Touched by God Hardcover - 1998

From the publisher

In a soul-lifting collection that resounds with joy, today's black gospel superstars tell how the Lord has changed their lives and shaped their music. Dr. Bobby Jones, host of Black Entertainment Television's "Bobby Jones Gospel" and "Video Gospel," joins Kirk Franklin, John P. Kee, Albertina Walker, Dottie Peoples, Shirley Caesar, and others whose personal stories, like the healing, hopeful music they were called to sing, are celebrations of God's glory.

With millions of fans worldwide, gospel music has reverberated out of the church and into the mainstream -- echoing a global need for direction in an uncertain world. As rousing as a gospel choir in full swing, these stories confirm the power of music and faith, as nineteen top recording artists share their triumphs and trials, and the times when God touched their lives. For some, the Lord reached out to them in an unforgettable instant. For others, finding Him took them down a longer road....

Kirk Franklin reveals how it took the violent death of his close friend for God to reach out and touch him, and turn him from a gang-banger to a minister for Christ.

John P. Kee affirms that God saved him from drugs and the fast-money lifestyle of the streets.

Shirley Caesar remembers how she fell apart when her mother died, and how the Lord helped put the pieces of her life back together.

Given only a few months to live by his doctors, blind minister and gospel star Rev. James Moore praises God for a different kind of prognosis that keeps him singing to this very day.

Gospel matriarch Albertina Walker's testimony affirms her God-given stamina in a harsh world that has tried to knock her down more than once.

Dottie Peoples describes an encounter with an angel that took her out of nightclubs and returned her to singing gospel music in church.

Overflowing with the blessedness of knowing God, and ringing with emotion, these and other inspiring accounts of hope and transformation bring us closer to the wonderful performers who deliver God's message in their powerful music -- and will stir the hearts of those looking to strengthen their own ties with the Lord.