Antonio Neal Phelon (born June 7, 1973) is an American

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is com ...

ian and

music producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

, as well as a

Christian R&B Christian R&B (also known as gospel R&B, rhythm & praise music, and R&P) is a subgenre of rhythm and blues music consisting of tracks with Christian-based lyrics or by musicians typically known for writing such songs. Music in this genre intends t ...

Christian hip hop Christian hip hop (originally gospel rap, also known as Christian rap, gospel hip hop or holy hip hop) is a subgenre of contemporary Christian music and hip hop music. It emerged from urban contemporary music and Christian media in the United S ...

urban gospel Urban/contemporary gospel is a modern subgenre of gospel music. Although the style developed gradually, early forms are generally dated to the 1970s, and the genre was well established by the end of the 1980s. The radio format is pitched prima ...

and black gospel recording artist and singer. He started his music career, in 1999, with an independently-made album on Grapetree Records under the name Amani, followed by a second album on label. His first studio album, ''Days of My Life'', that was released by

EMI Gospel Capitol Christian Music Group (Capitol CMG) (formerly known as EMI Christian Music Group) is an American music group that, since 2013, is under the ownership of Universal Music Group. It is based in Brentwood, Tennessee. Capitol CMG is in the Ch ...

. His only hip hop music album, ''Bible Megamix'', was released Anshar Forever Records, in 2009. The only

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

, ''Welcome Home'', a

contemporary R&B Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B) is a popular music genre that combines rhythm and blues with elements of pop, soul, funk, hip hop, and electronic music. The genre features a distinctive record production style, drum machine-backed rhythm ...

work, was released by Madison Line, in 2014. He has won two

GMA Dove Awards A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Awards ...

, one for his songwriting and another for his music production work.

Early life

Antonio Neal Phelon, was born on June 7, 1973, in

Alton, Illinois Alton ( ) is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 25,676 at the 2020 census. It is a part of the River Bend area in the Metro-East region of the ...

, into a family of seven children, where his father was a construction worker on extended duration projects that kept him away from home, but for two weekends a month. His mother was an integral force in fostering his faith development, where she was a devoted church attendee, while his brother brought about his love of

with listening to artists

Andraé Crouch Andraé Edward Crouch (July 1, 1942 – January 8, 2015) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, record producer and pastor. Referred to as "the father of modern gospel music" by contemporary Christian and gospel music profess ...

and Commissioned. He went to

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...

on a full basketball scholarship during his first year, while he would marry, Sharralisa, at just 19 years-old, eventually moving back home to Illinois. Phelon would play his remaining three years of basketball eligibility, with three different programs, all the while getting full scholarships.

Music career

Phelon's music recording career began in 1999, with an independently-made album, ''Issues of Life'', under the name Amani, on Grapetree Records followed by a second album on Grapetree, ''Songs of Love''. His first studio album, ''Days of My Life'', was released on August 2, 2005, with

. The only hip hop music album, ''Bible Megamix'', was released in 2009, from Anshar Forever Records. He released, an

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

, ''Welcome Home'', in 2014, with Madison Line Records. He has won two

, the first in

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

for his production work on ''It's Not Over'' by

Karen Clark Sheard Karen Valencia Clark Sheard (née Clark; born November 15, 1960) is an American Grammy Awards, Grammy Award–winning gospel music, Gospel singer, musician, songwriter, and businesswoman. Clark-Sheard is the wife of the current Church of God in Ch ...

, and songwriting in

42nd GMA Dove Awards The 42nd Annual GMA Dove Awards presentation was held on April 20, 2011, at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. The show was broadcast on GMC on April 24, 2011, hosted by Sherri Shepherd from ''The Newlywed Game''. Nominations were announced on ...

for "There Is Nothing Greater Than Grace" by

Point of Grace Point of Grace is an all-female contemporary Christian music vocal group. The current trio consists of Shelley Breen, Denise Jones, and Leigh Cappillino. The group started out as a quartet in 1991, with original members Breen and Jones, as wel ...

Personal life

He currently resides in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

, with his wife Shae, and their three children.

Discography

*Issues of Life (1999, Grapetree Records) *Songs of Love (2001, Grapetree Records) *''Days of My Life'' (August 2, 2005,

) *''Bible Megamix'' (2009, Anshar Forever) *''Welcome Home EP'' (2014, Madison Lane)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Neal, Antonio 1973 births Living people African-American songwriters African-American Christians Musicians from Illinois Musicians from Memphis, Tennessee Songwriters from Illinois Songwriters from Tennessee People from Alton, Illinois Texas A&M University alumni 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American people