Shirley pastors her own congregation ate Mt. Calvary Word of Faith Church in Raleigh, N.C. She began singing at the age of 8, and first gained national prominence in 1958 as a member of the pioneering Caravans, before beginning an illustrious solo career. She has recorded more than 30 albums since 1966 which have sold over 500,000 copies, as well as a gold video, nine Grammys, a host of Dove and Stellar Awards. Last year she completed her third sold-out run on Broadway, starring in "Born To Sing," the third installment of the "Mama I Want to Sing" trilogy. Shirley recently played New York's Madison Square Garden in the hit gospel musical, "This Is My Song," with Cissy Houston and Tramaine Hawkins. Shirley has also been involved with three major motion picture soundtracks including Whitney Houston's The Preacher's Wife, the John Singleton film Rosewood, and her first acting debut with Warner Brother film, Why Do Fools Fall In Love.
Shirley emphasizes the crucial spiritual dimension in all her successes, past, present and still to come. "Everything I do has a spiritual purpose to it," she says. "Everything. Everything! The Grammys, the albums, the videos, the book . . . they all give me the chance to minister to that many more people. These are all powerful vehicles to touch people far beyond my capacity to reach them one-on-one, and hopefully change hearts and lead people to the Lord, then to motivate them to take up responsibilities to care for one another." She's been known to bring audiences jumping to their feet with her powerful voice, and now she is making a name for herself as an accomplished actress. But, make no mistake about it: above all else, Shirley Caesar's calling is to spread the word of God.
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