Regina Belle

Few singers possess the strength, the emotion and the technical skill of this Grammy Award winning singer. Even fewer can profess their salvation and their love for Jesus Christ. Regina Belle Battle, born in Englewood, New Jersey, first considered a career in the music business in her teenage years, after being inspired to sing by the gospel music greats Shirley Caesar and Inez Andrews. Both her mother and father were gospel singers and encouraged her to follow the same path - they were initially resistant to the idea that she should become involved in secular music. Further exposure to shows such as American Bandstand and Soul Train encouraged her to take up an instrument, and while at high school she learned trombone, tuba and steel drums, playing along to R&B and jazz standards as part of the school band. Her performance of the Emotions' "Don't Ask My Neighbors" at a high-school concert won her $25, encouraging her to take up semi-professional employment singing at fashion shows and weddings. Regina has attended church all of her life. She began in her mother's womb at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church under the leadership of Rev. Samuel. Around the age of ten, Regina began attending Friendship Baptist Church, where her uncle, Rev. Fred Belle, was the pastor. She joined the Junior Choir at the age of three and sang her first solo at age 8. Regina secured a scholarship to the prestigious Manhattan School Of Music to study voice and opera, and then Rutgers University. There she became the first vocalist to sing with the music department's jazz ensemble. During her college years, she fell in love and married the now, Rev. John S. Battle III, a former NBA All Star for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks. Mrs. Battle moved to Cleveland, Ohio to be with her husband while he continued in his basketball career. While there, they attended United Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio under the leadership of Pastor Kenneth Paramore. When the Battle family moved to Atlanta, they attended Little Vine Baptist Church, where the late Rev. R. L. Jones was the pastor. Rev. & Mrs. Battle are the parents of five children, the oldest of whom is married with two children. They currently reside in Fairburn, Georgia.

One of Regina's greatest milestones includes a feeding program she began with her husband, Rev. Battle, in her mother and father's home. What started as a small assignment from God to feed 50 people each week quickly grew into 500. At that time the Battles were no longer able to serve these large amounts of people comfortably. Rev. Jones and the Little Vine Baptist Church volunteered their services and now the program feeds over 1600 people each week. Regina is recognized world wide for her hits such as, "Baby Come To Me", "If I Could", "Make It Like It Was", and "Whole New World", but what is most important to this preacher's wife is her relationship with the Lord. She can be found singing any given Sunday with Psalmody or The Voices of Praise at New Shield of Faith Christian Ministries. Under the leadership of Pastor Gerald Bess, Mrs. Battle says she is ready and willing to serve God's people to the best of her ability.