THREE TIME GRAMMY AWARD

WINNER, ASHLEY CLEVELAND, HER

LATEST PROJECT ISN'T SET TO

MUSIC, HER BOOK "LITTLE BLACK

SHEEP"

WHEN SHE WAS IN KINDERGARTEN,

HER PARENTS DIVORCED.

WHEN MY FATHER LEFT, THEIR

LAST ALTERCATION WAS OVER

SOMETHING I HAD DONE JUST

MISCHIEF.

WHEN HE LEFT, HE NEVER CAME

BACK.

ASHLEY'S VIEW OF GOD BROUGHT

HER NO COMFORT.

HE WAS FAIRLY DISTANT AND

EXTREMELY PERFORMANCE ORIENTED.

IN HER TEENS, ASHLEY TRIED TO

BURY HER INSECURITIES WITH

REBELLION.

I AM NOT INTERESTED IN BEING

GOOD, I CAN BE EXCELLENT AT

BEING BAD.

EVENTUALLY, ALCOHOL STARTED

TO APPEAL TO ASHLEY.

I DO NOT REMEMBER MY FIRST

DRINK.

I CLEARLY REMEMBER THE FEELING.

SO MUCH OF THE FEARFULNESS AND

AWKWARDNESS ABOUT THE WAY I WAS

BOTH OUTWARDLY AND INWARDLY

DISAPPEARED.

BY HER MID 20S, ASHLEY WAS A

FULL-FLEDGED ALCOHOL AND DRUG

USER.

I WOULD GO FOR A WHILE,

MANAGE IT FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND

EVENTUALLY, INEVITABLY I WOULD

GO WAY TOO FAR AND DOMINOS WOULD

FALL IN THE WRONG DIRECTION AND

THE CYCLE WOULD BEGIN AGAIN.

HER LIFE STYLE CAME TO A

HALT.

WHEN SHE WAS 24 YEARS OLD, SHE

DISCOVERED SHE WAS PREGNANT.

I DECIDED TO COBBLE TOGETHER

SOME SORT OF A SOBRIETY.

I STILL HAD HORRIBLE -- I KNEW I

COULD DO DAMAGE TO THE FETUS.

ALL THE FEARS I HAD ABOUT WHAT

GOD MIGHT THINK OF ME AND HOW HE

MIGHT REACT TO ME WERE VERY

PRESENT FOR ME.

NINE MONTHS LATER, ASHLEY

DELIVERED A PERFECTLY HEALTHY

BABY GIRL.

THERE ARE MOMENTS I

ENCOUNTERED WITH GOD SO PALABLE

AND DEEP THAT THE MOLECULES

CHANGE.

IT WAS LIKE THE SPIRIT OF THE

LORD INHABITED THAT ROOM AND

PULLED BACK THIS INVISIBLE

CURTAIN AND SAID TO ME, I AM NOT

WHO YOU THINK I AM.

AND I THOUGHT, BOY, NO KIDDING.

BUT IN THAT MOMENT, I KNEW ONE

THING, THAT ONE THING CHANGED

EVERYTHING.

I KNEW HE LOVED ME.

THAT WAS REALLY THE BEGINNING OF

FAITH.

LITTLE BY LITTLE SHE

COMFORTED HER ADDICTION WITH THE

HELP OF PROGRAMS AND HER NEW

FAITH.

GOD GAVE HER THE ONE INGREDIENT

TO KEEP HER MOVING FORWARD.

FIRST THING THAT HAPPENED

THAT IS THE FOUNDATION OF

EVERYTHING WAS THE WILLINGNESS

THAT I ASKED FOR.

GOD GAVE ME.

IT WASN'T JUST A WILLINGNESS TO

GIVE HIM THE DRINK, IT WAS THE

WILLINGNESS TO NOT BE IN CHARGE

OF MY OWN LIFE.

NOT ONCE DID I LIVE THAT INITIAL

FEELING THAT I HAD IN THE

HOSPITAL THAT THERE WAS A GOD

THAT HE KNEW MY NAME AND LOVED

ME.

TODAY ASHLEY HAS BEEN SOBER

OVER 15 YEARS.

SHE IS MARRIED TO GUITARIST

KENNY BERG AND HAD THREE

CHILDREN.

I WOULD SAY COME TO JESUS.

IF YOU COME TO CHRIST, REALLY,

YOU CAN'T COME AND NOT BE

CHANGED.