Gospel and praise & worship artist William McDowell grew up in Ohio. Musically gifted from the start, he was playing piano by the age of five, and by 13 he was playing drums for his church, moving to playing organ in the church at the age of 16, and he began leading his own worship sessions by the time he was 18. He relocated to Orlando, Florida in 2001, where he began serving as music director and keyboardist for Ron Kenoly. Two years later in 2003, McDowell opened his own recording studio, The Delivery Room, and tracked his debut album, The Reason I Live, there. In 2006 he accepted a worship leader position at the Gathering Place in Lake Mary, Florida, and a year later he was ordained as a pastor there. McDowell issued an ambitious two-CD set, As We Worship Live, in 2009. His second album, 2011's Arise, another two-disc affair produced by McDowell and Clay Bogan III, was recorded live on December 10, 2010 at the Christian Life Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and featured guest performances from Stacey Joseph, worship leaders David & Nicole Binion, Josh Dufrene, and twin sisters Martha Munizzi and Mary Alessi. It topped the Billboard gospel chart and marked the musician's first appearance on the Billboard 200. Recorded with a crowd of 2,000 worshipers, Withholding Nothing followed in 2013 and repeated both chart feats, reaching the Top 30 of the Billboard 200. It also earned McDowell a Grammy nomination for Best Gospel Album in 2015. His fifth album, Sounds of Revival, was recorded live at Bethany Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with guests including singer Travis Greene. Again produced by McDowell and Bogan, it was released in early 2016 and continued his string of gospel number ones. Sounds of Revival, Pt. 2 followed suit a year later. ~ Steve Leggett & Marcy Donelson