Ellen Hayes and the Way to Count Your Blessings Through Music

Music Has Room for Every Story

This thing we call music has always felt like a big house to me. Every room has its own sound. Jazz moves slowly in one corner, techno sweats under a strobe light somewhere upstairs, country arrives with dusty boots, and gospel… gospel waits near the window where the light comes in.

All those sounds belong to the same family. Some talk about love, some about heartbreak, some about the strange circus we call life. Gospel brings something else: perspective. Yeah, that thing that reminds you to slow down and look around.

Choosing Gratitude Through “Count Your Blessings”

Detroit gospel recording artist Ellen Hayes brings her new single Count Your Blessings into that room. Released in March 2026, the song is the lead release from her forthcoming album scheduled for later this year. The idea is simple: stop for a second and recognize what’s already there. The opening lines say it plainly: “Woke up this morning, sun was shining bright, Got a heart full of joy, everything’s gonna be all right.” That spirit runs through the entire track.

The song’s rhythm makes me feel comfortable in both a church service and a family gathering, a reminder that gospel music has always lived somewhere between ministry and everyday life.

At the center of it all sits the chorus, repeating a line that feels almost like a conversation between heaven and earth: “When praises go up blessings come down.” Ellen Hayes delivers it with the calm authority of a lifelong gospel voice.

Ellen Hayes: Faith, Family and Gospel Roots

Back in Detroit, Michigan, where she was born and raised, Ellen Hayes grew up in a deeply musical household as the youngest of ten siblings, surrounded by singers and musicians from the very beginning. Her late mother sparked her love for the piano when she was just three years old. By sixteen she already understood that music would become part of her ministry, but her path has never been limited to the studio.

Along the way, Ellen spent years directing choirs and developing musicians within the church environment. Experiences that shaped her into a multi-talented artist – vocalist, songwriter, composer and producer. Family also sits at the heart of her musical story. Now a proud mother of eight, Ellen Hayes has often involved her children and extended family in her recordings, making it feel less like a career and more like a family story.

Ellen Hayes and The Voice in Gospel Music

Her earlier release Another Chance gained attention across gospel circles, landing within the Top 100 on Billboard and MediaBase gospel charts. It also earned placement in the GMWA National Songbook, a recognition that carries real weight in the gospel world.

Through it all, Hayes remains active in ministry as the Minister of Music at The Word of Truth Baptist Church, continuing the same mission that first started behind a church piano many years ago.

A Message Worth Repeating

Count Your Blessings fits neatly into that journey. It follows a tradition gospel music has always known well. Turning the ear away from the noise of everyday struggle and toward the quiet inventory of grace. Because sometimes the simplest message is also the hardest to practice.

To stay close to Ellen Hayes and her music, follow her on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Just look around, take stock, and count your blessings.