Happy Birthday to Chicago's own, Ricky Dillard! Today, February 25th, he is celebrating 55 years of life!
Dillard got his love for gospel music from his mother and grndmother. By the age of 5, he was singing in the choir at church and in 1981 he formed the first gospel choir at Bloom High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois.
The Grammy nominated artist started his career in house music and founded his gospel choir, Ricky Dillard's New Generation Chorale in 1988. Ricky Dillard and New G has gone on to be nominated for a Grammy award more than 3 times and has won several Stellar Awards. In fact, in 2015 he was nominated for 10 Stellar awards.
Dillard says, “When I think of the goodness of God and how he has brought me and and kept me and I have survived the darts of the enemy. The joy of the Lord overtakes me, I’m going into a praise, I’m going into a dance and I am liberated to give God all that I have because of what he has done and who he is.”
We truly thank Ricky Dillard for his influence on gospel music and pray that he enjoys his special day!