When Steven Ford
experienced the supernatural power of God while standing on the steps of his
family’s Philadelphia
home years ago, I’m sure his parents had no idea that it would be the amazing
start to a phenomenal career. I’m sure
little Steven, at the time, would not have been able to imagine decades later, that
he would become a GRAMMY, Stellar and Dove Award winner and one of the gospel
music industry’s finest producers, songwriters and orchestral arrangers.
Although a well-versed musician at the age of 5, it wasn’t until a
few years later when a God-inspired event occurred that a talent turned into an
anointing. One night when the youngster
was coming home from a bible study, he walked up the steps to his bedroom. As he got to the top of the stairs, an almost
unbelievable thing happened. Ford
describes it as “stepping into an oven”.
He felt an overwhelming presence of God and the experience saw the timid
youth shouting and yelling and praising God.
Ever since that profound experience, he has what he’s dubbed “instant
recall”. After hearing a musical piece
only once, he instantly recalls it.
Shortly after this event, Ford was chosen by his father, a pastor,
to be chief musician at his church. With
his brother, they led 5 choirs….all before reaching the age of ten! Years later, he attended Temple
University in Philadelphia where he received a degree in Music Composition &
Orchestration. He began his musical career as a studio musician, performing on numerous
recordings, television and radio commercials. His first recording gospel
recording found him playing the organ on the Mighty Clouds Of Joy’s Catching On in 1972. For Ford, it was just the beginning. Steven’s infatuation with recording and
musical arranging soon became the driving force behind his maturity into a
consummate musician, writer and producer.
Since that time, he’s written, performed and produced for artists
such as Bishop T.D. Jakes, Richard Smallwood & Vision, Vickie Winans,
Donnie McClurkin & The McClurkin Family, The Winans, Shirley Caesar,
Maurette Brown-Clark, The Mighty Clouds Of Joy, The Williams Brothers, John P.
Kee, the late Phyllis Hyman,
Pieces Of A Dream, The New York Voices, Bishop Merritt & The Straight Gate
Mass Choir, The Dallas Ft. Worth Mass Choir, The Potter's House Mass Choir,
and many others.
In the past few years, Ford has been the producer of numerous
projects including Woman To Woman: Songs Of Life by Vickie Winans, My Destiny by Stephen Hurd, Richard Smallwood’s Journey: Live In New York and
Professor
Wilbur Belton & LADWEC’s Great & Mighty. In addition, he’s a musical consultant, a
respected musician, a lecturer, and an award-winning producer who has been
recognized with 2 GRAMMY Awards, 10
GRAMMY Nominations, 5 Dove Awards, and 10 Stellar Awards.
With a strong desire to mentor, he’s taught many
symposiums and workshops on music ministry in the African-American Church
and in the music industry as a whole.
He’s authored a book, Can I Take Your Order?, an in-depth study
of the levitical order in the bible.
Targeted specifically to ministers of music and worship leaders, the
book provides a blueprint on God’s design for the Church’s music departments.
He’s also CEO of S. Ford Music Productions and is the musical
consultant of the music departments at The Redeemed Church in Baltimore, Maryland
and The Ford Memorial Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Having
contributed to the success of over 50 projects, there’s no stopping this
incredibly anointed and talented man of God.