Leonard Hinds, a local gospel singer and songwriter, has done what few local artists have done: succeeded in his hometown of St. Louis.
“Look at Nelly, Cedric the Entertainer, and Chingy. They’re from here, and they made it in music and movies. Why shouldn’t a gospel artist do the same?” Hinds wondered.
Hind’s current CD release, The Minister of Music, has spawned a gospel music phenomenon with his first single, “Keep Your Mouth.” The song is an admonishment to congregations to be careful what they say about their spiritual leaders. Hinds smiles a 100-watt smile when asked about the song’s origin.
“Some individuals me and my wife Cheryl were trying to help started to say some things bad things about her. I kind of scolded these people about saying anything else, and I used the phrase “keep your mouth off the preacher,'” Hinds said.
Cheryl Hinds is the pastor of the Church of Philadelphia, where her husband attends.
“Keep Your Mouth” has received regular airplay on Gospel 1600 and was No. 4 on the charts for six weeks. The song has also received airplay nationwide, in Memphis, Tenn., Jackson, Miss., Atlanta, Ga. and Washington, D.C.
Amid his current success, Hinds humbly reflected on more difficult times.
“I started off in R & B. Me and my brother Jimmy formed a group back in the 1960s called The Concepts. Our first big show was with Martha and the Vandellas. We’d opened for the Dells and the Five Stairsteps, but we broke up in 1968,” he said.
“In 1972, I joined a group called, Earl Inc. We had a small hit called ‘What Would Your Daddy Say?’ I then got into a group called Image, and we actually signed with Motown in 1978.”
Hinds paused for a minute, lowered his head, and became very quiet.
“But then I got into some trouble,” he said.
That “trouble” turned into 3 ½ years behind bars.
While in prison, Hinds discovered an artistic talent in finger painting. His mentor, Carol Wants, encouraged him to develop his gift.
“Carol gave me that extra push that I never had when I was younger,” he said.
“I dropped out of school in the seventh grade, so I pursued my GED in jail. Some of my artwork got displayed at Lithos’ Art Gallery and even a showcase at Southwest Bank in Chicago.”
During his flourish of success as an artist, he met his wife, Cheryl. They wed in 1990.
Hinds had been a Muslim for 23 years. Then he became ill in the early 1990s. He asked God to heal him and save him and offered to work for Him.
“The Lord came to me through my prayers and saved me. I was filled with the Holy Ghost, and I haven’t turned back,” Hinds said.
Now that he was faced with a life-altering decision, Hinds wanted to use his musical talents to glorify God. The only problem was, he didn’t know any gospel songs.
“I just sang a Marvin Gaye song in church. It was all that I knew,” he said.
Now, years later, Hinds is a successful visual and recording artist, with a vision.
“I want to bring some of the local gospel artists together so that we can get the national exposure that some of the rappers are getting. I’m working with my niece Charnice Lovejoy as well as others to make this vision happen.”