Grammy Nominated Country Singer 'Cannot Wait' to Record Gospel Album With Mom

By Jessica Martinez, CP Reporter Thursday, June 26, 2014

Country music artist Lee Brice is planning to step outside his genre to record a Gospel album with his mother as a way to pay homage to his original musical influences.

Brice, known for earning Grammy nominations and other notable accolades despite his short time in the contemporary country music scene, grew up playing Gospel tunes on his aunt's piano and now wants to make the new project a family affair.

"My mom and all her sisters sang gospel music my whole life, and they're amazing. They made a record in Nashville," said Brice, reports Rolling Stone. "I'm going to send a tour bus to pick them all up in South Carolina in July and bring them here to my house, and I'm going to make a new record on them. We're going to sing classic gospel songs and have them sing in the background."

Although his third studio album I Don't Dance, which is set to release in early September, is a priority for the country singer, he says he "cannot wait" to begin the faith-inspired project. However, Brice did not reveal whether the album will be released to the masses.

Despite delving into secular music once his career took off, Brice still acknowledges his Christian upbringing and Gospel influence that led him to pursue his artistic dream.

Growing up in Sumter, South Carolina, Brice always had an interest in music and by age seven, he began to write his own songs and performed his first melody for his family and church that included the short, simple lyrics, "Oh how I love, Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love, Jesus, because he first loved me," according to his biography.

Now, the singer performs throughout the country, has collaborated with country crooner Garth Brooks and is currently the opening act for Grammy award-winning country singer Luke Bryan's "That's My Kind of Night Tour."

Despite his fame and success, Brice strives to uphold his faith-based roots and morals.

"I try to be a good man and try to be a Christian man. I want to be remembered as a writer and a singer. That's what I've been doing my whole life – writing songs," Brice said in a statement on his website. "I want people to hopefully one day say, 'he gave his all to it.' Hopefully, that's how they will remember me."