He is best known for his hit rap songs “U Can’t Touch This” and “2 Legit 2 Quit”. He is the first artist to gain diamond status for an album and has sold 50 million records throughout his lifetime. He is remembered for a rapid rise to fame, flashy dance moves, choreography, and his trademark parachute pants. His superstar status and entertaining showmanship made him a household name and hip-hop icon in the 1980s and 1990s. He was also a TV producer, television show co-host, and is the head of his own music management firm. A self-described “super-geek”, he is currently either investing in or consulting for eight technology companies. He was one of the first celebrities to embrace social media and spends 10-12 hours daily working on his technology projects.
He grew up in a Pentecostal church, however, he admits that he strayed from the faith during the years of his success. Even during this period of backsliding though, he promised to dedicate one song to God on each of his albums, and one of his most popular singles was the song “Pray.” However, it took a bankruptcy, a fall from favor in the music industry, and what he calls a bout of “official backsliding” to turn him back to the church, Jesus Christ, and a commitment to preach. He has since been ordained in the Church of God in Christ, preferring smaller pulpits “where they don’t expect to see someone famous.”
He says, “I am honored that Jesus has taken a wretch like me and said I got some work for you to do.” Today, he devotes his time to prison and youth ministries. His name is Stanley Kirk Burrell, but he is better known as M.C. Hammer, and he now says that “M.C.” stands for “Man of Christ.”
She is a singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She rose to fame in the early 2000s as a member of the R&B girl group Destiny’s Child with Beyonce and Kelly Rowland. Her work in the music industry has earned her a Grammy Award as well as nominations for a Stellar Award and an NAACP Theatre Award. Along with chart-topping music with Destiny’s Child, she released her debut solo album “Heart to Yours” which topped Gospel charts in 2002. In 2004, she released her second Gospel album “Do You Know”, and in 2008, she released her first solo pop album, “Unexpected.” Along with her music, she has found success as an actress. Her acting roles include: Aida, The Colour Purple, and What My Husband Doesn’t Know, among others.
Raised in a “loving, stable” household in Illinois, she made her musical debut at the age of seven, performing a rendition of the hymn “Blessed Assurance” at the St. Paul Church of God in Christ, of which she is still a member.
In an interview, she said of her faith in Jesus Christ, “[For some people it's easy to get caught up in the fame], but to me, it’s easier not to because of my background and my foundation of where I grew up. I don’t forget the teachings that I’ve had, and I keep my Bible with me. I read my Bible every day, and I’m constantly in prayer. And I listen to gospel music, so that’s what’s keeping me focused and grounded.” She went on to say, “[Despite some criticism that I have received for doing both secular and Gospel music,] I believe that I am doing my part to be a witness for Jesus Christ. Some people will do gospel when their career fails, but I chose to do it at the height of the popularity of Destiny’s Child. And I didn’t want to do it because it was a fad. I wanted to do it because it’s in me. It’s in my heart. God places people in different parts (areas) for different reasons. We know Jesus is coming back soon and I am doing my part to make sure that people know about him as well.” Her name is Michelle Williams.
He is a former Major League Baseball player who played from 1990 to 2005. He spent most of his career as a second baseman, before moving to various positions later in his life. He has played for the New York Mets, the Cleveland Indians, the Boston Red Sox, and Washington Nationals among others. He was selected to the All-Stars three times in 1992, 1993, and 1995 and won the Silver Slugger Award two times in 1993 and 1994.
From the time he started playing, he had rapid success in baseball. He said in a CBN interview, “My career was going way up, and that was the moment that I really forgot about God — the God who gave me the opportunity to play in the big leagues. I used to be a super star. Everything was so good for me that I wanted to keep living that life.” All of his wanting for more got him just that – more drinking, more partying, more women. Little did he know, however that getting more also would cost him his family. He said, “I almost lost my family. I didn’t know the damage I was doing to myself. When you walk without God, you can be hurt at anytime.”
After several heart-to-heart conversations with a close friend, he finally understood that there was no place else to turn and rededicated his life to Jesus Christ. He said, “We’re human. We go through those moments in life that we forget about God. We think that we are Superman, that we can do things without Him. We have to realize that we cannot do anything without Him. He’s the best feeling that you can have in life. When you put everything in God’s hands, there is nothing that you can not do. He gives you the life, He gives you everything. Thank God I still have my family with me.”
Now that he is retired, he seeks to help other baseball players get on the right path with God. He said, “[The guys playing now] are the ones that need to know the words of God. Right now what I’m trying to do is to talk to the guys more about God. You know, that’s the second chance God gave me. We are here for a reason: to spread the words of God.” His name is Carlos Baerga.
He is a point guard who finished his college basketball career with the Louisville Cardinals men’s basketball team in 2013. Recently, he helped lead his team to the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball championship. He was the 2012 and 2013 Big East Tournament MVP as well as a 2013 Academic All-American.
Growing up in a rough, crime-ridden area of Seattle, his father was mostly absent from his life, struggling with drugs, alcohol addiction, and being in and out of jail. His mother worked three jobs to support his family, and his siblings also had brushes with the law. However, at a young age, he decided to take a different route. At 13, he taught himself to drive so he could find his father. He found him in a drug den with a gun, contemplating suicide and was able to successfully talk him out of doing so. He soon found a love for sports, and though he was told he was too light at first, managed to play both football and basketball.
Danny Cage, youth pastor at Mount Calvary Christian Center in Seattle said of him, “He had so many people pulling at him at such a young age. He wanted to be focused spiritually through that. It separated him from the pack. He would study scriptures, and fast, and would ask to be held accountable.”
When his team won the NCAA championship, he told reporters, “First off, I got to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for blessing us for this opportunity. I thank God, and without my teammates, without my parents, my girlfriend, my sisters, my brothers, none of this would be possible. I’m just thankful to God. Today, his father and siblings all have learned about Jesus through his life. He said in an interview, “God lifts us up so we can lift Him up. He’s definitely using me in basketball to give Him glory and to use me to show other kids that God is with you and God has a plan for you no matter whether it’s basketball, football or being a doctor.” His name is Peyton Siva.
He was an American football player and television sportscaster who worked at CBS, Fox, and ESPN. In addition to football, he also announced major golf and tennis events. In total, he announced 16 Super Bowls on network television (more than any other announcer), 26 Masters Tournaments, and 21 US Opens. He also contributed to 10 Super Bowl broadcasts on CBS Radio as a pregame host or analyst. After retiring as a football player, he joined CBS as a commentator and worked with Tom Brookshier and John Madden on NFL telecasts for CBS and Fox. Though he retired in 2002, he continued to announce games on occasion.
He was named the National Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association in 1977, and inducted into their Hall of Fame in 1994. That year, he also received the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame in 1999. He was honored by the NFL with an award named after him which is presented during Super Bowl weekend at the NFL headquarters “to a deserving recipient who through their career has demonstrated the character, integrity and leadership both on and off the field that his name represents.”
Early on in his career, much of his life was characterized by alcoholism and the abandonment of his family. In 1992, his friends and family staged an intervention on his behalf, encouraging him to get professional help for his alcohol problems. He was angry at the idea but reluctantly agreed to enter rehab. While in rehab, he made the decision that changed his life.
He said, “I realized there was a Savior, there was a God.” He made the decision to accept Christ as his Saviour and said, “once I began to realize His involvement in my life, it was easy [to overcome alcoholism]. I never had a craving since then. My thirst for alcohol was being replaced by a thirst for knowledge about faith and God. I began reading the Bible regularly at the treatment center, and it became a part of my daily routine. The more I read, the more I felt a void in my life that needed to be filled.”
He was later baptized at the First Baptist Church in Euless, Texas. He described emerging from the water as though he was surfacing in a new world. He said, “For the first time in my life, I knew what people meant about being ‘born again’. I had already accepted that Jesus Christ was the Son of God who died for our sins. Now, I felt I was truly part of his family. I felt ecstatic, invigorated, happier, and freer. I felt as though my soul had been washed clean.” His name is Pat Summerall.
