Jason Lamar Champion (born May 1, 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. He started a music career in 1992 with

Men at Large Men at Large is an American R&B group. They were discovered by soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' s ...

. He left the group in 2007 due to a "newly blossoming relationship with Jesus Christ." In 2008, he signed to

EMI CMG 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 C ...

, releasing his first and only album, ''Reflections'', in 2008. It charted on the ''Billboard'' Gospel Albums chart, and he got a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

nomination at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in the Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album category.

Early life

Champion was born in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, on May 1, 1973, the only child and son of father Leonard Franklin Champion (December 29, 1952 – May 1, 1992), and mother Miriam Champion (Banks). His father died when he turned 19.

Music career

His music career started in 1992 with the band

. He left the group in 2007 due to "experiencing the conviction of Jesus Christ upon his life" by a comment made by his fellow band member. This lead him to sign with

, a division of

Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...

in 2008. His album ''Reflections'', released on May 27, 2008, charted on the ''Billboard'' Gospel Albums chart at No. 23. Charity Stafford reviewed the album at

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, referring to the songs as "subtle but unmistakable declarations of faith". Melody Charles from Soul Tracks stated it "will put pep in your step on the way to Church on Sunday morning and could very well keep your spirits up throughout the rest of the week." John Fisher rated the album a 7/10 for

Cross Rhythms Cross Rhythms is a Christian media organisation based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It operates an FM and online radio station, produces radio shows sent internationally, and its website has resources about contemporary Christian music. Hi ...

and stated, "On the whole not a bad effort to kick start his EMI recording career though there doesn't appear to be a smash hit song here." The album was produced by

Warryn Campbell Warryn Stafford Campbell, Jr. (born August 21, 1975) is an American record producer. He has worked with a number of gospel, hip hop and R&B artists. Campbell originally got his start as a session musician and producer under the tutelage of DJ ...

The Soul Seekers The Soul Seekers is an American gospel music group signed to RCA Inspiration, through their affiliation with GospoCentric Records. The group consist of nine members, who are the following; Charlie Bereal, Craig Brockman, Johnteris Tate, Warryn C ...

Personal life

Champion was married to R&B singer Paula Champion. They have two sons, Isaiah and Michael. Champion married Jayda Harris in 2022.

Discography

References

External links

Official twitter account

New Release Tuesday Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Champion, Jason 1973 births Living people African-American songwriters African-American Christians Musicians from Cleveland Songwriters from Ohio 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American people