- Panam Percy Paul, a renowned gospel artist, declined a £24 million record deal in 1995.
- The deal required him to reduce references to “Jesus” in his music, which conflicted with his faith.
- The three-year contract was valued at approximately N7 billion at the time.
Renowned gospel artist and songwriter Dr. Panam Percy Paul has shared that he declined a £24 million record deal in 1995 because it required him to reduce references to “Jesus” in his music.
During an interview with Pastor Emmanuel Iren, Paul revealed that the three-year contract—valued at approximately N7 billion at the time—came with conditions that conflicted with his faith.
According to him, the record label proposed using alternative terms such as “Righteous One” or “Greatest Lover” instead of directly mentioning Jesus. However, Paul chose to uphold his beliefs rather than compromise for financial gain.
“The catch was, ‘Can you reduce the number of times you call the name Jesus in your songs?’” Paul recounted. “One of them even said to me, ‘You actually don’t need to mention the name Jesus.
You can call Him other names.’ I was shocked, so I told them, ‘You can keep the money while I keep the name.’”
The veteran gospel singer raised issues regarding the escalating commercialization of gospel music, claiming that record labels and marketers are now determining how artists should make their music.
“Today, the extreme is that the music ministry has now become a music industry,” he lamented. “The industry now dictates to the ministers what to do, how to sing, and when to sing.”
Paul’s revelation has prompted discussions about the role of commercial interests in gospel music and the obstacles artists must overcome to keep their faith-centered messages intact.
Leave a Reply