- Hello, I'm Kisma Jordan-Hunter, director of the Cranbrook Project.

Welcome to "Detroit Performs."

Tonight's performance comes to you from the sanctuary at Christ Church Cranbrook.

It's presented as part of the Faith in Detroit Project, a storytelling initiative that shows how faith connects the people, places, and public life in and around Detroit.

Tonight, we're sharing highlights from our sacred concert featuring Grammy-winning musician, composer, and producer Cory Henry.

This powerful performance and interview explores his journey of faith, family, and music.

Through his sound and story, Henry reflects on the influence of the Black church, the foundation of his Brooklyn upbringing, and the faith that continues to shape his artistry.

Please enjoy Cory Henry on "Detroit Performs."

- [Announcer] Funding for "Detroit Performs" is provided by Christ Church Cranbrook, The Kresge Foundation, the Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation, Gregory Haynes and Richard Sonenklar, and by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.

(upbeat music) - Cory Henry, it's great to have you with us in this interview, and you are such a magnificent talent.

And one of the things that you said in an interview that you gave in 2025 is that you differentiate the work you do as a musician from the work you do in church.

And you differentiated the work of church as being the place of ritual, there's altar calls, there's baptisms, and the work of being a musician, it's just as much a ministry.

You actually said the power of God comes through the gift of music.

Can you tell us a story about that?

- Yeah, I believe deeply in the power of God and the gift of music, I've, since I was a kid growing up in church.

My mother plays several different instruments and she taught me when I was, you know, literally one or two years old.

My grandmama actually said the other day, she was like, "You was seven, eight months playing."

I was like, "Come on, now."

But I'll never forget when I was playing in church around the age of four or five or six years old, and I was finishing up a song and my mama was like, "Play the church chords," you know?

And like, she meant like the preaching chords or whatever, and I just played these chords and somebody was like, "Ah!

"Hallelujah!"

and started like running around and like doing all this crazy stuff.

And I was like, "What is going on?"

Like, "Why is that response happening?"

and all I did was play a chord.

I didn't know it was because I played the chord at the time, but now thinking back, I was like, "They are reacting very emotionally and all these different things."

And I figured out from that moment, you know, how powerful music was.

People come to church every Sunday for music, you know?

I mean, of course people go for the Bible and the Word, but like, I know tons of people who are just going to be lifted by the music, lifted by the people singing.

- One of the things you did say in another interview I did some research on is you did have a moment in your life where you were far away from church and from religion and then found yourself drawn back.

And I was wondering if that was a, in a sense, your musical gifts helped you transcend the church for a bit and you kind of followed your music where it was taking you, and then you found the music of the church drawing you back.

Can you talk about that journey back and forth?

- So I played in church, like, specifically for 20 years or so.

And then I stopped for almost 20 years.

It's crazy.

But I stopped for a lot of different reasons.

I kind of was angry, and I had rightful, just reasons to be upset with the church and people that I respected.

And I didn't want to really be in the church, but the music and the spirit of God never left me.

I never felt like I was far from God, even though I had left the church.

But I had to have all those experiences outside the church because that makes me, it has made me who I am today, being able to talk to people, learn about other experiences and cultures.

It showed me a lot, right?

And it seemed like I got to the end of a point where it felt like I needed to be back.

And I had a friend of mine tell me, he was like, "Yeah, you should have made that gospel record years ago, man.

You would have been way more famous."

I was like... And I said to him, I was like, "No," right?

Because I didn't live the experience that I need to sing about, and that's super important.

Like, I made a record called "Church," right?

It won a Grammy.

And I don't think it won a Grammy because I just made it.

I think it won a Grammy because it's a true experience, right?

Like, when I listen to the album, you're hearing my whole life on record, like my grandmama singing a song that we used to sing 30 years ago and, like, or still sing to this day actually.

But I think about when I was a kid hearing some of these songs, some of the songs I recorded.

And before I recorded the record, I was just like, it felt like I needed to be back.

Like, I know the sound never left me, but I wanted to be back in fellowship and, like, community with people of believers and things like that.

And it's been important.

It's been important.

I'm happy that I had the transition to go from being in church to being so far removed, and now, you know, being back technically.

(gentle organ music) The song says... ♪ God is working ♪ ♪ He's still working ♪ ♪ God is working even now ♪ ♪ Though we often don't know just how ♪ ♪ God is working ♪ ♪ He's still working ♪ ♪ God is working even now ♪ ♪ He's working even now ♪ ♪ Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm ♪ ♪ God is working ♪ ♪ He's still working now ♪ ♪ He's working even now ♪ ♪ Although we often don't know just how, woo ♪ ♪ God is working ♪ ♪ He's still working ♪ ♪ God is working even now ♪ ♪ Oh yes, He is ♪ ♪ I wanna say it one more time ♪ ♪ The Lord God is working even though I don't see ♪ ♪ God is working even on my feelings ♪ ♪ God is working even now ♪ ♪ Though we often don't know just how ♪ ♪ I believe God is working ♪ ♪ He's still working ♪ ♪ God is working even now ♪ ♪ Oh yes He is ♪ ♪ Oh yes He is ♪ ♪ Oh yeah ♪ (mellow jazz music) (mellow jazz music continues) (mellow jazz music continues) One more.

Huh.

(uptempo jazz music) ♪ Oh, God is working ♪ ♪ He's still working ♪ ♪ God is working even now ♪ ♪ Though we often don't know just how ♪ ♪ God is working ♪ ♪ He's still working ♪ ♪ God is working even now ♪ ♪ Now ♪ ♪ Now ♪ ♪ Now ♪ ♪ He's working even now ♪ ♪ Oh now ♪ ♪ Working even now ♪ ♪ He's working even now ♪ ♪ Oh yes He is ♪ ♪ He's working even now ♪ ♪ Even though you might not feel it ♪ ♪ Even though you might not see it ♪ ♪ I know it looks crazy ♪ ♪ The world is crazy right now ♪ ♪ I believe God is still at work ♪ ♪ Yes He is ♪ ♪ He's working even now ♪ ♪ He worked before (chuckles) ♪ ♪ He's gonna work again ♪ ♪ Because I believe in God ♪ ♪ Do it again, He's working ♪ ♪ He's working ♪ I feel good, man.

♪ Oh yes He is ♪ (uptempo jazz music continues) ♪ He's working ♪ Go.

♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh ♪ ♪ Although we often don't know just how ♪ ♪ Although we often don't know just how ♪ ♪ Although we often know just how ♪ ♪ I believe God is working ♪ ♪ He's still working ♪ ♪ God is working even now ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ Hear this one too.

♪ I said the Lord is blessing me right now ♪ ♪ Oh right now ♪ ♪ I said Lord is blessing me, oh, right now ♪ ♪ Oh right now ♪ ♪ You see, He woke me up this morning, yes He did ♪ ♪ And He started me on my way ♪ ♪ I believe that Lord is blessing me, oh, right now ♪ ♪ Oh, right now ♪ (audience claps) (bright organ music) ♪ The Lord is blessing me right now ♪ ♪ Oh, right now ♪ ♪ I said the Lord is blessing me right now ♪ ♪ Right now ♪ ♪ He woke me up this morning, yes he did ♪ ♪ And He started me on my way ♪ ♪ I believe that the Lord is blessing me right now ♪ ♪ Oh right now ♪ ♪ I got to say it one more time ♪ ♪ I said Lord is blessing me right now ♪ ♪ Oh right now ♪ ♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh ♪ ♪ The Lord, He's blessing me, oh Lord, oh right now ♪ ♪ Oh right now ♪ ♪ I tell you He woke me up this morning, yes He did ♪ ♪ And He started me on my way, yeah ♪ ♪ The Lord is blessing me right now ♪ ♪ Oh right now ♪ ♪ I got to tell you one more thing ♪ ♪ You see He woke me up this morning ♪ ♪ I was clothed in my right mind ♪ ♪ Oh, He didn't let me sleep too late, oh Lord ♪ ♪ He woke me, woke me, woke me right on time ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ He woke me up this morning ♪ ♪ And he started me, woo, on my way, yes He did ♪ ♪ The Lord is blessing me ♪ ♪ Oh right now ♪ (uptempo jazz music continues) (uptempo jazz music continues) Uh!

(uptempo jazz music continues) Yeah, go!

(uptempo jazz music continues) ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ The Lord is blessing me, yes He is ♪ ♪ Right now, right now ♪ ♪ Oh the Lord, Lord, Lord, is blessing me, yeah ♪ ♪ Right now, right now, right now ♪ ♪ I got to tell you now, now ♪ ♪ He woke me up this morning, yes He did ♪ ♪ Started me on my way ♪ ♪ I tell you he woke me up early this morning ♪ ♪ He started me ♪ ♪ I wanna say it one more time ♪ ♪ I said He woke me up this morning ♪ ♪ Starting me on my way, yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ The Lord is blessing me ♪ ♪ The Lord is blessing me ♪ ♪ The Lord is blessing me ♪ ♪ The Lord is blessing me ♪ (uptempo jazz music continues) Come on, Sput.

(uptempo jazz music continues) (uptempo jazz music continues) (audience member shouts) (lively drumming music) (audience member cheers) (lively drumming music continues) (lively drumming music ends) (audience claps and cheers) ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ Do I have any blessed folks in the house?

♪ Let me see you wave your hands ♪ ♪ If He's blessing you, I've been saying lately ♪ ♪ He's in the blessing business ♪ ♪ And the business is booming, yes it is ♪ ♪ I don't know if you checked lately ♪ ♪ But He put clothes on my, on my back, yes He did ♪ ♪ The food on my table ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He keeps blood running warm in my veins, yes He does ♪ ♪ Just testify a little bit ♪ ♪ He keeps on making ways ♪ ♪ He keeps on making ways out of no way, yes He does ♪ ♪ He keeps me safe across the highways and the byways ♪ ♪ Mm (chuckles) ♪ ♪ You know the byways ♪ ♪ He keeps bullets away ♪ ♪ Oh yes He does ♪ ♪ There's so many blessings ♪ ♪ I would run out if I named them all ♪ ♪ I couldn't even name them all ♪ ♪ Because He's blessing me, woo ♪ ♪ Oh yes He is ♪ ♪ We gotta go ♪ (uptempo jazz music) All the blessed people, clap your hands right here.

Come on y'all.

(audience claps) (uptempo jazz music continues) Repeat after me.

♪ Say He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ - This feels a little unusual, but I hear this.

Anybody who's looking for a blessing, I want you to claim it in this atmosphere right now.

We're gonna do this for about one minute.

I believe God for a miracle.

Come on, let's go.

♪ Hey, He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ - All the blessed people, clap your hands, yeah!

(audience claps) Woo!

♪ I don't know why ♪ ♪ I can't explain it ♪ ♪ But it's nothing but the goodness of God ♪ ♪ Yeah, He's blessing me, woo ♪ (lively jazz music) One more.

♪ Yeah, yeah, He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ ♪ He's blessing me ♪ (lively jazz music continues) That's it.

♪ I said the Lord is blessing me ♪ ♪ Oh, right now, oh right now ♪ (audience claps and cheers) Would y'all give it up for Robert Sput Searight over there on those drums?

(audience claps and cheers) - [Announcer] Funding for "Detroit Performs" is provided by Christ Church Cranbrook, The Kresge Foundation, the Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation, Gregory Haynes and Richard Sonenklar, and by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.

(upbeat music) (bright music)