{"id":9469,"date":"2016-06-06T16:56:17","date_gmt":"2016-06-06T20:56:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.gospelflava.com\/?p=9469"},"modified":"2016-06-06T16:56:17","modified_gmt":"2016-06-06T20:56:17","slug":"a-moment-of-reflection-with-pastor-shirley-caesar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/a-moment-of-reflection-with-pastor-shirley-caesar\/","title":{"rendered":"A Moment of Reflection With Pastor Shirley Caesar"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ShirleyCaesar-FillThisHouse-AlbumCoverFinal\"Pastor Shirley Caesar<\/strong> is without a doubt a Gospel music legend and icon.\u00a0 With 40 records to date, 11 Grammy awards, 18 Dove Awards, 14 Stellar Awards and a 2016 star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the reigning Queen of Gospel took time to talk with GOSPELflava about the blessings of God on her life and ministry, her new album and took some time to dispense some good advice.<\/p>\n

GOSPELflava: Pastor Caesar, what a privilege to talk with you.\u00a0 What can be said about your many years of ministry? Did you ever imagine that life would bring you to this point?<\/p>\n

Pastor Caesar: I always knew that the calling of God was on my life from a child.\u00a0 I used to lay up in bed at night and visualize myself singing and preaching and having a healing service with my mother at the front of the prayer line.\u00a0 But if anybody would have ever told me that I would be next in line behind Mahalia Jackson to receive a Grammy for Gospel music and sing for Presidents and heads of state, and travel overseas and do films and tv.\u00a0 I would have never believed it , never never never.\u00a0 I will add to this, that this is the Lord’s doing, and its just marvelous in our eyes.\u00a0 I owe Him my life.<\/p>\n

GOSPELflava: Fill This House is your brand new project.\u00a0 How would you describe it?<\/p>\n

Pastor Caesar: Well, It is my prayer that it will reach both the young and the old, I have songs on there for everybody. We were blessed with some amazing writers.\u00a0 Brother Darnell Davis gave us He Won’t Fail You. \u00a0 Brother Mike (Mathis) , I don\u2019t care what I preach about at church, he can write a song about it.\u00a0 The song You Shall Survive this came from one of my messages and we get our shout on with Bishop Hezekiah Walker for a little bit.\u00a0 Then there is a song, the single that is out now that says Its Alright Its ok, the message there is this,\u00a0 don\u2019t burst a vessel over stuff you cannot fix yourself.\u00a0 A problem is only a problem when you don\u2019t know the answer, if you know the answer to it, then its not a problem, and we know the answer to every situation is JESUS.\u00a0 Be Happy\u00a0 (I Command You to Live) is dedicated in memory of my good friend Apostle Richard D. Henton, founder of the Monument of Faith Church in Chicago, a great servant of the Lord who went home to be with the Lord not long ago.<\/p>\n

There is also Mother Emanuel, this song is going to bring some healing. As June is the anniversary of the shooting tragedy in Charleston, there will be a gathering in DC of people who will remember the occasion.\u00a0 I am praying that I can be there and that my record company will make sure we are there.\u00a0 By far, this is one of the best albums that I have done in a while, and I am pleased with the outcome.<\/p>\n

GOSPELflava: Can you share with us your memories of meeting Mahalia Jackson.<\/p>\n

\"LOS

LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 09: Singer Anthony Hamilton (L) and Pastor Shirley Caesar perform onstage during BET Celebration Of Gospel 2016 at Orpheum Theatre on January 9, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mark Davis\/BET\/Getty Images for BET)<\/p><\/div>\n

Pastor Caesar: I met Mahalia Jackson in Chicago while I was a part of the Caravans, and when Albertina said Shirley, this is Mahalia Jackson, I ran and jumped up and hugged her neck because all of my life I wanted to be a little Mahalia Jackson.\u00a0 To meet her face to face was such a honor, I will never forget that. To walk in her shadow and continue the tradition of carrying the message of the Gospel around the world is an honor I try to live up to EVERY DAY of my life.<\/p>\n

GOSPELflava: Any words to those that are coming behind you?<\/p>\n

Pastor Caesar: Hold fast the profession of your faith, don’t just be a Gospel singer, live a life worthy of being a Gospel singer.\u00a0 Then you have to have a boldness.\u00a0 When I was young, I remember asking the Lord, Lord if you just crack the door, you don’t have to open it, I would kick the door open for your glory.\u00a0 I wrote my own request, went to the program, passed it to the people in charge and the lady got up and said we have a request for Shirley Caesar to sing a solo.\u00a0 I felt that was God’s way of cracking the door.\u00a0 I ran to the front, no musician, no rehearsal and just sang my song.\u00a0 It was The Lord will Make a Way Somehow.\u00a0 And look what God has done, from then until now? Oh yes, I have been blessed.\u00a0 Its so important that we follow Bible principles.\u00a0 Honor your parents.\u00a0 I believe God blessed me to live this long and kept his hand on my preaching and music ministry because I cared for my invalid mother.\u00a0 God did it, and I look to him to do it more and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pastor Shirley Caesar is without a doubt a Gospel music legend and icon.\u00a0 With 40 records to date, 11 Grammy awards, 18 Dove Awards, 14 Stellar Awards and a 2016 star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the reigning Queen of Gospel took time to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,2],"tags":[3537,411,709,3538,3539,2878,2879,245,3540],"class_list":["post-9469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-album-releases","category-artist-news-and-updates","tag-apostle-richard-henton","tag-bishop-hezekiah-walker","tag-eone-entertainment","tag-fill-this-house","tag-i-command-you-to-live","tag-its-alright","tag-its-ok","tag-pastor-shirley-caesar","tag-you-shall-survive-this"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4814,"url":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/new-music-from-pastor-shirley-caesar-on-the-way\/","url_meta":{"origin":9469,"position":0},"title":"New Music From Pastor Shirley Caesar On The Way","author":"Martin Williams","date":"February 1, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Light Records recording artist Pastor Shirley Caesar returns March 26th with a brand new album entitled \"Good God\". The album features production by Kurt Carr and James Fortune. The 1st lady of Gospel Music recently performed at the 2013 Stellar Awards in tribute to her fellow Caravans group member the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Album Releases"","block_context":{"text":"Album Releases","link":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/category\/artists\/album-releases\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"37088_400783556682309_2018747650_n","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.gospelflava.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/37088_400783556682309_2018747650_n.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9914,"url":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/a-1-debut-for-pastor-shirley-caesar\/","url_meta":{"origin":9469,"position":1},"title":"A #1 Debut for Pastor Shirley Caesar","author":"Gregory Gay","date":"June 13, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"11 time Grammy winner and reigning Queen of Gospel Pastor Shirley Caesar celebrates her new album, Fill This House making its debut at #1 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart.\u00a0 With a celebrated six decade career and 40 albums under her belt, the 2016 Hollywood Walk of Fame honoree\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"PastorShirleyCaesar-Photo3","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.gospelflava.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/PastorShirleyCaesar-Photo3-300x254.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11790,"url":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/pastor-shirley-caesar-tells-her-story-on-unsung\/","url_meta":{"origin":9469,"position":2},"title":"Pastor Shirley Caesar Tells Her Story On Unsung","author":"Gregory Gay","date":"March 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Gospel Queen and 11 time Grammy winner Pastor Shirley Caesar shares the secret to her 5 decades of ministry on season 12 of the award winning docu-series Unsung. With over 40 albums and 11 Grammy Awards, Shirley Caesar is the reigning Queen of Gospel Music. Beginning her career at 12\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Artist News and Updates"","block_context":{"text":"Artist News and Updates","link":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/category\/artists\/artist-news-and-updates\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/PastorShirleyCaesar-Photo3-e1480719414984.jpg?fit=800%2C677&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/PastorShirleyCaesar-Photo3-e1480719414984.jpg?fit=800%2C677&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/PastorShirleyCaesar-Photo3-e1480719414984.jpg?fit=800%2C677&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/PastorShirleyCaesar-Photo3-e1480719414984.jpg?fit=800%2C677&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10474,"url":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/grammy-lifetime-achievement-award-for-pastor-shirley-caesar\/","url_meta":{"origin":9469,"position":3},"title":"Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award For Pastor Shirley Caesar","author":"Gregory Gay","date":"December 20, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Eleven time Grammy Award Winner Pastor Shirley Caesar will add another trophy to her mantle as the Recording Academy announced her as part of the 2017 class of Lifetime Achievement Award recipients.\u00a0 Pastor Caesar will receive her award during the Grammy Awards on Sunday February 12th, 2017. With over 40\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Artist News and Updates"","block_context":{"text":"Artist News and Updates","link":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/category\/artists\/artist-news-and-updates\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/SC-BET-300x300.jpg?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8395,"url":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/pastor-shirley-caesar-honored-in-hollywood\/","url_meta":{"origin":9469,"position":4},"title":"Pastor Shirley Caesar Honored In Hollywood","author":"Gregory Gay","date":"June 24, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Multiple Grammy winner Pastor Shirley Caesar was recently announced as a 2016 recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.\u00a0 She is the 4th Gospel artist to receive the prestigious honor. \u00a0 Eone VP\/GM Phil Thorton shared these sentiments: \u201cEntertainment One Music congratulates Pastor Shirley Caesar on this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Artist News and Updates"","block_context":{"text":"Artist News and Updates","link":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/category\/artists\/artist-news-and-updates\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lady Shirley","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.gospelflava.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/Lady-Shirley.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2098,"url":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/watch-pastor-shirley-caesar-mary-mary-116-on-bets-black-girls-rock-broadcast\/","url_meta":{"origin":9469,"position":5},"title":"Watch Pastor Shirley Caesar & Mary Mary 11\/6 on BET's "Black Girls Rock" Broadcast!!","author":"Nakiyah Hayling","date":"November 2, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 On Sunday November 11th at 8pm EST \/7 pm Central\u00a0 BET's Black Girls Rock Awards taping\u00a0will air. The show honors women in the African American community that embody empowerment,\u00a0and have make an indelible mark in society. Black Girls Rock honored Pastor Shirley Caesar with the Living Legend award, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Artist News and Updates"","block_context":{"text":"Artist News and Updates","link":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/category\/artists\/artist-news-and-updates\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.gospelflava.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/260-300x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9469"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9469\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gospelflava.com\/v2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}