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.

‘Sunday Best’ winner Amber Bullock to sing at funeral of Alton Sterling

The family of Alton Sterling is inviting the
community to mourn with them today, Friday, July 15, at a public funeral held
at Southern University in Baton Rouge.  The services will be held at the F. G. Clark
Activity Center, which will provide seating capacity for about 4,500
people. BET’s Sunday Best winner and soul singer Amber Bullock (right) are among those who will sing at the funeral.

Other special invited guests include The Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and Louisiana Congressman Cedric Richmond,
who are scheduled to make remarks at the service,
according to Gary Chambers, who has been appointed by the family to
assist with funeral arrangements.

Sterling
(left) was fatally shot by police officers last week in front of the Triple S
Food Mart in North Baton Rouge. His death has contributed to the
national debate about black suspects shot by the police and drawn
hundreds to Baton Rouge for several days of protests in Sterling’s name.

The viewing for Sterling will be open casket and will go from 8 AM to 10:30 AM., with the funeral following at 11 AM CT/12 PM ET.
The funeral will air live on CNN and other local affiliates. After the
funeral, the family will be escorted by law enforcement to an undisclosed
location for a private burial.  Update (7/15/16 @ 2:00 PM ET): Now streaming at http://www.nbcnews.com/video/watch-live-alton-sterling-funeral-322519619939
– J. Hardy Agency

John Thorpe and Truth, Chosen prep for live DVD recording – July 16

John Thorpe and Truth and Chosen are gearing up for a live DVD recording set for Saturday, July 16, at the Kirby Theater in Roxboro, NC.  Doors open at 4 PM, and the recording begins at 5 PM.  Advance tickets are $10 ($15 at the door).
Tickets are available from Light of Day Productions (336-818-0880), Truth Ministries (434-429-6130), members of both groups, and at the following sites: johnthorpeandtruth.com, chosen-ministries.com.

Multicultural Christian ensemble, withLove, desires to unite body of Christ through music

withLove group photo
 
(Baltimore, MD)  Many have witnessed unrest on our city streets. Baltimore has seen its share of conflict, but it’s been said that love makes the world go around. There are five young men and women from Charm City who are doing it “withLove.”  The new Christian group, withLove, is on a mission to share the love of Christ through song and unite believers in the process. Featuring amazingly talented musicians, withLove combines their love of jazz, gospel and contemporary Christian music to create a very unique and moving worship experience.  Although the group pulls from influences like Israel & New Breed and Hillsong, their style is all their own. 

Their fresh sound is on display with their debut single, “Worth It All,” available now.  The song is the lead single from their forthcoming album self-titled, withLove, releasing on September 1, 2016.
 
This up-tempo, feel-good track is a reminder that Jesus gave His all for us through his life and death, and in the same way, no matter what we go through, God’s love is always “Worth It All.” Written by David Warren, the track is vibrant and showcases the band’s gifted musicians. The group also released a concept music video of the single. “Worth It All” is available for purchase on iTunes, Amazon and other digital music outlets.
 
The eclectic yet inspiring group is made up of David Warren (visionary, keyboardist), Stephen Waddy (electric guitar, arranger, producer), Lana Matthews (songwriter), Rachael Edwards (vocalist), and Jordan Williams (drummer). David Warren knew when the group initially came together that they were destined to create something truly special. He also knew there was one theme that would permeate their music and their ministry.
 
“I named the group withLove because our theme is ‘loving God, loving people, doing everything with love’. It’s central to who we are,” Warren says.  “We want to unite different races and cultures under
the banner of Christ. Through music, we want to break ethnic tensions and bring the Church together. God never meant for His people to be divided.”
 
Bringing different cultures together is personal for David. Half-Korean and half-African American, he is acutely aware of how different people treat others of different races. He wants to tear those barriers down, with the love of Christ leading the way. Warren doesn’t just want to use music to do it. He has programs called “The Love Projects,” where he and fellow group members hit the streets of Baltimore extending love through witnessing to people, feeding the homeless, serving the shut-in and acting as mentors to kids that need them.
 
Each of the members comes from different areas and backgrounds. Warren trained in classical piano (by a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra), ultimately playing for the University of Maryland Gospel
Choir.  A passionate worshiper, he leads worship at Gallery Church Sowebo, an ethnically-diverse congregation in the southwest part of Baltimore. Lana Matthews, who calls herself a “late bloomer,” didn’t start singing until college, where she met Warren. Her love of the arts initially was focused in film and poetry; songwriting came a little later. Rachael Edwards has been singing all of her life and belted out her first tunes in church.  Before joining withLove, she sang frequently in the DMV and also at Regent University. Jordan Williams, who hails from a musical family, began playing drums at the age of three and has been honing his skills ever since.
 
Warren says, “When I was given this vision for withLove, it was to create a multicultural, diverse worship team that’s embracing the Baltimore community, the same community that experienced the city uprising in the aftermath of the death of Freddie Gray. We want to be part of the healing process of our city. We also want to reflect the people’s hearts right back to the Lord,” says Warren. For more information about withLove, log on to www.withLoveMusic.org. Connect with the group on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
 
– Tehillah Enterprises

"I'm A Winner" – Tonya Lewis-Taylor

Tonya Lewis-Taylor "I'm A Winner" art work“I’m A Winner”
Tonya Lewis-Taylor
From the upcoming EP, I’ve Got to Win (2016)
www.tonyalewistaylor.com

By Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever

“I’m A Winner” is the uptempo inspirational debut single from Tonya Lewis-Taylor’s forthcoming EP, I’ve Got to Win.

Abundant with self-affirmations, Tonya (pronounced Tone-yah) makes one declaration after another, echoed by her background vocalists:

“I can do all things through Christ…”
“I can be whatever He wants me to be…”
“I can have whatever He wants me to have…”
“I’m the head and not the tail…”

Tonya wrote and co-produced “I’m A Winner” with Martin Christie and her husband J.P. Taylor.

"All Day Long" – The Rance Allen Group

All Day Long art work The Rance Allen Group“All Day Long”
The Rance Allen Group (2016)
www.tyscot.com

By Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever

“Is there anybody out there who could literally sing God’s praises all day long?”  Bishop Rance Allen asks the lively San Francisco audience.  The crowd’s response is a resounding “Yes!”  What follows is “All Day Long,” a CCM styled worship tune stamped with the signature sound of the multi-Stellar Award winning Rance Allen Group.

“All Day Long,” written by Brittney Byrd Campbell, Chris Byrd, and Rance Allen, is the first single from the Rance Allen Group’s forthcoming album, Live from San Francisco.

Tonya Lewis-Taylor to release new single, ‘I’m A Winner,’ off forthcoming EP

(New York, NY)  EARS Music Group is pleased to announce the release of “I’m A Winner,” the highly anticipated first single off Tonya Lewis Taylor’s forthcoming EP, I’ve Got to Win. Tonya
Lewis Taylor wrote and  co-produced the song with Martin Christie
and  husband J.P. Taylor.  This catchy motivational song features
Tonya’s signature vocals with a strong engaging beat that makes you
want to stand up and declare, “I’m a winner!”  The song is set to hit
airwaves July 11, and will kick off the countdown for the I’ve Got to Win EP coming out later in the month. 

With the highly anticipated release of her national debut album Delayed But Not Denied in
2014 (on which she wrote and co-produced all of the songs), Tonya’s music
has seen incredible momentum, blazing radio airwaves.  Her gospel music
classic, “Thank You,” reached number 15 on the Billboard charts.  Tonya
has been afforded opportunities that emerging artists rarely receive. 
She was hand-picked to be the opening act for the 32-city Festival of Praise Tour with Fred Hammond and Donnie McClurkin. She has been featured on Trinity Broadcasting Network with Clifton Davis, and in concert on TBN’s 15th Street Live.  Tonya has appeared on Bobby Jones Gospel, ABC’s Here & Now, and MSNBC’s Melissa Perry Show. 
Tonya
Lewis-Taylor is not only a gospel singer/songwriter and producer but a
teacher and award-winning philanthropist and author.  Wherever Tonya
Lewis-Taylor goes, she engages, encourages, and empowers people to reach
their full potential in their personal, entrepreneurial and spiritual
lives.  God has fueled this woman with tremendous passion to help
broken people and build character in youth through her Women of Power Fellowship (an organization created to mentor women) and the “I WILL GRADUATE PROGRAM” (youth development organization).  Simply put, she is called to help people become what God created them to be in excellence.
For all things TLT visit www.tonyalewistaylor.com.
From a press release

Bri Babineaux gets six million views in six days, kicks off second leg of tour

Social media singing star Briana “Bri” Babineaux has done it again.  Over
the last year, she has posted several singing videos on Facebook that
have netted millions of views.  This past week, a fan posted a video
on Facebook of Bri singing “He’s Able” and it garnered over 6.8
million views within six days
and won her a new fan in Grammy® Award winning vocalist
Donnie McClurkin.  

“I’ve been listening to you all morning long and the
anointing you carry is so full and genuine,” McClurkin wrote on Facebook. “I
look forward to sitting in your ministry one day and experiencing first
hand what I’m experiencing online.”

Fans will experience that
throughout the month of July.  Bri kicked off the second leg of
the  “New Artist on the Block” tour this past Tuesday (July 5) at The Celebration
of Life Church in Hendersonville, TN.  The first leg of the tour
launched in March, selling out all seven cities and earning a major New
York Times write-up revolving around Babineaux’s meteoric rise to
fame. This incarnation of the tour also features Geoffrey Golden
from BET’s reality TV show Sunday Best and YouTube singing sensation Kelontae Gavin.

Meanwhile,
Bri’s new self-penned gospel radio single “Jacob’s Song” is also
picking up heat, receiving airplay on a dozen gospel radio stations. 

“It came from a place of determination,” Bri says. “I had been
going through so much in my personal life and I was determined to be
just like Jacob was in the Bible and I told God that I’m not letting go
until you bless me. So this song means the world to me because it came
from an experience that I overcame.”

The second leg of the “New Artist on the Block” tour is stopping in the following cities:

7/11/16   Bethel World Outreach, Olney, MD.         
7/12/16   Have Life Church, Charlotte NC
7/13/16   Valley Brook Outreach Baptist Church, Pelzer, SC
7/14/16   Heritage Christian Center, Jacksonville, FL
7/18/16   Dothan High School, Dothan, AL
7/19/16   KVIC, Columbus, MS.
7/20/16   Showers of Blessing Church, Hammond, LA
7/21/16   TBA, Dallas, TX

Visit www.brination.org for more Bri news and eventbrite.com to purchase concert tickets. 

– From a press release

"Angels" – Judea feat. The Loving Sisters

“Angels”
Judea feat. The Loving Sisters
From the upcoming CD, Trumpets (Available Summer 2016)
MG Music Group

Angels art work Judea ft. The Loving Sisters

By Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever

Acts of violence, terrorism, and evil appear daily in news headlines around the world.  It’s a savage reality that Christian rapper Judea chooses to address in his self-penned single “Angels,” featuring The Loving Sisters.

Arpeggiated strings punctuate Judea’s lyrical imagery as he speaks of these atrocities and laments, “Dear Lord, if you hear me please save us; all these suicide killers is outrageous.  Taking innocent lives, they’re called ISIS; I guess they don’t really know who Christ is.”  Beyond the present social condition, however, he “can hear the angels singing in Heaven,” where suffering, death, and conflict are nonexistent.

Judea, aka George Pettiford, enlisted the music and production talent of Deacon Authority (aka Cedric Hester) and the supporting vocals of his biological siblings, female quartet group The Loving Sisters of Roxboro, NC.

Kirk Franklin wins the BET Award in its only gospel category

By Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever

Kirk Franklin emerged as last night’s winner in the BET Awards’ sole gospel music category, the Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award (formerly called the Best Gospel Artist Award).  Kirk edged out Erica Campbell, Lecrae, Anthony Brown and group therAPy, Tamela Mann, and Tasha Cobbs.

The 2016 BET Awards took place June 26 at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles and was aired live on the BET Network.  Last night after the show, he and wife Tammy took to social media to thank fans for their support of his music (below).

Kirk recently wrapped up a successful nine-week “Twenty Years in One Night” World Tour, selling out several venues across the country.  Tomorrow (June 28), he is scheduled to speak at the Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony for Pastor Shirley Caesar (see Shirley Caesar’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star dedication set for June 28).
 

A video posted by Kirk Franklin (@kirkfranklin) on

Official Video – "I'm Yours" – Casey J



Enjoy Casey J’s official music video, “I’m Yours.”  The concept video is a first for the Stellar Award winner and former school teacher and serves as visual accompaniment to the song that currently sits at #1 on Billboard’s Gospel Recurrent Airplay chart.  


The video is also available for download on iTunes: The Truth (Continues) [Deluxe Video Edition]