Meet Brenda “Ladie B” Gibbs | Singer / Songwriter / Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brenda “Ladie B” Gibbs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brenda “Ladie B”, what inspires you?
I have the desire to be fulfilled. My inspiration comes from striving to be what God created me to be. I have lived a large part of my life doing things that I had to do to survive rather than using the gifts God gave me, and doing God’s will fulfills me. The Bible says that our gifts will make room for us and since I’ve been using my gifts more frequently and purposefully, I have been more fulfilled than I’ve ever been. Doors have opened that I have only dreamed of. God has been blowing my mind and I know it’s only the beginning.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My music is my art. I have grown up around music like so many have. I started out in the bathroom of my great, great grandmother’s house in Chicago, singing to the top of my lungs. I loved the echo in there. My journey continued through church, school, graduations, weddings, and community events. I have such a love for singing, that I was drawn to iconic people over the years vocally and artistically. I’ve listened to people such as Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Cece Winans, Aretha Franklin, Shirley Caesar, Clark Sisters, Fantasia, Anita Baker, Jill Scott, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Nina Simone, Ledisi, Lil Kim, Tupac, Biggie, The Roots, Beyoncé. Kelly Clarkson, Marsha Ambrosius / Floetry, Missy Elliot, Aaliyah, the Temptations. In no order, and not in totality, of course. I mean seriously, the list goes on. I don’t think I’m any different in terms of how the music I listened to shaped me, other that the wide variety of sound. However, I do feel that making the music that speaks to me and makes me happy does. I put the gospel on any beat, any genre, however it comes to me. That’s what I believe makes me different. I truly believe that all music belongs to God. There is no box, I’m having fun.
My professional journey has not been easy, it took a lot to overcome mental battles, being a single mom for a decent portion of my adulthood, being in survival mode post-divorce from my first marriage and a growing in a lot of interpersonal areas of my life. To overcome, I did a lot of self help, read a lot, went to seminars, joined MLM, and although those things helped a lot, it wasn’t until I developed a true relationship with God and began to be obedient to the answers given from prayer that things truly began to turn around. I would like to be even further along than I am, but I would not be where I am if it were not for God and the people in my life.
I’ve learned so much along the way, it’s hard to sum it up. To narrow it down, I’d say that although we were built strong, made in God’s image, we were not meant to operate outside of the vine. God is the vine, our source, and when we do things in our own power we may still see some success but ultimately, when it’s time to check for our fruit we won’t meet the standard. We are bare. We must remain connected to Him in order to bear fruit. Much like a branch that has fallen from a tree, it won’t produce. This is parallel to my life and the way I lived it. I have been able to do many things but ultimately I did nothing. When I reconnected with God, my life blossomed. I now only desire to do the will of God, not for what He can do for me but I finally see that His way is better. I do my best to be lead by the Holy Spirit and my music and brand follow what He gives me. I pray that my music helps people in worship, in situations, gives them some good news to ride to and vibe to, and most importantly, leads people to Christ. Ladie B Music / Ladie B Ministries

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
So, there are a few places I like to frequent. I would definitely make sure we go grab food from Angie’s Cafe in Stockbridge, Nouveau, and El Ranchero because I love Mexican food. I would make sure we hit up the 47 Spot or The Saintuary since I love live music. There are a lot of other places in ATL that have live music as well, so live music and seafood is a winning combination for me. And I would love to make sure we go to where we can ride rides etc., a place like Fun Spot. Going to hang out at Centennial Park is a must after we go to the Aquarium. The Free Life Experience, Black Out Church or Unity Faith are definitely spots to check out if they want to go to church before they go.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My journey is definitely full of plenty of people, books, events and encounters that catapulted me to the place I am now. First and foremost, I’d like to thank God for not giving up on me when I was too lost to believe in myself. When I was difficult to love, hurt, broken and disobedient, His grace and mercy continued to keep me and remained sufficient. I don’t want to slight anyone, so I will add a blanket statement to include all of my family and friends who spoke into my life over the years. There is no way I can name them all. My grandmother, my mother, my father who have all loved and encouraged me. My longest standing friend, Reggie who has been an encourager throughout the chapters of my life, is someone I’d thank. My children, who gave me a release I didn’t know I needed. They gave me the permission to go begin my life, and insured me that that they’re ok. I must add that my Apostle and his family played a great role in mentoring me, encouraging me, teaching me and helping me to retrain my mind. Even to the point of helping me to start my home studio and encouraging me to release my music. He and his wife gave me the opportunity to sing with them on an album released with our church. That was my first official recording. Kingdom Impact University classes have been a huge part of my life and helped change my life for the better. My mentor Dr. Danny Graham helped me to regain my confidence after losing myself along the journey of life’s obstacles. He helped me retrain my voice after I lost the passion to sing. He ministered to me in the midst of uncertainty and coached me a bit in songwriting. He co-wrote my first complete song to my new husband for our wedding, Love that will Last. This leads me to my biggest supporter, biggest encourager, biggest champion of all things me, my husband Stephen Gibbs. This man is the love of my life. He is all that I prayed for and so much more. He is my earthly everything. He has spent so many countless nights praying for me, leading me and our family, helping to plan and pursue my new career, and so much more. He is my best friend, a minister, my manager and I could go on and on. He is the owner of Christian Nightclub of Atlanta, The Saintuary. That’s important because when I lost my passion for singing, I ran far from it and little did I know, God had other plans. He has been my biggest fan and cheerleader. I have never met someone who wanted so much for me to win. So, there it is in a nutshell.

Website: https://LadieB.com

Instagram: IAmLadieB

Facebook: Brenda ‘Ladie B’ Gibbs

Youtube: Ladie B Gibbs

Image Credits
Tangela J Morris
Harmony Taylor