# Commissioned (gospel group)

Commissioned is an American urban contemporary gospel group from Detroit, Michigan. Members included Fred Hammond, Keith Staten, Karl Reid, Mitchell Jones, Marvin Sapp, Marcus Cole and Montrell Darrett.
The group recorded twelve albums over a period of seventeen years, and were nominated for Grammy and Stellar awards.

## Group history

The group originates from Detroit, Michigan. The six original members were Fred Hammond, Mitchell Jones, Keith Staten, Karl Reid, Michael Brooks and Michael Williams. The group formed in 1982, two years after Hammond played bass for The Winans. In 1990, Staten and Brooks left the group and were replaced with Marvin Sapp, Maxx Frank and Eddie Howard, Jr. By 1994, Howard had left the group, and Williams left a year later. Hammond also left to pursue a career with the choir Radical For Christ. He was replaced by Montrell Darrett. By 1999, Marcus Cole and Chris Poole had taken the place of Sapp, Frank and Darrett on the group's last studio album.
The R&B group Silk covered the Commissioned ballad "Cry On" on the movie soundtrack for Blankman (1994).
In 2002, Commissioned released a reunion album, which was recorded live at the Straightgate Church in Detroit, Michigan on October 26, 2001. Most of the group's former members reunited, and featured most of its greatest hits.
The group performed live on stage during the 2002 Stellar Awards in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 2011, they were honored at the BMI Awards after the Stellar Awards. Gospel artists sang musical tributes, including: Dawkins & Dawkins, Deitrick Haddon, Marvin Sapp, The Soul Seekers, The Clark Sisters and Men of Standard. The members who were present at the event were Hammond, Staten, Sapp, Jones, Reid, Williams, Frank, Darrett, Cole and Brooks. The group sang "Victory" from their sophomore record, Go Tell Somebody.
Hammond, Brooks, Staten, Sapp, Reid, Jones and Williams performed another reunion concert in 2019. It was hosted by the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World Incorporated. The group was invited to perform to celebrate the 104th Summer Convention of the P.A.W. Inc.

## Discography
### Albums

| Release date | Album title | Label |
| 1985 | I'm Going On | Light Records |
| 1986 | Go Tell Somebody | Light Records |
| 1987 | On The Winning Side | Light Records |
| 1988 | Will You Be Ready? | Light Records |
| 1989 | Ordinary Just Won't Do | Light Records |
| 1990 | State of Mind | Benson Records |
| 1991 | Number 7 | Benson Records |
| 1994 | Matters of the Heart | Benson Records |
| 1996 | Irreplaceable Love | Benson Records |
| 1999 | Time and Seasons | Verity Records |
| 2002 | The Commissioned Reunion Live | Verity Records |

### Compilations

| Release date | Album title | Label |
| 1991 | A Collection | Light Records |
| 1993 | Commissioned Complete | Platinum Records |
| 1994 | Go Tell Somebody/I'm Going On | Light Records |
| 1995 | The Light Years | CGI Records |
| 1995 | Gospel Greats | Benson Records |
| 1999 | The Best of Commissioned | Verity Records |
| 2002 | Mega 3 Collection | Light Records |
| 2003 | Essential | BMG Music |
| 2003 | Legends of Gospel | Compendia Media Group |
| 2006 | The Definitive 16 Greatest Hits | Intersound Records |

### Singles

| Release date | Single title | Label | RIAA certification |
| 1994 | Love is the Way | A&M Records | |

### Guest appearances

List of non-single songs with guest appearances by Commissioned :
| Title | Year | Album | Artist(s) |
| "Before It Falls Down" | 2000 | J2K - Jesus 2000 | Various |
| "All Because of You" | 2001 | With This Ring | Various |
| "What Child is This" | 2013 | Christmas Card | Marvin Sapp |
| "Honor The King" | 2013 | Christmas Card | Marvin Sapp |

### Performance videos

| Release date | Video / DVD title | Label |
| 1991 | In Concert (Live) (VHS) | Mercury Video |
| 1998 | Matters of the Heart (Video/Live) (VHS) | Verity Records |
| 1998 | Commissioned: Live in Concert (VHS) | Xenon Pictures |
| 1998 | Number 7 (VHS) | Verity Records |
| 2002 | The Commissioned Reunion: Live (video/DVD) | Verity Records |
| 2005 | The Winans: The Lost Concert (video/DVD) | Xenon Pictures |

## Billboard chart history
### Albums

| Year | Album title | Chart name | Peak position |
| 1985 | Go Tell Somebody / I'm Going On | Top Gospel Albums | 5 |
| 1985 | I'm Going On | Top Gospel Albums | 11 |
| 1986 | Go Tell Somebody | Top Gospel Albums | 2 |
| 1987 | On the Winning Side | Top Gospel Albums | 6 |
| 1988 | On the Winning Side | Top Contemporary Christian | 24 |
| 1989 | Will You Be Ready? | Top Contemporary Christian | 26 |
| 1989 | Will You Be Ready? | Top Gospel Albums | 29 |
| 1990 | Ordinary Just Won't Do | Top Contemporary Christian | 28 |
| 1990 | Ordinary Just Won't Do | Top Gospel Albums | 4 |
| 1990 | State of Mind | Top Contemporary Christian | 19 |
| 1990 | State of Mind | Top Gospel Albums | 4 |
| 1991 | Number 7 | Top Contemporary Christian | 22 |
| 1991 | Number 7 | Top Gospel Albums | 7 |
| 1994 | Matters of the Heart | Top Contemporary Christian | 13 |
| 1994 | Matters of the Heart | Top Gospel Albums | 13 |
| 1994 | Matters of the Heart | Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 65 |
| 1996 | Irreplaceable Love | Heatseekers | 19 |
| 1996 | Irreplaceable Love | Top Contemporary Christian | 9 |
| 1996 | Irreplaceable Love | Top Gospel Albums | 3 |
| 1999 | The Best of Commissioned | Top Gospel | 29 |
| 2000 | Time and Seasons | Heatseekers | 28 |
| 2000 | Time and Seasons | Top Contemporary Christian | 13 |
| 2000 | Time and Seasons | Top Gospel Albums | 6 |
| 2002 | The Commissioned Reunion: Live (video/DVD) | The Billboard 200 | 100 |
| 2002 | The Commissioned Reunion: Live (video/DVD) | Top Contemporary Christian | 8 |
| 2002 | The Commissioned Reunion: Live (video/DVD) | Top Gospel Albums | 3 |

## Awards
### Nominations

| Year | Award-giving body | Award category | Song/album title |
| 1989 | Grammy Awards | Best Soul Gospel Performance - Duo, Group, Choir or Chorus | Will You Be Ready? |
| 1991 | Grammy Awards | Best Pop Gospel Album | Shakin' the House...Live - Carman & Commissioned (& the Christ Church Choir) |
| 1994 | Grammy Awards | Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album | Matters of the Heart |
| 2001 | Stellar Awards | Contemporary Group/Duo of the Year | Time & Seasons |
| 2002 | Stellar Awards | Producer of the Year (Israel Humphrey) | Commissioned Reunion Live |
| 2002 | Stellar Awards | Group/Duo of the Year | Commissioned Reunion Live |
| 2002 | Stellar Awards | Contemporary Group/Duo of the Year | Commissioned Reunion Live |
| 2002 | Stellar Awards | Contemporary CD of the Year | Commissioned Reunion Live |
| 2002 | Stellar Awards | Special Event CD of the Year | Commissioned Reunion Live |
| 2002 | Grammy Awards | Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album | Commissioned Reunion Live |

## Members

* Fred Hammond: lead vocals, background vocals, bass guitar (1982-1994, 2001–2002, 2011, 2013, 2018–2022)
* Keith Staten: lead vocals, background vocals (1982-1990, 2001–2002, 2011, 2013, 2017–2024)
* Mitchell Jones: lead vocals, background vocals (1982-2002, 2011, 2013, 2017-present)
* Karl Reid: lead vocals, background vocals (1982-2002, 2011, 2013, 2017-present)
* Eddie Howard, Jr: keyboards (1990-1994)
* Marvin Sapp: lead vocals, background vocals (1990-1996, 2001–2002, 2011, 2013, 2018–2023)
* Michael Williams: drums (1982-1994, 2001–2002, 2011, 2018-present)
* Marcus Cole: lead vocals, background vocals (1996-2002, 2013, 2017–2019, 2022-2024)
* Michael Brooks: keyboards (1982-1990, 2018–2024) (died 2024)
* Montrell Darrett: lead vocals, background vocals (1995-1996)
* Chris Poole: lead vocals, backgrounds vocals (1999-2000) (deceased)
* Maxx Frank: keyboards, B3 organ, mixing (1990-1996)
* Parkes Stewart: lead vocals, background vocals (2023-present)

## Footnotes

* ↑ Cummings, Tony. "17th Annual Stellar Award Winners (2002)". GospelFlava. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
* 1 2 3 4 "allmusic Discography". Retrieved 2007-05-31.
* ↑ "allmusic Filmography". Retrieved 2007-05-31.
* ↑ "allmovie Filmography". Retrieved 2007-05-31.
* ↑ "allmusic Charts & Awards". Retrieved 2007-05-31.