Woody Rock

by Tim Smith For Woody Rock, his move into the realm of gospel music is not totally surprising. The former member of the hit R&B group Dru Hill received a steady diet of gospel music while growing up in Baltimore, MD, listening to groups like the Winans. Raised in a strict Christian-centered home, Rock wasn't allowed to listen to secular music, but always found himself bobbing his head and tapping his feet to the pulsating grooves delivered through the gospel sounds that engulfed the house. During his teenage years, Rock would later discover the world of R&B. While in high school, Rock and his friend Nokio would build the foundation of what would later become Dru Hill. The group received a record deal after an appearance on the popular televised talent show Live at the Apollo. Soon afterward, 1996 to be exact, came their first hit, the track "Tell Me," taken from the Eddie soundtrack. That was followed by the album Enter the Dru, as well as an appearance on the 1999 soundtrack for Wild Wild West. Although Rock enjoyed the success and adulation he was receiving, he needed more. He felt a need, a calling to return to his gospel music roots. That led to signing with gospel powerhouse Gospocentric Records and the release of his 2001 debut gospel project, Soul Music.