Source: http://christianmusic.com
Byron Cage spent his childhood, growing up in a small town in Michigan, where his exceptional musical gifts appeared to those around him very early in deed. His mother noticed that Byron, who seldom cried, preferred to hum some unknown melodies to himself as a baby, to amuse himself. His mom would say, "Listen to him! He's just singin' away!"
So, it's not surprising to find out that his first solo in church happened when he was only 4 years old. Besides singing, Cage played the sax throughout his teenage years. In his later teen years, he self-taught himself to play the keyboard, becoming pretty proficient.
At the age of 13, Byron and his family moved to Detroit, where he became a member of Greater Grace Temple which was a great place to not only spiritually grow in the Lord, but also proved to be a nurturing environment for developing musical gifts of their members. Besides Byron Cage, Fred Hammond and several other young men who later wound up forming the Gospel group, COMMISSIONED, all attended and were involved in the music ministry at Greater Grace Temple. Byron Cage became a vocal soloist and the church's youth choir director.
It was clear that the Lord was calling him into a music ministry, and a series of opportunities to grow his musical gifts began to enter his life. The Gospel group, COMMISSIONED, introduced Byron Cage to the greater Gospel music community when they asked him to be a guest artist on their third album. Another opportunity to expand his musical gifts was presented to him, when he became involved in and starred in early productions by gospel playwright, Michael Matthew.
The opportunities continued. In the mid-'80's, Byron Cage found a mentor and a very good friend, in the Gospel great, Thomas Whitfield. Cage toured and performed with Whitfield, further preparing for his music ministry. (The last song on Byron's debut CD, called "JUST SAY YES", was composed by Whitfield himself).
Byron Cage left this touring and performing experience, when he was offered a full music scholarship to Morehouse College in Atlanta. This opportunity to be educated with the techniques, mechanics, and theory of music making, further strengthened his considerable musical gifts, which he put into practice when yet another opportunity to become a music director opened to him. While in Atlanta, Byron Cage became the music director of a small, but vibrant church, New Birth. While Cage was musical director, the church grew from 700 members to 16,000!
In 1998, Byron Cage moved to Fort Washington, to become the Senior Minister of Church Worship and Music at the Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church. Besides serving at this large A.M.E. Church, Cage also serves as the international minister of music for Bishop Paul Morton's full Gospel Baptist Fellowship, a major organization of Baptist churches.
The Full Gospel Baptist Fellowship made two albums, on the GOSPO Centric label. Cage, encouraged by Vicki Lataillade of GOSPO Centric, composed a song of his own and performed another song on each album, which became hits. His performance of Tobias Fox's "SHABACH" and his own composition, "YET PRAISE HIM" inspired Vicki Lataillade of GOSPO Centric to invite Byron Cage to do a solo CD on her label. In February, 2003, Byron Cage's solo CD of contemporary Gospel Worship and Praise songs, entitled BYRON CAGE, which was recorded in a live performance at his old church home in Atlanta, Georgia, New Birth Cathedral, was released into the Christian music market.