April 2, 2025 • 31 mins
Host Dr. Teresa A. Smith, Dr. TAS welcomes Anthony ‘Pops’ Mitchell to discuss his autobiography and first book, My Life and Walk with God.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to this edition of Talk with Tarz. I'm your host,
doctor Teresa Smith, Doctor Tarz, and today I have a
music legend in the building. He's worked with icons like
Dionne Warwick, the oj Ceedee, Wonder, and the Isley Brothers.
But beyond the music, his journey is a powerful testimony
(00:23):
of faith, wisdom, and perseverance. Joining us today is the
incredible Anthony Popps Mitchell Pops, Welcome to Talk with Taz.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Well, I'm glad to be here son. Thank the Lord
for allowing me to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Amen. Amen, because you know without God we could do nothing.
So I'm in agreement with you. Thank you Lord for
letting us be here today. Well, Pops, I want to
jump right in. In your book, your debut book, your first book,
My Life and Walk with God, you talk about understand
(01:00):
while God took you through certain experiences. Can you share
a defining moment when you realize that everything, whether it
was the good stuff that happened, are the bad things
that occurred, was part of His plan for you.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Well, that was the time when I didn't like God
for things that was happening to me because I didn't
understand why he would if he loved me so much.
My daughter she died in my arms eleven years old,
and that was a heartbreak for me and my mother
and my aunt was with me during that time, and
I had been grieving with my daughter. Then my mother
(01:44):
passed and my aunt that was looking for my mother,
she was there with me for that and he was talking.
She said, son, I know you agree the only answer,
but if you want to get away sometime it's come
up to Cargun spending the time with Johnty. But no,
soon as she said that, not even a year later,
(02:06):
I went to see it, but she had passed, so
that it was like all of that and one time
I just couldn't hardly take that. All I could do
was just I was playing here, running there doing all things.
I couldn't. You run into people and they said, I'm sorry,
I heard about it. And every time the fact we
talk to me about something, it was like it just
(02:28):
happened again with all start others. How could you do that?
But yet and still I was able to go through.
But it was only because of the grace of God, which
I had to get to know to understand. So here
the banging through these things to make me understand that
I still can make it instant and said I could
(02:50):
get that. Said, you got to go through to get
through what Jesus just where he can cleanse up all
that hurt and pain in your life. And it's not easy,
it's a but when you get where I am today,
even before I was getting there, I realized that, Wow,
I'm here today because God gave me the grace and
(03:10):
the strength to go through the hurt and the pain.
I had accidents on the road. I send the been here,
almost going off the cliff driving. I mean it was
going to Erie, Pennsylvania and snowing real bad. There was
some ice seat the ice. U found the snow and
lost control of the truck. And it's well to start
(03:31):
with me. And like I said, it was Jesus. And
do you know that name cleared away from me. But
I can't tell me there was no Jesus after that.
That was it was a miracle working in my life.
And that opened my eyes up more and more and more.
He just kept doing he said great things. He'd done
great things in the life. And I can't tell you
about everything I grew up. I say when I was born,
(03:55):
my mother had me at a young age, and she
can take care of me. She says, gonna leave and
go to Buffalo, New York. So I stayed with my grandmother.
But you know what, without my mother and father, God
supplied to love to my family, my grandmother and my auncle.
Everybody was grabbing me taking me here during this and then,
(04:16):
and so you know, I was happy to go lucky,
you know that time. But then I still had this
time was my mother and my father while which I
had no idea what had happened. But God worked out
me to give me the time to spend with the
love that would care for all those things I was missing.
(04:38):
And I had an uncle. He was a musician, and
he went took me every place with him. They were
I followed him around. I was happy with that, and
I stayed there. I didn't see my mother time. I
was ten years old. But during that time, different people's
(04:58):
taken me there. So my mother that was gonna come
pick me up, and my aunt said, well, hey, I'm
in Chicago. I'll go down and pick him up. You
just come to Chicago. She came and got me. He
was Chicago and wanted to keep me. She kept me
a couple of years so I guess when my mother
got tired, he said, no, I'm coming to get my son.
(05:19):
Mm hmmm. It's long, it's it's a lot to it.
And I didn't know my father, I said, but as
I got older, I married everything. Uh, my father's mother
heard about me, and she was trying to find me
(05:40):
the son that my father had that he didn't even know.
He's going to meet me. And she called Buffalo, New
York was at that time and called me and said,
your grandmother. So I'm thinking it's my mother mother. No,
I mean your daddy, my dadd I was shocked at
(06:04):
all of that. He said, I know you don't know,
but your daddy wants to see you when we meet you.
So that she made it ready for me to come
just in tennessee m my father. I went there. I
was just I didn't know what to do, what to say.
(06:24):
I was just so happy because find out that what
I was mad about him, because you know, when you're
going through no days, I don't care if I never
see him, you know, that's all right. I could make it,
you know. Kind of realized he didn't know I exists
because my mother didn't tell nobody. Nobody told nobody. I
think I was a talk around town about that was
(06:45):
a little boy, and they realized it was me, and
then that's how the work got around about me. So
and I met my father, and you just have to
see me and things like I wanted to when I
was going up. I had brothers and sisters and all
that that I didn't have. It's that God brought it
off to me. All right there, my my father, I
have brothers and sisters. I had everything that that didn't
(07:06):
have before. I got it all now. And just it's
just it's a lot of things. You have to read
my book to know the whole. Dejit, I'm just saying
parts of it, but I'm saying God would work it out.
Even my name. It was called Samson and Delilah. That
was I had a I did a record and called
it's called will you be Ready? And and they'd like
(07:30):
to it's My manager said, why don't you what kind
of name you don't call yourself? Because the little answering
and sold at tourney, it's caused the clean the boys.
So he said, I just said, well, let's talk. So
I said, hey, what about Samson and Delah. That's the
name that people won't forget it. They remember that. So
(07:52):
that's that's that's biblical than that to know what the
world God was giving me to leave me to even
through that, because the type of songs are strongly work
songs that's leading up about the good things He does
in your life, you know when you go through saturas
and stuff. So at the time went on, he decided
(08:15):
to flip the scrip on me and there was no
more Sampson than allowed for us singing on the road,
so it became just Pops the friends. So I did
my first recording and became too antheony Pops, Mitchell and friends.
(08:40):
From that on, I mean, God has just been blessing me,
blessing me up and down. Like I've been through churches
where I did everything I could for the pastors, and
when I needed the pastor, he wasn't there for me.
So I had the hurt of that. Then I had
(09:01):
made him talk and found out that he was sorry,
but he didn't you know that he wasn't lefting me
at the time. But I had a no pastor that
came in. That's rhythm curis. He came in started doing everything,
and I tried to do everything I could to him,
and he was so appreciated and started leading me through
(09:23):
the world of God, spaying a lot of things to
me that open doors for me able to see things.
Even though the things I knew he had a way
of expressed in the way I could really say, Wow,
that's what was going on all the time.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Mm hm, well, my post. I'm sorry. I want to
tie something together because you've given us your backstory, which
you tease the audience very well about your books. I
know everybody's going to get your book, but you're you're
saying it, but I want you to say it a
different way because you start to allude to it with
(10:01):
what the past, the second Pastor did for you. How
do you see all the different things that were happening
in your life because you've given us some of it,
not all of them, from the deaths to really for
the younger, the earlier part of your life, not being
raised by your mother, then finding out that your father
didn't even know that you existed that relationship, then going
(10:24):
then the sepsientent Delilah, going on the road, then eventually
becoming Pops and Friends aftery Pop's Mitchell and Friends, to
you know, finding the right the church home that was
appropriate for you at that point in time. And I
have to say for the audience also that you know,
you taught yourself to play the organ, You've sung on
(10:44):
the streets in New York, you know, and then you
worked with big name people in the industry industry. As
I said earlier, But when you look back on that now,
how do you see God's hand and shaping your faith?
Because you've then countered a lot. So how did God
help shape your faith so that you were able to
(11:07):
continue that walk?
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Well, He has given me the strength, the wisdom and
knowledge that I didn't have, and and through that I
can't like right now, I can't wake up every more
if I'm in pain or whatever. I can say, I'm
gonna be all right because there's a great submucy of
(11:32):
how He has brought me through so many things. You know,
I had the guns up to my head, they Russian
really with me. All those type of things. Be God's
hands there to protect me. And I just seem so
many things that I could I couldn't. I can't really
tell you everything, but I know one mainly important thing
(11:56):
is that God has kept me at my age and
right now I'm still able to motivate right now. And
I look at other people and I said, Wow, this
is happening. He said, to look at me. I'm here.
God has me here for a reason. And I'm so
as I said, I'm so glad happy that he had
(12:17):
and I have the wisdom and knowledge to understand one thing,
no matter what I'm going through, how I'm going through it,
I have someone that's gonna always be with me. He said,
I never leave you want to fake you out. He
has never selled me yet. You take all your body
to the Lord. And I gave him so much as him,
I said, Old Lord, he is again, but he just
(12:40):
open arms, accepted to me, and he kicks me, take
some of the tears to bring joy. He give me,
encouraging me to tell somebody else when I I go
someplace I don't even know where I went there, and
when I get there and they said, I'm so glad
that you can't. I needed to hear what you had
(13:03):
to say.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
I'm sorry. Can you read that you sent you sent
to me? Actually, and I read it a little while ago,
and I think it's appropriate for what we're just now saying.
You entitled this strive to live more fully. Strive to
live more fully. But down in there you said, we
(13:30):
live in a fallen world full of sin and struggles.
You will never run short of things that can provoke anxiety. However,
remember that each day has enough trouble of its own.
I carefully calibrate the amount of difficulty you will encounter
on a given day. I know exactly how much you
can handle with my help, and I'm always near ready
(13:58):
to strengthen, incur and comfort you. When I read that,
I was like, Okay, that was for me. But when
I listened to you talk about how of all the
different things that you then counted, and you look at
people and we don't compare ourselves, but we do see
(14:20):
people that you know in our peer group or whatever,
and it's like, well, thank you God, that could have
been me, But by your grace, I'm not in that situation.
And I guess I wanted to read that because you know,
sometimes people can talk a good game, but you live
(14:41):
the game. Because you didn't know. Because I love God
so much, you didn't know that when you said this
to me that I was eventually gonna read it. But
I read it at the right time. You understand that.
You know how other comers I said, but I read
it and I'm like, oh my God, that and then
to hear you talk about it and how He has
(15:04):
sent you into places you don't know even why you
went there, but the people are so glad that you came.
That speaks to your faith walk and again how God
has been orchestrating your steps and even now He's still
orchestrating your steps because you are a beacon for me.
I see you as a beacon of hope for people
(15:26):
at every level because you have lived so much. Because
you alluded to a gun, you lead it to the
near actions, near fatal action. You've alluded to so many
things that you've encountered that people are encountering this day.
But they sometimes failed to understand that He's not gonna
(15:48):
put any more on you than what you can handle
that particular day. And to me, that's the pot of
gold at the end of the rainbow.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, That's why I said, I can wake
up every day no matter what the problem is, knowing
it's gonna be solved because all in his hands m h.
And he puts see God put things in your life
where you can see what could be all that? So
you gotta be He gives you with someone Look at
(16:21):
this now, this is what could be happening to you.
And this is about you complain about just look at
this person. They worse off doing this, but he but
you gotta be in his word to understand to want
to go where He wants you to go.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
Mm hmmmmh. And you know that is so important now
that you serve as a director and spiritual leader of
the male course at mounts Aread Baptist Church. Now, how
has leading worship deep in your own faith and understanding
of God?
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Because I had to come the one thing in my music.
I had to come to realize that I'm not singing
to please the public. I'm singing to please the Lord.
But see, I had to grow to know that because
when I was out in the world, I was just
going crazy, say yeah, this is great, great. But there
came to that time when God was to work with me,
(17:19):
when I would have devotions by by byself rehearsing, and
then I would break down in tears. This is who
you gotta please. That's where your mind did when you're
up there singing to encourage somebody because you don't do it.
You please God, and he does the rest. So I
(17:40):
can depend on him because the other time my thought
was messed up, and I said, all I got to say, Lord,
you got to help me through. You know i'd be saying,
because sometimes you'll have to be served the Lord. Lord.
I don't know. I was just say you got to
help it with this. But he wants to hear that.
He wants to hear that you need this help, and
(18:02):
he doesn't. When I think I didn't do nothing, people say, wow,
you really bless me. As it wasn't letting it because
of anything I've done, because the Lord decisely worked through
me at that time for that mission. And I've been
going through this over and over against so it can't
(18:23):
Nobody tell me there ain't no Jesus, no law because
he hasn't feeled me yet doesn't. And I said, you
got to go through to get through, to get through
to Jesus Christ. That's the one's going to bring you
out of all that wilderness, mean stuff that you're going
through him. He's sing all us, you got to fast
(18:46):
and pray, thank him for everything, Pops.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
For somebody who might be struggling right now, with their faith.
They're feeling stuff. Are they made even feel like God
has turned his back on them? They may be mad
at God. Is there one scripture or less than that
comes to mind that has kept you when you might
have been in that place or somebody that you knew
(19:13):
was in that place, and you gave them a word
of encouragement.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
My encouragement for what God has done for my life.
And me said I can do all things to Christ
whose strengthen to me. And not only could I say it,
I have been through it and found out I can.
(19:42):
But so you got to go through the heartiday hurts
some pain, all that, but you ain't Jesus, and he
went through what he went through. So you have to
understand that that there will be time. You got to
go through the wilderness. It's not gonna everything. When you
(20:03):
get saved, you gotta you're gonna walk walk straight. You
understand that when you get saved, what you have to
do is see the word to yourself, see God's word
into you the Holy spirit where you have something when
you when you when you get down you can say
I can do all things.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
You can.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
You'll never leave another secrets. You got to be the
civilis things and not only say, but believe that. Yeah,
m that's not a thing of lovely Jesus. No one,
no one, none else can heal no one, but Jesus
needs to keep it. Yeah, you gotta pop.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
When people read your book, what is it that you
hope they take away from your journey?
Speaker 2 (20:59):
I pray that say will understand the ups and the
downs I went through. My God has worked when I
am today, how going on eighty three, He has brought
me through so so many days, I mean days when
I just think I just couldn't barely make it. I
(21:20):
wanted to give up, throwing the towels for everything, forget it.
But he said, I'll be with you. Well, and he
has yes, And you have to get to that point.
Studying his word you can't get it. Not reading it,
you can't can't get it reading comic books and all
the one type of books. You got to read his
(21:41):
words something that will stick to you, the word of food,
something that will stick to you. And I find out
to be true. And that's another reason my ministry was
sitting still, not encouraging words or study stuff yourself. Well,
(22:02):
I learned I sent out maybe something I sent out
when could. Someone has to know that there is a
way because everybody, everybody thinks that Jesus Bible was a
fairy tale and all that. But I can't tell me
that I know better because I know what I've been through,
what he does for it.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
No, it is not a fairy tale, my pop. I'm
gonna see if I can make a request. This is unusual,
but I'm gonna see if I can make a request.
Do you know, just for me, Lord? The song just
for me, Lord, just for me, Lord. And I really
(22:43):
shouldn't sing, someone says, I don't really have a singing voice,
But the lyrics are just for me.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
Lord, just for me, Just for me, Lord, for me,
because he's passing out blessings and so the person is
crying to God, you know, basically, don't forget them when you.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
Start, you know, making a way make away from me. Also,
and when you were talking, I thought about those lyrics,
and I thought about the song that says he's yet
he's never failed them yet. You mentioned a song title.
(23:29):
Now I'm trying to pull it out of my brain
that you mentioned. It's a song that my mother used
to ask a gentleman to sing. And you mentioned the
song title. Now, I know you've got a favorite song.
I'm gonna ask you to sing a little bit of that.
But I'm still trying to pull this other song out.
(23:51):
But that could be your favorite song that I'm trying
to pull out. So sing just a little bit of
your favorite song while I'm trying to pull the other
song out.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
My right, amazing Grace.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
Shall always be my son afraid, for it was grace
that bought many Bertie, I do not know what's why
he came to love me.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
So he looked beyond my faults and so my knees,
I know that for sure. But God hands on me.
(24:49):
He saw me.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
What God has some me.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
It is for me.
Speaker 5 (24:59):
So I know, oh with all the doubt, if he
will bring me off. But God, that's to me. It
is for me.
Speaker 6 (25:15):
So I know all of that, and I find myself
singing those songs all the time.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
God said he has done great things for me.
Speaker 7 (25:34):
He has done great things for me, great things, great things.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
He has done great things for me. He has made
old way for me.
Speaker 5 (25:56):
He has made a way for me. Man old way
may no way he is made away from me.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
Pop Mitchell Anthony Pop's Mitchell has blessed us this day
from sharing his life, his triumphs, his trials that led
to those triumphs, his faith walk, and how he went
(26:35):
from his thens into his now. Then he has given
us scriptural lessons that have made me tear up. Y'all
know our cry and the heartbeat, But that's because God
wants me to cry, because maybe someone needs to understand
it's okay to cry. Whether you are a man or woman,
you can cry. Then he gave us a many concerts
(26:59):
that food to my soul. I hope it's been food
to your soul and your pops. When's the song that
made the works I've done speak for me, made the
life I've lived speak for me. Made the works that
(27:20):
you've done that you still doing, continue to speak for
you as you use your temple as a vehicle for
God to minister to his people, because your work doing
that is just getting started, because you now are ministering
(27:42):
to people across the globe. Because everybody will see this,
everyone across the globe. So you can't ever say I've
got someone that follows me in Africa. I got people
who follow me in other countries outside the US. So
people will see this and your message will warm their
hearts and their souls. And that's what it means to
(28:03):
for me. Guys, I think about my upbringing winning souls
for Christ. That's what that means. You don't have to
be a preacher to do it, but our faith walk
and when we share His goodness, that's how we win
souls to Christ. So I just thank you, Pops for
being with me. I thank you for sending me the messages.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
I'm on it now.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
I'm on it. I own it because see they were
for me, and I was that person who's working on
all the other stuff, and what wasn't taking the time
to spend that time with God. Then you go do
the other stuff, because you see what, I spend the
time with God first. Then I can do that stuff
and do it with a smile. You know, he said
(28:49):
turn the other chek. We got to understand what he means.
I turn the other cheek. I can turn the other cheek.
But when I don't anchor myself first with Him, then
the flood can overtake me. That's that's another another libic.
Pop know what I'm talking about. It can open So again,
you don't you don't talk me something in the writing,
(29:11):
and you've told me something and you've ministered to me today,
and I just thank you for being on talk with
TOAs Pop. Guys, you can get Pop's book on Amazon.
I will list it when I post the h I
will list it in the captions Pop. I will also
list for everyone how you guys can keep up with him.
(29:33):
You can keep up with Pops with his with his publishers,
Penda James and her website is www dot Penda p
E n d A L James j A n e
s dot com. Www dot Penda l James dot com.
(29:53):
That's Pops Publishers, and she will definitely be able to
connect you with Pop. And of course if you beat
out to me, I can connect you with Pops also.
But Pops, again, thank you so much for being on
my show and ministering to the people today.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Well, thank you so much for allowing me to be here.
And I thank God for putting you in my life
to go through what we go through to get through
to get to him.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
Ay Man, and God bless you too. And to everyone,
make sure you take care of you before you go
taking care of someone else. And how we do that
is by feeding our soul and So if you're looking
for some good reasons, pick up any of my books
Transformation Stronger, Mama said, Empowering Yourself thirty one Day Meditation,
(30:46):
because God uses me to share his message in multiple
ways so that people feel secure and who they are
as we go through this thing called life. Because as
my sister would say, lifely life, and I know that
Papa shared it with you. We all get it, but
we gotta have something to hang our hat on that
(31:09):
we know is the truth. So again, thank you so
much for joining us. Until next time, before you go
try and take care of someone else, please make sure
you take care of yourself first.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
By now
Speaker 1 (31:23):
That
Welcome to this edition of Talk with Tarz. I'm your host,
doctor Teresa Smith, Doctor Tarz, and today I have a
music legend in the building. He's worked with icons like
Dionne Warwick, the oj Ceedee, Wonder, and the Isley Brothers.
But beyond the music, his journey is a powerful testimony
(00:23):
of faith, wisdom, and perseverance. Joining us today is the
incredible Anthony Popps Mitchell Pops, Welcome to Talk with Taz.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Well, I'm glad to be here son. Thank the Lord
for allowing me to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Amen. Amen, because you know without God we could do nothing.
So I'm in agreement with you. Thank you Lord for
letting us be here today. Well, Pops, I want to
jump right in. In your book, your debut book, your first book,
My Life and Walk with God, you talk about understand
(01:00):
while God took you through certain experiences. Can you share
a defining moment when you realize that everything, whether it
was the good stuff that happened, are the bad things
that occurred, was part of His plan for you.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Well, that was the time when I didn't like God
for things that was happening to me because I didn't
understand why he would if he loved me so much.
My daughter she died in my arms eleven years old,
and that was a heartbreak for me and my mother
and my aunt was with me during that time, and
I had been grieving with my daughter. Then my mother
(01:44):
passed and my aunt that was looking for my mother,
she was there with me for that and he was talking.
She said, son, I know you agree the only answer,
but if you want to get away sometime it's come
up to Cargun spending the time with Johnty. But no,
soon as she said that, not even a year later,
(02:06):
I went to see it, but she had passed, so
that it was like all of that and one time
I just couldn't hardly take that. All I could do
was just I was playing here, running there doing all things.
I couldn't. You run into people and they said, I'm sorry,
I heard about it. And every time the fact we
talk to me about something, it was like it just
(02:28):
happened again with all start others. How could you do that?
But yet and still I was able to go through.
But it was only because of the grace of God, which
I had to get to know to understand. So here
the banging through these things to make me understand that
I still can make it instant and said I could
(02:50):
get that. Said, you got to go through to get
through what Jesus just where he can cleanse up all
that hurt and pain in your life. And it's not easy,
it's a but when you get where I am today,
even before I was getting there, I realized that, Wow,
I'm here today because God gave me the grace and
(03:10):
the strength to go through the hurt and the pain.
I had accidents on the road. I send the been here,
almost going off the cliff driving. I mean it was
going to Erie, Pennsylvania and snowing real bad. There was
some ice seat the ice. U found the snow and
lost control of the truck. And it's well to start
(03:31):
with me. And like I said, it was Jesus. And
do you know that name cleared away from me. But
I can't tell me there was no Jesus after that.
That was it was a miracle working in my life.
And that opened my eyes up more and more and more.
He just kept doing he said great things. He'd done
great things in the life. And I can't tell you
about everything I grew up. I say when I was born,
(03:55):
my mother had me at a young age, and she
can take care of me. She says, gonna leave and
go to Buffalo, New York. So I stayed with my grandmother.
But you know what, without my mother and father, God
supplied to love to my family, my grandmother and my auncle.
Everybody was grabbing me taking me here during this and then,
(04:16):
and so you know, I was happy to go lucky,
you know that time. But then I still had this
time was my mother and my father while which I
had no idea what had happened. But God worked out
me to give me the time to spend with the
love that would care for all those things I was missing.
(04:38):
And I had an uncle. He was a musician, and
he went took me every place with him. They were
I followed him around. I was happy with that, and
I stayed there. I didn't see my mother time. I
was ten years old. But during that time, different people's
(04:58):
taken me there. So my mother that was gonna come
pick me up, and my aunt said, well, hey, I'm
in Chicago. I'll go down and pick him up. You
just come to Chicago. She came and got me. He
was Chicago and wanted to keep me. She kept me
a couple of years so I guess when my mother
got tired, he said, no, I'm coming to get my son.
(05:19):
Mm hmmm. It's long, it's it's a lot to it.
And I didn't know my father, I said, but as
I got older, I married everything. Uh, my father's mother
heard about me, and she was trying to find me
(05:40):
the son that my father had that he didn't even know.
He's going to meet me. And she called Buffalo, New
York was at that time and called me and said,
your grandmother. So I'm thinking it's my mother mother. No,
I mean your daddy, my dadd I was shocked at
(06:04):
all of that. He said, I know you don't know,
but your daddy wants to see you when we meet you.
So that she made it ready for me to come
just in tennessee m my father. I went there. I
was just I didn't know what to do, what to say.
(06:24):
I was just so happy because find out that what
I was mad about him, because you know, when you're
going through no days, I don't care if I never
see him, you know, that's all right. I could make it,
you know. Kind of realized he didn't know I exists
because my mother didn't tell nobody. Nobody told nobody. I
think I was a talk around town about that was
(06:45):
a little boy, and they realized it was me, and
then that's how the work got around about me. So
and I met my father, and you just have to
see me and things like I wanted to when I
was going up. I had brothers and sisters and all
that that I didn't have. It's that God brought it
off to me. All right there, my my father, I
have brothers and sisters. I had everything that that didn't
(07:06):
have before. I got it all now. And just it's
just it's a lot of things. You have to read
my book to know the whole. Dejit, I'm just saying
parts of it, but I'm saying God would work it out.
Even my name. It was called Samson and Delilah. That
was I had a I did a record and called
it's called will you be Ready? And and they'd like
(07:30):
to it's My manager said, why don't you what kind
of name you don't call yourself? Because the little answering
and sold at tourney, it's caused the clean the boys.
So he said, I just said, well, let's talk. So
I said, hey, what about Samson and Delah. That's the
name that people won't forget it. They remember that. So
(07:52):
that's that's that's biblical than that to know what the
world God was giving me to leave me to even
through that, because the type of songs are strongly work
songs that's leading up about the good things He does
in your life, you know when you go through saturas
and stuff. So at the time went on, he decided
(08:15):
to flip the scrip on me and there was no
more Sampson than allowed for us singing on the road,
so it became just Pops the friends. So I did
my first recording and became too antheony Pops, Mitchell and friends.
(08:40):
From that on, I mean, God has just been blessing me,
blessing me up and down. Like I've been through churches
where I did everything I could for the pastors, and
when I needed the pastor, he wasn't there for me.
So I had the hurt of that. Then I had
(09:01):
made him talk and found out that he was sorry,
but he didn't you know that he wasn't lefting me
at the time. But I had a no pastor that
came in. That's rhythm curis. He came in started doing everything,
and I tried to do everything I could to him,
and he was so appreciated and started leading me through
(09:23):
the world of God, spaying a lot of things to
me that open doors for me able to see things.
Even though the things I knew he had a way
of expressed in the way I could really say, Wow,
that's what was going on all the time.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Mm hm, well, my post. I'm sorry. I want to
tie something together because you've given us your backstory, which
you tease the audience very well about your books. I
know everybody's going to get your book, but you're you're
saying it, but I want you to say it a
different way because you start to allude to it with
(10:01):
what the past, the second Pastor did for you. How
do you see all the different things that were happening
in your life because you've given us some of it,
not all of them, from the deaths to really for
the younger, the earlier part of your life, not being
raised by your mother, then finding out that your father
didn't even know that you existed that relationship, then going
(10:24):
then the sepsientent Delilah, going on the road, then eventually
becoming Pops and Friends aftery Pop's Mitchell and Friends, to
you know, finding the right the church home that was
appropriate for you at that point in time. And I
have to say for the audience also that you know,
you taught yourself to play the organ, You've sung on
(10:44):
the streets in New York, you know, and then you
worked with big name people in the industry industry. As
I said earlier, But when you look back on that now,
how do you see God's hand and shaping your faith?
Because you've then countered a lot. So how did God
help shape your faith so that you were able to
(11:07):
continue that walk?
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Well, He has given me the strength, the wisdom and
knowledge that I didn't have, and and through that I
can't like right now, I can't wake up every more
if I'm in pain or whatever. I can say, I'm
gonna be all right because there's a great submucy of
(11:32):
how He has brought me through so many things. You know,
I had the guns up to my head, they Russian
really with me. All those type of things. Be God's
hands there to protect me. And I just seem so
many things that I could I couldn't. I can't really
tell you everything, but I know one mainly important thing
(11:56):
is that God has kept me at my age and
right now I'm still able to motivate right now. And
I look at other people and I said, Wow, this
is happening. He said, to look at me. I'm here.
God has me here for a reason. And I'm so
as I said, I'm so glad happy that he had
(12:17):
and I have the wisdom and knowledge to understand one thing,
no matter what I'm going through, how I'm going through it,
I have someone that's gonna always be with me. He said,
I never leave you want to fake you out. He
has never selled me yet. You take all your body
to the Lord. And I gave him so much as him,
I said, Old Lord, he is again, but he just
(12:40):
open arms, accepted to me, and he kicks me, take
some of the tears to bring joy. He give me,
encouraging me to tell somebody else when I I go
someplace I don't even know where I went there, and
when I get there and they said, I'm so glad
that you can't. I needed to hear what you had
(13:03):
to say.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
I'm sorry. Can you read that you sent you sent
to me? Actually, and I read it a little while ago,
and I think it's appropriate for what we're just now saying.
You entitled this strive to live more fully. Strive to
live more fully. But down in there you said, we
(13:30):
live in a fallen world full of sin and struggles.
You will never run short of things that can provoke anxiety. However,
remember that each day has enough trouble of its own.
I carefully calibrate the amount of difficulty you will encounter
on a given day. I know exactly how much you
can handle with my help, and I'm always near ready
(13:58):
to strengthen, incur and comfort you. When I read that,
I was like, Okay, that was for me. But when
I listened to you talk about how of all the
different things that you then counted, and you look at
people and we don't compare ourselves, but we do see
(14:20):
people that you know in our peer group or whatever,
and it's like, well, thank you God, that could have
been me, But by your grace, I'm not in that situation.
And I guess I wanted to read that because you know,
sometimes people can talk a good game, but you live
(14:41):
the game. Because you didn't know. Because I love God
so much, you didn't know that when you said this
to me that I was eventually gonna read it. But
I read it at the right time. You understand that.
You know how other comers I said, but I read
it and I'm like, oh my God, that and then
to hear you talk about it and how He has
(15:04):
sent you into places you don't know even why you
went there, but the people are so glad that you came.
That speaks to your faith walk and again how God
has been orchestrating your steps and even now He's still
orchestrating your steps because you are a beacon for me.
I see you as a beacon of hope for people
(15:26):
at every level because you have lived so much. Because
you alluded to a gun, you lead it to the
near actions, near fatal action. You've alluded to so many
things that you've encountered that people are encountering this day.
But they sometimes failed to understand that He's not gonna
(15:48):
put any more on you than what you can handle
that particular day. And to me, that's the pot of
gold at the end of the rainbow.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, That's why I said, I can wake
up every day no matter what the problem is, knowing
it's gonna be solved because all in his hands m h.
And he puts see God put things in your life
where you can see what could be all that? So
you gotta be He gives you with someone Look at
(16:21):
this now, this is what could be happening to you.
And this is about you complain about just look at
this person. They worse off doing this, but he but
you gotta be in his word to understand to want
to go where He wants you to go.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
Mm hmmmmh. And you know that is so important now
that you serve as a director and spiritual leader of
the male course at mounts Aread Baptist Church. Now, how
has leading worship deep in your own faith and understanding
of God?
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Because I had to come the one thing in my music.
I had to come to realize that I'm not singing
to please the public. I'm singing to please the Lord.
But see, I had to grow to know that because
when I was out in the world, I was just
going crazy, say yeah, this is great, great. But there
came to that time when God was to work with me,
(17:19):
when I would have devotions by by byself rehearsing, and
then I would break down in tears. This is who
you gotta please. That's where your mind did when you're
up there singing to encourage somebody because you don't do it.
You please God, and he does the rest. So I
(17:40):
can depend on him because the other time my thought
was messed up, and I said, all I got to say, Lord,
you got to help me through. You know i'd be saying,
because sometimes you'll have to be served the Lord. Lord.
I don't know. I was just say you got to
help it with this. But he wants to hear that.
He wants to hear that you need this help, and
(18:02):
he doesn't. When I think I didn't do nothing, people say, wow,
you really bless me. As it wasn't letting it because
of anything I've done, because the Lord decisely worked through
me at that time for that mission. And I've been
going through this over and over against so it can't
(18:23):
Nobody tell me there ain't no Jesus, no law because
he hasn't feeled me yet doesn't. And I said, you
got to go through to get through, to get through
to Jesus Christ. That's the one's going to bring you
out of all that wilderness, mean stuff that you're going
through him. He's sing all us, you got to fast
(18:46):
and pray, thank him for everything, Pops.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
For somebody who might be struggling right now, with their faith.
They're feeling stuff. Are they made even feel like God
has turned his back on them? They may be mad
at God. Is there one scripture or less than that
comes to mind that has kept you when you might
have been in that place or somebody that you knew
(19:13):
was in that place, and you gave them a word
of encouragement.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
My encouragement for what God has done for my life.
And me said I can do all things to Christ
whose strengthen to me. And not only could I say it,
I have been through it and found out I can.
(19:42):
But so you got to go through the heartiday hurts
some pain, all that, but you ain't Jesus, and he
went through what he went through. So you have to
understand that that there will be time. You got to
go through the wilderness. It's not gonna everything. When you
(20:03):
get saved, you gotta you're gonna walk walk straight. You
understand that when you get saved, what you have to
do is see the word to yourself, see God's word
into you the Holy spirit where you have something when
you when you when you get down you can say
I can do all things.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
You can.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
You'll never leave another secrets. You got to be the
civilis things and not only say, but believe that. Yeah,
m that's not a thing of lovely Jesus. No one,
no one, none else can heal no one, but Jesus
needs to keep it. Yeah, you gotta pop.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
When people read your book, what is it that you
hope they take away from your journey?
Speaker 2 (20:59):
I pray that say will understand the ups and the
downs I went through. My God has worked when I
am today, how going on eighty three, He has brought
me through so so many days, I mean days when
I just think I just couldn't barely make it. I
(21:20):
wanted to give up, throwing the towels for everything, forget it.
But he said, I'll be with you. Well, and he
has yes, And you have to get to that point.
Studying his word you can't get it. Not reading it,
you can't can't get it reading comic books and all
the one type of books. You got to read his
(21:41):
words something that will stick to you, the word of food,
something that will stick to you. And I find out
to be true. And that's another reason my ministry was
sitting still, not encouraging words or study stuff yourself. Well,
(22:02):
I learned I sent out maybe something I sent out
when could. Someone has to know that there is a
way because everybody, everybody thinks that Jesus Bible was a
fairy tale and all that. But I can't tell me
that I know better because I know what I've been through,
what he does for it.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
No, it is not a fairy tale, my pop. I'm
gonna see if I can make a request. This is unusual,
but I'm gonna see if I can make a request.
Do you know, just for me, Lord? The song just
for me, Lord, just for me, Lord. And I really
(22:43):
shouldn't sing, someone says, I don't really have a singing voice,
But the lyrics are just for me.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
Lord, just for me, Just for me, Lord, for me,
because he's passing out blessings and so the person is
crying to God, you know, basically, don't forget them when you.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
Start, you know, making a way make away from me. Also,
and when you were talking, I thought about those lyrics,
and I thought about the song that says he's yet
he's never failed them yet. You mentioned a song title.
(23:29):
Now I'm trying to pull it out of my brain
that you mentioned. It's a song that my mother used
to ask a gentleman to sing. And you mentioned the
song title. Now, I know you've got a favorite song.
I'm gonna ask you to sing a little bit of that.
But I'm still trying to pull this other song out.
(23:51):
But that could be your favorite song that I'm trying
to pull out. So sing just a little bit of
your favorite song while I'm trying to pull the other
song out.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
My right, amazing Grace.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
Shall always be my son afraid, for it was grace
that bought many Bertie, I do not know what's why
he came to love me.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
So he looked beyond my faults and so my knees,
I know that for sure. But God hands on me.
(24:49):
He saw me.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
What God has some me.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
It is for me.
Speaker 5 (24:59):
So I know, oh with all the doubt, if he
will bring me off. But God, that's to me. It
is for me.
Speaker 6 (25:15):
So I know all of that, and I find myself
singing those songs all the time.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
God said he has done great things for me.
Speaker 7 (25:34):
He has done great things for me, great things, great things.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
He has done great things for me. He has made
old way for me.
Speaker 5 (25:56):
He has made a way for me. Man old way
may no way he is made away from me.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
Pop Mitchell Anthony Pop's Mitchell has blessed us this day
from sharing his life, his triumphs, his trials that led
to those triumphs, his faith walk, and how he went
(26:35):
from his thens into his now. Then he has given
us scriptural lessons that have made me tear up. Y'all
know our cry and the heartbeat, But that's because God
wants me to cry, because maybe someone needs to understand
it's okay to cry. Whether you are a man or woman,
you can cry. Then he gave us a many concerts
(26:59):
that food to my soul. I hope it's been food
to your soul and your pops. When's the song that
made the works I've done speak for me, made the
life I've lived speak for me. Made the works that
(27:20):
you've done that you still doing, continue to speak for
you as you use your temple as a vehicle for
God to minister to his people, because your work doing
that is just getting started, because you now are ministering
(27:42):
to people across the globe. Because everybody will see this,
everyone across the globe. So you can't ever say I've
got someone that follows me in Africa. I got people
who follow me in other countries outside the US. So
people will see this and your message will warm their
hearts and their souls. And that's what it means to
(28:03):
for me. Guys, I think about my upbringing winning souls
for Christ. That's what that means. You don't have to
be a preacher to do it, but our faith walk
and when we share His goodness, that's how we win
souls to Christ. So I just thank you, Pops for
being with me. I thank you for sending me the messages.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
I'm on it now.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
I'm on it. I own it because see they were
for me, and I was that person who's working on
all the other stuff, and what wasn't taking the time
to spend that time with God. Then you go do
the other stuff, because you see what, I spend the
time with God first. Then I can do that stuff
and do it with a smile. You know, he said
(28:49):
turn the other chek. We got to understand what he means.
I turn the other cheek. I can turn the other cheek.
But when I don't anchor myself first with Him, then
the flood can overtake me. That's that's another another libic.
Pop know what I'm talking about. It can open So again,
you don't you don't talk me something in the writing,
(29:11):
and you've told me something and you've ministered to me today,
and I just thank you for being on talk with
TOAs Pop. Guys, you can get Pop's book on Amazon.
I will list it when I post the h I
will list it in the captions Pop. I will also
list for everyone how you guys can keep up with him.
(29:33):
You can keep up with Pops with his with his publishers,
Penda James and her website is www dot Penda p
E n d A L James j A n e
s dot com. Www dot Penda l James dot com.
(29:53):
That's Pops Publishers, and she will definitely be able to
connect you with Pop. And of course if you beat
out to me, I can connect you with Pops also.
But Pops, again, thank you so much for being on
my show and ministering to the people today.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Well, thank you so much for allowing me to be here.
And I thank God for putting you in my life
to go through what we go through to get through
to get to him.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
Ay Man, and God bless you too. And to everyone,
make sure you take care of you before you go
taking care of someone else. And how we do that
is by feeding our soul and So if you're looking
for some good reasons, pick up any of my books
Transformation Stronger, Mama said, Empowering Yourself thirty one Day Meditation,
(30:46):
because God uses me to share his message in multiple
ways so that people feel secure and who they are
as we go through this thing called life. Because as
my sister would say, lifely life, and I know that
Papa shared it with you. We all get it, but
we gotta have something to hang our hat on that
(31:09):
we know is the truth. So again, thank you so
much for joining us. Until next time, before you go
try and take care of someone else, please make sure
you take care of yourself first.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
By now
Speaker 1 (31:23):
That
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