The year is 1969. John Lennon asks the world to “Give Peace a Chance” while the Vietnam war rages on. Neil Armstrong walks on the moon, the Woodstock Festival enters the history book and the Jackson 5 change the face of pop music. In the midst of this cultural upheaval, The Imperials begin their reign as gospel music’s “Male Group of the Year”.  In the five years since their start, this super group with a sound ahead of their time stayed at the top of the charts and in the fast lanes of gospel for many years.

Fast-forward to 2008. The Dalai Lama asks again for peace while wars are waged in countries around the world. Global climate change threatens our ecosystem, diverse musical styles echo both culture and religion of every nation, and every day there is a new ‘face’ of pop music. Once again in the midst of cultural upheaval, the Imperials rise up to bring their style of gospel music to audiences across North America. With a sound that embraces the past as well as new sounds of gospel, the current group looks to the future with a foundation dating back more than 40 years.

The current Imperials consist of Jason Morales, Jeremie Hudson, Shannon Smith and Ian Owens, a group of ordained and licensed ministers whose music reaches out to young and old alike. With the release of two albums in 2007, the artists found themselves once again on the charts and nominees of several awards. Powersource Magazine called their self-titled project of last year, “a bold, statement-making album” that “rocks with youth and style”.

This talented group of men has already been experiencing career highlights as a new generation of Imperials fans is emerging. One of the highlights occurred this past Thanksgiving at Carnegie Hall, singing as part of the American Gospel Music Festival. “It was the first time in The Imperials’ 45-year history that the group has sung in Carnegie Hall”, says Shannon.  “We were told that less than a quarter of one percent of all musicians in the world ever get to sing there so it was indeed a great honor!”

The Imperials’ current fast track of popularity and honors has been tempered by some difficult times as well. Earlier this year, reports of a dispute over the “Imperial” name and family controversy hit the media and rocked the gospel music world. 

“We are in the midst of productive discussions that we hope will lead to settlement of the issues at hand”, says Shannon. “We have always hoped for a settlement and we have come to see that much of the disagreement was a result of both miscommunication and misunderstanding.  The good news is that we have re-established communication.”

“We wanted to keep this a private issue largely to protect [Jason’s] family and also to try to protect the reputations of former Imperials members.  We also know that not everyone will agree with us and therefore some people will call our integrity into question.  Generally, people have been very supportive of both Jason and the group.  Most people seem to be fair-minded and understand what it would be like to be in our difficult position.  Even if they don’t all agree with us, they aren’t being judgmental and both pastors and people all across the country are supporting us.”

“They love The Imperials and they realize that this is an internal disagreement that they pray will be resolved in a positive way. The bottom line is that we need a lot of prayer and we believe that things will be settled very soon.”

Shannon continues, “It’s taken a significant toll on all of us, on both sides. Contrary to what some have said, we really do love Jesus and we really want to represent Him well.  While we don’t want there to be a black mark on The Imperials’ name, far more importantly, our constant prayer is that ultimately no damage would be done to name of Jesus.”

Good times and hard times help to make bonds grow between friends, and this bunch of men have had a lot of time for bonding. As the group travels across the country and across the world, the members have really gotten to know each other’s interests, quirks and foibles. SGM Radio asked each one of the Imperials what they appreciate about the guys they travel with.

Shannon: “I really appreciate that all of the guys love to pick on me about almost anything and everything!  I appreciate that Ian, who bunks across the hall of the bus from me, is always trying to mess with me while I’m in my bunk. Of course I never mess with him.  Seriously, I love these guys like brothers!

Jeremie: “Believe me, you do not want to hear any stories!  I think generally we have a lot of fun and are friends. A lot of groups cannot say that. We are not just partners or singers.  We laugh a lot and act crazy. However, I think I enjoy our time on stage more than any other time that we are together.”

Ian:  “I have to say, and I believe that the guys would agree, that I am easily the most normal and even person in the group.  I’m very shy and never silly.  Ok. That isn’t true at all. I’m the troublemaker in the group.  I love being able to mess with these guys and make them laugh.  One of my missions in life is to crack Jeremie up.  He is the hardest to make laugh, but when you get him going it is a huge payoff!  Jason is way too supportive of my darker side and the two of us can really get in trouble.  Shannon just laughs at me to make me feel good (sighs).”

Jason: “I appreciate a lot about my brothers. Shannon is always there to talk about anything. Constantly. He has also been a real spiritual rock for me. We get into some great discussions about God and Jesus and the Bible. Jeremie is one of the hardest workers I know. When we became partners he really grabbed a hold of his position in this group and has really pushed us to better ourselves and the Imperials. Ian can make me laugh like no one else in the world. I can be in the worst mood and all he has to do is look at me and give me a smile and he can pull a laugh out of me. He also loves music like I do. I just want to hang out with him all the time. He gets sick of me I'm pretty sure!

One of the most difficult but necessary things that artists find is to stay focused while on the road, whether in the midst of bright lights and popularity or in the glaring headlines of the media. Each member of the Imperials finds a way to keep centered on his faith.

Shannon: “I try to stay in the Word and pray on a daily basis.  I download podcasts of my pastor’s sermons as well as other speakers that minister to me and listen to them on my phone or ipod device.”

Jeremie: “I do a lot of praying and quoting scriptures. I do seem to stick to a schedule better when I am home.”

Ian: “It is hard to stay fed when you are on the road.  We are in church more than just about anyone else I know, but the trade off is that we are in church singing and not usually hearing lessons, sermons, or being fed.  It is a tough balance to keep ourselves fed so that we can feed others.  My wife and I do a Bible study together when we are home that Jason brought to us from his church.  We pray together and study together.”

Jason: “Read the Word! Starting this last year I started reading the Bible like never before. I am also very accountable in my church. I am in two men’s Bible studies and a couple’s study with my wife. Also, I pray and listen to music. I try to take in as much of God as possible.”

The mission statement of the group as quoted on their website at www.theimperialsonline.com is “To sing and share the gospel of Jesus Christ while living by faith, walking in wisdom and being faithful to the vision God has given to this ministry.”

The Imperials face an exciting time as they envision the future of this award-winning group. Their plan includes the addition of live instruments to their concert performances. A Christmas album and a new CD of original songs are also in the works. For the most part however, the immediate goals are spiritual in nature.

“We want to find ways to reach as many people as possible with the message of a personal relationship with the Father through His son, Jesus,” says Shannon.  “One of the problems that Christian artists face is that so much of our audience is made up of believers but we want to get the message to unbelievers.  We don’t want the believers to leave, but we’d like to find more ways to reach the unbeliever.”

While the Imperials work for the Lord collectively, their personal lives reflect relationships that are strong in the Lord. Each member shares what God has been speaking to him about recently.

Shannon: “It’s really easy for me to get obsessed with the running of the business side of The Imperials.  As my wife and kids can attest, I can just allow myself to get buried with work.  The Lord has been reminding me that He’s in charge of my whole life and that He can handle The Imperials, and anything else, with or without me.  I can cast all of my cares on Him and leave them there, knowing that He cares about me and my whole life more than I do.”

Jeremie: “I think Shannon hit it on the head. It can be hard, at times, to know when our responsibilities end and God completely takes over. I am not saying that I am in control and then I give it to Him. It's more like, when do I know that I am supposed to ‘work and believe’ or just sit back and ‘believe’.”

Ian:  “God has been speaking to me about why they take the center out of donuts.  I mean, really, what purpose does that serve?  If they would just leave the whole thing intact then there would be so much more sugary glazed goodness to enjoy, but they insist on punching out the middles!  Is it so they fit on your fingers?  Perhaps it was intended to store stuff, like a candle, or a smaller donut…I don’t know, but I intend to keep praying for wisdom in this tough time.”

Jason: “I think God has showed me these last couple of weeks that I have to rely on Him and not on man. He is my source and can get me through any hard times that come my way.”

Whether they are focusing on the deep issues or solving the mystery of the donut hole, the members of the Imperials are enjoying this journey led by God. As they work, laugh and pray together, it is hoped that the Imperials will be around for several more decades, celebrating the past and the future of gospel music.

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