DPC Musik

Tanner native Antonio Woodruff, 25, known in the music industry as Da PromiseChild or DPC, began his musical journey when he was only four years old.

He started out taking piano lessons, which continued until age 8. “I got lessons at school,” said the 2005 Tanner High School graduate. “I was sacrificing a Thursday out of each week to take piano lessons during my P.E. time.”

He said his mother would tell him stories about how he always wanted to sit in her lap at church and he would play on the pew in front of him. She told him he was always interested in the piano player. So, playing the piano became a passion.

Growing up, he also taught himself. He learned to play, write and compose R&B, jazz, gospel and bluegrass music while listening to the sounds of Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Peabo Bryson and numerous other gospel artists.

“I started to develop on my own and playing for my church and my family,” Woodruff said.

Woodruff was 10 when he overcome his shyness and started singing at his church —David Temple Missionary Baptist in Tanner.

“My family has a gospel choir,” Woodruff said referring to the Woodruff Family gospel choir. “I travel with them. I’m still playing with them.”

Woodruff said his grandmother has seven children who take part in the choir as well as all her grandchildren. “It gave me the opportunity to sing,” he said. “So I jumped right in.”

He was also in the Tanner High Marching Band from seventh grade until he graduated.

His music progressed through the years and Woodruff recently teamed up with producer and fellow Tanner graduate Ken Patton of Trunkbangaz Entertainment to record his debut EP “She Bad” featuring six songs. Woodruff said the EP includes some rappers and his Limestone County friend Kedric Russell, also known as Woodoe, is featured on the song “She Bad.”

Woodruff said it started when he went to record a tribute to his mother in Patton’s studio. “I was going to do a Mother’s Day song and I was just going to go in there, do the song and get out,” Woodruff said. “He heard me and said ‘You need to record.’”

Woodruff said Patton is the one who got him to where he is now. “I was just going in as a one time thing,” Woodruff said. “Much love to him.”

Making a name for himself has been a growing experience, according to Woodruff. “I think about it like my childhood,” he said. “It took a long time before people started noticing my talent.”

He said he’s learned a lot. “I have learned to be patient,” he said. “We are from the country. We are not in Nashville or Atlanta.”

He believes his talents are something God gave him and that nobody can steer him from that.

He said he connects with God by being real with himself.

That is the same way he tries to connect to his audience and fans — by being real. Woodruff said as the Da PromiseChild his slogan is “To take people to the promised land.” - Athens News Courier