With main offices nestled in the quaint, west central Alabama town of Kennedy, Wilds & Associates is a conglomerate of companies specializing in Gospel music promotions and the manufacture of promotional products. For more than twenty years, Wilds & Associates has faithfully served the Gospel music industry and Christian marketplace.

 

A native of Greeneville, Tennessee, Randall Wilds is the youngest of seven siblings. As an ambitious twelve-year-old boy, he landed his first job working part-time at the neighborhood convenience store after school and during the summer. Two years later he began working at the local Western Sizzlin’ restaurant busing tables and washing dishes. At the age of seventeen, he was promoted to Assistant Manager.

 

By 1995, Wilds had owned four independent restaurants and operated his own Golden Corral franchise. His years of experience in the restaurant business afforded him a wealth of management expertise and social skills that would later prove beneficial to his success in the Gospel music industry.

 

But, as is the case with most success stories, there were some very painful moments along the way. Shortly after moving to Clanton, Alabama in 1989, Randall married and started a family. With a wife, a son, a new home, five vehicles, two pets and a hefty bank account, it seemed he had attained the “picture perfect” life. However, he eventually fell into a deep depression and turned to alcohol as a way of escape. Sadly, the battle with alcoholism ended up costing him everything he had ever worked for. He lost his restaurant business, his money, his home, his vehicles… and his family.

 

It was during this dark period of his life, however, that God began to orchestrate events and acquaintances that would set him on a path to redemption and restoration. As he began to pick up the broken pieces of his life, he accepted a job offer from a Gospel singer who was preparing to launch a solo ministry in April of 1996. He pulled double duty as both road manager and office assistant for John Lanier Ministries.

 

Just a few weeks after helping launch John Lanier Ministries, Randall’s life would be radically changed forever. In his own words, he shares “I will never forget that first Sunday morning in May. We were at a little country church in Alabama where John was scheduled to sing. I sat on the back row. John sang and the Pastor preached. I was at my wits end and cried throughout the entire service. The pastor gave a final invitation and was about to close the service when I literally jumped up and RAN to the altar and surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. I cannot begin to explain the weight that was lifted off my soul that day, and I have never been the same since.”

 

Not only did Randall surrender his life to the Lord that day, he also surrendered to the call of ministry. “I am not a preacher or musician, and I sure can’t sing. But I had come to realize that God doesn’t do anything by accident, and that he had me involved in Gospel music for a reason,” he shares.

 

Under Randall’s management, John Lanier Ministries continued to prosper and by August was accommodating a full-time schedule. In November they relocated to Millport, AL and established offices there.

 

In January 1997, while still working with John Lanier Ministries, Randall opened West Alabama Shirt Prints, offering custom printed and embroidered casualwear to Gospel groups and Christian organizations at wholesale prices.

 

Two years later, he established New City Talent, a Christian talent agency providing a new “home” to many artists seeking professional representation and booking assistance. His goal was to further the Gospel through the ministries of talented Christian recording artists. Today, New City Talent is one of the industry’s leading agencies, representing such noted artists as Aaron Wilburn, The Steeles, The Singing Cookes, Sunday Drive and others. During the early 2000s, New City Talent sponsored concert events throughout the U.S. to benefit Feed the Children, an international charity organization that provides humanitarian aid around the world.

 

While the agency was still young, Wilds invested in an independent record label originally created by John Lanier in 1993, thus forming a business partnership. This joint venture prospered a single, independent label into a full service, multi-level recording company. Millennium Music Group offers quality, affordable recording and promotional services to both new and established artists in the field of Christian music.

 

As if he weren’t busy enough, Randall decided to organize an annual Gospel music cruise as the fourth division of his ever-growing company. Victory Voyage Cruises feature live concert performances every evening from some of the top names in Gospel music. It has been dubbed “the ultimate Christian family cruise vacation.” The first Victory Voyage set sail for The Bahamas in 1999. Since then, other destinations have included Mexico, the Western Caribbean, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic.

 

With four growing entities and several employees now under his management, it became necessary for Randall to come off the road in order to efficiently maintain the company now operating under the umbrella of New City Promotions & Talent.