The Dedicated Men of Zion—Anthony “Amp” Daniels, Antwan Daniels, Dexter Weaver, and Marcus Sugg—trained in church and at home, and share the bond of upbringing and of kinship: they’re all family now through blood or marriage. The eldest member, Anthony, remembers that his mother would call her children inside, turn off the television, and make them sing in harmony and talk in harmony. Mom and her sisters had learned song from their own father, and Anthony gave it to his children, and to the Dedicated Men of Zion.

The Black communities of rural North Carolina relied on singing in a time when both respect and money were especially scarce. “That’s where that seriousness is from,” Amp remembers. “They’re serious about what they do and they don’t play with God.” The community was dense with talent and made an impact on the origins of gospel, funk, R&B, soul, and jazz; a place where the sounds of Saturday night and Sunday morning couldn’t help but jump their lanes.

The Dedicated Men of Zion caught the attention of the Music Maker Relief Foundation and began reaching new audiences, both sacred and secular. The message, for Anthony Daniels, was always that “if He did it for me, He’ll do it for you. Just keep praying and love one another.” He told Elmore, “Join in with The Dedicated Men of Zion as we take a new trip down an old road, and vibe to the joy of this soulful music.”

The Dedicated Men of Zion’s first release, Can’t Turn Me Around, was recorded in Memphis at Watson’s Delta-Sonic Sound in 2019. With their second album, they get back to where they came from: soul and the salvation of harmony. In Anthony Daniels’ own words, “You want to live, get to where the root is. Get close to the root.”

Learn more about the Dedicated Men of Zion HERE

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