Random Post: Prayer for Ricky Dillard.

Jan. 23, 2007, 11:56AM
Fire destroys home of gospel singer Ricky Dillard


Associated Press



DECATUR, Ga. — Fire early Tuesday destroyed a home belonging to gospel singer Ricky Dillard who was out of town.

The six-bedroom, 5,000-square-foot house was "completely burned to the ground, from my understanding," said Dillard's manager, William Bogle. "It was certainly unfortunate but, more importantly, I'm glad he wasn't in it."

Firefighters were called to the home around 3 a.m. and found the house already fully engulfed, said DeKalb County Fire Department Capt. Eric Jackson. No one was in the home and there were no injuries, he said.

Bogle said Dillard's awards and film footage of his choir's performances were in the Atlanta house.

"Nineteen years of his choir history has been destroyed," Bogle said.

Some of Dillard's best known songs include More Abundantly and The Holy Place.

Bogle said the Grammy-nominated gospel singer was in New York on Tuesday and was distraught over the fire. He said Dillard hadn't planned to return to Atlanta until February, but would likely come back sooner because of the fire.

Dillard, originally from Chicago, bought the house about three years ago, his manager said.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/celebrities/4491769.html