According to thebellereport.com
Gospel Music Artist DAMON LITTLE
Hits Billboard Airplay Chart First Time in 8 Years
With Autobiographical Tale “BECAUSE OF YOU”
By Bil Carpenter
Gospel music legend Damon Little has branched outside of his usual quartet domain to claim his biggest radio hit in eight years. His rousing new hit “Because of You” debuted at #25 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart four weeks ago and marks Little’s first chart entry since his 2006 radio smash “As Long As I Got Shoes.” This week the song jumps to #19 on the Gospel Airplay chart. The song’s success is particularly poignant because it’s an autobiographical musical testimony of Little’s open-heart surgery last year.
“There I was just laying there in ICU after undergoing open heart surgery,” Little sings on the opening of the rousing inspirational ballad as he testifies about God’s healing him in the face of almost dying on the operating table. “It’s a true story,” he adds. “When God blessed me to survive all of that, I wanted to share my story and encourage others with it.”
It all started in spring 2013. “I had just ministered in the Carolinas and was preparing for dates in Florida when I noticed three times that I experienced shortness of breath,” Little recalls. “I had no chest discomfort but I remained concerned and mindful of the changes that were occurring in my body. The spirit led me to go home instead of going to Florida. I went to the hospital emergency room thinking I had a sinus infection and by the time they finished testing me, they found I had fluid built up in my lungs and that was a sign of congestive heart failure.”
On April 22nd, Little had open-heart surgery. “The operation was very successful,” he explains. “Now, I’m back on the road performing and singing with an even greater zeal than I already had because I know my healing is all because of God and that was the inspiration for that song.” The singer is working on a new CD that will release either late this year or early next year. The new single can be downloaded from itunes.com, and meanwhile, fans can keep up with him on Twitter: IAmDamonLittle and http://www.DamonLittle.com .
