Most gospel music fans know the smash hit “Praise Is What I Do”—the title track from Shekinah Glory Ministries’ 2002 gold-selling album—much better than they do the name of its writer, William Murphy, III. But that is about to change, and in bold and dramatic fashion. With the release of William’s own label debut album, The Sound, the world was able to now hear the amazing voice and deeply moving songs of a young man who already is one of the brightest lights in the firmament of contemporary praise & worship music. Possessing a voice that is nothing short of stunning, in range and dynamics, and with seasoned hit-makers flare for instantly accessible, engaging and unforgettable words and music, William makes music that crosses all lines of age, creed and color.… Most gospel music fans know the smash hit “Praise Is What I Do”—the title track from Shekinah Glory Ministries’ 2002 gold-selling album—much better than they do the name of its writer, William Murphy, III. But that is about to change, and in bold and dramatic fashion. With the release of William’s own label debut album, The Sound, the world was able to now hear the amazing voice and deeply moving songs of a young man who already is one of the brightest lights in the firmament of contemporary praise & worship music. Possessing a voice that is nothing short of stunning, in range and dynamics, and with seasoned hit-makers flare for instantly accessible, engaging and unforgettable words and music, William makes music that crosses all lines of age, creed and color. William Murphy, III makes music for the masses. William Murphy, III was given a solid foundation in both the church and its music, as his father and grandfather were musically gifted, and the elder a Baptist minister and his son a minister and bishop. “Church is what I’ve known all my life,” he says. “My family is rich in the heritage of the Gospel, in spoken-word ministry as well as music. That was the foundation I grew up on.” Although he had cousins who had been, proverbially, singing from the cradle, William’s talents were later in coming to the fore, as he sang for the first time in front of a congregation at age 14, after having first been active in school musical programs. “I was the late bloomer in the family,” he remembers. “I just woke up one morning and discovered I could sing! For a number of years I thought I would just use that gift in my father’s and grandfather’s church, and that would be it. His first major step up the ladder of recognition as a worship leader came when he met Bishop Paul S. Morton, the International Presiding Bishop at a national convention of The Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship in 1995. William was asked to record a song for the album released from that conference, on which Bishop Long gave a spoken introduction. The two became friends and William was soon after offered the position as the Fellowship’s worship minister.
