Music has always been a part of David Phelps’ life. 

The worship singer brings a collection of his songs to Mt. Horeb Church this weekend, making Lexington his only South Carolina stop along his After the Downbeat Tour. 

The evening concert will feature an array of songs that he hopes all will enjoy. 

“It’s a varied program. I’ll try to reach everybody in the room at one point or another,” said Phelps. “I really try to entertain them and bring them music that’s moving. It’s a gospel concert so I get to share things of eternal value. Hopefully people leave with a little more hope and enjoy some good art.”

The Grammy- and Dove-winning artist has been making music since his childhood in Tomball, Texas, moving through to his former days in the Gaither Vocal Band founded by Bill Gaither. On working with that esteemed outfit, Phelps said the opportunity allowed him to learn and move forward.

“Working with them was a wonderful opportunity,” he offered.

Phelps left the vocal group in 2017 and has been finding his own voice and his own sound. While he appreciates the artistry of the Gaither Vocal Band, going solo allowed him to embrace his own creativity. 

“I love many types of music. All have pieces we appreciate with different styles,” said Phelps, who added that he believes “whatever you’re exposed to in childhood is what you take into adulthood. I grew up listening to 80s rock, country, symphonic and pop.”

Singing a varied program excites Phelps, and being solo allows him to explore a wide range of styles.

He noted that another important step on his musical journey was his time at Baylor University, calling studying music there “a great time and I had incredible teachers.”

Vocal health and vocal training is essential for his tenor range, and he credits the training from his college years for preparing him and helping him to know how to take care of his voice, especially when he’s touring and doing two-hour shows. 

Making music comes naturally for Phelps, but he definitely wants to continue challenging himself and pushing to make music to inspire people. When the pandemic happened and touring was sidelined, he turned to music and worked on a solo album, “Gamechanger.”

Phelps currently resides on a farm in Tennessee with his wife A lot of the music off his latest album comes from performing on his farm for people during a time when much of the world was shut down.

“For me, it’s the next chapter as an artist. I hope to continue developing as an artist,” he said Phelps. “It’s all original stuff with a modern flair. I’ll do a few things from this album at the  concert. My solo stuff has always been contemporary.”

“I love different styles,” he added. “If it doesn’t move people, I don’t feel like I’ve done my job. Then it’s just math. I just keep trying to move people. That’s always my goal.”