My name is Paul A. Roberts. I was raised and still live in a small town that’s nestled in farm country in northeast Georgia, about fifty miles east of Atlanta. The town of Good Hope is a place where everyone knows and cares for each other, and church and community involvement are important. At the same time this community is near one of the fastest growing areas in our country, and I’ve began to see signs of change as the town begins to grow. I grew up listening and singing along with all the great country artist on the radio, dreaming about being a country singer. I also sang hymns at church, not knowing much about other styles of Christian music. Then when I was about 18 years old, I went on a church youth weekend trip and heard a contemporary gospel band called Billy Lord and The Billy Lord Band. The band was great and my eyes were opened to contemporary Christian music, and just as my town was changing, I too began to change. I began looking for more contemporary Christian music and discovered an artist by the name of Steven Curtis Chapman. I was hooked! I prayed and asked God if this was His will for me, and told him if he would allow me to learn to play I’d use it for His glory. I picked up a guitar, started taking lessons and songs began to flow.
Playing solo, I met some friends and started a band named Good Hope. I wrote songs, played rhythm, and sang lead for the group. We played a tri- county area for about a year and a half. When in the midst of recording our first CD, the group split up due to members of the band moving. I continued solo, until one day at a benefit singing I met a southern gospel quartet named Manna. They asked me to join them as lead singer and I did. While with the group, for about two years, I wrote some of the songs that we performed from north to south Georgia. Filling the call to a different style of music, I left the quartet to pursue contemporary gospel.
By this time, I had enough of my own songs to record a CD on my own. I chose “Choices” as the title track.. Choices has different styles of music on it ranging from country gospel, gospel ballads, and of course contemporary gospel. Choices brought a bit of success, and confidence to my writing with one of the songs; “Knocking on the door of your heart” being recorded by a Hollywood, CA record company. In the time sense “Choices” I’ve been leading worship, playing guitar in a band named Forth- Watch, and writing new songs. I’ve seen the Lord move by bringing people into my life to help me grow closer to Him as well as in my music. Some of these people are well known, one is a long time Christian artist with hit songs. These friends have helped me develop my style and even played on my latest recording “Witness”. The point of this music is to share the gospel of Jesus with others, through the songs he’s given me, in hopes that they will choose to follow Him.