The New Jersey Mass Choir

Known for Foreigner's 1985 track "I Want to Know What Love Is", The New Jersey Mass Choir was founded in 1981 by Donnie Harper. Originally from San Antonio, Harper was a former singer with Voices of Tomorrow in the late 1970s, before moving to New Jersey to lead the choir representing the eastern state in the Gospel Music Workshop of America (GMWA), founded and chaired by James Cleveland. After a debut album entitled Soon I Will Be Done with the Troubles of the World, the New Jersey Mass Choir released Live at the Ritz (1984), featuring Mick Jones' famous "I Want to Know What Love Is", who invited the choir to perform a version of his single. Subsequent albums include Look Up and Live (1986), Hold Up the Light (1987), Heroes (1989), the compilation At Their Best (1991) and Send Your Rain (1994). Ordained a reverend in 1991, Donnie Harper devoted himself to his other activities. The choir sang at Whitney Houston's funeral in February 2012, alongside Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Patti LaBelle and Garth Brooks.

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