Gospel singer Ivan Parker slated to appear in district

Award-winning gospel singer Ivan Parker will appear in concert 7 p.m. Sept. 12 at Mount Pleasant Church of God, 936 W. Main St.
“His songs are inspirational and he has a very pleasant manner. He’s always smiling and you feel very comfortable with him,” said the Rev. Glenn Beatty, pastor emeritus of the church where the Rev. Doug Show is pastor.
Born in North Carolina as a son of a Pentecostal preacher, Parker joined the Singing Americans in 1982 and the next year became lead singer of the Gold City Quartet.
Parker’s website noted Gold City had 19 top 10 hits, including the 1993 Dove Award-winning Southern gospel song of the year “There Rose a Lamb.”
Parker launched a solo career in 1994 and has released 13 major recordings. In 1996, he joined the Gaither Trio and was voted soloist of the year by the Church of God Denomination Worldwide.
Parker has also received many awards from Singing News and Gospel Voice Magazine, being named favorite lead vocalist and favorite male vocalist several times between 1987 and 1992.
He was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1993. Parker was named soloist of the year in 1998 by the Southern Gospel Music Association, in 2000 by Voice Magazine and in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2009 by Singing News.
In 2007, he became the first soloist to grace the cover of Singing News magazine.
His “Best of Ivan Parker” CD topped Billboard magazine charts across gospel genres in 2008.
Parker also won numerous favorite Southern Gospel male singer or soloist titles between 2010-14 for the Singing News Fan Awards.
His hit songs include “It’s True,” “I Choose” and his signature “Midnight Cry.”
Parker’s latest album is called “Threads of Mercy,” and is centered around the theme of seeing God’s mercy and love working in everyday happenstances. Album selections include “Secret Prayers,” “Don’t Hang Your Head,” “Cry” and “How Much Longer.”
Parker makes his home in Nashville where he and his wife own the Parker Music Group.
Beatty noted several individuals within Mount Pleasant Church of God contributed towards the cost of the concert so the church is able to make tickets for Parker’s concert available for $5.
There are, however, a limited number of tickets.
For more information, contact the church at 724-547-7110.