By Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter 
Shirley Willis, Leroy Smith and Patricia Archer
LIFE AFTER death. That is one of the fundamental tenets Christianity. Most Christians cannot wait to embrace the glorious future that awaits them in Zion. Patricia Archer, Leroy Smith and Shirley Willis, all former members of the Grace Thrillers and professed Christians, are no different.
But, until then, their focus is on life after the Grace Thrillers ensemble.
While Smith and Willis basically left the group, Archer suffered a dissimilar fate. "I didn't leave the Grace Thrillers; that decision was made for me. I found out that I was no longer a part of the group when I read it in the papers," Miss Archer told The Sunday Gleaner.
Archer, 38, said that the blow she received upon realising that her services were no longer required in the Grace Thrillers hit even harder because it was done behind her back. "It was shocking and hurtful in the beginning, because have given 15 years of committed service. I would have wanted to have been told in a better manner," she said.
Still, uncertainty remains as Ms Archer ponders in her heart why she had to dance this dance with destiny. "From what I have read, younger people are in the group and they are moving on, so I guess I was too old for the group," said Archer nonchalantly.
Nonetheless, she was quick to point out that she has allowed sleeping dogs to lie, as it makes no sense to cry over milk that has already doused the floor. Currently, Ms Archer is employed as an insurance consultant. She has not yet taken on the challenge of a solo career, as she believes that the harvest is not yet ripe enough for her to do so.
FINANCIAL FOUNDATION
"I want to have a more solid financial foundation, a base for myself... and that's what I am working on," she said. Ms. Archer said that she knows that it costs more than 'monkey money' to produce an album and she will not attempt to do that until she can finance such a venture by herself.
How long will that be? Only God knows. "I haven't put a time frame on it. I go as the Lord leads," said Miss Archer. While a solo career is waiting in the wings, Ms Archer said that by no means are her vocal cords going to get rusty or gather cobwebs. She revealed that she is featured on Shirley Willis' new solo album, both in lead vocal collaboration and as a harmony vocalist.
That Shirley Willis is the wife of Noel Willis Snr. who still manages and sings with The Grace Thrillers. The former member of the Grace Thrillers said that her debut solo album, Trust Him More, was completed early this month but will not hit the shelves until February 2004.
Mrs. Willis, who was with the group for almost 30 years, said that at first Mr. Willis had hang-ups about her leaving the group, but he has seemingly grown to accept the fact. Mrs. Willis stressed that she had planned on hanging up her singing career after quitting the Grace Thrillers, but that was not to be the case. "I did not plan on singing alone, because all my strength and zest were with the Grace Thrillers...," said the cheerful Mrs. Willis.
After officially quitting the group earlier this year, Mrs. Willis said that she was injected with renewed youthfulness and jubilance. "I decided that I am still a young person and the Lord is not through with me yet so I decided to do my first solo album," she said.
Like Mrs. Willis, Leroy Smith has also taken the solo path. After severing his 23-year relationship with the Grace Thrillers, Smith went to work on his solo album Transformation from Migdol to Marah to Elim, which was released in August of this year.
Smith has been quoted as saying he has no regrets about quitting the group. This may also be said for the other former members, since they all have moved on with their lives, after life with the Grace Thrillers.
