Joel Wesley Morgan (born September 5, 1973), known professionally as Wess Morgan, is an American gospel musician and pastor. He started his music career, in 2006, with the release of Look at Me Now by Oak Tree Records. His second album, Under an Open Heaven, Vol. 1, was released in 2010 by Bowtie World Music alongside Flipside Music, and this album was his Billboard magazine breakthrough release on the Gospel Albums chart. The song, "I Choose to Worship", was put on the WOW Gospel 2012 album. The subsequent album, Under an Open Heaven, Vol. 2, was released by Bowtie World Music in 2012, and it charted on the aforementioned chart. He released, Livin', in 2014 by Bowtie Music, and it charted on the aforementioned chart. Wess Morgan was a cast member on Tyler Perry's stage play Laugh to Keep from Crying
Wess Morgan | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Joel Wesley Morgan |
| Also known as | Pastor Wess Morgan |
| Born | September 5, 1973 Pascagoula, Mississippi |
| Origin | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Genres | CCM, gospel, southern gospel, urban contemporary gospel |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels | Oak Tree, Bowtie World, Flipside |
| Website | wessmorgan |
Early life
editMorgan was born in Moss Point, Mississippi,[1] on September 5, 1973,[2][3] as Joel Wesley Morgan,[4] whose father is Joseph and mother Yolanda, and he has an older brother, Joseph, and a younger sister, and they were raised in Nashville, Tennessee.[1]
Career
editHis music career commenced in 2006, with the album, Look at Me Now, that was released by Oak Tree Records.[3] The subsequent album, Under an Open Heaven, Vol. 1, was released on October 19, 2010 by Bowtie World Music alongside Flipside Music,[3] and this album was his Billboard magazine breakthrough release on the Gospel Albums chart at No. 10.[5] This album had the single, I Choose to Worship, that charted at No. 4 on the Hot Gospel Songs chart, and was placed on the compilation album, WOW Gospel 2012.[5] He released, Under an Open Heaven, Vol. 2, on December 11, 2012,[3] and this charted on the aforementioned chart at No. 31.[5] His fourth album, Livin', was released in 2014 by Bowtie Music,[3] and this placed at No. 6 on the Gospel Albums chart.[5]
Personal life
editMorgan was married for eighteen years to Betsy, they lived in Nashville, Tennessee, that ended in divorce in the middle of 2013. He married Danielle Walker in January 2014, she gave birth to his child later that year.[6]
Discography
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions[5] |
|---|---|---|
| US Gos | ||
| Look at Me Now |
|
– |
| Under an Open Heaven, Vol. 1 |
|
10 |
| Under an Open Heaven, Vol. 2 |
|
31 |
| Livin' |
|
6 |
References
edit- ^ a b Wess Morgan. "About". Wess Morgan. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
- ^ Morgan, Wess (September 5, 2012). "Nothin more meaningful than bein recognized 4 ur existence! Thx 2 all who took time out of their hectic schedule 2 make my bday so special!". Twitter. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Leggett, Steve. "Wess Morgan : Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
- ^ Broadcast Music, Inc. "Songwriter/Composer: MORGAN JOEL WESLEY". Broadcast Music, Inc. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Billboard. "Wess Morgan : Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
- ^ Patrick, Kris (June 12, 2014). "Wess Morgan's Ex-Wife Betsy Morgan Explains Why She Called Out Gospel Star Over Secret Marriage & Baby". Path Magazine. Retrieved April 16, 2015.