Encore: What was your goal in picking the artists for the tour?
Fred: We tried to put a combination together that would bring a general market audience, a Gospel audience, a comedic audience and a youth audience. I look for who would be a great connection, something that is uniquely different.
Encore: Talk to us about your hit single, "Father Jesus Spirit."
Fred: It's really a praise party song. It’s up-tempo with a very easy, singable hook and it’s a prayer. So, it gives honor to God, praises him and at the same time you can dance to it.
Encore: You are known as the architect of "Urban Praise & Worship," talk to us about your style.
Fred: I just heard a different style in the air and there was something different in my heart about the lyrics I wanted to sing and how I wanted to position it, like what beat I wanted to put behind it. I wanted to glorify God, because at that time Gospel music was more focused on the issue and the problem. You know, "Baby need a pair of shoes, light bill due, telephone disconnect," and that’s all fine, but what I did was tell my problems about Jesus.
Encore: This is your first studio album in 17 years, which do you prefer studio or live albums?
Fred: I prefer studio because when you’re live you have to do it and nail it. With new material the older I get, I would rather be able to sit down and create and craft what I need. There’s some singers who can get behind a mic and turn it off and on, that’s not me. I live the process of creating music.
Encore: Is it hard to do a live album and get people engaged to new material?
Fred: If I go back and record a live album of songs I did 5 years ago they’ll be pretty great because I had a chance to work them out. When you got something fresh and new and you’re the producer, songwriter and arranger, you have other people helping you but your hand is in everything. I’m limited live when doing something new. When you create it, you can think of how you want to do it and when people hear the completed version, they’re going to hear what you give them and you want people to experience the greatest part of who you are.
Encore: What is the Festival of Praise to you?
Fred: It’s the finest Gospel tour. We wanted people to walk away with the experience of it being the best tour they have ever been on, that was my goal.