Dottie Peoples
Written by admin on July 24, 2019
Few people possess a voice that can usher people into the presence of God with more joy and immediacy than Dottie Peoples. Blessed with a soulful, passionate voice and an unbridled love for the Lord and her fellow man, Peoples is an electrifying presence on stage that turns any concert into an all out revival.
Peoples has a gift for creating thought-provoking, life-affirming music that resonates deeply with audiences throughout the world. It’s a calling she discovered early in life. One of 10 children, Peoples grew up in Ohio, but spent summers in Alabama with her grandmother who everyone lovingly referred to as Big Mama. She encouraged her young granddaughter’s dream of growing up to sing like Mahalia Jackson. “I did my first little ‘ole song around eight or nine years old,” Peoples recalls. “I remember singing and running out of the church. I got scared because everybody was shouting.”
Young Dottie continued to sing throughout high school and her distinctive voice always garnered attention. After seeing her perform in Dayton, Ohio, the legendary Dorothy Norwood enlisted Dottie to join her on the road. “She asked my mom if I could go and momma said yes,” Peoples remembers. “Dorothy had a song called ‘Gotta Be Some Rain In Your Life,’ and that was a hot song for her. The Rolling Stones’ lead singer fell in love with that song and asked Dorothy to travel with them and open up the tour. That’s where I also met Stevie Wonder. He was on the tour with the Rolling Stones.”
After touring with Norwood and the Rolling Stones, Peoples returned to Ohio. She continued singing and developed quite a reputation as a jazz vocalist. “I sang jazz all the way up until I moved to Atlanta in ’79,” she says. “I joined Salem Baptist Church and one of the ladies in the choir, told the minister of music, ‘This girl can sing!’ He asked if I’d like to try a song. The first solo I did was called ‘If You Move Yourself.’ I sang that song that Sunday morning and people were shouting. It changed my whole life because I stood there and realized that I was blessing people. Burdens were being lifted. I knew I didn’t want to sing jazz anymore. I just want to sing for the Lord. I got back to my roots and I’ve been singing gospel ever since.”
Few people possess a voice that can usher an audience into the presence of God with more joy and immediacy than Dottie Peoples. Dottie is blessed with a soulful passionate voice and an unbridled love for the Lord and her fellow man. Dottie Peoples is an electrifying presence on stage that turns any concert into an all out revival. Her gifts for teaching, signing and summoning the Holy Spirit flow powerfully on her nationally syndicated radio show “Dottie’s Praise House”.
Dottie’s “Praise House” is a fast paced radio show that features interviews with some of the biggest stars in the Gospel Music Industry. The show entertains as well as informs listeners through several strategically placed features.