joseph Paden

About joseph Paden

Joseph L. Paden
It’s a Hard-way up, but you’re going to make it!

This is it! The stage is lit! The crowd is roaring! I look to my left there’s “Commissioned” a legendary gospel group that I’ve admired growing up. I look to my right “Mary Mary” the up-and-coming superstar gospel group, and on the stage is “Vision” myself “Joseph Paden”, my brother “Jerome Paden”, and my brother “Jason Paden” ready to embrace a crowd that has been anticipating are performance for months on end now! This is the legendary “Bobby Jones Gospel Show” Some of the biggest names in gospel music were on this particular show! So there was no room for error in our eyes! The time is now! 8 million viewers 3000 on hand! Finally, it is time for our voices to be heard! Would this be the performance of a lifetime? One to be remembered! Or will we falter under the pressure of the moment? But first, we must start from the beginning!


It was 1982 the younger years. I was eight years old when I first put my pin on the pad. really not understanding individually who I really was. All I knew is that I loved wonderful music! from figures like “Michael Jackson”, “Elvis Presley”, “The Beatles “ and so many more! They were so musically gifted. So as I set out on my journey to be this great songwriter performer I was hit with a Lotta reality. This dream that I discovered I have since I started recognizing that I actually have a voice to sing and creativity to write began to seem unobtainable like an unrealistic dream listening to others clamor about how difficult it is being from a small city ”Sandusky, Ohio” didn’t help matters much.
I finally muster up enough courage to submit my first song to a record label. I was so excited!I was very detailed in the song very precise on my breathing techniques with each note that I released from my diaphragm very carefully making sure it was perfect as I could get it. I sang this song, completed it, packaged it, and sent it to the record label. Waited months on end for a response. Finally, I heard back from the record label! And these words I will never forget. “Thank you for submitting your song and considering our record label! Unfortunately, at this time we are unable to sign you or offer you a deal. Please continue to work on your Music. Thank you!”

I remember feeling so let down! Such a failure! How could I even think, I was good enough to be a part of someone’s record label? I did my best but I failed. Some of the people looked at me with the eyes of “I told you so! You’ll have better luck being struck by lightning! You’ll never make it,
Just sing in a church choir. Just singing in the school choir. Just do it as a hobby.” These were all the responses that I got but deep down in my heart there was a fight that just would not let me quit! And in my heart of hearts I remember what one great man once told me “you’ll get 1000 no’s-but you only need one yes!”
So from 1982 to the year 1999, My brothers and I tried every way, in every style of music you could think of! Gigging everywhere, being seen when we could, on live performances to no avail! Until finally! the big breakthrough came! Right place, right time, right moment! All you need is someone believing in you! As you continue to believe in yourself!
My little sister was being signed to a record label! And her manager knew that the record label was looking for a group. So one of the groups from that weekend was not able to perform for the lead singer who is very ill and could not make the show. But the show must go on! So that night we took their place. The record label was more than impressed! And offered us a record contract the next day! We sign that deal in 1999! And this led up to our performance that came on “Bobby Jones Gospel” in 1999!

Now back to the performance! The lights moved, as we begin to dance across the stage! This was something different!
In the 90s most of the time gospel groups were known for their vocal talent and less known for their performance.
Something totally different than what they were used to seeing at the time. Our song was #1 in Danville, Virginia so most of the people knew the words to the song. As I gripped the mic, we begin to speak to the crowd! we opened up our mouths and began to sing harmonies that sent the crowd into a frenzy! We started off A-cappella! We begin to move step by step and side by side With sweat pouring down our faces! We Gripped the microphones ???? threw them in the “air” caught them behind our “back” and begin to slide across the floor! The front row was full of young people, so they jump to the front of the stage with excitement! I began to spin like “Micheal Jackson” My legs got tied up in the cord I did a jump step to loosen them! The crowd roared even more! As we begin to come to the end of the song. It was so much noise from the crowd and in the room, I felt like I would explode! But as we put all three of our hands in the air and sang the harmony to end the song the crowd went wild! We could see the different acts looking on! and not only did we win the crowd! But we won our appearance!
All I can think about as we walked off the stage was “glory to God” in the highest! For what, so many spoke badly of me. On this night! If not, the other night I feel like I finally made it!!!

Conclusion
[first, in conclusion, you learn throughout life no matter what career you choose there are plus people and minus people. And you better know who they are! Some you keep close. And some you push a little away. But you needed both.
1. [love yourself enough to give yourself a chance to succeed at whatever it is you love to do!
2. [never look at failure as true failure! understand that you live and you learn Or you crash and burn! I know that sounds pretty drastic but that's the truth of the matter. If you don't believe in yourself or start believing in yourself, there's very little you can do to turn your situation around! And there are some things that other people can't help you with it lives within you to decide if you want to succeed or not! Being around the right people has everything to do with your success or non-success. Change the people you are around, Change your life! (meaning) If you have positive people around you who support you, You can make it! If you have people that are negative around you, that down talk your dream, It is very difficult to make it and succeed at whatever you choose to do with your life!