Earnest Pugh facts for kids

Earnest Pugh Jr., born on November 23, 1966, is a talented American gospel singer. He is known for his amazing vocal range, which means he can sing very high and very low notes. People started to notice him after his popular songs Rain on Us (released in 2009) and I Need Your Glory (released in 2011). Because of his success, he became known as "Gospel Music's Leading Man." Earnest Pugh also started his own music company called EPM Music.

Earnest Pugh's Early Life

Earnest Pugh was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was the seventh of nine children in his family. His father, Earnest Pugh Sr., worked at a Firestone factory in Flint, Michigan. He would travel home to see his family on weekends.

Earnest's mother, Lillie Pearl Pugh, worked for the government and had other part-time jobs. She was the first person to notice that Earnest could sing very well. She always encouraged him to use his singing talent. Earnest once said that his mother believed in him and what he could do. He shared that her passing a few years ago was very hard for him. However, he used that sadness to help him write songs for his albums.

When Earnest was a teenager, he briefly sang with a gospel choir called O'Landa Draper & The Associates. This choir had even won a Grammy Award! But Earnest did not stay with the group for long. He decided to join the Army and served for fifteen years. While in the Army, he often sang at funerals.

After leaving the military, Earnest Pugh worked as a worship leader in churches. He served in churches in Texas and Georgia. In 2001, he became a worship leader at Ebenezer AME Church in the Washington, D.C. area.

Earnest Pugh's Music Career

Earnest Pugh tried to get recording deals with big gospel music companies, but they said no. So, in 2006, he decided to start his own music company. His first album was called Earnest Pugh Live: A Worshipper's Perspective. It was released with help from Crystal Rose Records. A song from this album, Wrapped Up, Tied Up, Tangled Up, became a Top 40 hit on gospel radio. This helped him begin his music career. The next year, he released another album called Seasons Change, but it did not become as popular.

In 2007, his album A Worshiper's Perspective won an award for Best Gospel Album. This was at the 6th Annual Independent Music Awards.

A big moment for Earnest Pugh was meeting Kerry Douglas. Kerry Douglas started Blacksmoke Worldwide Gospel Records. He had helped other gospel artists become very famous. Kerry Douglas told Earnest in 2008 that he could make his song Rain on Us a number one hit. And he did! The song reached number one in less than eight weeks.

The song Rain on Us was a powerful ballad. It stayed at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Gospel Songs chart for two weeks in 2009. The album, Live: Rain on Us, also had other popular songs like Perfect Peace and The Great I Am.

In the summer of 2011, Earnest Pugh released another album called Earnestly Yours. Kerry Douglas had Earnest record a song called I Need Your Glory. This song quickly became a Top Ten hit. It stayed on the Billboard Hot Gospel Songs chart for ten weeks. This song and album brought Earnest Pugh a lot of attention from the media. A writer from The New York Times said that Pugh is a "slick singer" and that his album was strong.

In January 2012, Earnest Pugh announced exciting news. His EPM Music company had made a deal with Entertainment One Distribution. This meant his company would soon sign many famous gospel artists to record music.

Earnest Pugh's Music Albums

Here are some of Earnest Pugh's albums:

• Earnest Pugh Live: A Worshipper’s Perspective (2006)
• Live: Rain On Us (2009)
• Earnestly Yours (2011)
• Christmas With Earnest Pugh (2012)
• Best Of – The E Factor (2012)
• The W.I.N. (Worship in Nassau) Experience (2013)
• Just Worship (2014)
• Hidden Treasures and Collaborations (2015)
• Survive (2017)

Earnest Pugh's Hit Songs

Here are some of Earnest Pugh's popular songs:

• "Rain On Us"
• "The Great I Am"
• "Perfect Peace"
• "I Need Your Glory"
• "I Believe You Most"
• "Thank Ya"
• "I Need You to Breathe"

Awards and Nominations

Earnest Pugh has been recognized for his music. In 2012, he received several nominations for the Stellar Awards, which are big awards in gospel music.

• Artist of the Year
• Male Vocalist of the Year
• Contemporary Male Vocalist of the Year
• Praise & Worship CD of the Year for his album Earnestly Yours