Faith - Gerald Alston is an American R&B singer, and the lead singer with The Manhattans. Between 1988 and 1995, he left the group to record five albums (later recording his tribute to Sam Cooke in 2008) and ten solo singles. (Producer: Shefik | Production Assistant: Abdul Wells)
Faith - Gerald Alston is an American R&B singer, and the lead singer with The Manhattans. Between 1988 and 1995, he left the group to record five albums (later recording his tribute to Sam Cooke in 2008) and ten solo singles. (Producer: Shefik | Production Assistant: Abdul Wells)
I'm Gerald Alston, lead singer of the Grammy award winning Manhattans. And today I'd like to speak to you about faith. I am Methodist. I grew up in a gospel family and a spiritual family, religious family. My father is a pastor, had a group called The Gospel Brothers. My mother played piano with my father's sisters. They had a group, they were gospel singers and my uncle, the late Johnny Fields, my uncle, was one of the founding members of the Five Blind Boys of Alabama. And so many times I'm asked, why did I go to secular music? You know, or why did I come to sing gospel music? But I've always sang gospel. Secular was what I went to but my faith in God is what has seen me through it. And Hebrews 11:1 says, "Faith is assurance of things hoped for, conviction of things not seen." And I was taught an early to believe in God and how important it is to have God in my life and I have to study it. I have to learn about God. I have to learn about the Bible and things that happen by faith. And sometimes we have to step out on faith before we gain the knowledge. And it's okay because if you have faith in God and you know who God is, he'll lead you in the right direction and in the right path. That is a big portion, that is my success. That is why I am where I am today, 45 years later, still singing with The Manhattans and still singing gospel. I will never stop singing gospel but I have to educate myself to the business, to the Bible, to myself, I have to learn more about myself in order to step out on faith. You have to know who you are, you have to believe in God, you have to know God to be able to step out in faith and achieve the things in life that you want to achieve. You also have to have knowledge about those things that you're trying to achieve. You know, if you're sick, you go to a doctor. You have faith in that doctor so you know that doctor is educated and knows what to do for you. God has put those people there in our lives to help us get through this by faith.