In 1973, Jamaican singer Merlene Webber had a minor hit in the United Kingdom with her cover of Tammy Wynette’s Stand by Your Man. It struck a chord with young Valerie Elaine whose love for the song endured as an adult.
In December, she put a religious take on the country standard as Stand by Your God, produced by her husband, Paul “Barry Boom” Robinson. She recorded the song five years ago at the insistence of Daniel Amber, a family friend, but only recently did it come to light.
“I’ve always liked the original version of the song by Tammy Wynette, especially its sentiment, because standing by my man is exactly what I do!” Valerie Elaine exclaimed.
While the idea to do Stand by Your God came from Amber, it was her Christian friends who urged her to put a spiritual spin on Wynette’s classic.
“Recently, I was giving a talk in my women’s network Zoom meeting where I was encouraging the ladies to stand strong in their faith during the (Cornavirus) pandemic and I mentioned the song. As I began to sing it for them, I asked whether I should do something with it, and they all responded with a resounding yes!” Valerie Elaine recalled.
Stand by Your God is the London-born singer’s first solo effort. For most of her career, she has provided backing vocals on her husband’s albums as well as co-writing songs for The Mighty Diamonds.
The daughter of Jamaican parents, Valerie Elaine’s upbringing was steeped in the Church. A self-described Bible scholar, she said, “The real turning point came for me in 2007 when I decided to get baptized and commit myself to following Yeshua and the commands of the Most High.”
Stand by Your God is the lead song from her debut album, scheduled for release this year.
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