On December 26, 1971 Murphy Wilson and the former Antoinette Snodgrass were excited about the vows they had just exchanged. Under normal circumstances the two might have never met, however, both admit that their meeting had the hand of the Lord in it. Murphy was born Cleveland Thaddeus in New Haven, CT to Pastor and Mrs. Russel Wilson. The oldest of three children, Murphy (a name given pre-birth b
y his father) was exposed to music at a very young age. It would be a move to Buffalo, New York that would prove most influential. At his father’s church Emmanuel Temple, his childhood involvement with Fred D. and family further helped him appreciate all types of music which he still stays close to today. Around the same time and much farther down south a piano prodigy was born in Scottsboro, Alabama to Rev. Dr. and Mrs. H.P. Snodgrass. The only girl of three brothers, Antoinette began to show an amazing talent for music and by age four, she was playing for her father’s church services with the aide of a pillow she had to sit on to reach the keys. Antoinette would continue playing for her father’s services even after his move to the First Baptist Church in Huntsville, Alabama. When Murphy and Antoinette attended college unknowingly six miles from one another, they continued their involvement with music while pursuing their love for educating children. Before graduation, the son of Oakwood College and daughter of Alabama A & M met each other and were married neither one knowing the large part music would play in their lives together. By 1975, Murphy and Antoinette started the First Church Young Adult Choir lovingly called “Murphy’s band of Mercenaries” by Pastor D. B. Reed. The choir grew, larger and ultimately got older which cause the name change to the now well known Inspirational Choir. Although music was a part of their lives, they have celebrated their love of teaching even more. Murphy and Antoinette, who taught sixth grade and elementary grades respectfully for more than thirty years in the Huntsville City School System, took humor, life lessons and sometimes music into the classroom to create an environment every child was comfortable in. Murphy and Antoinette, referred to by others as the “Dream Team”, were quite humble and often played down their contributions to the music ministry in the Adventist Church. Songs like “In the name of Jesus” the well known arrangement of “The Lord is Blessing Me” and the choir arrangement of Eleanor Wright’s “A Better Day,” which all started in Murphy and Antoinette’s living room, are known at many churches nationwide. Their involvement in their music ministry also inspired the creation of many other choirs breaking the mold for gospel music in the Adventist Church. In 1988, Murphy and Antoinette were approached by Warner Brother Records to provide recorded back ground vocals for famed singer Kenny Rogers's project, "Something Inside So Strong." The project received a Gold Record and was presented to choir with a thank you letter from the artist. Under Murphy and Antoinette's direction the choir continued to sing for and with artists such as, Darryl Coley, Shirley Caesar, Sandy Patty, Larnell Harris, and many more. After Antoinette's untimely death in 2013, many speculated that Murphy would stop directed and disband the choir. However, Murphy, through a beautiful experience, continued on the brilliant legacy that he and his wife started many years ago. God has brought this miraculous ministry this far and He still has far for them to go.
