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Totally blind from birth, Mote's childhood in rural Alabama was not quite the same as other boys his age. Many challenges faced the young lad, as well as his brother, who was also born blind. Nevertheless, the Mote family clung to the promises of God's Word, particularly Jeremiah 29:11. "Our parents always encouraged my brother and me," Mote remembers. "They believed we could excel in whatever we chose to do, as long as we placed Christ at the center of our goals and our lives, and that's what we did," he says with a big smile.
Excelling seemed to come naturally for both boys, who were drawn to sports. In addition to sports, Mote was also drawn to music, and on Thanksgiving Day, a young three-year-old Mote stunned his parents when they heard him playing "Jesus Loves Me" on the piano, with both hands. No doubt, their son was blessed with an extremely unique, God-given gift, and they encouraged him to perfect his musical gifts.
During that perfecting process, Mote became one of the first blind students in the country to mainstream into the public school system, graduating from high school with honors, while serving as band captain of his high school's award winning marching band. Throughout high school, he also dedicated himself to playing and singing on weekends in churches and wherever the opportunities were presented.
Following high school graduation, Mote received a full scholarship to Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, AL. After spending three years at JSU, he transferred to Belmont University in Nashville, TN, where he graduated with Cum Laude honors and a music degree.
Throughout his exciting career, he has shared the stage with such popular performers as Martina McBride, Alan Jackson, Rascal Flatts, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood and famed Grand Ole Opry star, Porter Wagoner.
In 2005, much to the delight of both Country and Gospel music fans, Mote released his debut solo recording, If You Could Hear What I See. The recording earned a Dove Award nomination from the Gospel Music Association for Instrumental Album of the Year. This nomination marked the first of many honors and accolades Mote has received throughout the past six years, including his most recent, the 2011 Diamond Award for Favorite Instrumentalist.
In addition to playing on recording sessions each week for many of country and Gospel music's most popular recording artists, Mote travels in excess of 150 dates each year. Since 2006, he has served as pianist for the popular Gaither Homecoming Tour, with legendary songwriters Bill & Gloria Gaither and Gaither's Grammy Award winning Gaither Vocal Band, and has performed throughout the world with the Tour.
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