Perry Martins
A music minister named Bright Ukaegbu has come out to say that the now very popular song ‘’you are Great’’ recorded by Steve Crown is his song.
The Gospotainment News desk was tipped off by a gospel blogger ; Collins Okeh of Proudlygospel.com who happened to be related to one of the members of the choir that Mr Bright was music director to at Chapel of Grace, Kaura in Zamfara state when the song was composed. We started to investigate the story and Mr Collins then connected us with Mr Godspower Aghahowa who is the said former member of the choir.
We contacted Mr bright and had several interviews with him, we also spoke with some of the former members of the choir who also collaborated this story.
My Bright Ukaegbu is an accountant, a graduate of the Federal Polytechnic Kaura Namuda, in Zamfara State. During his stay in Federal Polytechnic Kaura , He was the Music director and Youth President of Chapel Of Grace church in Kaura, Namuda, Zamfara state.
Story behind the song
During his HND programme, he was appointed music director and youth president of the church among other persons who also got leadership positions. In other to prepare himself for the Job ahead, he decided to stay back in school for one month during the school break to pray and study the bible. It was during this season that the inspiration for the song ‘’you are great’’ came. According to Bright
‘’ This was at the end of our second semester HND 1, 2012 December; I had recently been appointed youth president and music director at our church, Chapel of grace. In order to prepare for the work ahead, I was determined to read the bible through the whole of the bible in one month, I figured i could achieve it since school was on break and we had nothing doing, it was during this time of prayer and study that it happened. In the middle of my study i just exclaimed ‘’ Jesus, Everything written about you is great’’. This was when i was reading through the book of Mathew and was meditating on it. The words ‘’Demons tremble at your presence’’ struck me. Within days i already composed the whole song. I straight way taught my choir the song by 2013 when school resumed during the time the church was preparing for one of our programme titled ‘’ The kingdom, the power and the Glory 2013, this was during our HND 2 first semester. Steve crown was part of the choir and the church then, though he was on IT, but he came in to be part of the program.
After the event, Steve came to me told me loved the song. He actually came in from Abuja to be part of the event, he used to be a student of the school and part of the church as at then had finished his ND programme. But was still coming around to school, his Dad was part of the school staff and his elder brother also graduated from the school. A few months after, he called me, telling me he was recording the song. I told him he could go ahead. It was after the album came out that i got worried. He did not give me any credit what so ever , not in the album , not anywhere. When our church members and choir members started hearing the song all over with Steve Crown’s name on it, they started asking what happened. I didn’t know what to tell them. I just told them that I allowed Steve to record the song.
After a while, I meet him at Dunamis Gospel Center in Abuja , i told him that people are asking if he has compensated me in any way for the song. That if he could do something, just to let people know that we are in good faith. He said, okay that he will think about it. That was the last time he spoke, since then, he has never called me or picked my call. Sincerely, I don’t really care; he is a brother and a friend. God gave me the song and its blessing lives, I am satisfied with that. Though i have been asking myself, is this how fame and fortune works? You get popular and forget your friends. ‘’
We at Gospotainment literally persuaded him to talk about it as Mr Bright Ukaegbu did not really want to pursue this matter as he seems not to be the attention seeking type. According to him ‘’ God gave me the song and it is blessing lives, it does not matter who sang it or recorded it’’.
On the 16 of October, Mr Bright informed us that the Manager of Steve Crown (Martin) contacted him and requested that they met to resolve the issue. But as at today, the meeting has not held because the Manager has not called back.
