She’s been called the “Gospel Patti LaBelle” and the “Songbird of the South.” She has been nominated
for several Grammy Awards. She has won numerous Stellar Awards, including the prestigious James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as bringing home a Soul Train Lady of Soul Award. Most consider her to be the leader of the next generation of female gospel greats, a heritage passed down from Mahalia Jackson to Aretha Franklin to Shirley Caesar. So when Paul Christensen and his wife Donna Christensen had the opportunity to produce the AIR Gospel artist’s second live video project during the past three years, they jumped at the chance.
The recent concert, titled, Churchin’ with Dottie, took place at the new 10,000 seat, Atlanta based, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. Performing before a crowd of more 
than 5,000, the artist was backed by the combined 250 voice choirs of New Birth, the Peoples Choice Choir and Minister Keith Brooks and New Creation. The night’s electrifying performances were punctuated by driving gospel rhythms nested between grooved out ballads – all material so suited for a Soul Diva like Dottie Peoples. One such number written following the 9-11 tragedy and titled, “God’s Given Us Time,” delivered a poignant reminder that life is very fragile. Throughout the evening, Dottie was joined on stage by Bishop Eddie L. Long , Senior Pastor at New Birth, Rev. Jasper Williams, Sr. and Rev. Byron Cage. Larry Tinsley served as Master of Ceremonies.
AIR Gospel’s President, Alan Freeman, served as Executive Producer for the Project along with Producer Peoples. Steve Bracey co-produced with Peoples. Omega’s Ruthel Flunder assisted the Christensens in the areas of talent and
logistics. Don Moore, who also Directed Omega’s last video for Ms. Peoples, Directed. David Overs, Lighting Designer for New Birth provided the look on camera for the special. He was assisted by New Birth’s Tama Colson. Ted White served as Video Engineer in Charge as well as providing video shading of the show. Omega brought in their award winning camera team – Andrew Dean on Steadicam, Mike Filippi on Hand Held Camera, Steve Cobb and Mike Cobb on Fixed Camera and Brian Irwin on Jimmy Jib. New Birth’s Mark Dejarnnette rounded out the group by supplying his Cammate Boom. The Long Form Video was edited by Miami based, Post Digital’s Perry Trest, at Atlanta’s new multi-room Avid Symphony editing house, Suites… Editing. Suites’ President, L. David McCollum assisted with systems engineering during the sessions.
Carey Goin and Anniston, Alabama based Harvest Media provided 
Remote Video Facilities. Remote Recording Facilities came from Atlanta’s Sam’s Tape Truck. Sam’s Joe Neal recorded the live CD and video soundtrack, assisted by Dan Glomski and Ted Tom. The CD and soundtrack were mixed at Atlanta’s Dopler Sound by Steve Bracey and Quentin Nixon. Atlanta’s In Concert Productions provided house sound reinforcement services with Monte Curry mixing the house along with Randy Huyett serving as Monitor Engineer. In Concert’s Tim Youngker served as Systems Engineer.
The eldest of 10 children, Peoples was born in Dayton, Ohio where her father worked for General Motors. She spent her summers in Birmingham, AL, where her grandmother took her to church all day Sunday. “My grandmother said I’d always be sitting at the edge of the pew watching the singers. She said that when I was little I told her ‘I’m gonna be like Mahalia Jackson some day.'”
Peoples sang in the high school concert choir, in her church choir; 
anywhere she could sing. Blessed with a vocal range from earthly to angelic-alto to soprano, she would have joined legendary gospel singer Dorothy Norwood’s group right after high school but her mother wouldn’t let her go on the road. A couple of years later however, she did briefly tour with Norwood, and with Shirley Caesar. Finally she left home when she sneaked away to join a jazz ensemble led by organist Groove Holmes. “I didn’t want my mom to know I was singing that kind of music,” she says. For five years, she performed at America’s top jazz clubs.
When she married, she stopped performing and moved with her then-husband to Atlanta. But she couldn’t stay away too long from singing. Working at Salem Baptist Church, Peoples talked the pastor into starting a record label. “Rev. Dr. Jasper Williams, Jr. was known for preaching but I saw he 
had another talent too, and so I encouraged him to sing.” In the late ’70s, Peoples became general manager of Church Door Records, and produced albums for the pastor, the church choir, and her first two solo efforts: Surely God Is Able (1984) and It’s Worth It All (1987). Over the next 13 years she was discovered and signed by Alan Freeman to his Atlanta International Records (AIR Records) and released a host of top selling, award winning albums and videos, including the previously released God Can and God Will, which was also produced by the Christensens.
Her songs have indeed inspired and uplifted. With a loving, down-to-earth, up-to-heaven personality, and a singing style that gets listeners up out of their seats, Peoples has been able to draw crowds, particularly young people, to her side. “I guess it’s because I’m quick to hug them,” she says. They in turn, have surely embraced Dottie Peoples.
