Kelontae Gavin (born March 28, 1999) is an American gospel singer and worship leader who is known for the gospel radio singles, “No Ordinary Worship” and “Higher.”[1][2]
Gavin was born in Charleston, South Carolina, but raised in Summerville, South Carolina, where he began to sing at Favor Ministries, a non-denominational church in Ridgeville at the age of four. He was a member of Bold Ministries International in Moncks Corner, South Carolina.[3] He attended Summerville High School.[4] Upon graduation, Gavin stated he planned to serve as a minister at the Ark of Salvation Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and pursue a degree in divinity and theology.[5]
He developed notoriety when a 2014 YouTube video of him singing the hymn, “I Won't Complain,” to a cafeteria worker at his former high school, went viral with over one million YouTube views.[2] In 2016, Gavin was discovered by star-maker manager, Marquis Boone of Marquis Boone Enterprises, who formed a partnership with Tyscot Records to issue the radio single “Higher” in the fall of that year. It was produced by Myron Butler, a Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter. The song reached the Top 20 on Billboard Magazine's Gospel Indicator chart in the spring of 2017. The song also earned the singer a Stellar Award nomination in the category of Youth Project of the year in January 2018.[6]
Gavin's radio single, "No Ordinary Worship," reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Gospel Songs chart in March 2019 while his debut album, "The Higher Experience," made its debut at No. 2 on the Top Gospel Albums chart in spring of 2018. ”[7] The project was given 4/5 stars by Bob Marovich in a Journal of Gospel Music review that spotlighted the radio single. “`No Ordinary Worship' is no ordinary worship song and is likely to become Gavin’s signature song," Marovich wrote. "The most robust piece on the album, it’s a deep southern soul-style ballad that benefits greatly from impassioned singing, sassy responses from the BGVs, and an over-the-top sax solo."[8]
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
Gospel Airplay [9] |
Top Singles | ||
"Higher" | 2016 | — | 23 |
"No Ordinary Worship"[10] | 2018 | 5 | — |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | Higher (EP) | Youth Project of the Year (Stellar Awards)[6] | Nominated |
2019 | Kelontae Gavin | New Artist of the Year (2019 Dove Awards) | Nominated |