Recently Gospel star Donald Lawrence made a stunning announcement in front of a national audience. Lawrence was performing at a post-game concert for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies when he announced that he's battling cancer.

During the concert, Lawrence introduced the audience to some of his singers. While singing the song 'Not Making Sense, Making Faith,' Donald Lawrence revealed his battle with cancer. Lawrence explained that this was the first time in 3 months that he had performed, because he is currently seeking cancer treatment in Los Angeles. Lawrence said that he disconnected from everybody, and put his faith in God testifying that today there is no sign of cancer in his body. It isn't known what type of cancer Lawrence is battling.

Lawrence is a longtime singer, songwriter and producer of some of the biggest hits in Gospel music. He first burst on the scene in the 90's when he took over the Tri-City Singers after a friend vacated the position as musical director. The group got the name Tri-City Singers because of the three cities they came from: Spartanburg, SC, Gastonia, NC, and Charlotte, NC.

In 1993 with A Songwriter's Point Of View on a then-brand-new independent record label called GospoCentric Records, Tri-City Singers debut. The project debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top Gospel Charts.] The group's follow-up release Bible Stories would top those same charts when it arrived in 1995. It was the first to be billed as Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers and featured hits such as "A Message For The Saints", "I Am God" and "Stranger". The album was released on Lawrence's newly minted label Crystal Rose Records which was distributed through Sparrow Records.

The group would release several more projects and Lawrence would go on to work solo. He has been an influence with top artists for many years including Karen Clark Sheard, EnVouge, Kirk Franklin, and Stephanie Mills.

In March 2006, The Tri-City Singers announced that they would retire, but not before one last live recording. Finale: Act One and Finale: Act Two were released simultaneously on April 4, 2006. Each release was a CD/DVD set that chronicled the audio and video of one half of the concert, with packages that locked into one another respectively. A special edition of Finale was later released with both CDs and DVDs. The blowout concert included guest appearances from Bishop Walter Hawkins, Karen Clark Sheard, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Daryl Coley, LaShun Pace, Darwin Hobbs, and many other gospel luminaries.

I have had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Donald Lawrence several times. He has always been professional and kind. I and the team here at Bellaonline pray for Lawrence's complete healing and restoration.