Renowned gospel artist, Panam Percy Paul, has revealed that he once turned down a lucrative multimillion-pound record deal because of his steadfast Christian convictions.
Speaking in a recent conversation with Nigerian pastor Emmanuel Iren, Paul recounted how, in 1995, he was offered a staggering £24 million for a three-year contract—an amount equivalent to approximately N7 billion at the time.
However, the opportunity came with a clause that directly challenged his faith. The record label requested that he tone down his references to Jesus in his songs.
Recalling the moment, he said: “1995, I was at the peak of ministry, and success in the industry, I was offered 24 million pounds for a three-year contract. 1995, 24 million pounds was equivalent to 7 billion naira. The catch was ‘can you reduce the number of times you call the name Jesus in your songs?’. And there is more where this came from. And one of them said to me, ‘you actually don’t need to mention the name Jesus. You can call him other names like Righteous One, Greatest Lover.’ I was shocked, so I told them, you can keep the money, while I keep the name.”
Beyond his personal experience, the gospel icon also expressed concerns about how contemporary Christian music has evolved. He lamented that the industry now drives trends, rather than allowing gospel ministers to lead through their faith.
“Today, the extreme is that music ministry has now become music industry. Where the industry now dictates to the ministers what to do, how to sing and when to sing. For example, it was the marketers in Alaba that encouraged the musicians to add tongues to their songs.”
