The Chicago natives have enthralled audiences around the globe with their warm harmonies and spontaneous worship. They've shared the stage with Aretha Franklin, Bobby McFerrin, Marvin Sapp and Shirley Caesar among others. Now, they are taking center stage with their reverential radio single "Awesome God" that is getting played on gospel radio stations across the country.

The Brown Sisters' debut CD (recorded live at Freedom Baptist Church in Hillside, IL) is a mixture of contemporary praise and worship songs. Tracks like "King of Glory" create a venerational atmosphere of worship. "Abide" is up-tempo and uplifting. The set also features lively contemporary numbers such as the soulful "Ain't Nothin' Like This But This" that features a smooth R&B style similar to another legendary Chicago sister act, the Emotions. "Hold On" cracks with an old school quartet vibe, while "Sing Unto the Lord" boasts a Latin flavor. Then, there are urgent ballads such as "You Reign Lord" and the majestic "Awesome God" which can easily stand alongside praise anthems such as Richard Smallwood's "Center of My Joy" or Kirk Franklin's "The Reason Why We Sing."

The road to this momentous live recording began when the sisters were kids. They started out as

The Brown Singers (Zachary, Vanessa, Phyllis, Lavette, Adrienne and Andrea). "Our love of music began with our father, Pastor Ben Brown," says Vanessa Brown Dukes, the oldest sister, and manager of the group. He's quite an entrepreneur. "He sold some of everything. He's in real estate and eventually found his niche in used cars. He owns Ben's Auto Sales in Chicago and Lambert, MS." Their mom, Alberta, is a retired schoolteacher.

"Our father began training and teaching us harmony because he enjoyed singing," Dukes says.

"One of the songs my father taught us was `I Feel Good, Good Down in My Soul.'" They were raised in the Pillar of Truth COGIC church where their paternal grandfather, Rev. James Brown, served as pastor. "That's all we knew was church," says Dukes. "My father would call us kids up to sing on several occasions. He'd sing with us. He'd lead off the song and we'd back him up. After a while, people started asking for us kids to sing at various events."

Their brother Zachary eventually took on the role of the group's musician until bone cancer claimed his life at the age of 15. At that point, the youngest sister Andrea became the musician. The group continued to sing, but as The Brown Sisters. When the two oldest sisters entered Trinity Christian College in the early 1980's, the group took a hiatus. Then, in 1986 the group reunited. Coming from a conservative background, the sisters were content with singing at local events within their city and the Midwest region. "We recorded a couple of tapes and sold them in the churches where we sang at," the Sisters remember, "but God had a much bigger plan for our lives. We were always praised for our singing, but because of our upbringing, we were taught not to push ourselves, and that our gift would make room for us." Eventually, the sisters decided to record a demo in 1994 and shopped it to a few record labels. They experienced a few rejections, but kept on singing.

Shortly thereafter, record executive Telisa Stinson landed the sisters a gig as the permanent support vocalists for the national recording artists on the syndicated television show "Testify" from 1994 to 1999. Other friends were looking out for the group as well. Inez Andrews, of the legendary Caravans gospel group, recommended them to a European concert promoter, Willy Leiser of IBA Productions, in 1999. "We traveled two or three times a year throughout Europe for nine years," the Sisters point out.

The group became so popular abroad that IBA had them create a CD of hymns for Ebony Gospel Records that was sold exclusively at their concerts. The CD Amazing Grace featured tunes such as "God Will Take Care of You" and "Ride on King Jesus." In Europe, they performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, won the Best Gospel/Jazz Record of the Year Award in France and sang at a U.N.I.C.E.F. event in Germany.

After extensive touring in Europe, the group finally decided to record their own first CD in the states. "We broke out and said it's time for the Brown Sisters to do what we have been called to do," Vanessa recalls. "We had a following in the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), Chicago, a few other states, and in Europe. As leader of the group, the Lord spoke to me and said, `I have anointed the sisters for ministry and now is the time to for you sing my praises to the nations.'"

At the heart of the Brown Sisters' music is their testimony. Their mom, Alberta, fell deathly ill with Strep Pneumoccaucus in April 1998. "She had a virus that took over her body," Vanessa recalls. "Mom was hospitalized for about 8 months. Her organs had shut down. There was this flesh-eating disease eating our mom alive. She felt like she was on fire. She looked like she'd been in a fire. She was in a coma for days. The skin on her body was open white flesh and she had to have multiple skin grafts. Both of her legs were amputated below the knees. She cried everyday because she was in such pain. She was only fighting to live in order see her daughters' dreams come true."

The physicians told the family there was no hope. "Knowing what the Word of God says, we told the doctors not to pull any plugs," says Vanessa. "The saints prayed and we believed God. We saw God deliver her right before our eyes! The doctors couldn't understand how Mom could possibly comeback from such a major illness but we know God to be a healer. We tell our testimony everywhere we go." They even retell the story on a track on the CD simply entitled, "Testimony."

When asked about the Brown Sisters' future goals, the Sisters say, "We want to reach people all over by singing on a national level in every venue where there's an open door. We have always felt that our music could minister in places that we could not physically visit." The Brown Sisters say that their primary goal is to do as Jesus stated in the Biblical scripture of Luke 14:23: "Go out into the highway and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled."