Tony Alan Bates

Born September 3, 1971, in Portsmouth, OH. Tony came into this world permanently disabled with stubs for fingers and his lower extremities turned in the opposite direction of his upper body. The doctors predicted that he would spend his life in a wheelchair after he was too heavy to carry around. 

Tony’s mother had him dedicated to Christ after he was released from the hospital and things began to change from that point on. His legs and feet were surgically broken and turned around to face in the right direction and he had to learn to walk with walking cast up to his hips. Tony stumbled and fell often trying to overcome the odds. Finally, it happened, his mother stood him up to walk and he took a step, then another, and another. Tony got so good at walking in those walking cast that his doctors graduated him to a pair shoes with a bar between his feet. Tony began to get interested in sports and although he had work 100 times harder than everyone else, he knew what it felt like to hit a homerun in baseball and to sack the quarterback in football.

Tony received Christ as Savior and Lord at the age of 13. He started a local chapter of FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) along with his brother and a teacher. By the time he graduated, they had over 50 student athletes attending every FCA meeting. 

Tony comes from a long line of singers, musicians, and preachers in his family. He began to get interested in Southern Gospel music when he was introduced to the music of The Hinsons (especially Kenny Hinson), The Hemphills, The Singing Cookes, and The Perry Sisters. Some of his other musical influences were his cousin Earl Thomas Conley, George Jones and Joe Diffie. 

Tony prayed for the gift to play the piano and he was playing the following week. God has blessed him with the gift to play anything that he hears and to write songs. Along with his brother Tim, they've written, produced, and recorded 5 Singing News Top 80 Hit Songs. Tony has been blessed to have had other artists record his songs as well. He has enjoyed the privilege of co-writing with Ronnie Hinson, Steve Chaney, and Zane King just mention a few. 

Tony now lives with his wife Kara in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and enjoys spending time with his 2 sons Brent and Drew. Together Tony and his wife Pastor My Church, a ministry they planted in January of 2009. Over the years, God has blessed Tony with the honor of sharing the stage with major Southern Gospel and Country Music artists along with several International TV Ministries. More importantly, of all the experiences he’s had, Tony has witnessed literally thousands of people come to know Christ and that is the measuring stick that he uses to drive him to do more. At the end of the day the only thing that matters it what we've done for Christ.