"I yielded to God and said yes. And you can't do ministry and not yourself be subject to your message."

• Born Willie Rae Norful Jr. Oct. 31, 1975, in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
   
• Smokie Norful's debut album, 2002's I Need You Now, climbed to No. 1 on Billboard's Gospel Albums chart. The title track charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
   
• Norful won his first GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album for Nothing Without You at the 47th GRAMMY Awards.
   
• The gospel singer/songwriter has been a licensed minister since 1997.