Detroit native Clifton Ross III is a contemporary gospel singer whose background includes Detroit's Mosaic Youth Theater, the gospel trio Radically Encouraged About Life (R.E.A.L.), and a music degree from Howard University. He first found a national audience in 2009 as a contestant on the second season of the BET gospel singing competition Sunday Best, finishing in the Top Ten. In 2015, while working as a music teacher in Alexandria, Virginia, he was invited back to participate in an "all-star" eighth season of Sunday Best that offered a second chance to past standouts. On his second attempt, Ross made in into the final three. In addition to providing background vocals on recordings for Byron Cage and VaShawn Mitchell, he followed the finish with his debut EP, I Believe God, released in the fall of 2016. The title track charted on Billboard for gospel airplay. ~ Marcy Donelson