Since age 3, Nashville recording artist and composer Dale Blake has felt a calling to use his rich singing voice and love of God to share the Word of the Lord.

His music ministry has led him from the hill country of West Virginia to points throughout the South, where his concerts have helped him pursue his purpose of leading people to Christ with messages heard in song.

Along the way, he also has served as music coordinator for Lay Renewal programs and prison ministries in North Carolina, and as music director of area churches.

Dale’s latest project, “Has the Cross Ever Crossed Your Mind,” for which he wrote the lyrics and music for all 10 songs, was recorded at Sound Control Studios in Nashville under the direction of producer Mark Moseley.

Dale was raised in rural Glenwood, West Virginia, where with the encouragement of a Christian mother and grandmother, he began singing in his church as a toddler. At 12, he surrendered his life to Christ while attending Vacation Bible School, and at 13, he learned to play guitar from the most influential musician in his life – his father. Bluegrass filled Dale’s home, and by 14 he was lead vocalist and guitarist with Earl Mayes and the Mason County Bluegrass Boys.

With bluegrass as the foundation, Dale moved on to the calling of Southern Gospel. At 16, he was introduced to television’s “Gospel Singing Jubilee” and artists such as The Happy Goodman Family, The Spears and The Florida Boys. Soon thereafter, he recorded a country single in Nashville.

Dale was ordained as a deacon in 1974 and received his license to preach in 1975, but his heart always has been with his music. His personalized blend of Southern Gospel and bluegrass and his interpretation of hymns has touched, and led to the conversion of, many. In 1985, he was selected to minister at a crusade in Puerta la Cruz and Barcelona, Venezuela, at which 1,300 people were saved.

Dale also wrote several of the songs on his first album, “To God Be the Glory,” and the upcoming bluegrass collection, “Going Home for the First Time,” a project dedicated to his father. His other album is “He Chose Me,” a work still in demand at performances and concerts.

Dale’s strong baritone voice and his testimonies during his music services leave no soul untouched. A father of three grown sons, his devotion to family has been known to influence his writing. There is one ballad, “Daddy, I Love You,” that he performs at each concert. One listen, and people understand why. “

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever…” -- Psalm 89:1