Participants: Yvonne Lewis (Host), Babbie Mason
Series Code: UBR
Program Code: UBR000036
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00:01 One of Gospel Music's most accomplished
00:03 singers and song writers is right here with us today... 00:06 Stay tuned to find out who it is... 00:08 My name is Yvonne Lewis and you're watching 00:11 Urban Report... 00:34 Hello and welcome to Urban Report... 00:36 My guest today is Babbie Mason 00:39 one of my all-time favorite singers and writers... 00:43 Welcome to Urban Report Babbie... 00:45 Thank you Yvonne, it's good to see you again 00:48 my friend... Oh, it's great to see you, 00:50 and it's great to hear you... when I hear you, I mean, 00:54 I'm just so blessed by your ministry... 00:56 Praise God... I am blessed... 00:59 Thank you... Thank you for taking 01:01 the time out to be with us today 01:03 you know, you have had such an amazing career 01:06 in ministry... tell us a little bit about 01:10 your background... and then we're going to find out 01:12 more about the highlights of your ministry... 01:14 Where were you born? 01:15 I was born and raised in a little town, 01:20 about 70 miles east of Detroit, Michigan 01:24 in a little town called 01:26 Jackson, Michigan... 01:27 and I grew up... a daughter of a pastor, 01:30 and my mom and my dad served in one Church 01:33 for 40 years... my dad's first and only Pastorate... 01:37 there in that little town and it was there 01:40 at Lily Missionary Baptist Church 01:42 where I fell in love with gospel music 01:44 I fell in love with the Word of God, 01:46 I fell in love with Jesus, got it way deep down in my bones 01:49 and I believe that those were really the formative years 01:52 of the ministry that God has given me today. 01:54 Yes... so you are a PK-Pastor's Kid... 01:57 I'm a PK... I'm not a Preacher's Kid, 02:00 I'm a Pastor's Kid... Oh come on now... come on now... 02:03 I think that as a very young child, 02:06 I started playing the piano at my daddy's church... 02:08 got hired by the age of 9 years old... 02:11 Wow... 02:12 and started playing for all the Church Choirs... 02:14 all the Choir Rehearsals, all the responsibilities, 02:17 and Yvonne, I could only play in one key 02:20 because they sing everything by ear, you know, 02:23 there was no Printed Music... or no... 02:24 we had hymnals... but we didn't actually read the notes 02:28 we read the words, or we actually sang those 02:30 songs and hymns and spiritual songs, 02:33 when the deacons led the devotion service, 02:35 but I grew up playing when I first got started... 02:38 as a 9-year-old, 02:39 full-time Church pianist, I could only play in one key, 02:43 and that was the key of "C"... 02:45 No sharps or flats? No sharps... no flats... 02:50 which meant... they had to sing every song 02:54 in the key of "C"... and sometimes, Yvonne, 02:58 sometimes... it was too high, and sometimes it was too low, 03:02 and sometimes it was just plain bad... 03:05 but they had to sing that song in the key of "C"... 03:08 but you know what I've learned, Yvonne, 03:10 I've learned that God is faithful... 03:12 He is so faithful... and if we give Him what little bit... 03:16 it may seem like... so insignificant, 03:20 but if we give Him what little bit we have 03:23 in our hand... He blesses it... 03:25 He multiplies it... and He uses it 03:29 for the glorification of His Kingdom 03:32 and the encouragement 03:33 of the Body of Christ... Yes... 03:36 that's what He's done, and He's still doing... 03:37 in my life... Oh, that's beautiful... 03:40 that's beautiful... so, at 9 years old... 03:42 this... it's like... it's hard for me to wrap 03:44 my mind around this... at 9 years old... 03:47 you were already in music ministry... 03:49 Yes... which is... 03:51 God was grooming you 03:52 from a child... to do... what He put you 03:57 on this planet to do... Yes... 03:59 and that is incredible... one of the things 04:02 that's interesting to me about PKs is... 04:04 many times... they might stray or whatever... 04:09 because they have a... maybe a vicarious relationship 04:13 with the Lord, through their parents 04:16 and not their own... was that your experience 04:19 or did you ever stray or did you just kind of 04:22 stay focused on ministry... 04:25 You know Yvonne, I do have a story... 04:29 and I believe the Lord allowed me to get close enough 04:34 to the edge... and look over 04:37 but not see... 04:39 but not like... what I saw... 04:42 Ah... tell us a little bit about it Bab... 04:44 Well, I grew up during the Motown era 04:48 I am a product of the 60s and 70s... 04:52 and so, I grew up in an era where music was... 04:55 just... at... where "Motown" was at its height 04:59 all of that beautiful music 05:00 that came out of Detroit with the Supremes 05:03 and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas 05:05 and The Jackson 5... and the Temptations... 05:09 and Aretha... 05:11 she wasn't a Motown Artist 05:12 but she came out to Detroit and her music 05:14 was very influential 05:16 in my upbringing... 05:17 she was a Preacher's daughter, Yes... 05:19 she played the piano, she writes beautiful music 05:24 so I grew up singing all of Aretha's music 05:27 don't tell my daddy though, but... I did it... 05:31 I was listening to Motown music under my pillow... 05:35 you know... I have very strict parents... 05:36 and so, they didn't allow 05:38 you know... Rock 'n' roll 05:41 or R and B music played in our home, 05:42 but on my little Transistor Radio 05:45 I put it under my pillow at night... 05:48 and listened to the music coming out of CKLW out of Detroit... 05:52 Windsor, Ontario, Canada actually... 05:54 and listened to Motown music under my pillow at night... 05:56 Now were you singing at this point 05:59 or playing... primarily... were you singing primarily... 06:02 Both... Okay... okay... 06:05 but I was not only the pianist, at age nine... 06:09 I was not only the Pianist, I was the Choir Director, 06:12 and I could sing... so, I led a lot of songs, 06:16 I taught harmony... and, of course, you know, 06:19 this was very gradual... as the Lord 06:21 allowed my gifts and talents to be nurtured and 06:24 all of this... not only practicing 06:27 but application on a routine and regular basis 06:32 my gifts began to flourish... and the Church... 06:35 they were very patient with me, 06:37 they were very nurturing to me, 06:39 and it was really a wonderful place for my gifts 06:44 and talents to grow... so my mom and dad thought 06:49 that I would be a gospel singer, and my daddy said, 06:53 one day... I told my daddy... 06:55 I said, "Look, daddy, I think the Lord 06:56 is calling me into the full-time music ministry" 06:58 and he said, "Baby, you need a job... " 07:00 my daddy was one of those men that was all to all people, 07:08 he was the County Commissioner, he was a Pastor, 07:10 he was a Preacher, he was a Teacher, 07:11 he taught in the local Community College 07:13 Bible Study classes and things like that... 07:15 and so he was very influential, 07:17 he set me up with an interview with the 07:19 Superintendent of Schools 07:20 there in Jackson... and the next thing you know... 07:22 I was teaching School... but while I was in College, 07:26 I discovered the music of Danniebelle Hall... 07:29 and you and I know and remember Danniebelle 07:33 because we were involved in that Project 07:35 called "Sisters" years ago... 07:37 Yes... yes years ago we were... 07:39 with the part of that Project as a matter-of-fact... 07:42 I was able to record a duet with Danniebelle 07:45 that was on the Sisters' Project... it was called, 07:48 "Somebody pray... " Yes... 07:50 Yes... Yes... and Danniebelle was... 07:52 I know that the Lord... I know... that I know... 07:55 that I know... that I know... Yvonne... 07:57 that the Lord sent Danniebelle Hall into my life... 08:00 I discovered her music... 08:02 one day... I was in the registration line 08:04 at School... at Spring Arbor University 08:05 that's my alma mater there in southern Michigan... 08:08 not far from home... and I was in the registration 08:10 line and the School has a Radio Station 08:13 and they were selling some music back there... 08:15 they had a big Record Sale... and they had these bins and bins 08:18 of albums and the line was moving tediously slow 08:22 and so, I was just filing through these bins 08:25 of records... of albums... 08:27 and I discovered... 08:29 I saw this beautiful Black woman's face... 08:31 on the cover of this record, that was very unusual in the 70s 08:35 because to my knowledge, I hadn't seen very many 08:39 African American women 08:41 that sang solos... 08:43 now there were some that sang in groups... 08:45 Right... right... they were very popular 08:47 in the 60s and 70s... but it was a very 08:49 contemporary-looking album... 08:51 there was a woman who looked a lot like me... 08:54 it was a beautiful photograph and it was intriguing 08:58 and so, I picked it up... it was the music of 09:00 Danniebelle Hall... and so I bought the album 09:02 not even knowing who she was... at the time... 09:04 and I took the album home... and there was just 09:07 beautiful music... gorgeous lyrics... 09:10 refreshing contemporary sounds, and Danniebelle's music 09:13 literally saved my life... she gave me something to sing... 09:17 I imitated and emulated her music... 09:20 she plays the piano... she was really... God's answer 09:25 to Aretha Franklin... So, were you at a place where 09:29 you were kind of teetering 09:32 with going out into the world with your gifts 09:35 as opposed to using them for the Lord 09:37 were you at that place in your life... 09:40 when you picked up that Danniebelle's CD? 09:42 Yes... I was at a very critical place in my life, Yvonne, 09:46 because... in my heart... 09:48 I had accepted Christ 09:50 as my Savior by the age of eight-years-of-age 09:52 but my heart was truly divided... 09:56 I felt that the only way that I could really allow 09:58 my musical dreams to come true... 10:00 was to become a Motown Singer or to be an R and B Singer 10:04 and there are some people who are called to do that... 10:08 but the Lord... and I was singing 10:12 in bars and clubs, trying to make that happen, 10:15 trying to make that dream happen for me... 10:17 on Fridays and Saturday nights, I'd be in the local bar and club 10:21 singing secular music... and I'd met a friend 10:24 and he and I were like Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway 10:27 we'd sing duets together... and I'd play the piano 10:29 and I'd sing Aretha songs, and Roberta Flack songs... 10:32 and Carole King songs and then on Sunday mornings 10:35 I'd be right there at my daddy's Church 10:37 leading the music... playing the piano 10:40 as a young College person, 10:41 and I tell you, Yvonne, 10:43 I would be so convicted... when I darkened the door 10:46 of a bar... 10:47 and then I'd be convicted again on a Sunday morning 10:50 when I'd go to Church... Hmmm... 10:52 Yeah... isn't that something... and the Lord showed me 10:54 my lifestyle... as I began to study the Word 10:56 and go to this Christian School, and sing in the groups 11:00 and choirs there on that Christian campus... 11:02 I got involved in a Christian Singing Group 11:04 there on campus... by this time... I'd discovered 11:07 the music of Danniebelle Hall, and the Lord showed me 11:10 my lifestyle... one day I was sitting at lunch 11:14 eating a cup of 11:16 piping hot soup... 11:18 it was about the fall of the year, 11:20 the air was chilled... 11:21 and this hot soup was feeling 11:24 very good going down... 11:25 but as the soup began to get lukewarm 11:27 over the course of the lunch hour... 11:29 the Lord showed me 11:30 that this was my life, and my lifestyle... 11:32 oil in the soup began to coagulate 11:35 it wasn't very tasty 11:36 it began to upset my stomach, and the Lord reminded me 11:39 from the book of the Revelation... 11:40 the 3rd Chapter and the 15th and 16th Verses... 11:43 "that you're lukewarm... you're neither hot nor cold 11:47 I wish you were one or the other, 11:48 but because you're lukewarm, 11:49 and neither hot nor cold... I'm about to spew you 11:52 out of my mouth... " Yes... 11:53 the Lord literally... sitting right there... 11:56 on that Christian College Campus, 11:57 gave me an ultimatum... "Serve me... get right... " 12:00 I heard somebody say years ago, "Get right or get left" 12:03 Yes... and the Lord convicted me 12:07 of my life and my lifestyle that day and 12:09 sitting right there as a College Junior, 12:12 I surrendered my life totally to the Lord, 12:15 He'd become my Savior at the age of eight years of age 12:19 but that day as a College Junior, 12:21 Jesus became... my Lord... and from then on... 12:24 I turned my back on this Secular Music dream 12:27 and dedicated my life to singing gospel music 12:30 to teaching... to serving the Lord 12:34 and giving Him back my life 12:35 and my talents... and over the course of the years 12:38 over the course of my ministry, God has just opened up 12:41 my dreams and doors 12:45 that have literally been 12:46 beyond my wildest dreams and imagination... 12:49 Isn't it amazing... how we can get 12:54 so caught up in that whole illusion... 12:58 of what's out there... and really... 13:01 God's plan for us is so much better... 13:04 it's more than we could ask or think... 13:07 I mean... here you are... you looked at the world 13:11 and what it had to offer, and you kind of 13:13 bought into it... and then God... 13:15 in His perfect timing, had that tape... sitting there 13:19 for you to take... to take home with you... 13:21 of Danniebelle... you took that home 13:23 and that actually... began this whole process of 13:27 you surrendering... that's a wonderful, 13:29 wonderful thing... it shows that... when we walk 13:32 in God's plan... there is nothing better 13:34 there is nothing more fulfilling than walking in 13:37 His plan for you... so tell us 13:40 some of the highlights of your career... 13:42 where has God taken you... this is not to glorify you... 13:45 this is to glorify Him... where has He take you 13:48 in your career? 13:49 You know, Yvonne... the Lord, as you just mentioned, 13:55 He has a plan for us... Yes... 13:59 This is what He said, and this has become 14:03 a life verse for me... a lot of people know 14:06 Jeremiah 29:11 to 13... Yes... 14:09 I thought I'd mention that, that He says, 14:12 "I know the Plans for you," declares the Lord... 14:16 "they are plans to prosper you and not to harm you, 14:20 plans to give you a hope, and a future... " 14:22 He says, "Call on me... 14:24 and I'll answer you... search for me... 14:27 and you'll find me... when you search for me 14:30 with all of your heart... " Jeremiah 29:11 to 13... 14:36 and you know Yvonne, for every authentic thing... 14:42 there is an imitation... 14:44 and we have a God who has a plan for us... 14:50 we also have an adversary who has a plan for us as well, 14:53 That's right... Isn't that true? 14:55 That is right... we have the true and the counterfeit... 14:58 We have the truth and the counterfeit, 15:01 Hmmm... hmmm... and the enemy does not want us 15:04 to discover God's true purpose and plans for our lives... 15:07 and so he will do everything that he can 15:10 to distract us... you know, he's on a mission as well 15:13 to kill, to steal and destroy... 15:16 he does not want us to realize God's perfect plan for us... 15:20 and I tell you... over the course of almost 15:24 30 years now, Yvonne, 15:26 I taught Middle High School music... 15:28 for eight years, and all that time... 15:31 the Lord was opening up doors for me 15:34 until Music Ministry began to crowd my 15:36 everyday job and it literally forced me out of the classroom, 15:40 and over the course of the last 27 years now, 15:44 we have had the opportunity to travel literally 15:47 around the globe... and right here in our own County 15:51 I visit the Women's Jails and Prisons... 15:55 you talk about some wonderful worship services 15:59 just a high Worship Services... 16:02 if you have never heard the women and men sing in Prison 16:05 you have not heard singing in your life... 16:08 it is something phenomenal to behold... 16:10 Yes... from a Prison... 16:12 where I go and visit and sing, to singing before Presidents, 16:18 President Carter, President Ford, 16:20 President Bush, I've been literally around 16:24 the world to the jungles of Africa, 16:26 to the beautiful City of Lights in Paris, France 16:30 from South Africa... where we've spoken 16:34 and ministered to women there, in Victoria and Johannesburg, 16:40 and Cape Town, South Africa, literally to Eastern Europe, 16:46 in the depths of poverty, 16:48 and where the gospel... 16:50 you know... places where the gospel 16:52 has not even been preached... 16:53 and then now... I'm honored to do a television show 16:57 that literally goes around the world... 17:00 it's broadcast over the Internet as well as on Television... 17:04 and so the Lord... you know, when you give Him 17:07 your life... when you dedicate 17:10 your life to Him... and you make the statement, 17:12 "Lord, I will no longer compromise... 17:14 but I will dedicate my gifts, my life, my talents to you... " 17:19 He'll take you up on it... He'll take you up on it... 17:23 Yes... yes... and oh that's so good... 17:24 Isn't that good? It's so good... 17:27 We... and I say this on this Program... all the time 17:30 we talk about, basically, Jeremiah 29:11... 17:34 that God has a divine plan for each of us... 17:37 if we would just make ourselves available... 17:39 just like you just said... He will show us 17:42 what that plan is... and then open the doors 17:46 so that we can walk in our destiny... 17:48 our divine destiny... Satan has a destiny for us... 17:53 and God has one... and if we just focus on 17:57 what God wants us to do... He will have us doing 18:00 things that are exceedingly above 18:03 more than we could ask for or think... 18:06 I want our viewers to hear you because many of them... 18:10 some of them... I'm sure many of them 18:13 have already heard you sing... some of our viewers haven't... 18:16 so I have a little video of you singing... 18:19 and I'd like for us to put that up 18:22 and let our viewers get exposed the artistry and ministry 18:28 of my sister Babbie Mason... 22:33 See Babbie... it's these songs like "shine the Light" 22:36 that you've written that just... 22:38 they just take us to another place... 22:41 it's all about ministry and that's... 22:43 and I love that about you and your music... 22:46 it's about ministry... God has given you 22:49 a wonderful instrument and then He's given you that gift 22:52 of writing as well... 22:53 you've done over 20 albums... you have sung on over 20 albums 23:00 tell us some of the artists that have sung 23:02 some of your songs... because you've written... 23:04 how many songs have you written? 23:05 Well, let's see, Yvonne, I have probably written 23:10 maybe over 400 to 500 songs, 23:12 Amazing... and who are some of the artists 23:15 that have recorded your songs? 23:17 I have had... the Lord has blessed me to have 23:21 songs in many genres in contemporary Christian music, 23:25 I've recorded many of my songs, Alvin Slaughter, 23:30 CeCe Winans... Larnelle Harris... 23:32 then I have songs in gospel music... 23:35 traditional gospel music, O'Landa Draper... 23:38 remember sweet old O'Landa Draper 23:40 Yes... you know, Walker... 23:42 Danniebelle Hall and I've recorded together... 23:46 I've had some wonderful, some wonderful artists 23:49 record my songs... I've even had songs 23:52 that have been in movies... do you remember the movie 23:55 Déjà Vu with Denzel Washington, the song, 23:59 "Holy Spirit come and fill this place... " 24:02 that was recorded by CeCe Winans was actually in that movie 24:05 so, God has really honored my music and my ministry 24:11 and music career it's been a real privilege 24:14 and lots of sweet surprises... working for the Lord... 24:17 Yes... yes... for sure... for sure... 24:19 and now... you are just not even satisfied 24:23 with just writing music... you've written a book as well... 24:26 tell us what's behind the book... 24:28 the book is "Embracing" is it "Embrace you?" 24:31 "Embraced by God" Embraced by God... 24:35 tell us... what's behind this book? 24:38 Well, one Sunday morning... quickly, just to give you the 24:42 long and short story... my husband and I 24:44 were sitting there on Sunday Morning Worship Service 24:45 one Sunday... and the Pastor said, 24:47 "Turn to your neighbor and say to your neighbor, 24:49 'I am God's favorite'" 24:51 and I thought, "Okay, that's kind of cute... " 24:54 I said it to my husband and he said it to me... 24:56 people chuckled as we said those words... 24:58 but as the days progressed, Yvonne, 25:00 I wasn't sure that it was true... 25:02 I wasn't sure that I actually qualified to be God's favorite, 25:05 I mean, how does one become God's favorite? 25:07 I thought God didn't play favorites... 25:08 how could that possibly be that I could be considered 25:12 God's favorite... and it intrigued me so 25:14 that I began looking for answers in the Word of God... 25:18 and I came upon... John 17... I know I've read the Chapter 25:22 many times... but I happened to be reading 25:23 in a passage of the Bible 25:25 that was more contemporary... 25:28 in a version that was more in contemporary language, 25:31 and what it says in John 17:23, Jesus is praying... 25:35 He's praying... that we would understand 25:38 that God loves us as much as He loves His own Son, 25:42 my eyes were opened... 25:44 I said, "What in the world! God, you mean you love me 25:48 as much as you love Jesus... this is revelatory... 25:52 you love me as much as you love your own Son... " 25:57 therefore, Yvonne, you know how we feel like 26:00 we have to perform 26:02 for God's love... 26:04 Yes... We are not good enough... 26:05 we think we have to pray more... 26:08 we have to always do more... you know... 26:10 that's what that legalistic mind-set... 26:12 it's a mind-set of striving... I have to do more... 26:17 I have to pray more... I have to be more... 26:19 I have to strive to be perfect, I have to give more... 26:22 I have to go to Church more... but Jesus is enough... 26:25 Come on... Jesus is enough... 26:27 Jesus has done all that we need... 26:30 Jesus is our sacrifice... He was the perfect sacrifice... 26:34 therefore... we no longer have to do sacrificial giving... 26:38 we no longer have to do any more... 26:41 we just have to be... be grateful... 26:44 be thankful... be obedient... 26:46 be the person that He wants us to be... 26:49 through His beautiful Son, Jesus... 26:51 and that is freedom... and that's really the theme 26:54 behind "Embraced by God" 26:56 is... understanding that God loves you 26:59 as much as He loves His own Son... 27:02 and we can be free in that... 27:03 Well, praise the Lord... what better way to end 27:06 than on those words... 27:07 Babbie... thank you so much for being with us today, 27:10 and I want you... to come here... 27:14 to 3ABN to our Urban Report Set... 27:17 and come here on the Set... so that we can 27:20 really look face-to-face... and talk like sisters... 27:24 I'd love that... and if I could just remind 27:26 your listeners... they can check me out... 27:29 I'd love to visit with them, or communicate with them, 27:32 at my website... babbie. com 27:35 and Babbie is spelled, Babbie... 27:38 babbie. com... I'm on Facebook... 27:40 and Twitter and all of those wonderful media places, 27:43 I'd love to reach out to you sometime... 27:45 Thank you... we're going to put your 27:47 information up on the screen as well... 27:49 Thank you Babbie... love you... 27:51 I love you too my friend... 27:52 We've reached the end 27:54 of another Program... 27:55 Thanks for tuning in... join us next time... 27:58 it just wouldn't be the same... without you... |
Revised 2015-03-31