DA GOSPEL TRUTH PROFILES GERARD BONNER OF BONNERFIDE RADIO

• News
• June 4th

Since I’ve made my foray into the Gospel industry I’ve met a lot of people. Some get CRICKETS from me and others I’m happy I met! Gerard Bonner is one of the ones I’m happy I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. He’s a genuinely a nice person and has been supportive of me and you don’t find that in everyone in this business.

That’s not the point of this feature though. I wanted the public to learn more about this innovative visionary who is changing the face of Internet Gospel radio with his radio show “Bonnerfide Radio” that airs 9am-1pm ET daily at www.Getbonnerfide.com

We look at a person’s success and instantly want to be where they are. But we don’t see the hard work and all the years that went into becoming the success we all are witnessing. So here is Gerard’s story…

How did you get your start in the Gospel industry? And how long did it take for you to build a name for yourself?

I began as a writer with a website called Gospel International back in 1996. At that time, that website was one of the first of its kind, as Gospel music had very little presence on the Internet. In the chat room of Gospel International is where I met Stan North, Melanie Clark, and James Robinson. A year later, we would form Gospelflava.com. Our partnership made a lot of sense as we each had inroads in different aspects of this industry. Stan worked in radio. Melanie was an artist. James was involved in management, and I was in retail. That combination, fueled by a sincere passion and love for this industry, birthed Gospelflava.com and away we went.

God showed us a LOT of favor within the industry and before we knew it, people really began paying a lot of attention to what we were doing.

Where did the idea for Bonnerfide Radio come from?

I began working in radio back in 2004 with a local radio station in Virginia Beach. They asked me to come on board to do a weekly entertainment segment. That ultimately morphed into me co-hosting the station’s morning show in 2007. While at the station, we won two Stellars as Radio Station of the Year. I learned a lot about the mechanics of radio and have had a long time passion for what radio could sound like. After a parting of ways with the station in 2009, the desire for radio remained.

It just so happened that 2009 was the birth of the Bonnerfide brand, which launched as a photography venture. Bonnerfide Radio was the next phase of the brand extension. With the launch of the Bonnerfide brand at getbonnerfide.com, I already had a website to broadcast from. So, it made doing this on the internet make a lot of sense. Then, for the vision that was on my heart, the internet was the perfect place to be able to quickly impact the world.

The vision for Bonnerfide Radio is to really empower any listener to live a balanced and holistic life. That balance means success and wholeness not just in spiritual matters but in all aspects of life. God wants us to have success in our occupation, our finances, our jobs, and our family. Too often, believers have been guilty of being spiritually solvent but lacking the other areas of our lives. We just want people to find balance, so they can be equipped to really live on purpose.

How do you measure success? At this point in your life would you consider yourself successful?

It’s funny you ask about success. I recently heard TD Jakes say that success is being effective at what you do. Certainly, one could measure success by material possessions and financial success. Those things are nice. However, God’s blessed us with incredible influence. So, I measure success by the ability to influence and impact the lives of others.

I have been SO humbled by the reaction of the masses to Bonnerfide Radio. So often, I find myself working on the show and then preparing for the next day and other additions that I’d like to make that I don’t get to really see the impact that we’re making. Our listeners are a passionate group of people affectionately known as the BRC (Bonnerfide Radio Crew). What’s so amazing is to see how incredibly talented they are.  Artists, publicists, lawyers, college students, and everywhere in between are part of the BRC.  Perhaps the most humbling thing is to see the relationships that have been birthed from Bonnerfide Radio. There are artists collaborating and lifelong friendships that are coming from a radio show. That just doesn’t happen in a normal radio scenario.

So, do I consider myself successful? I don’t really know. There’s so much more to accomplish. I will say that it’s amazing to be in a position to actually live out my dream. That’s an incredible feeling.

What is the trend in Gospel music right now and where do you see it heading? And what is your take on Gospel music at this moment?

The push and the challenge are for us to stay current in our presentation of the Gospel. In the past, that had everything to do with production and musical presentation. Now, that battle is awareness and availability of the product. So, the trend right now is to embrace the digital revolution that has swept the globe. Traditionally, the gospel music industry has been late embracing the technology game. However, the 18-35 year old consumer has created the demand for the industry to meet this need. iTunes is the #1 point of sales for ALL music.

Unfortunately, print media is a dying breed. News and information is primarily digital these days. Places like Twitter have become official news sources. The digital age is here and it will be pivotal for the success of our industry.

My take on gospel music is that it’s an exciting place to be right now. History continues to be made. Marvin Sapp’s “Here I Am” selling 76,000 units during its debut week and charting at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 charts was amazing!! Sapp and Fred Hammond on ABC Daytime TV is historic. There are HUGE moves like that being made.

There is also a hungry generation that is here and ready to move this industry forward. There are new voices that are rising and are ready to take the reins. Those voices are not just on the stage but are positioned in studios, behind computers, and most importantly, in non-gospel venues. The design for all is to really take the gospel into the highways and hedges. People are ready to see gospel take its rightful place of prominence alongside any other genre as a vibrant and successful art form.

What advice would you give to someone coming up in the industry or someone who wants to be in your position?

Be convinced of what God has given you to do. Keep your motives pure. Operate with integrity and excellence. Know your mission. If you’re seeking for fame and notoriety, you’ll never get it. See God’s Kingdom first and that other stuff will come.

I can’t stress this enough. Be nice to people and treat people fairly. At the end of the day, strip away our responsibilities and we’re all people. It doesn’t matter what position you hold, being nice will ALWAYS get you further than being anything else.