COURTESY RUDY CURRENCE

Rock Hill native Rudy Currence, whose single "I Belong Here" rose to No. 1 on Billboard's gospel music charts, has diverse music influences from Prince and Michael Jackson to the Bee Gees and the Carpenters.

Rudy Currence considers himself an everyday PK: preacher’s kid.

Church shaped the Rock Hill native’s experience, fueling the message of his music. He spent countless hours at their home church, New Mt Olivet AME Zion Church, and gathering with the congregation at Souls For Christ Church, where his father the Rev. Ruperd G. Currence Jr. preaches.

“Both churches have made a significant impact in my life,” Currence said. “My brother [whose stage name is Mykal Star] and I grew up playing and singing in church.”

Currence’s parents with surrounded him with music growing up. His dad was a Prince fan and his mom, Patricia, loved Michael Jackson and Motown. They introduced their children to the Carpenters and the Bee Gees, exposing them to a variety of sounds.

“The beautiful thing about my parents is that although we grew up in a religious household—a faith-based household—they were just music lovers,” Currence said.

Patricia would take the family to local events, which led to the children singing the national anthem at Charlotte Hornets games. They would later compete and win on “Showtime at the Apollo,” the TV show hosted by Steve Harvey at the Apollo Theater in New York City.

“This is all before I graduated from high school,” said Currence, a Northwestern High School alumnus. “With that type of background and then going on to major in classical music at Furman University—I was on scholarship for classical piano and classical voice—which stretched me even more, I am just grateful that I have been exposed to and gotten a chance to glean from so many genres of music. When somebody asks what my style is, it is really a culmination of all of the life experiences and musical experiences that I have been fortunate enough to have.

“I don’t really classify myself as one thing. I am just an everyday PK, a musician, singer, songwriter from the Carolinas.”

While he does not claim a single genre, Currence has earned recognition for his gospel music. The Grammy and Dove award-winning artist’s single “I Belong Here” earned No. 1 Billboard Gospel song for two consecutive weeks earlier this year. He wrote the song several years ago as a reminder from God that there is a place for him in the world and the music industry. “I Belong Here” was released in May 2020 during the height of the pandemic and days before civil unrest would sweep the nation in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

“I did not realize when I had written the song how timely the message would be for the season that we would all enter into, because of the global pandemic,” Currence said. “People were experiencing depression and anxiety, because they were sheltering in place. They felt alone. They felt isolated. People were losing loved ones [and] dealing with financial hardships. We were witnessing civil unrest. “Everybody at that point needed a reminder that they have a special place in this world, and that no matter what they are going through that we are not alone—that you belong here. I belong here. We have a place in this world.”

Star produced Currence’s last radio single, “Testimony,” which earned Billboard’s Top 20 recognition on the gospel charts.  

Currence also released four other singles in 2020: “#Hope,” “#Hope remix with David Banner” and “O Holy Night” with Korean artist Jae Jin. He intends to release an album, “Stained Glass Windows,” in the second or third quarter of 2021 as an homage to gospel singers who came before him.

“The concept is about growing up in church it is easy for people who are part of the faith-based community to kind of forget that we are the church—we are the body of Christ,” Currence said. “As believers, we should go out into the world and just preach hope and spread love the same way that Christ did—the same way that we believe God is love.

“I am hoping that this album won’t become something that alienates anybody but really will be something that just encourages everybody, no matter what walk of life you come from, just to be your better self and to also love each other.”

On the Net:
http://rudycurrence.com

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