Jerome Bucknor

Jerome Bucknor’s passion for gospel music flourished from his family and church upbringing in Handsworth, Birmingham.

Ollie Pinnock

Orville Pinnock, the youngest of ten children born in England to Jamaican parents, grew up with music as a constant companion.

Audrey Lawrence-Mattis & Carlene Lawrence

Audrey and Carlene Mattis, sisters from Birmingham, reflect on their childhood immersed in the New Testament Church of God, which they describe as a “full-time occupation” centered on faith and music.

Rico Fogarty

Rico’s life, born in England to Jamaican parents, was constantly interwoven with music and eventually defined by a powerful spiritual conversion.

Bonito Dryden (aka Bunny)

Bunny’s drumming journey began at Hamstead Hall secondary school, where they discovered a natural talent for drums after being inspired by a friend, David McKenzie.

Garry Parkes

Gary Parkes’ early life was steeped in music, primarily influenced by his mother’s singing at home.

Duke Kerr, Melanie Kerr, Marlene Kerr, Tracey Riggan

The vocal group “Divine,” comprising Tracy, Marlene (her twin), and Duke, along with their cousin Yvonne, formed in October 1986, rooted in their upbringing in the New Testament Church of God with strong Jamaican family ties.

Owen Uriah

Owen Uriah’s journey began in the vibrant, multicultural “melting pot” of Aston, Birmingham, in the 1970s, where songs like “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” permeated the streets.

Millicent Stephenson

Millicent Stephenson, a multi-award-winning saxophonist, podcaster, and educator, shares a lifelong musical journey deeply connected to her Jamaican heritage and faith in Birmingham.

Lorraine Minot-Howe

Lorraine Minott-Howe, born in Wolverhampton in the late 1960s, shares a rich personal history deeply intertwined with the New Testament Church of God and a lifelong passion for music.