The story of the Prodigal Son is one of the more compelling stories of the bible and is often the root of most success stories in the music industry today. So who is Duran Buckingham and what is his “prodigal” story? Duran is a prodigy who began singing and playing instruments as early as age 3. He follows the proverbial lines of being raised in the church and followed the typical Christian upbringing. The real story begins when he becomes a young adult and finds himself in the secular world of music and the opulent lifestyle of a drug dealer. Duran was enticed by the money and power that the R&B world had to offer. He has shared the stage with many artists such as R. Kelly, Lil Wayne, and other A-List artists. Along with the fame, there was a dark side of drugs, money, and women that would eventually be more than he could bear. Throughout his nomadic journey from one metropolitan city to the next, success seemed easy but satisfaction seemed fleeting and Duran was feeling a tug to return home. While he was living in suburban Atlanta, Duran received a call which had him leave the house and soon after his home was raided. It was then that Duran realized he had not only been given a warning but a mandate to turn from that lifestyle and go back to his first works. Upon returning home to his family’s welcoming arms, Duran rededicated his life to Christ and announced his calling to minister to the masses. From this revelation, New Creation materialized with a mission to envelope and encourage young people to use their talents to edify and uplift the name of the Lord. Within the first 7 months that the group existed, they recorded with Ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones twice for The Word Network and then for Black Entertainment Television Network (BET). Shortly after, although the mission is the same, New Creation was revamped and Duran Buckingham Music (DBM) was birthed. Currently Duran is ministering as a solo artist who has recorded several singles and produced videos that exemplify who he is as a man of God. He is a producer at heart who knows how to make visions reality. Along with DBM, he is also the visionary behind a non-profit organization named Stretch Outreach Ministries. Stretch’s mission is to reach past our normal limitations to win souls for Christ. Mr. Buckingham is well on his way to stardom and is a very motivated and determined individual who is inspired by the scripture Galatians 6:9 which says “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” NKJ