Earnest Pugh facts for kids

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

Early Life and Beginnings

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 factory in Flint, Michigan. He would travel home to see his family on weekends.

His mother, Lillie Pearl Pugh, worked for the government and had other jobs too. She was the first person to notice that Earnest could sing very well. She always encouraged him to use his talent. Earnest once said that his mother believed in him and what he could achieve. He shared that her passing was difficult, but he used his feelings to inspire his music.

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

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

Music Career Journey

Earnest Pugh tried to get recording deals with big gospel music companies. When they didn't sign him, he decided to start his own record company in 2006. His first album was called Earnest Pugh Live: A Worshipper's Perspective. It was released through a deal with Crystal Rose Records.

His song Wrapped Up, Tied Up, Tangled Up became a Top 40 hit on gospel radio. This helped to start his career. The next year, he released an album called Seasons Change, but it did not become as popular.

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

Breakthrough Success

A big moment in Earnest Pugh's career happened when he met Kerry Douglas. Kerry Douglas founded Blacksmoke Worldwide Gospel Records. He had helped other gospel artists become very successful.

Earnest Pugh shared that Kerry Douglas told him in 2008 that he could make his song Rain on Us a number one hit. And he did! The song reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Gospel Songs chart in less than eight weeks. It stayed there 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 2011, Earnest Pugh released another album called Earnestly Yours. Kerry Douglas had him re-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. The song and album received a lot of attention from the media. A music critic from The New York Times praised Pugh's singing style.

In 2012, Earnest Pugh announced that his EPM Music label had made a deal with Entertainment One Distribution. This meant his company would soon sign other well-known gospel artists.

Music Albums

Here are some of the albums Earnest Pugh has released:

Popular Songs (Singles)

Here are some of Earnest Pugh's popular singles:

Awards and Recognition

Earnest Pugh has been nominated for several awards for his music: