Kavelle Anglin-Christie, Staff Reporter

The present Grace Thrillers are (stooping in front) Noel Willis Jr. (left) and Alrick O'Connor; (seated) Althea Hemmings (left), Shalli Burrell (centre) and Cadian Brown; and (at back) Mary Lewis (left) and Natalie Foster.

Noel Willis Jr., at only 25 years old, plans to take the 36-year-old group, the Grace Thrillers, to ne under his leadership. Willis, however, said he never thought the day would come so soon.

"In my final year of college, my father asked me if I would consider joining the group full-time and if I would consider taking over the group, but I told him I would think about it because I never thought about doing it so soon. I wanted to do my solo thing, but I prayed about it. My prayers plus that feeling that came with doing anything with the Grace Thrillers," he said.

Though Willis only recently took over the reins from his father, Noel Willis Sr., he has been sharing the stage with the Grace Thrillers since he was four.

"Once, at a Grace Thrillers concert, my dad called me on-stage and said he had a surprise and I sang, Whitney Houston's The Greatest Love of All (originally done by George Benson). Then when I was about eight or nine I started to sing with my brother and sister in the Young Thrillers," said Willis.

Since joining the group on a full-time basis in 2003, he said he had found leading the group to be tedious at times. "Being a leader is not easy, but we have a tight bond. It's almost like we are brothers and sisters. We are all almost the same age, so one problem I find is that I think sometimes they don't take what I say seriously. But they reassure me that it's not anything like that. It's a big responsibility," he said.

Since Willis said he didn't expect to lead the group so soon, it raises the question, 'what did he have in mind in the meantime?'

He said since childhood he'd always wanted to pursue both business and music. "I also wanted to be a gospel performer and then later on start my own recording company and then later on branch off to being a producer," he said. Willis said he still intended to do those things in addition to getting a master's degree in music technology and teaching music.

A natural leader, a natural singer: it seems so simple. Willis, however, said one thing that wasn't always simple was his Christian journey, but because he had always been surrounded by Christian influences, it made his walk easier.

"It wasn't easy, especially when I left and went abroad. When I was in Jamaica I was surrounded by my parents and I had Christian friends, so all that helped to groom me. When I went away it was basically a struggle to be on the path because the devil will always try to put distractions in your way to hinder your growth as a Christian, but God really touched my life then I came home to the group," he said.

Did you feel pressured to make that decision to join the group and put your other goals on hold?

I believe I am still young and I still have a lot of time ahead of me ... To lead the group, wouldn't be anything bad.

Have you written any songs on the new album, 'It's All About You'?

Yes, two songs, the first one, I L.O.V.E, and To Love King Jesus.

Where do you get the inspiration from to write the songs?

When I went to college and I majored in music technology, there were classes there that taught you to how to write songs and it was always easy for me to write gospel more than anything else. When I started to write, my Dad encouraged me, and said, "You know it's good and everything to do other people's songs, but if you're blessed to write your own, you should," and that's what I did.

Do you plan to get married?

Yes, I do.

How do you plan to balance family life with the constant travelling?

The only way is in God. I believe that he will work it out and will provide a wife, who will understand what must be done. God is gonna bless me with someone like that.

What are some of the problems that you guys and other gospel groups face in the business and how do you handle them?

There is a lot of pressure from the outside world and you know that the devil is going to try to mess things up. Plus, there is the whole thing of changing of members and adjusting to the economy. You will always see a pop production over a gospel one. The arena for gospel is not that big, but because of the fact that you are working for God.

Where do you see yourself taking the group in the music business?

Basically taking this group to new places ... We plan to move with technology and do things like have more music videos and explore new types of sounds.