Gospel singer Panam Percy Paul has revealed that he turned down a lucrative record deal that could have transformed his career in 1995.
In an interview with Pastor Emmanuel Iren, Paul recalled being offered a three-year contract worth £24 million. However, he explained that the deal came with a condition that conflicted with his Christian beliefs.
Paul shared that the record label asked him to reduce the number of times he mentioned the name “Jesus” in his songs. The label executives even suggested using alternative terms such as “Righteous One” or “Greatest Lover” instead of Jesus.
He recalled, “In 1995, I was at the peak of my ministry and success in the industry when I was offered £24 million for a three-year contract. In today’s terms, that was equivalent to 7 billion naira. The catch was, ‘Can you reduce the number of times you mention the name Jesus in your songs?’ And one of them even said to me, ‘You don’t need to mention Jesus at all. You can call Him other names like Righteous One or Greatest Lover.’ I was shocked, so I told them, ‘You can keep the money, while I keep the name.’”
He further reflected on how the music industry has evolved, noting, “Today, music ministry has become the music industry, where the industry dictates to the ministers what to do, how to sing, and when to sing. For example, it was the marketers in Alaba who encouraged musicians to add tongues to their songs.”
