Dewitt Jones and his wife, Kim, come from musical backgrounds and have been traveling, writing songs together and singing gospel music in one form or another since they were teenagers in Washington state.
Dewitt Jones’ success as a songwriter took off when world-renowned worship leader Ron Kenoly recorded his composition “Use Me” on the 1994 album “God Is Able.” Now residents of Shreveport, the couple have formed a family band, foreverJones, that includes their five children, each of whom brings something special to the group.
While Jones and his wife are prominent figures in the group, their debut album, “Get Ready,” is a full-fledged family affair, with all five children adding to the mix with their respective musical gifts.
Some of the group’s performances have included the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, the Hezekiah Walker show in New York and “Bobby Jones Gospel” on BET in Washington, D.C.
In December, the group will travel to Bentonville. Arkansas, where their performance will be simulcast around the world. In January, they also will perform at the “Stellar Gospel Music Awards,” which will air on BET and the Gospel Channel. And, locally, the group will perform at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 19 at Shreveport Community Church, where they also are members.
Read on for more on the family gospel group foreverJones.
Q: How long have you been performing as a group?
A: We have been performing as a family band for about seven or eight years.
Q: What was the inspiration behind your album, “Get Ready”?
A: The “Get Ready” album is just an extension of our 9 a.m. prayer that started when the kids were very young. I believe I received an invitation from the Lord to come and spend time with him every day. Back then, Kim and I brought our children into the presence of the divine almost every day. All I can say is that somewhere during our family prayer time he must have kissed us. Now as foreverJONES, “a family band,” we celebrate on public stages everywhere what we started in the privacy of our home years ago.
Q: When was the album released?
A: June 8, 2010.
Q: What was the first single from the album?
A: Track 2. “He Wants It All.”
Q: Who sings lead on that song?
A: Dominique, our second oldest daughter wrote “He Wants It All” and is the lead singer on it. The single “He wants It All” has over 1 million views on
YouTube and hit number No. 1 on the Billboard charts a couple of weeks ago and is currently at No. 2 on the charts. It is the most heard gospel song on radio in America today.
Q: Have you been nominated for or won any awards?
A: Yes, the Stellar awards. We have been nominated in five categories.
Q: What’s it like performing with your children?
A: I must tell you it is an amazing feeling to be standing on the stage and playing in a band with our children. Kim and I are so grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to even have children. You see, my wife Kim was diagnosed early in our marriage with PID. If not treated PID leaves 99 percent of women sterile. Upon receiving this news Kim and I prayed and asked our heavenly father to heal her. This is yet another wonderful story of God’s goodness to the children of men. We’ve received what we consider to be five miracles from our God.
Q: What are their ages?
A: D’jeniele’ is 24. She plays the guitar. She is married to our musical director, Nathaniel Hooten, who plays keys and they have given us our first grandchild. Dominique is 22. She plays keys and guitar. She’s also an online college student at Full Sale University, a recording arts and production school. Dewitt is 18 and plays the bass guitar. Judah is 17 and plays the drums. Mya is 10 and learning to play several instruments. Our three youngest children attend school at Evangel Christian Academy here in Shreveport.
Q: Do you write your own songs?
A: Yes. There are four writers on this album from our family, but all of us are writers. That’s the reason why our album “Get Ready” has such an eclectic musical sound.
We had the rare opportunity to have a CD project produced by Grammy Award winner Tommy Sims, who has produced Eric Clapton, Robert Randolph, Michael McDonald, Israel Houghton, Sheryl Crow, just to name a few. We’re truly humbled to have him as our producer now and in the future.
Via: The Belle Report
