By Teino Evans, Staff ReporterHE IS famous for being one of the most spectacular live acts around the world, and says he has done more concerts than any other gospel artiste alive. The Reverend Jessy Dixon is a man on a mission to serve God, no matter what it takes.
"I have made history by doing over 500 concerts in Scandinavia alone and I have done more concerts than any other gospel artiste overall," Dixon said, adding that he does a European tour twice per year, to countries like England, Germany and Denmark.
Dixon, who has been performing as a gospel artiste for more than 20 years, says when he first started out in the business he was not known for his singing.
"I started out as a musician in my church, playing the organ and writing songs, before joining the choir. While the preacher was preaching, songs would come to me and I would write them and teach them to the choir. Sometimes I would even dream the songs. The writing preceded me as a singer; people knew me to be a writer before I became a singer," Dixon explained.
According to Dixon, it was really by chance that he got his big break. He had written a song for Savoy Record Company (the biggest gospel company in New York) and was demonstrating how the song was supposed to sound. The company's president overheard him singing and said he was perfect for the slot.
Dixon, who was born in San Antonio, Texas, eventually moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he was heard by James Cleveland. Cleveland was one of the first persons to sing and record Jessy Dix-on's compositions, God Can Do Anything But Fail and My God Can Make A Way among them.
TALENT
Then the organisers of the Newport Jazz Festival heard of his talent and invited Dixon to perform his new song The Wicked Shall Cease Their Troubling at New York's Radio City Music Hall.
While performing there, Paul Simon of Simon and Garfunkel was in the audience and extended an invitation for Jessy to share the stage with him as lead vocalist on TV's 'Saturday Night Live'. Dixon did so well that he ended up on tour with Simon, performing at concerts in the United States, France, Europe, Canada, Scandinavia, Israel, and Japan. Dixon's affiliation with Paul Simon lasted for eight years.
Dixon has won numerous awards, including seven Grammy Awards.
To do over 200 concerts a year is not easy, but according to Dixon, some of the times he be-comes so engulfed in doing God's work that he does not even realise the extent of what he is doing.
"When I just started I used to feel drained and pressured, wondering if I sang the right song or if I did this thing right, but I soon realised that I'm only the messenger and the message is so powerful that it doesn't matter if you are perfect or not," he explained.
"People think that every day is just a day of being a big star, but every day I'm tested. Persons in my ministry steal from me, others lie and a lot of traumas like that and I sometimes wonder if it is worth it. But I have to say to God, I know you are here with me. God's word always encourages me and keeps me going. I always find a scripture that speaks to some of the problems that I am going through. For example, there is one that always comes to mind that says 'Be thou not dismayed ...'," he said.
Dixon says he is working with Bill Gaither, doing television concerts and other shows, as he seeks to spread the gospel as far and wide as possible. "You never know who is listening to you or watching you and they are looking to you in search of answers. I'm just a messenger, I carry that message that is universal," he said.
