Ricky Dillard comes from the Chicago house scene, and has turned to gospel music, notably with his New Generation Chorale. Born in Chicago on February 25, 1965, he started out in house music in 1987, after singing in church and choir. Established as a DJ, he collaborated with Farley "Jackmaster" Funk and Larry Heard, who produced his debut album Let the Music Use You (1989). Shortly before, in 1988, he formed Ricky Dillard's New Generation Chorale and recorded the album Promise, released on the Muscle Shoals label in 1990 and nominated for a Grammy Award after reaching #15 on the gospel charts. Ricky Dillard then signed to Malaco Records, where he released A Holy Ghost Take-Over (1995), which reached No. 10. Under the Crystal Spring banner, he went on to release the successful albums Worked It Out (1996), No Limit (2000) and Unplugged (2004), all of which reached the top ten of the gospel charts. In 2007, 7th Episode: Live in Toronto was released by EMI Gospel at No. 7. Now a mainstay of the gospel charts, Ricky Dillard enjoys even greater success despite his frequent label changes. Keep Living (2011), for Light Records, reached No. 3, and its successors for Entertainment One, Amazing in 2014 and the live album 10 in 2017, topped the charts. Nominated for a second Grammy Award with Amazing, Dillard then joins Motown Gospel and records the #2 albums Choirmaster (2020) and Breakthrough: The Exodus (2022). Released in 2024, Choirmaster II: Live in Liberty Township, Ohio is his third No. 1 on the gospel charts.
