BIOGRAPHY

 FREDA*, born April 15, 1966 into a family filled withmusic, has begun her true pursuit in Gospel Music. She’s the eldest of six children, wife of nineteenyears and a mother of three sons.  She’s been singingsince age 4, playing piano since age 7, playing organsince age 12, writing and composing songs since age 12and ministering through the Word since age 16.  Overthe years, she has established a vast following and itjust keeps growing and growing and growing.FREDA* serves as the Music Director of the BerkeleyMount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Berkeley, CA. She served under Senior Pastor Dr. M.T. Thompson untilhis retirement in November 2005 for a year.  Sheserves under the current Pastor/Teacher Rev. BrianHunter.  She serves as a Musician and Praise Leaderfor the California State Baptist Convention Women‘sAuxiliary, as well as Praise & Worship Instructor inthe Summer Convention and the Youth and Young AdultAuxiliary Convention.  She served as the Minister ofMusic of the Refreshing Fountain COGIC, Oakland, CA,where her father, Elder Robert Lyons, Jr. is thePastor.  She is one of the Lead Vocalists andMusicians of the California Northwest StateJurisdiction, under the leadership of COGIC GeneralBoard Member, Bishop W.W. Hamilton.  She serves as aMusic Minister/Gospel Idol Coordinator of theCalifornia Northwest State Women’s Department, underthe leadership of Mother Mary M. Welch.  She serves asone of the Gospel Music Literature Liaisons of theCOGIC Music Staff for the International COGIC AIMConvention ‘Song Is Born’ Committee, under theleadership of Professor Iris Stevenson and EvangelistDorinda Clark-Cole.  She serves as a Praise Worshipperof the Godly Girls Network Ministry, San Jose, CA,under the leadership of Rev. Donna Edward.  She is oneof the Lead Vocalists, Musicians and Directresses ofthe Northern California Chapter of the Gospel MusicWorkshop of America; Directress/Musician of the HelenJ.H. Stephens Young Adult Voices and the Helen J.H.Stephens Angelic Voices, all under the leadership ofDr. Lady Helen J.H. Stephens - Chapter Representative.She is a Charter Member of the Oakland InterfaithGospel Choir, Oakland, CA, under the leadership of Dr.Terrance Kelly.  She served as the District Ministerof Music of the Greater Agape’ Fellowship District ,under the leadership of Superintendent Bennie Taylor. She served as Music Minister of the MemorialTabernacle Church, Oakland, CA, under Pastor StephenKing.  She served as Praise & Worship Leader  of theParks Chapel AME Church, Oakland, CA, under theleadership of Rev. Donna Allen.  She served as Praise& Worship Leader of Mount Calvary Baptist Church,Oakland, CA, under the leadership of Rev. Harry Fort. She served as the Assistant District Minister of Musicof the Pentecostal Fellowship District, under theleadership of the late Superintendent Gregory Martinand as the Minister of Music of the same District whenher father became the District Superintendent.  Sheserved as the Directress of the Berkeley Mount ZionPastor’s Choir and Teen Choir, under the leadership ofRev. Dr. M.T. Thompson.  She served as a MusicMinister of the Ephesians COGIC, Berkeley, CA, underthe leadership of the late Bishop E.E. Cleveland.  Sheserved faithfully as a Music Minister of the GoodSamaritan COGIC/Cathedral, Oakland, CA, under theleadership of the late Bishop Isaac Finley and thelate Bishop German Ross.  This is where her journeybegan.FREDA* has been afforded great opportunities to singwith and for such great and dynamic Preachers andArtists, such as:  The late Bishop G.E. Patterson,Bishop Daryl Brister, Bishop Charles Blake, Bishop BobJackson, Bishop Ross Garrison, Bishop Anthony LynnWillis, Bishop Ernestine Cleveland-Reems,  BishopRichard “Mr. Clean” White, Bishop J.C. & Gloria White,Pastor Shirley Caesar, just to name a few.  TheHawkins Family, Love Center Ministries, TramaineHawkins, the late Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, The ClarkSisters, as a group and individually, Karen Clark-Sheard and Dorinda Clark-Cole, the International COGICMass Choir, Professor Iris Stevenson, Madame LuVoniaWhitley, Betty Ransom-Nelson, The GMWA Women ofWorship 2003 Mass Choir, Tonex, Kim Burrell, LawrenceMatthews, Dr. Bobby Jones, LaShun Pace, Melonda Pace,Vanessa Bell, Yolanda Adams, Pastor Rance Allen, Rev.Daryl Coley, Pastor Donnie McClurkin, Min. Chris Byrd,Ben Tankard, Rev. Bruce Parham, Kurt Carr & The KurtCarr Singers, B. Chase Williams, Ricky Dillard,Trin-I-tee 5:7, Min. Steve Lawrence, Brenda Ellis,Eld. Jesse Williams, Min. Keith Pringle, SandraCrouch, Richard Smallwood, Commissioned, James Hall &Worship & Praise, Pastor Hezekiah Walker, PastorQuincey Fielding, V. Michael McKay, The Producer -Sanchez Harley.  Other Artists names upon request.FREDA* has ministered at various venues, such as: Oakland Convention Center Oakland Museum, CalvinSimmons Theater , Henry J. Kaiser Arena, ParamountTheater,  Jack London Square, Oakland City Hall, LakeMerritt, Oakland Coliseum Arena, Candlestick Park,Moscone Center, Davies Symphony Hall; The CaliforniaState Capitol for the 2002 Juneteenth Celebration onthe State Assembly Floor during their Session, TheCalifornia State Library for the California BlackCaucus 2002 Juneteenth Reception; San Jose ConventionCenter, Detroit’s Cobo Hall, Tampa Convention Center,The Los Angeles Convention Center, Palm SpringsConvention Center, Cal State Los Angeles, Kansas CityConvention Center Main Hall,  and countless othervenues, churches, parks and settings throughoutCalifornia and the United States.FREDA* did a LIVE Recording at Parks Chapel AMEChurch, Oakland, CA, June 1996 with ManMik Records ofSeattle, Washington.  It was never released.  The Lordthen blessed her to record two leads on the ‘United AsOne’ CD on Gospel Village Records in Spring 1999. After recording those tracks, Min. Derrick Mannoffered her a record deal and she recorded her firstsingle ‘Prepare For your Destiny’.  Then on July 14,2001, the CD Just Freda* … Just Because’ was released.She wrote and arranged ten of the twelve songs onthat project.  She also wrote an InformationalWorkbook, ‘Preparing For Your Destiny’, on AlfredoxPublishing, 1999.  She served as a Family ServicesCounselor and Funeral Director of the Fouche’s HudsonFuneral Home, Oakland, CA.  She served as a member ofthe Healthy Oakland Program, as well as the MotherMary Ann Wright Foundation.  She is the Founder of SACEntertainment Group, which covers various aspects inthe Music Industry.  She is the CEO of FreestyleCommunications, a print media company.  For the2003-2004 School Year, she served as Chorus directorfor Nystrom & Washington Elementary Schools in theWest Contra Costa County School District, Richmond,CA.  She had a total of 97 students that she taught ona weekly basis, over the course of the school year andit was very rewarding.  She is the Founder ofVocaleyze, where she is the Vocal Instructor.  She isthe CEO of Crazyfanz, where she creates customizedfans for churches and other special events.  She iscurrently working with Tony Saunders.  She is alsoworking on completing her sophomore project, ‘You’veBeen Set Up’, which is due to be released nationwideFall, 2007 - Yibro Music Group, with her Producer/Music Director Maestro Ivan Johnson of Atlanta,Georgia.FREDA* can be heard on the new CD by Tony Saunders &The Anointed Voices, ‘He Lifted Me Up’ project, whereshe is singing on 4 songs.  She has sang Background onseveral projects that have yet to be released forvarious Artists in the Bay Area in the genres ofGospel, Christian, Country and Inspirational Music. She is currently working on doing vocals on two MovieSoundtracks, which are due to be released in 2008. She appeared on Bobby Jones Gospel, May, 2002, in LasVegas, Nevada.  She was one of the Lead vocalists atthe  2003 GMWA LIVE Recording Session in Tampa,Florida.  The song she lead ‘All To You’ is the firsttrack on the CD.  She can also be heard on the PenielFull Gospel Mass Choir CD, where she did the lead on,‘Great Is The Lord.‘  She was voted the 2003 FemaleSoloist of the Year at the Bay Area Gospel AcademyAwards held at the Calvin Simmons Theater, Oakland,CA, September, 2003 and nominated for others over theyears.  She can also be heard on the CD of ToddWilliams and The Sword, where she did 2 songs.  Shecan also be heard on the recent recording of Rev.Marvin Webb of Peniel Full Gospel Church.  She is theFounder of the Northern California Chapter of theG.M.W.A. Gospel Music Awards.  She conducts GospelMusic Workshops and Seminars on ‘Music Is A Ministry’.She is gifted in the Word of God and speaks tovarious organizations and Women’s Groups, as well asMusic Ministries.So, we would like to introduce to some and present toothers, FREDA*.