory and Joe's Pub, and in avant-garde art scenes such as the Kitchen, all to critical acclaim and ever-widening popular appeal.

HARLEM’S SON

Preachermann’s roots run deep within Harlem. Three generations of his family have made Harlem their home since the early 1940’s and Preachermann resides in that same neighborhood.

His maternal great grandmother and her flock of nine “Grant” children came to Harlem from Ormond Beach Florida. The Grant family set up residence from 145th to 153rd Streets and Broadway and St. Nicholas Avenue. They raised families, worked downtown, partied at the “Savoy”, sent the “chaps” to the Apollo on Saturdays for all day entertainment and shopped on 125th Street.

Preachermann is the “spitting image” of his great grandmother, who was the glue that held the family together and instilled the values of hard work and family first; being there for each other with an “all for one and one for all mentality”. To this day, all remaining relatives have continued this tradition with regular reunions and “phone trees” for any family member in distress.

His grandmother worked as an “operator” at the Rose Meta House of Beauty, a hair salon owned by Rose Morgan, wife of the great Joe Louis. These hairdressers were the pioneers of specialized hair care salons throughout New York City. They formed a social club called the “Tomadachis”, meaning “friends” in Japanese, and attended social events including the Beaux Arts Ball, Joe Louis fights and Harlem Renaissance soirees. This was a time when Harlem rocked as a cultural mecca and center of the Black American universe.

Preachermann and the Revival celebrates that heritage and takes it to the next level. There have been seven Baptist ministers and numerous missionaries and evangelists in the Grant family and his great aunt predicted that Preachermann would be the next preacher in the family. Prophesy fulfilled.