Bob Bailey

Gospel Artist

Born on February 19, 1956 Middletown, Ohio, I grew up singing with my family. My first remembrance was at age 4, standing next to the piano at The New Era Baptist Church, beside my sister Ora, and brother Jodell, while Mom played piano and sang with us. We sang two verses of the hymn, "At The Cross." I remember taking the solo on the 2nd verse, and adjusting the lyrics as only a 4 year old can, to, "And drops of grease can ne'er repay the debt of love I owe..." The family moved to Portland, Oregon in 1961, and we continued to sing together until I left for college in 1974, on a classical voice scholarship, to The University Of Oregon, Eugene, where I muddled through for three years. Then, I received a call to join a Christian band touring the States, and Northern Europe for a year, and I dropped everything to "join the circus."

The tour was a life changing experience for me. The band was New Hope, a full time unit of Continental Ministries, and during the 7 months I was with them, we sojourned through many of the 50 States, and England, Belgium, The Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. While in Denmark, I met Georg Julin, who is responsible for encouraging me to continue my musical ministry. Georg was the tour manager for New Hope in Scandinavia. We developed a personal friendship that endures. After returning home to Oregon after the tour, I got a call to join "The PTL Club" in Charlotte, North Carolina, and grabbed my four earthly possessions and made a beeline for Charlotte. I stayed almost three years. I learned so much about the 'real world' there, deepened my musical chops, met some incredible people, got to be on national television daily, and opened my eyes to what my own ministry was to be about. While there, I was privileged to attend The Christian Artist Seminar at Estes Park, Colorado, and to meet my dear friend Bob Krogstad, who facilitated my first recording contract on Goodlife Records, out of Phoenix, Arizona.

After leaving PTL in January, 1981, I moved to Nashville, TN, and went to work as a songwriter, for Lorenz Creative Services. Lorenz bought the masters of my first record, "Looking Forward", from Goodlife, and re-released it on The Benson Company label. Lorenz also produced my 2nd album, "I'm Walkin'", which was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1984 for "Best Gospel Performance, Male." The next several years is kind of cloudy, filled with lots of drugs, disappointments, anger, rejection, racism, fear, defeat, and darkness. Then, Thanksgiving 1989, my dear friend and booking agent, Michael A. McKinney literally drove from Louisville, Kentucky to Nashville to hand deliver me to a drug treatment facility. I left the center 30 days later a new person, reconnected to the unconditional love of God, and ready to get on with what God had called me to do. Since then, I've been enjoying each day, staying sober, and singing. Doors have opened that were unimaginable to me. Wynonna Judd entered the picture in 1992, and embraced me with her wonderfully kind and generous spirit. I've been blessed to be a part of her touring and recording experience for the past 11 years. In addition, I've been traveling back and forth to Denmark, observing the surging popularity of Gospel Music there, and offering my humble gifts to what God is already doing there.

Bob's Albums: Looking Forward I'm Walkin' What fans are saying about Bob's new album, Gospel According to Bob Bailey, Past and Present "It is great getting a collection of songs and seeing the range and growth by the singer...What a pleasure to sit back and just listen to each and every song and to also listen to the message that each songs has...What a blessing it is...hopefully, this will not be the end but a new beginning of more songs from Mr. Bob Bailey."   "There are a number of things that make an extraordinary album- but it's no secret that the vocals can make or break it. Bob Bailey's album is a prime example of an excellent album made outstanding by his clear, gutsy and resonant vocals- with the emotion and projection of Stevie Wonder. Constructed with that old school, rhythm and blues sound, reminiscent of the 70s and 80s, this dynamic gospel album goes way beyond the gospel standard and reaches into pop, soul and jazzy R&B to present a perfectly polished collection of exceptional R&B gospel."

Click here for some of Bob's favorites at CDBaby.com:

McKinney Associates, Inc.
Post Office Box 5162
Louisville, KY 40255-0162
info@mckinneyspeakers.com