Willie Myrick was playing with his dog in front of his own home in Atlanta when a silver Honda stopped next to him. Moments later, he was forced into the car, and the attacker drove away in an unknown direction. The boy did the only thing he thought made sense at that moment: he opened his mouth and began to sing.

Willie Myrick’s Religious Awakening

Willie was born into a family that did not practice religious faith. However, from the age of three, he was raised by his godmother, Codetta Bateman, who took him to church and instilled in him an interest in the Bible. Codetta’s home was ruled by clear rules, and Sunday service was treated as an essential, everyday part of life, not a choice.

While Willie’s peers preferred to play video games, he spent his free time with the Holy Scriptures. He could recite all of Psalm 23 by heart and knew the order of all the books of the Old Testament. He was quick to demonstrate these abilities, astonishing both friends and adults at the parish.

Once asked about his best friend, Willie answered it was God, who was with him everywhere, even as he slept. Codetta Bateman watched as Willie’s spirituality deepened each year. At the time, no one could have predicted that this faith would soon become the most important survival tool for the ten-year-old.

The Silver Honda

On an April afternoon in 2014, Willie was playing with his dog on the driveway. The street looked perfectly ordinary, and the child was only a few meters from the front door. A silver (or perhaps grey) Honda Accord pulled over, driven by a stranger.

The driver tried to lure him with money. When Willie didn’t react as expected, the man forcibly dragged him into the car and covered his mouth to keep him from calling for help. The car sped off in an unknown direction, leaving the dog behind.

The man flew into a rage, cursing and threatening Willie with terrible things as he drove aimlessly through the neighborhood. Willie later recalled that, for the first few minutes, he thought only of the harm his abductor might inflict. Paralyzed by fear at first, he quickly regained composure.

All Praise Belongs to God

Sitting in the backseat, Willie turned to the only thing he could think of: singing the song “Every Praise” by Grammy-winning gospel musician Hezekiah Walker. The song’s chorus proclaims that all praise belongs to God.

The kidnapper immediately demanded that he stop, but Willie ignored him. He repeated the song over and over, letting the lyrics fill the car, no matter what threats or shouts the attacker threw his way. The man’s rage and threats rolled right off the singing boy.

Willie sang for an hour, then two, and eventually three. The man behind the wheel grew increasingly upset and frustrated, losing control of the situation. Used to frightened and crying victims, the abductor was faced with a boy who responded not with despair, but in an utterly unexpected way. Nothing the man did could silence the monotonous singing from the back seat.

Released in East Point

After three hours of non-stop singing, the kidnapper gave up. He stopped the car in East Point, a neighborhood southwest of downtown Atlanta, opened the back door, and pushed Willie out. He threatened him not to tell anyone what happened and quickly drove off.

The ten-year-old landed on the sidewalk unharmed. The first thing he did was run to the nearest house and call his godmother. Codetta Bateman, who had spent hours in uncertainty, heard his voice and immediately contacted the police, launching the search for the kidnapper.

The police made a composite sketch of the suspect based on Willie’s detailed description. Codetta, relieved to have Willie back, publicly appealed for the capture of the man in the silver Honda. The story reached the media the same evening, and Atlanta journalists quickly latched on to its extraordinary details.

Meeting the Songwriter

Soon, the story of a ten-year-old who sang his way to freedom spread across American TV stations. Willie appeared on popular shows, including the Arsenio Hall show, and was in high demand for radio interviews. The media presented him as an example of extraordinary composure in the face of mortal danger.

The most powerful moment came with Hezekiah Walker’s response. The creator of “Every Praise” flew from New York to Atlanta to meet the boy whose life was saved by his song. At a local church, they performed the song together, side by side.

Walker publicly admitted to being deeply moved throughout the meeting. The Grammy-winning musician was faced with proof that his music had directly saved a life—something no songwriter imagines when composing. The fusion of art and real-life drama remains unprecedented in the music industry.

The Boy Who Didn’t Lose Himself to Fame

Despite the media frenzy, Willie showed remarkable humility for his age. In later interviews, he emphasized that his faith and relationship with God were most important, treating his sudden fame as secondary. He did not pretend to be more mature than he was, nor did he allow the limelight to change his daily life.

His godmother made sure that success did not disrupt his normalcy. Despite journalistic offers and requests for appearances, Codetta protected Willie’s daily routine—the same discipline that helped him endure in the kidnapper’s car. Willie returned to school, church, and Bible study as though the dramatic events weeks before had never happened.

The boy attributed his escape not to cleverness or luck, but to a strength greater than himself. His testimony struck American audiences more deeply than the most polished adult sermon. Willie became a hero by accident—and perhaps that’s why people remembered his story.

References

– Boy released by kidnapper after singing gospel
music [https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/04/23/gospel-singing-kidnapping/8042195/]

– 10-Year-Old Escapes Kidnapper by Repeatedly
Singing Gospel Song [https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/trending-now/10-year-old-escapes-kidnapper-by-repeatedly-singing-gospel-song-152042414.html]

– Boy survives kidnapping by doing something that
he says „annoyed” suspect [https://www.fox6now.com/news/boy-survives-kidnapping-by-doing-something-that-he-says-annoyed-suspect]