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As part of their musical platform, gospel artists are called upon in giving their testimony about how God has been good to them and how they survived the torrential storms through the prayers of their church family. But sometimes, the storms can increase such that even mature Christians become overwhelmed.
LaShun Pace and her eight sisters have been preaching the good news in song for years as The Anointed Pace Sisters. Once LaShun decided to step out on her own in 1991 with He Lives, she experienced a great deal of success winning many accolades, including an induction to the Christian Music Hall of Fame in 2007. Yet LaShun’s spiritual durability was tested quite often. The tests came one after another with two broken marriages, the loss of an eleven year old daughter, conflicts with the music business and mounting health issues that kept her from touring for the past few years. LaShun spoke to Soul Tracks about those personal storms and how she graciously gave glory to God and her family for supporting her through the tough times: “They were there financially and spiritually. The prayers of my family have held me up.” Though her family has always stood by her through thick and thin, LaShun felt a lack of support with the gospel industry in recent years. “It is about soul winning,” LaShun states, “and the industry has turned it into competing against each other like who’s the best and who’s not the best.” Healthy again, LaShun had material prepared for her next vehicle, but had no record label. Happily, for her first project in four years, she established a new home in Shanachie Entertainment, a growing label that includes traditional gospel, and has released the appropriately titledReborn.
Reborn is the first opportunity for LaShun to record at her late father’s home congregation in Atlanta, Georgia, where he preached for many years. Reborn cuts right to the theme of victory in Jesus and is chock full of riveting, mostly original, praise and worship. The introduction for Reborn breaks the norm from most praise and worship live recordings with “The Song of the Lord.” These six minutes of poetry in motion express LaShun’s commitment to God as lovingly captured in a spoken word vignette by her sister, Lydia Pace. Understandably, LaShun was extremely moved by this gesture: “She really went in and got that straight from heaven. When I first heard it, I was in awe and I was in tears.” The following track, “Something 2 Live 4,” is filled with funky, contemporary flavored goodness.
But Reborn really hits those potent ministry points where LaShun remains most faithful to her gospel roots. As she indicated, “For right now, the focus is singing traditional. It’s the message of Jesus Christ and what He wants to get to the heart of His people.” “It’s Me Oh Lord (Acapella Praise)” is an unaccompanied emphatic call and response between LaShun and the backing choir David Walker and High Praise. “Keep Going On” recalls quartet harmonies while “God” and “Say So” head straight to fundamental church service with all the bluesy stops. “Hymns That Brought Me Through” is the absolute essential moment on Reborn. This medley that includes James Cleveland’s “He Lives” is comprised of hand-picked worship classics that LaShun connected with during her darkest hours: “When I was very ill and in the ICU at the hospital, all I could do was sing and reminisce on those songs.”
Reborn showcases the talents of LaShun’s daughter Aarion Rhoades, whose spirited soprano voice firmly imprints her mother’s legacy on “He’s Able” and “Lord in You.”
With Reborn, LaShun Pace continues to expand her already-deep legacy, and once again turns praise and worship into a meaningful occasion. Recommended.
By Peggy Oliver