Bryan Andrew Wilson

Bryan Andrew Wilson, active as a singer, songwriter, and Christian preacher, spent his early years in Danville, Illinois amid constant exposure to both music and faith traditions. His grandfather Tommie Davis had performed gospel alongside the great B.B. King, while his mother sang with an R&B band; nonetheless, the dominant sounds he encountered came from gospel services at the area’s Baptist, Apostolic, and assorted other churches. These varied influences shaped him into a compelling traditional gospel vocalist already as a teenager, when he cut multiple traditional gospel albums for Malaco Records. One of those releases, the 1996 album Bryan's Songs, later brought him Dove and Stellar awards.

Rather than remain in the gospel industry, Wilson enrolled at Claflin University in Columbia, South Carolina, completing a degree in religion and philosophy before spending an additional year studying divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary. During his time at Claflin he encountered contemporary Christian music and came to recognize multiple approaches to musical ministry. Resuming his recording career, he cultivated a bright, upbeat gospel sound that fused old-school R&B and soul with surf music, alternative rock components, and generous portions of funk and Caribbean rhythms—an approach he framed as beach music for praise & worship.

Financed independently with his manager, Wilson’s debut album in this style, A Second Coming, arrived in 2008 and earned favorable notice. He also maintained his pastoral work, serving as pastor of the Remnant Covering church in Washington, D.C. His fifth solo album, The One Percent, was released in 2014.