Author: Libra Boyd

Libra Nicole Boyd, PhD is a musician, award-winning author, gospel music aficionado, and the founder and editor of Gospel Music Fever™. Her commitment to journalistic integrity includes bringing you reliable gospel music content that uplifts and advances the art form. Libra is presently working on several scholarly projects about gospel music in the media as well as gospel music in social movements.

“Happy birthday, Rev. Al Green!”

GMF wishes a very happy birthday to The Reverend Al Green, who turns 65 today.

Green serves his Full Gospel Tabernacle congregation in Memphis as pastor while continuing to travel as both a gospel and R&B performer. Among his accolades are multiple Grammys, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and the distinction of being one of Rolling Stone magazine’s “100 Greatest Artists of All Time.”  He is also a Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductee.

Green’s most recent achievement is that his chart-topping 70’s hit, “Let’s Stay Together” has been selected this year for inclusion in the National Recording Registry for preservation in the Library of Congress.  On that note, happy birthday and congratulations, Rev. Green.

Great-nephew pens biography on gospel singer-songwriter, Brother Claude Ely

He was a soulful singer and a Pentecostal Holiness preacher who influenced Ray Charles, James Brown, Little Richard, and Elvis Presley. Now, Brother Claude Ely’s influence is again being recognized in a biography entitled, Ain’t No Grave: The Life and Legacy of Brother Claude Ely.

Knoxville News has the feature story on the man whose 1950’s recordings earned him the distinction of the “Gospel Ranger” of the Appalachian Mountains.

"Shine On Me" – Mary Griffin

“Shine On Me”
Mary Griffin
Walker Entertainment Group / Mahogany Music (2011)
Available at CDBaby

Nothing stirs your soul like an oldie, and Mary Griffin delivers “Shine On Me” with the fervor that this soul-stirring spiritual requires.  To say that Griffin’s voice is powerful is an understatement.  It is soulful.  It is unique.  It is full of expression.  Hearing her belt out this number takes me back to my childhood days in the Baptist church when, just before leading the worshipers in prayer, the church mothers would make their way to the altar petitioning God, “Let the light from the lighthouse shine on me.”

Griffin is very much in her zone performing soulful music.  She is currently touring with George Clinton and Patti LaBelle, and one of her songs, “I Surrender,” was re-recorded by Celine Dion.

Is there any doubt that the light is shining on her?

Sizzlin' This Week (4/11/11) – "Covered By the Blood"

“Covered By the Blood”
Southern Harmoneers
From the CD, Covered By the Blood (2011)
Available at CDBaby

Over an instrumental blend accented mainly by organ, piano, and the distinct twang of a pedal steel guitar, the Southern Harmoneers tell the blessed story of being “Covered By the Blood.”  This mid-tempo southern gospel song has nuances of the hymn, “Will The Lord Remember Me?” and will work beautifully for both male choir and quartet voicings.

The Southern Harmoneers, whose arrangements are somewhat similar to the Jackson Southernaires and the Dixie Hummingbirds, earned top honors this year in Ruston, LA’s Dixie Horizon Entertainer Search.  Current group members are carrying on the legacy of family and friends who began singing in 1940’s as the Golden Jubilees Quartet.

Sizzlin’ This Week is the GMF editor’s gospel music pick of the week from her personal playlist.  Every style. Every era.

"Heaven Hear My Heart" – Trin-i-tee 5:7

“Heaven Hear My Heart”
Trin-i-tee 5:7
From the CD, Angel and Chanelle (Available May 31, 2011)
The second single from Trin-i-tee 5:7’s upcoming CD is out.  “Heaven Hear My Heart,” though heavy on strings and percussion and light on lyrical depth, has the urban flavor that typifies the Trin-i-tee 5:7 sound. 
 
The CD, Angel and Chanelle, has a street date of May 31.  The CD’s first single, “Over and Over,” written by PJ Morton, debuted at #24 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Song chart.

Funeral Services for Alfred “Gino” Smith of the Gospel Keynotes

Thanks to TBGB for passing along arrangements for Alfred “Gino” Smith, baritone singer for the Gospel Keynotes.  Smith passed Saturday, April 2, 2011, in Rochester, NY.

The funeral is today, Saturday, April 9, at 11am, at Rock of Ages-Christ Good Shepherd Church.  The church is on 1000 Winton Road North in Rochester.  Interment will be in Falls Cemetery.  Memories Funeral Home is in charge of the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to:
The Family of Alfred “Gino” Smith
c/o Memories Funeral Home
1005 Hudson Avenue
Rochester, NY 14621-3739

He is survived by his wife, Pat; three sisters; two brothers; six grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Funeral Services for Willie Claud Ligon, Brother of Mighty Clouds’ Joe Ligon

The homegoing service for Willie Claud Ligon will be Monday, April 11, 2011, at 10am, at Second Mt. Nebo Baptist Church.  The church is at 11118 Yukon Avenue, Inglewood, CA.  Interment will be in Inglewood Park Cemetery.  Services have been entrusted to Simpson Family Mortuary.

Ligon passed April 2, 2011.  He is the younger brother of Joe Ligon from the Mighty Clouds of Joy.

Shirley Murdock set to record first “live” CD/DVD

Shirley Murdock just might shut Charlotte, NC down on April 28. This is the evening of her first “Live” CD/DVD recording, and she’s doing it big. Her label home, Tyscot, promises a “one-of-a-kind evening filled with an abundance of audience participation and entertaining surprises from beginning to end.” When I consider her success as an R&B singer–don’t act like you don’t remember “As We Lay”–and her connections in the R&B and gospel music industry, I get tingly just thinking about what surprises we could be in for. Afterall, her “first” has to be unforgettable.

Also joining Murdock “live” for the first time are Regina Belle, Beverly Crawford, and Kelly Price. Uh, yeah, this is going to be good. Grammy winner, Cedric Thompson (with projects by Karen Clark Sheard, Donald Lawrence and Tri-City, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, and Marvin Sapp to his credit), is wearing the producer’s cap.

Murdock’s project is titled, The Journey.

Event Information

  • Thursday, April 28, 2011 
  • 7pm EST (doors open at 6pm)
  • The Broadcast Group Complex, 8400 Regent Pkwy, Fort Mill, SC 29715
  • Tickets – $12 in advance, $18 on day of show; available via www.ez-tixx.com or 877-993-8499

What are the GRAMMYS doing with The Gospel?

Hmm.  The Grammy Academy, if you will, is cutting some categories.  Thirty-one to be exact.

Apparently, this is the academy’s effort to maintain the prestige and competition of the awards.  Well, that’s what the Recording Academy’s President/CEO, Neil Portnow says.  You know what this means for gospel music right?

Well, for starters, it means there is a name change to the Gospel Field.  (There are name changes to other fields as well, but this is a gospel music blog.)  The Gospel Field has been renamed the Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Field.  Then, there are category changes.  The 53rd Grammy Awards had the following categories in the Gospel Field:

  • Best Gospel Performance
  • Best Gospel Song
  • Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album
  • Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album
  • Best Southern, Country Or Bluegrass Gospel Album
  • Best Traditional Gospel Album
  • Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album  

The 54th Grammy Awards will have the following categories in its restructured Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Field:

  • Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance 
  • Best Gospel Song
  • Best Contemporary Christian Music Song
  • Best Gospel Album
  • Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

It will be interesting (to say the least) to see how this restructuring will directly affect the gospel music industry and its artists.  I can think of a few singers who are definitely going to end up unclassifiable.  Of course, they’ll be made to fit for Grammy eligibility, but is it fair to take them out of their artistic zones and to place them in one that doesn’t quite describe them in hopes of a nomination?  I suspect there are going to be quite a few surprises among the next round of nominees.  And we thought gospel music was already competitive…

You can get all the details about the Grammy evolution here.

Sapp, Winans, Hammond among BMI honorees for 2011’s most-played songs

The BMI Christian Music Awards recently honored 2011’s most-played gospel and christian songs.  The gala event was held April 4th in Nashville and celebrated the songwriters and publishers of the year’s most performed songs on Christian radio and TV, according to the BMI website.

Among gospel award-winning songs are:
“The Best in Me” 
Writers: Aaron Lindsey & Marvin Sapp
“Close to You” 
Writer: BeBe Winans

“God Favored Me”
Writer: Jules Bartholomew

“Good News”
Wrtier: Norman West
“They That Wait”
Writers: Michael Bethany, Phillip Feaster, Fred Hammond, Calvin Rodgers, & Dynna Latyse Wells

Universal Music Publishing Group earned Publisher of the Year honors for:
“The Best In Me”
“Beautiful, Beautiful”
“When the Trumpet Sounds”
“Stuff of Life”
“They That Wait”
BMI is a long-standing American performing right organization that represents more than 475,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music.
For the full story and the complete list of winners, click here.