Wintley Phipps

Wintley Phipps, a celebrated bass-baritone singer, has performed for multiple American presidents including Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, at various National Prayer Breakfast events and inaugural services.

His powerful voice has graced significant stages, including the 1984 and 1988 Democratic National Conventions, Rosa Parks’ 77th Birthday gala, and for global figures like Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela. Phipps has also appeared on national television programs such as Dr. Robert Schuller’s Hour of Power Telecast, Billy Graham Crusades, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Phipps received Grammy Award nominations in both 1988 and 1989 for his impactful gospel work, releasing albums such as ‘Wintley Phipps’ (1987) and ‘A Love Like This’ (1988).

In 1998, Phipps established the U.S. Dream Academy, Inc., a non-profit dedicated to providing educational and mentoring support to children with incarcerated family members. This initiative, aiming to break cycles of incarceration, garnered recognition from Oprah Winfrey and former President Bill Clinton, leading to Phipps being honored with Oprah’s Angel Network $100,000 ‘Use Your Life’ Award in 2001. He expanded his ventures by founding Songs of Freedom Publishing Company and Coral Records Recording Company.

Demonstrating his ongoing influence, Phipps sang ‘Amazing Grace’ as Rep. John Lewis lay in state in 2020, and performed ‘How Great Thou Art’ at Colin Powell’s funeral in 2021. He has also played a key role in the development of Gospel Truth AI, an innovative platform designed to assist in creating devotionals and sermons. Phipps currently serves as the pastor of the Palm Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church in Palm Bay, Florida, and previously held senior pastor roles in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.