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Formerly the lead singer in the multi-platinum group Acappella (he left in 1994), Wayburn Dean's vocals garnered Grammy and Dove nominations. His solo releases have charted in the Top 10 at radio. We spoke with Dean about his life and his latest album, Through the Rain.

As a newborn, you survived a traumatic health condition and extreme poverty. Tell me more.

Wayburn Dean: At birth, I contracted rheumatic fever. The doctors told my mother I only had 10 to 15 days to live. We were a very poor family who lived in a one-room rock cottage with one hanging bulb from an extension cord in the middle of the room.

What did your mother do when she found out you were so ill?

Dean: She was very distraught, but because of her faith, she was not ready to concede to my dying. After asking the members of her church to pray, she remembered the story of Hannah, who asked God for a son and God gave her what she asked for. My mother held my lifeless body up to that one and only light and said to God, "Lord I'm coming to you as Hannah did. Would you please spare my child's life? I will give him back to you as Hannah did." God was merciful—he let me live that night, and each night following. As time went by, I got better and stronger with little to no medication. I'm grateful to God for life and a voice to share his Word in song.

Dean with wife Janae

What did you do after leaving the group Acappella, before starting your solo career?  

Dean: After five years with Acappella, I left music for eight years. I fell back on my college degree in business, and began working as a development director for a nonprofit company. I was not fulfilled. There was a huge hole in my heart and I missed music terribly.

What brought you back?

Dean: I was then laid off, had no job and didn't know exactly what to do. My wife Janae said, "I think the Lord wants you back in music. It may be time to answer all the e-mails, letters and phone calls from those who want to hear from you again." We made a few phone calls, and God opened the door for our now flourishing ministry.

Two of your latest singles, "Through the Rain" and "I Need a Savior," topped the charts. Do people identify with them because of the nation's current problems?

Dean: Our nation is in peril, and I believe we have insulated ourselves with monetary gain, homes, portfolios, and cars. Many of us are truly going through a storm or "Through the Rain." When those things begin to go away, as they have in our nation, many will come back to Christ and realize these things are fleeting. We are not really in control; God is. So, the messages of these songs are very timely and appropriate.

Your latest single, "What Will Be Your Legacy," is high on the charts. What do you want to be your legacy?

Dean: I want my legacy to be written in heaven and on earth. My wife's father recently passed away. At his funeral, person after person would say, "That man loved the Lord." I would hope that could be my legacy on earth. In heaven, I would love to hear God himself say, "Wayburn, I am proud of you. Not everything has been easy, and you've made some mistakes, but you're here and you brought many with you." Many secular artists have phenomenal talent and have a tremendous impact on the world that doesn't have eternal value. Those legacies are short lived in the long term.

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