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Her gifts took their own sweet time

A would-be pharmacist put family first, but now it's her big moment - as a gospel singer.

By WAVENEY ANN MOORE, Times Staff Writer
Published October 3, 2007

St. Petersburg- As senior class president in 1994, Ivetha Skinner told her fellow St. Petersburg High School graduates that there was no challenge they couldn't overcome.

She couldn't know how prophetic her words would prove, if not for her classmates, at least for herself.

That fall, she set off with high hopes and the proud support of her parents, three brothers and two sisters to study to become a pharmacist at Florida A&M University. When she became pregnant in her sophomore year, her dreams and those of her family came crashing down.

"It was expected of me to get my degree and go and do great things. It shattered my world," she said.

"I can say honestly that I had become prideful, so that was a huge blow to my ego. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep."

She also couldn't tell her parents, Carson and Mattie Skinner, who had counted on seeing all of their children graduate from college. Her brothers and sisters broke the news to them after church one Sunday.

She and her boyfriend, Antonio Witherspoon - they had been high school sweethearts - dropped out of FAMU, returned to St. Petersburg, got married and put her dreams on hold.

The senior class president who had brought the graduation crowd to its feet with a rendition of a Mariah Carey song rediscovered her faith and continued to sing as a hobby.

Now 31, Witherspoon recently released her first double gospel CD -Just Getting Started and As I Progressed On - performing under the name of Ivey. She has also been invited to sing at a program for new artists at the Church of God in Christ convention in Memphis in November and has been giving special performances at St. Petersburg churches.

"I grew up singing in the church," said Witherspoon, who is now a member of Pinellas Community Church.

Her father, who retired after 29 years at Progress Energy, is an assistant pastor at Prayer Tower Church of God in Christ. It's also where two of her brothers played in the band.

Witherspoon credits one of those brothers, Clarence Skinner, with helping to redirect her dreams. In 2001, he opened Bam Bam Productions, a production studio now at 2620 Fifth Ave. N, and invited her to sing for the label.

"We've always been close," her brother said. "When she got home from school, my heart went out to her. I knew that she needed love and support and she needed something that would ground her and keep her focused. She's an awesome singer."

Skinner, who says there's hardly an instrument he doesn't play, wrote the music and lyrics for the 22 gospel songs on the two CDs. He also provides the accompaniment. Such an endeavor would typically cost about $60,000 or more, he said.

Last weekend, the brother-sister team learned that one of the songs, My Praise, had been selected for the home page of GospelCity.com.

"For us to be an underdog, an independent label, and to be placed on that page is a major accolade," Skinner said. "I believe in my heart that this is going platinum, and it's just getting it into the right hands."

His sister hopes to be discovered in Tennessee when she sings at the church convention on Nov. 8.

"I'm hoping that I will be at the right place at the right time and somebody will hear me and then all the things we've been waiting for will come to fruition," she said.

In the years since leaving FAMU, she and her husband have earned associate's degrees at St. Petersburg College. He is employed at Raymond James and is working on a bachelor's degree. The couple have a son, Alexander, 11, whom his mother describes as a "star student," and a daughter, Alexandria, 9.

"As I look back, I could have done things differently, but it is what it is and I believe that God placed me where I am," she said.

Waveney Ann Moore can be reached at wmoore@sptimes.com or 892-2283.

IF YOU GO

Local concerts

Ivetha Witherspoon will sing during Sunday services at several St. Petersburg churches.

- 10 a.m. Oct. 14 at Gateway Church, 4355 Central Ave. She'll also give a free concert at 7 p.m. Dec. 8 at Gateway Church.

- 10 a.m. Oct. 21, Bethel Metropolitan Baptist Church, 3455 26th Ave. S.

- 11 a.m. Oct. 28, Unity Temple of Truth, 511 Prescott St. S.

- 10:45 a.m. Dec. 16, Friendship Baptist Church, 3300 31st St. S.

On the web

Hear Iveyfor yourself

To listen to selections from Ivetha Witherspoon's CD, go towww.bambamproductions.com orgospelcity.com.

[Last modified October 2, 2007, 23:00:01]