Cheston Green is a native of North Carolina and wears many titles including leading worship, writing music, and performing as a Recording Artist. As a born-again Christian, he has a true passion for the needs of the communities around him, and now as a resident of Baltimore, he takes pride in mentoring the youth and has co-founded a movement called Single, Saved, and Social. Cheston also created #OhMyBrother to give a safe space for men to come and grow and be impactful in their communities.
FEMI Magazine had the pleasure to sit down and chat with Cheston Green and learn more about his personal life and upcoming opportunities.
Tell us the story of Cheston Green, the earlier years.
I grew up in a small county in North Carolina, called Granville County. We moved around a bit within the county but stayed there until I went off to college. I grew up with a big family. My mom is the eldest of 6 children. I have 16 first cousins on my mother’s side, alone. We are close-knit and even the extended family feels close. We grew up singing together. Our family had several groups within it, and we took pride in singing about Jesus. I was a country kid with a big city dream. I had a strained relationship with my father and found solace in the church. I would watch my cousin direct the adult choir and mimic her. I would sing. One day, while the choir sang, I was carried away to another land for a few minutes where I sang and performed without fear. But then my mom yelled across the church for me to “sit down, running around this church”. And what did I do? Dropped down Indian style right where I stood. Angel was not someone to play with.
You’re a born-again Christian, as well as a praise and worship leader. How did you begin your new life in Christ?
I was 9 years old when I got saved at a choir anniversary. The pastor was giving the benediction. And my cousin and I decided to pray and repent our sins. By the time we finished praying, the whole church was jumping that Sunday night. I think at a young age, I knew that Jesus was my friend and He had me. Some would ask if I really understood what I was doing. I did because my relationship with Jesus was the only thing that kept me alive many times.
You’re also a recording artist/songwriter. Can you tell us a little about your music, and how your artistry came about?
My music is me telling my own story and creating stories from things I pick up along the way. Even the worship songs are from real-life experiences that helped in my transformation. God has a way of allowing me to see things and put them in a song. Sometimes, they are things that actually happen. Other times they are visions. Ultimately, He shows me something and I write it down. I am just a conduit for His message.
I grew up listening to all styles of gospel and Christian music and singing them. I sang in school, in my small country church, and in my room. I later went to sing on bigger stages, but they all evolved around the church. My church as a teen sat 2000 people. The bigger the audience, the less I became nervous. They could see me, but I couldn’t see all those people. I began writing songs over beats I heard on the radio. I would study the bible and then find a way to fit ideas into the music. That grew to writing theme songs for church conferences and leading praise and worship. I directed the choir. There were some Sundays when I would sing for a 9 am youth service, sing on the praise team, direct the choir selection and then go to the choir room to sing praise and worship for the children. I heard Kevin Hart say every person who wants to be great at a thing must put in 1000 hours. I think I got my 10,000 hours pretty quickly at that point.
Who are some of your Gospel music inspirations?
This is always a difficult question because there are so many people that I studied growing up. Bebe & Cece Winans, Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin, Take 6, Dawkins & Dawkins, The Williams Brothers, Mary Mary, The Winans, and my grandfather. There are many more including the Clark Sisters, Yolanda Adams and then others that I just grew up listening to that were mainstream.
You are the co-founder of Single, Saved, and Social, and you also started the movement #OhMyBrother. Tell what these mean to you, and how they’ve been making a difference in the lives of others.
Single, Saved, and Social was an initiative to create places for Christian singles to meet and have discussions about singleness and to meet potential mates. I loved doing it because it helped open conversations about dating that the church seemed afraid to have. #OhMyBrother was started with 4 other guys. God had given me the vision to create a safe haven for brothers to have open conversations where they could discuss the challenges of life and fortify their walk with God and brothers outside the church. #OhMyBrother has created deep meaningful relationships for others across the country. I have brothers that I didn’t grow up with but will call me when they have concerns or even when they just want to check-in. It is powerful to see guys share in a vulnerable space because of vested interests.
It is known that you have a passion for youth, and this has allowed you to be a mentor to many. With this month being Suicide Prevention Month, can you tell us about your course of action, and how you’ll be helping those that struggle with mental health issues?
As a person who suffered from trauma as a kid, I have now been intentional about connecting with young people and professionally working with them to help support their mental stability. Outside of my professional job, I work with youth, at the church I attend, to create events and services to help them find an outlet and support systems. I also am a resource to my community for how to find mental health services. I direct people to various peers of color in the field to support their mental well-being. Most importantly, I share my story with teens and youth. I tell them how I battled depression and how I overcame it. I tell them that suicide isn’t the answer and that they can make it just like I did.
What are some things Cheston Green is looking forward to in the coming months?
On October 7th my new single “Identity RMX” comes out on all streaming platforms. My EP Identity will also be coming out in the 4th quarter of the year. On October 15th, I will be having my pre-release party & concert in Columbia, MD. Tickets are at chestonthegreen.com. I will be performing for the Out of Darkness Walk for suicide prevention with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention on October 22nd. The second EP is almost finished and hope to release that in the first half of 2023. And we have a few more things in the works so stay connected via Facebook and Instagram @chestonthegreen.
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