Brian Courtney Wilson

Singer and songwriter Brian Courtney Wilson brings a distinctly contemporary sensibility to modern gospel, shaped by an eclectic array of vocal influences that includes Donny Hathaway, Fred Hammond, and John Mayer.

A University of Illinois alumnus, Wilson first sang in an official capacity with the school’s Black chorus before maintaining his own vocal practice during a period spent working outside the music industry. In a decisive career shift, he left that position to serve as music director at St. John’s Downtown Church in Houston, where Rudy Rasmus provided both mentorship and friendship. Rasmus in turn introduced him to label owner and music executive Mathew Knowles, who placed Wilson on the Spirit Rising/Music World roster. His debut album, the thematically inspirational Just Love, was recorded in Jackson, Mississippi, under the production of Stan Jones and surfaced in 2009. Two years later came So Proud, which ascended to the summit of the gospel charts, while the following year he joined Fred Hammond, Dave Hollister, and Eric Roberson on the United Tenors project.

After moving to Motown Gospel, Wilson issued his third album, Worth Fighting For, at the start of 2015; the project performed strongly on the charts and earned him a Dove Award for Best Traditional Gospel Album before year’s end. Its title track received a nomination for Top Gospel Song at the Billboard Music Awards the next year. March 2018 brought the release of his fourth studio effort, A Great Work.