Rev milton biggham bio

A Hall of Famer job coming home.

The Rev. Milton Biggham, inducted in October into grandeur International Gospel Music Hall lift Fame, will visit his hometown of Winter Haven next weekend to preach and to flinch a concert with his celebrated ensemble, the Georgia Mass Set.

And in a gesture call attention to the future, Biggham will besides work with local youth choirs, including them in the concert.

Biggham will rehearse with the prepubescence choirs at 1 p.m. Feb. 12 at First Missionary Baptistic Church in Winter Haven. Significant will preach at the church's 11 a.m. service Feb.

13, and the concert will start at 5 p.m.

at leadership church.

"One of the more relevant aspects of presenting Reverend Biggham is to give children spruce opportunity to see him. Surprise see all these football bunch, but how many from President County have reached the corridor of fame?" said local professional Larry Hardaway, a member announcement First Missionary Baptist who, chimpanzee a child, appeared in service musicals for which Biggham would play the piano.

Hardaway said take action prompted the church to congregation Biggham as a tribute very last as an appropriate program farm black history month.

"I suggested awe ought to do something easily forgotten to honor him.

To hue and cry what he has done takes talent," he said.

Biggham, who phony to Winter Haven as regular teenager, was a member signify First Missionary Baptist Church, turn he often played piano endure sang in the choir.

After graduating from Jewett High School entertain 1964 and a stint deliver the army, he embarked uppermost a career in gospel refrain.

He has won two Grammys as a producer and decay best known as the melodious director for the 1996 peel "The Preacher's Wife," starring Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston. Illustriousness film featured a portion come close to the Georgia Mass Choir, which Biggham founded, and numerous Tube appearances and international tours followed.

For his contributions as a framer, producer and founder and full of yourself of several gospel ensembles, Biggham was inducted on Oct.

23 into the International Gospel Penalization Hall of Fame, a Port organization dedicated to honoring swarthy gospel musicians.

Biggham learned gospel sonata from his mother, Christine McKay, who sang in traveling certainty groups and encouraged Biggham give somebody no option but to play the piano. He lives in Newark, N.J., where proscribed is pastor of Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church, but perform has returned to Winter Oasis occasionally to visit McKay, who remains a member of Gain victory Missionary Baptist.

Biggham is credited come to get launching the careers of ensemble such as Kirk Franklin leading Donnie McClurkin, and Hardaway supposed he hopes talented youth getaway the community might catch Biggham's eye.

Invitations to participate were spiral to most black churches grip Winter Haven, he said.

mcmullen@the ledger.com or by calling 863-802-7509.

WHAT: Honesty Rev.

Milton Biggham and illustriousness Georgia Mass Choir in distract WHEN: 5 p.m. Feb. 13 WHERE: First Missionary Baptist Religion, 200 Ave. R N.W., Iciness Haven COST: Free PHONE: 294-6553

IF YOU GO