Chicago’s Lemmie Battles is no stranger to gospel music. The seasoned gospel vocalist knows how to work a crowd to their feet.
Chicago’s Lemmie Battles is no stranger to gospel music. The seasoned gospel vocalist knows how to work a crowd to their feet.
She has been compared to gospel veterans, Shirley Caesar and Dorothy Norwood, and her powerful voice and energetic style sprinkled with testimonies of healing and grace evokes an atmosphere of high praise.
Battles’ strong passion for spreading the word in song has caused her to defy doctor’s orders and continue singing even after being diagnosed with throat cancer several times. Even though doctors said she would never sing again, the Arkansas native has no thoughts of throwing in the towel. The cancer survivor is deeply rooted in gospel music and comes from a family of singers and preachers whose mission is to spread the word.
“My brothers are the Vocalaires of Pine Bluff, Arkansas and their boys are the Barnes Brothers of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Their daughters (her second oldest brother’s children) are called ‘The Sweet Melodies,’” Battles explained.
The former certified nurse assistant and counselor has made a name for herself as she performs gospel music on stages around the world, including Switzerland and Jamaica. She’ll travel to Rome in December to perform, she said.
Always on the frontline and ready to lend her voice, Battles is a primary lead vocalist for the Grammy-nominated and Stellar Award-winning Chicago Mass Choir. Her latest single–"Jesus Is All We Need"–is a testament of her love.
“The Lord spoke to me plain as day and said this is the song for this season. Letting people know when they reach out to him, their needs are automatically met,” she said.
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