Thurman B. Thornton II, is a contemporary gospel singer from St. Louis, Missouri who has won awards such as the 2013 PrayzeFactor People's Choice Award, 2014 Music Love Award for Christian Video of the Year and the 2014 Rhythm of Gospel Award Winner for Contemporary Male Artist of The Year. Thurman contributes his talents and gifts to God, but states his influences are James Cleveland, Marvin Gaye, Vanessa Bell Armstrong Carl Thomas, Dave Hollister, Patti Labelle, & Darryl Coley. This week, we interviewed Thurman in order to learn more about his battle with depression and his upcoming CD release.
LK: What is TBII and what does that stand for?
TBII: TBII is actually my name Thurman B. Thornton II.
LK: Tell us more about the TBII Ministry
TBII: In addition to writing my own music, I also serve on the Praise and Worship team and my church, “Blow Your Trumpet Ministries” under the leadership of Pastor and Prophet Marcus O. and Co-Pastor Madelyn Mickles.
LK: When did you begin to sing publically and when did you realize that you had a gift?
TBII: I started singing at the age of e and I come from a long line of singers. Singing is in my blood. My mother and father were both singers. It was always so funny because we even had a dog that would bark in key. So it was kind of inevitable that singing would come down to me. I remember singing in choirs, local talent shows and a kid. I also had the opportunity to sing with my high school and college choirs. Although church has been the main influence of my singing, I'm also inspired by artists such as Nat King Cole, Janis Joplin, and Aretha Franklin.
At the age of 21 years old, I began to take my gift more seriously and really started to pursue music about 5 years ago.
LK: What is the testimony behind your ministry and why you started it?
TBII: Well my journey in this music industry is definitely interesting. The testimony behind my music career actually was pushed after the deaths of my brother, my mother and my father in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Music was my outlet from the pain that I was dealing with. Some of the pain I couldn't verbally release so I would sing as a form of relief.
In 2011, I wrote a song called "More" which was not only my desperate cry to fill voids in my life of missing my relatives, but it was also my attempt to start a new career in singing. When the song came out and actually gained attention, I signed my first record deal and I started working on what would have been my first album. The first album never happened. Two years had gone by 2 singles were released, but the album never came to fruition.
I parted ways with the record label and was back to square one in the music industry.
After that experience, I had pretty much given up on the music industry and music in general and was feeling like I would never record again. GOD wasn't having that. The Lord came to me and said" how are you not going to tell me what you are or are not going to do with the gift I gave you?" Basically the Lord checked me and put me back in my place.