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.

Donald Lawrence signs with Doug Banks Media Group to host radio show

(Chicago, IL)  The Doug Banks Media Group has signed Grammy Award winning producer and recording artist Donald Lawrence to host a new syndicated, Urban AC motivational radio program entitled “Music Therapy with Donald Lawrence.”  The program launches in January 2015 with distribution to Urban Adult Contemporary (UAC) radio station formats.


“I’m pretty excited about it,” says Lawrence. “I’ve always been committed to using music as therapy to inspire and encourage as well as to entertain and that’s what the Doug Banks Media Group recruited me to do with this show. It will be a mix of inspiring music by artists ranging from Jill Scott to the Sounds of Blackness. There will also be audience call-ins, motivational messages and daily words of wisdom to help listeners live their best life.”
 
“Donald Lawrence is a very talented and well-respected gospel music industry icon! We are excited to bring his Music Therapy program to radio stations around the country,” says Doug Banks, a legendary on-air radio personality and a pioneer in radio syndication.


“As we look to grow Doug Banks Media Company, we fully recognize the opportunities available with our core UAC audience,” says Ed Pearson, President, Doug Banks Media Group. “Gospel music and inspirational engagement is now and always has been very important to our listeners, and we are happy to be offering stations the opportunity to bring to their listeners, a unique spiritual experience with Donald Lawrence’s Music Therapy.”
 
Lawrence began his career as a music director for R&B legend Stephanie Mills and vocal coach for En Vogue. Then, in the mid 1990s he made headlines as the leader of the critically-acclaimed Tri-City Singers choir that enjoyed a dozen radio hits such as “The Blessing of Abraham,” “The Best Is Yet To Come,” and “Encourage Yourself.” In 2004, Lawrence launched a solo career that has included signature songs such as “Back II Eden” and “Healed.” Since 2007, Lawrence has served as spokesman for Verizon Wireless’ How Sweet The Sound national gospel choir talent competition. Lawrence’s latest project, 20 Year Celebration – Vol. 1: Best For Last, boasts the radio hits “Best For Last (featuring Yolanda Adams),” ”There Remaineth A Rest,” and the #1 smash “The Gift.” A Grammy® Award winning producer, Lawrence has written for and collaborated with R&B artists such as Faith Evans, Mary J. Blige, Lalah Hathaway, Kelly Price, and SWV’s Coko. He’s also produced #1 gospel hits such as Hezekiah Walker’s “Every Praise” and The Clark Sisters’ “Blessed And Highly Favored.”

The Philadelphia-born, Detroit-raised Doug Banks began his radio career as an on-air personality at KDAY in Los Angeles. One of his next stops was in Chicago at WBMX (now V103), where he took the morning show from a 1.8 share to a healthy 5.6, beating the competition. Eventually moving into mornings, he became a Chicago institution from 1987 through 1994. Then for more than a dozen years, Banks’ syndicated “The Doug Banks Show” aired over the ABC Radio Network. In 2010, Banks moved to American Urban Radio Networks and re-launched his syndicated morning show as an afternoon drive program first as “The Ride with Doug and DeDe” and now back to its original “The Doug Banks Show” moniker.   


– Press release from Bill Carpenter

Rev. Jonas Brown, former WNCU radio host, dies

From The Herald-Sun
From The Herald-Sun (10/31/14):
DURHAM – Reverend Jonas Buster Brown passed on October 27, 2014 in Durham, NC.

He leaves to cherish his memory his loving wife Rosa Hannah Brown; four
sons, Christopher Brown (Monica V. Martin), Jimmy Hannah (Tomeka
Copeage), Jonas R. Hannah, Jr. (Linda Yvette Cox), Richard Lamont Brown;
three brothers, Willie Boston, Jr. (Patricia), Erol Boston and Wayne
Boston.
 
A memorial service will be held Saturday, November 1, 2014 at Lakeview
Baptist Church, 3411 Dearborn Drive, Durham, NC, beginning at 1 p.m. A
visitation with family and friends will take place at 12:30 p.m.
 
Arrangements are entrusted to Scarborough and Hargett Memorial Chapel
and Gardens, Inc. Online condolences may be expressed at
Scarboroughandhargettfh.com.
Brown was the former host of the Sunday morning radio show “Gospel Connections” on North Carolina Central University’s WNCU 90.7 FM.

Winners of the 2nd Annual "Wilson Idol" competition announced

As promised, the “Wilson Idol” talent show (held September 27, 2014) was a most competitive evening as far as its producer Dr. Mildred Summerville and the rest of the distinguished panel of judges were concerned.  Those who presented their talents are certain to have felt that same intensity. In fact, many of the score cards were so closely ranked that declaring winners became extremely challenging on the part of the statistician.  After the four top scorers were initially identified, the judges made the final decision to categorize the scores into Gospel, R&B, and Instrumental.  Therefore, Dr. Summerville and the judges are pleased to announce the top scorers of each category.

Photo by Shaundria Williams

$1000 Grand Prize Winner 
Eric P. Fleming (right), who performed Smokie Norful’s “I Need You Now” 

Gospel

Quincy Spell, Jr. 
Tami Cherry
The Remnant 

R&B
Ronnie Ezzell
Dillon Green
Jason Bunn 

Instrumental
Zyyayre Williams 

Each of the top scorers received trophies for his/her outstanding performance.

The judges’ announcement comes with Dr. Summerville’s acknowledgement that the evening was “quite diverse” and included displays of talent ranging from jazz and R&B to rap, modern contemporary, gospel and more–making the evening a “memorable pleasure of delight.”

From left: Dr. Mildred Summerville, Jason Bunn, Dillon Green, Eric P. Fleming, Tami Cherry, Ronnie Ezzell, Quincy Spells, Jr., The Remnant, and Zyyayre Williams. GMF thanks The Wilson Times for the use of this photo.

Habakkuk Music releases cd ft. Cobbs, LaBelle, Norful, others–exclusively at Cracker Barrel

The information first shared here on Oct. 16 has been updated in the following press release:

Columbia, MD (November 1, 2014) – Habakkuk Music has compiled a
second outstanding black gospel music CD for Cracker Barrel Old Country
Store®. Gospel Legacy: The Collection Vol. ll releases in November 2014
and will be sold exclusively in select Cracker Barrel Old Country
Store® locations and online at crackerbarrel.com.
 
From
start to finish, Gospel Legacy: The Collection Vol. ll is packed with
extraordinary black gospel music by current hit-makers, timeless legends,
and fresh new talent. This collection boasts a stunning line-up of
chart-topping songs by some of America’s most iconic recording artists
from the R&B and gospel genres. 
 
There
are inspirational hits by R&B mainstays, such as
Charlie Wilson’s “If I Believe,” Al Green’s 1987 classic “Everything’s
Gonna Be Alright,” and Patti Labelle’s Top 5 1991 hit, “When You’ve Been
Blessed (Feels Like Heaven).”
 
The
CD also features soul-stirring gospel songs by Smokie Norful
(“Justified”), Tasha Cobbs (“Happy”), and Lisa Page Brooks (“God
Thing”). Yolanda Adams and the late Gerald Levert meet up for their
evergreen rendition of R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly,” which serves a
thick slice of inspiration, crossing religious and cultural boundaries.
 
Singer
Vashawn Mitchell’s #1 hit “Nobody Greater,” Jonathan Butler’s “I Stand
On Your Word,” Chante’ Moore’s “Jesus I Want You,” and newcomer Earl
Bynum & The Mount Unity Choir’s rousing “Psalm
117” provide judicious breaks of reverential worship songs.
 
Founded
in 2007, Habakkuk Music is distributed by UMG and INgrooves (a division
of Isolation Network, Inc.) and has released gospel music by
brilliant artists such as Lisa Page Brooks, Earl Bynum & The Mount
Unity Choir, Kevin Levar, Cheneta Jones, Papa San, The Temple of
Deliverance Women’s Choir and others. Habakkuk Music, Inc. (d/b/a HBK
Media) has successfully formed marketing relationships with
organizations such as the American Heart Association | American Stroke
Association, Chick-fil-A and Rejoice Radio Network, among others.

A&P Records, home to The Showers, gets distribution with Habakkuk Music

(Hammond, LA)  The newly established independent label, A&P Records (Aquila & Priscilla), home to Louisiana based family group, The Showers, has signed an exclusive national distribution partnership with Habakkuk Music/INgrooves Fontana. Marketing and publicity efforts powered by The J. Hardy Agency, LLC.
“A & P Records are excited about this new ordained union with Habukkuk Music. We’re looking forward to this partnership sharing great music with God’s people!” says family member Regina Showers.
The Showers first gained notoriety aboard the regional success of their 2009 independent debut album Hear My Prayer, which sold several thousand copies. Going on to land the group Rhythm of Gospel and En-Sound Music Awards, the album also courted acclaim from some of Gospel’s most endeared critics.


The Showers has released two Top 40 radio singles “Praise Your Way Through” (#29 peak) and their current rising radio single “Better” (written and produced by Deon Kipping) which cracked the Top 30 on the iTunes Gospel/Christian Top 200 Singles Chart upon their release.  Their highly anticipated self-titled debut album is slated for a Spring 2015 release with production by Grammy winner Myron Butler (Tamela Mann, Marvin Sapp), Deon Kipping (Marvin Sapp, JJ Hairston, Jessica Reedy) and Bruce Robinson, Jr (Joshua Rogers, Fantasia).
The above is excerpted from a press release from Jason Hardy / The J. Hardy Agency, LLC.

Charles Johnson of the Nightingales, Revivers passes on

Charles JohnsonGMF is sad to share news of the passing of singer/musician/songwriter Charles Johnson, formerly of the Sensational Nightingales and Charles Johnson & The Revivers. Johnson passed this morning (Monday, October 6). He was 83 years old. He is survived by his wife and six children.

During my childhood, I regularly attended concerts featuring the Sensational Nightingales. Johnson was indeed one of the most unique and earnest voices in gospel quartet music.

Read more by Barbara Huffman and see homegoing arrangements at www.singingnews.com.

The “Gospel Memories” Radio Show with host Bob Marovich will feature an extended set of Johnson’s recordings this Saturday (October 11).  The show airs at 10 am central time and can be streamed live at www.gospelmemories.com.

Cancer survivor Marcia Love donates portion of CD proceeds to Susan G. Komen

(Phoenix, AZ)  Gospel artist Marcia Love knows what it’s like to have your life turned upside down. On one fateful day in 2012, she was given the news that every woman dreads: she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. With the strength of her faith and the love of her family, she was able to endure the challenging season. After multiple surgeries, she is now cancer-free. A singer for her entire life, the experience was the impetus for her to get back in the studio to record her second CD. Earlier this year, she released the sophomore project, Counting My Blessings, which features the singles “Counting My Blessings” and “Joy.” Through her music ministry, she wants to inspire other women who have been diagnosed with the dreaded disease. To support the efforts of Susan G. Komen in finding a cure, Marcia is donating 25% of the proceeds of her CD, Counting My Blessings, and all digital downloads of her music in the month of October in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“As a nurse, I understand that sickness can be difficult to handle,” shares Marcia. “As a cancer survivor, I know that a support system is vital. I want to make sure that every woman who hears the words I heard, ‘You have breast cancer,’ knows that God is there to comfort them. I also want to help them by giving organizations the resources they need to help stamp out this horrible disease. That’s why I am donating 25% of sales of my singles and my full CD, Counting My Blessings, to Susan G. Komen.”

Always one to encourage and uplift, Marcia’s CD, Counting My Blessings, is chock full of inspiration. “Joy,” penned by the artist after her health challenge, is a musical expression of happiness, a song of gratitude. Other songs include the churchy “The Rock Of His Name,” the riveting ballad, “Wholly Thine” and the mid-tempo title tune. Music has always been a way for Marcia to express her feelings and this project is no different.

Hailing from Durham, NC, Marcia began singing as a toddler.  As many singers do, she honed her singing skills at church.  She also was called upon to sing for her father’s preaching engagements.  Eventually, singing morphed into directing gospel choirs.  It wasn’t until 2011 that she pursued a recording career with the release of her debut, Jesus On My Side, which was followed by 2014’s Counting My Blessings.  To find out more information about Marcia Love, go to www.marcialove.com. To connect with her, find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Juan Santiago and Uninhibited Praise set for live recording Oct. 4

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Juan Santiago and Uninhibited Praise (JSUP) is gearing up for its sophomore live recording, titled The Ultimate Worship Experience, Part II. The evening of worship will take place at 5pm on October 4, 2014, at St. James Free Baptist Church in Baltimore, MD.  Songstress Michelle Prather of Kurt Carr and the Kurt Carr Singers will make a special guest appearance.

JSUP is no stranger to the gospel music scene.  The choir’s debut CD, Taking It to the Streetz, was released in 2005.  In 2011, the aggregation released Ultimate Worship Experience Live, which featured the songs “Healing Rain,” “Majesty,” “Holy is the Lord,” and “God is Here.”

Tickets for Saturday’s event are available at www.anjelicarecords.com and John 3:16 Christian Bookstore in Lanham.  For more information about JSUP, visit jsuplive.com.

2014 'Wilson Idol' competition to feature Shirley Caesar as guest judge

Click to enlarge

Now here’s a local competition with national flair.

On September 27, twenty-eight talented Wilson Idol hopefuls will vy for the chance to win $1000, a trophy, an appearance in the onstage production of award-winning Mildred Summerville play “Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child,” and an opportunity to perform for the Queen of Gospel, Pastor Shirley Caesar.

Here’s the topper: Gospel’s queen will be there in person as guest judge.  The 11-time Grammy winner will be joined by fellow judges Dr. Brooksie Harrington, Calvin Suggs, Danny Howell, Lamont Hamilton, and Dr. Mildred Summerville.

GMF’s Libra Boyd and Justin Barbour will serve as the hosts for the evening.

The Wilson Idol talent show is sponsored by Summerville Promotion and Production Company to give residents of Wilson, NC (ages 10 and up) an opportunity to showcase their talents in the areas of solo music, band/group music, dance/step, and acting.  The first Wilson Idol competition was held last year, and the WTT Majestic Choir earned top prize.

Regarding the event’s purpose, Dr. Summerville expresses:

Wilson is where I was born and raised, giving it a special place in my heart. I have a great passion to reach out and save the youth through innovative ideas.  I believe that when children are given an opportunity to express themselves through performing arts they attend school more regularly, earn higher grades and test scores, have better social and communication skills, have better relationships with their parents, and have higher self-esteem.  My mission is to encourage all Wilson County students to stay in school (graduate) and to further their education or enroll in post-secondary [institutions]. Additionally, Wilson Idol is designed to bring unity in the community by building a solid arts foundation that will serve all ages and ethnicities through the performing arts. 

Event Details
Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014
5pm (doors open at 4)
Fike High School Auditorium
500 Harrison Drive
Wilson, NC 27893

Tickets are $12 in advance ($17 at the door) and can be purchased at Hamilton Funeral Chapel, Arts Council of Wilson, and from all contestants.  For more information, contact Dr. Mildred Summerville at 252-230-2689.   

Vintage music of two NC quartets featured on Swedish producer’s compilation CD

The Gospel Harmanaires of Oxford and The Carolina Kings of Henderson have songs on a compilation that highlights gospel music from 1959-1962. 


Best of Revelation Records, 1959-1962 cd artBy Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever

The year was 2005.  It’s the year Sweden-based producer Per “Slim” Notini began collecting vinyl singles recorded on Bobby Robinson’s short-lived small, independent record label called Revelation Records.  Notini continued to unearth gems over the years and from his treasure has now produced and released a 27-track disc entitled Best of Revelation Records, 1959-1962,for NarroWay Records.  Among the singers featured on the golden era CD compilation are two NC quartets, The Gospel Harmanaires of Oxford with “Too Close” and The Carolina Kings of Henderson with “What A Blessing.”

“Too Close,” featuring James Thornton and bass singer Ray Gill on lead, takes off in uptempo fashion.  It’s a contrast to Alex Bradford’s composition of the same name, which was popularized by quartets like the Brooklyn Allstars and the Five Blind Boys of Alabama. 

A few tracks later, paradoxical to its title, “What A Blessing” opens noticeably somber with organ and the tremolo-heavy guitar of the song’s writer, George Hargrove.  Soon enough though, listeners are captured by Lonnie Heggie’s resonant tenor and the sturdy backing vocals of The Kings.  Not unusual for songs of the era, the track length falls 15 seconds short of the three-minute mark.  Given the immediate attention the music and vocals command despite the song’s brevity, “What A Blessing” sounds like it might have been a perfect opening number for The Kings’ concerts.

The CD is accompanied by essay liner notes and photos compiled and composed by Notini about Revelation Records, Bobby Robinson, and the label‘s producer John Bowden.  The essay also contains photos and bios on most of the featured artists.  Notini says he regrets not having any information about the Harmanaires and The Kings at the time his notes were written.  Scouring the Internet yielded no biographical information on either group.

Hargrove, the founder and only surviving original member of The Carolina Kings, talked with GMF about his group’s 61-year history (the group was formed in 1952) and original members (General Rainey, Goodrich Rainey, Prince Moore, William Nowell, and Hargrove). He also recalls appearing frequently on programs with The Gospel Harmanaires, but he believes all the group’s members have now passed on.

Hargrove is thrilled that his group’s music has been preserved and presented in this format.  This is just one of at least 27 reasons Best of Revelation Records, 1959-1962 is a gospel collector’s joy.  If not for the efforts of Per “Slim” Notini, such gems would very likely remain hidden from the present-day generation of traditional gospel enthusiasts.