'A song of hope': Charleston hears Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor's voice after 10 years

A decade after the horrific Mother Emanuel AME Church shooting, Charles Miller, a local minister and artist, is using music to continue sharing the legacy of one of the nine victims.

“DePayne really loved the Lord, and you can really feel that in just her singing of this song,” Miller said.

He and Middleton-Doctor worked on the song on and off for multiple years, with the most recent occasion being just weeks before her untimely death.

“We just had a real great connection,” Miller said. “I knew where she wanted to go as far as a lot of the things that she was singing and her style of singing, and so we meshed very well.”

For the last ten years, Miller has held on to Middleton-Doctor’s vocals, keeping them to himself and only some of her family.

“The morning after the tragedy happened, the song actually came back to my mind right then and there, and I went back in my email and I just couldn't believe that I’d forgotten about this song,” he retold.

On a whim, Miller shared the unfinished song publicly in a forum held Monday night.

“I think it was a moment in the venue where we all just kind of stopped and listened,” he said.

It was a room filled with many of Middleton-Doctor’s loved ones, including family members who said it was their first time hearing her voice in ten years.

“She had a very infectious smile,” Miller described his dear friend. “When I hear the song, I hear the voice of my friend, hear her laughter.”

Miller said the song, while unfinished, offers him a language of its own.

“Music is one of those things that really unites us and can really speak beyond the boundaries of hate, prejudice and any of those kinds of evils that are currently in the world,” he explained.

Miller was formerly a musician at Mother Emanuel AME Church, so he said he personally knew each of the nine victims, and over the last decade, he has held onto reminders like this song.

While Middelton-Doctor’s loved ones continue on their path of healing, Miller hopes her lyrics will be encouragement to keep strong.

“It's a song of hope; it's a song of journey. It's a song of spiritual enlightenment and inspiration for a lot of people. And I think it's definitely a song for the world to hear,” Miller said.

The song is currently being shared among Middleton-Doctor’s loved ones. Miller hopes it may be released publicly one day.