Commissioned was co-founded in 1982 by past BMI Trailblazers honoree Fred Hammond, along with Michael Brooks, Karl Reid, Keith Stanton, Mitchell Jones and Michael Williams. As the lineup changed, standout members included Marvin Sapp and others.
Funk, r&b and hip-hop grooves helped shape Commissioned’s groundbreaking sound, as lush harmonies carried the message to a receptive young audience that had previously seemed hard to reach. Commissioned parted ways in 1999, but their music remains a bold influence of contemporary gospel stars and a beloved favorite of fans around the world.
It was Shirley Caesar’s work with the Caravans that first introduced her to large audiences. During her time with the legendary group, she preached her first sermon and delivered lead vocals on popular Gospel songs such as “Holy Boldness” and “Choose Ye This Day”.
As a solo artist Caesar embraced contemporary production and secular rhythms like r&b and disco. As a result, she climbed pop, r&b and Gospel charts. In addition to a stunning 11 Grammys, Pastor Caesar has earned 18 Dove Awards and 14 Stellar Awards. She is currently the Senior Pastor of Mount Calvary Word of Faith in Raleigh, NC.
Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI) is an American performing right organization that represents more than 475,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music and more than 6.5 million works.The U.S. corporation collects license fees from businesses that use music, which it then distributes as royalties to the musical creators and copyright owners it represents.