For some gospel groups, finding harmony takes a miracle. For the ones featured on Oxygen’s new show Fix My Choir, it just takes Grammy-winning artist and Guideposts cover star Michelle Williams and Preachers of LA star Deitrick Haddon.
This week, the network debuts its latest installment in faith-based reality entertainment with a new series that follows Williams and Haddon as they travel across the country in search of choirs that need a little help in reaching the right notes. From churches who can’t afford to keep singing to groups that are more interested in hitting each other than hitting the right key, Fix My Choir is entertainment at it’s best. You’ll never get tired of Haddon’s over-the-top personality and Williams’ mothering words of wisdom and most of all, their methods prove effective.
But what really stands out about the series is the fact that it’s paving the way into new musical territory. Gospel choirs are a staple in churches everywhere, but rarely do we get to see their inner workings—the blood, sweat and tears that each member sacrifices in order to bring their congregation the beautiful songs they’ve come to expect every Sunday morning.
For Haddon and Williams, two talents who’ve reached the top in their respective industries, being involved in a show focused on music was a no-brainer. “Music is used to spread a variety of messages,” Williams said. “So anytime that we could use a message to spread God’s love, His hope, His healing, His restoration, and it can be done through music, I think it’s the best way for me to share it. Before I had a Grammy or a passport, I was in the church, so I’m just going to go back to those things that I still am passionate about.”
Haddon shares her passion for the work and his fun personality and tough-love style of mentoring is the heart of the show. “Music has power,” Haddon said. “I decided to sing gospel music because I wanted to inspire people and to spread the love of Jesus Christ and I’m still on that mission.”
It’s a mission both stars hope their show can bring to mainstream audiences. From barbershop quartets, inner city youth choirs and choirs in middle class suburbia, the diversity of the groups featured on the show doesn’t change the stars’ ultimate goal: to spread gospel music beyond the church. But to do that means pushing through traditional boundaries. “I would love for the music to continue to hit mainstream in some kind of way,” Haddon said. “But that means we have to shift the music a little bit and that’s one of the things we were doing with the choirs this season—taking them out of their comfort zone and showing them how they can be effective singing songs other than the Sunday morning [favorite], ‘Amazing Grace.’”
Fix My Choir premieres Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 10 p.m.
