About Darrel Petties
Directing his church choir since the age of eight, and sharing preaching responsibilities with his grandfather/pastor from the time he was 13, Darrel has always known and lived a life of maturity far beyond his years.
Darrel overcame the hardships and tragedy of a broken home, with a frequently absent, drug-addicted father, and a mother who had her hands more than full trying to care for him and his five siblings, through both the obvious grace of God, and a large extended family that saw that his basic needs were always met. Leadership of a week-long youth crusade in Memphis, when Darrel was 14, yielded miraculous results, including the formation of a 100-voice choir which would become the first incarnation of Strength in Praise.
Darrel sees music as but one key component of the calling he has felt for his entire life. "My whole ministry is about how God always and eternally gives second chances," Darrel says, "but that can’t just be words you give to people. I think that by me doing all of these things going to college, to seminary, and carrying this music ministry to ever greater heights are all going to tie together to really complete the total destiny that God has on my life. I want to go places, street corners, the projects, foreign countries everywhere and show through this ministry that God offers this same life-changing experience to everyone. I pray that God is giving me that platform now, Darrel concludes, to get up close and personal with people to minister to them. There are so many things I want to do, but nothing is more important than saving that one soul for Christ, one life at a time."
With his debut solo release, Count It All Joy (2006), he moves front-and-center in the elite group of young, modern Gospel artists and choir-leaders who are innovatively and excitingly breathing new life into that venerable musical genre. Darrel and his choir, Sing in Praise, masterfully manage the merging of up-to-the minute R&B, urban influences and true-to-tradition, classic Gospel. Mighty God is a full-tilt shout of praise that kicks off in overdrive and only builds from there. Yes Lord, which garnered considerable radio play and recognition initially as part of the 2005, EMI Gospel anthology, Look Up Sing Out, is a high-energy homage to old-school Gospel that still packs a powerful, modern punch.
