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What people are saying about "Shaped Notes":
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“Larnelle Harris has inspired people around the world with his unique singing gift. But wait until you read about the surprising journey that God took him on. Your own life will be touched by his story!” -- Pastor Jim Cymbala, Brooklyn Tabernacle, Brooklyn, New York
“It has been a joy, honor and privilege to know and be ministered to by my friend, Larnelle Harris. He has humbly lived a life of integrity and used his gifts to advance the glory and goodness and worship of God to the benefit of His people. He has truly lived a life worth living.” -- Dr. Tony Evans, President, The Urban Alternative and Senior Pastor, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship “This heart-warming book confirms what we’ve known in our hearts all along. Larnelle Harris is not only a treasure to the church, but to the world.” -- Babbie Mason, Award-winning singer-songwriter and author “For more than thirty years, our families have lived life together. We have seen up-close the unwavering consistency of the man reflected in these pages. Yet in typical Larnelle fashion, he puts the focus on those who helped define him. A world-class singer, blessed with an amazing gift, yet driven by a higher call. The story he needed to tell. The story we need to hear. This is Larnelle Harris.” — Dave Clark, Award winning songwriter of 26 #1 songs "...a moving and well-written account...highly recommended..." -- Reader's Favorite |
“To know Larnelle, his quiet but engaged demeanor, his humble but confident spirit, his professional but never condescending attitude, you would never guess that he has been all over the world at some of the most prestigious events and received such an impressively wide collection of citations and awards. That’s why you should not miss making the journey with him through a life that started out simply and has, by his own choice, ended up simply. It’s the life of a man who loves God, cherishes his wife, adores his kids and gives thanks every day for the friends who have walked through his days. Now, I call that an amazing man.” — Gloria Gaither, Christian Songwriter of the Century
"When I think about the 32 years I have known Larnelle, there is a saying that comes to mind…'Let your choices reflect what you say your priorities are.' Larnelle is the epitome of this. As we have traveled together over the years, he would often choose to drive for hours rather than stay in a hotel, just so he could be home, even for a short time. The next day he'd get right back in the car and drive to wherever we were for a concert that evening. I count it one of the great joys in my life to not only sing with Larnelle over the years, but to call him my friend.” — Sandi Patty, Most Awarded Female Vocalist in Gospel Music History “Larnelle Harris is a name known across genres, denominations and cultures. His extraordinary vocals have surpassed all musical boundaries with what seems little effort. How wonderful that he would now be sharing his own personal story of the early struggles, the amazing opportunities and the special people that brought guidance and direction to his acclaimed legacy. This book will be one you will not want to put down until it is completed.” --Joni Lamb, Vice-President, Daystar Television Network |
Click here to order a copy of the book from Larnelle's Store now!
New memoir from Hall of Fame vocalist hits #1 on Amazon
For Immediate Release (Louisville, KY) -- Hall of Fame vocalist and five-time Grammy winner, Larnelle Harris, has released his first memoir which became a #1 best-seller on Amazon in less than a week of its release. Co-written with Christine Schaub, critically-acclaimed author of the Music of the Heart book series, “Shaped Notes: How Ordinary People with Extraordinary Gifts Influenced my Life and Career” (Morgan James Publishing) offers long-time fans of Harris a glimpse into the childhood and early career of one of Christian music’s most renowned vocalists. And Harris admits, at times, it was a difficult process to go through.
“There were a few tears shed through the writing process,” says Harris. “Remembering all the people who have poured into my life and how they helped me was humbling. I hope what readers take away from this book is that we all have people in our lives that we can influence for the good or for the bad. And I sometimes wonder where I would have ended up had it not been for the people who came across my path and encouraged me with their words and actions.”
In “Shaped Notes,” Harris shares some painful memories that he has never shared publicly. He recounts an incident as a young child when his parents were in a physical altercation and he “shot” his father with a toy cap gun: “That gun was real to me in that moment…The noise stopped Dad in his tracks and he turned and looked at me, immediately let go of Mom, then went somewhere…”
He remembers his father going to jail for bootlegging and his mother crying out to God during those difficult times: “I believe now that prison was part and parcel of God answering Mom’s prayer…pain is a part of God’s plan for our lives. It refines us…”
Harris recalls some specific incidences of racial tension during the early years of his career:“We all stayed in a hotel and up and down the street, all night long, we could hear trucks speeding by. We were told the FBI was called and they somehow made certain our hotel was being protected…”
And he describes the year when he lost his voice entirely and wasn’t sure if he would ever sing again: “It was a harsh realization that simply because I was a Christian, doing Christian work, didn’t mean everything was going to go right. I could still abuse the tools God gave me…”
Harris’ career has spanned five decades, and is still going strong. This past year, he released a compilation CD featuring two new songs. The title track, “Disturb Us, Lord,” was played on over 150 stations nationwide and appeared on the Christian Music Weekly’s National Inspirational radio chart. The music video of the song recently garnered the Gold Award for Best Music Video from the Christian Family Film Festival.
In 2018, Harris will release his first Christmas musical, based on his original song “All Year Long” from his Grammy Award-winning Christmas album. The musical was co-written with Dave Clark and Nick Robertson, and will be exclusively available through Lifeway. And though most singers think about slowing down after such a long and storied career, Harris says he is still living by the same philosophy as when he started.
“I have always prayed, ‘God, put something in my heart and then teach me how to give it away.’ And as long as He sees fit to do that, I will fulfill my end of the bargain.”
“There were a few tears shed through the writing process,” says Harris. “Remembering all the people who have poured into my life and how they helped me was humbling. I hope what readers take away from this book is that we all have people in our lives that we can influence for the good or for the bad. And I sometimes wonder where I would have ended up had it not been for the people who came across my path and encouraged me with their words and actions.”
In “Shaped Notes,” Harris shares some painful memories that he has never shared publicly. He recounts an incident as a young child when his parents were in a physical altercation and he “shot” his father with a toy cap gun: “That gun was real to me in that moment…The noise stopped Dad in his tracks and he turned and looked at me, immediately let go of Mom, then went somewhere…”
He remembers his father going to jail for bootlegging and his mother crying out to God during those difficult times: “I believe now that prison was part and parcel of God answering Mom’s prayer…pain is a part of God’s plan for our lives. It refines us…”
Harris recalls some specific incidences of racial tension during the early years of his career:“We all stayed in a hotel and up and down the street, all night long, we could hear trucks speeding by. We were told the FBI was called and they somehow made certain our hotel was being protected…”
And he describes the year when he lost his voice entirely and wasn’t sure if he would ever sing again: “It was a harsh realization that simply because I was a Christian, doing Christian work, didn’t mean everything was going to go right. I could still abuse the tools God gave me…”
Harris’ career has spanned five decades, and is still going strong. This past year, he released a compilation CD featuring two new songs. The title track, “Disturb Us, Lord,” was played on over 150 stations nationwide and appeared on the Christian Music Weekly’s National Inspirational radio chart. The music video of the song recently garnered the Gold Award for Best Music Video from the Christian Family Film Festival.
In 2018, Harris will release his first Christmas musical, based on his original song “All Year Long” from his Grammy Award-winning Christmas album. The musical was co-written with Dave Clark and Nick Robertson, and will be exclusively available through Lifeway. And though most singers think about slowing down after such a long and storied career, Harris says he is still living by the same philosophy as when he started.
“I have always prayed, ‘God, put something in my heart and then teach me how to give it away.’ And as long as He sees fit to do that, I will fulfill my end of the bargain.”
About Larnelle Harris:
Admired by fans and peers alike for his majestic tenor voice, Larnelle Harris has become the personificationof talent and integrity in a career that spans over five decades. He is the only person in history to be a member of three distinct hall of fame organizations: the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, Kentucky Music Hall ofFame and the Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. He was twice inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, both as a solo artist and as part of the Gaither Vocal Band. He has achieved nineteen #1 radio singles and a plethora of top 10 hits. Harris was the first Christian artist to perform inside the Kremlin after the fall of the Soviet Union. He is one of a handful of celebrities to receive the Ad Council's Silver Bell Award for Distinguished Public Service in recognition of his song "Mighty Spirit" as the theme song for the longest-running Public Service Announcement in television history. He recently performed for the National Day ofPrayer event in Washington D.C., at New York City’s famed Carnegie Hall, and sang for a gathering of U.N. Ambassadors in our nation’s capitol. Harris and his wife of 45 years, Cynthia (a.k.a. Mitzy), reside in Louisville, Kentucky. For more information, visit www.Larnelle.com.
Admired by fans and peers alike for his majestic tenor voice, Larnelle Harris has become the personificationof talent and integrity in a career that spans over five decades. He is the only person in history to be a member of three distinct hall of fame organizations: the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, Kentucky Music Hall ofFame and the Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. He was twice inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, both as a solo artist and as part of the Gaither Vocal Band. He has achieved nineteen #1 radio singles and a plethora of top 10 hits. Harris was the first Christian artist to perform inside the Kremlin after the fall of the Soviet Union. He is one of a handful of celebrities to receive the Ad Council's Silver Bell Award for Distinguished Public Service in recognition of his song "Mighty Spirit" as the theme song for the longest-running Public Service Announcement in television history. He recently performed for the National Day ofPrayer event in Washington D.C., at New York City’s famed Carnegie Hall, and sang for a gathering of U.N. Ambassadors in our nation’s capitol. Harris and his wife of 45 years, Cynthia (a.k.a. Mitzy), reside in Louisville, Kentucky. For more information, visit www.Larnelle.com.
About Christine Schaub:
Christine Schaub is the author of the critically-acclaimed MUSIC OF THE HEART series, including “Finding Anna”--the story behind the writing of the hymn It Is Well With My Soul, and “The Longing Season”--the story behind Amazing Grace, with Bethany House Publishers. She won the On the Page screenwriting contest at Screenwriting Expo 2 in Los Angeles, developed four biopic teleplays for the stories behind the hymns, and published an online column for the MethodX website (Upper Room Ministries). She graduated from Anderson University with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications, and has received both regional and national awards in writing and design.
Christine Schaub is the author of the critically-acclaimed MUSIC OF THE HEART series, including “Finding Anna”--the story behind the writing of the hymn It Is Well With My Soul, and “The Longing Season”--the story behind Amazing Grace, with Bethany House Publishers. She won the On the Page screenwriting contest at Screenwriting Expo 2 in Los Angeles, developed four biopic teleplays for the stories behind the hymns, and published an online column for the MethodX website (Upper Room Ministries). She graduated from Anderson University with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications, and has received both regional and national awards in writing and design.
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