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.

Help the Barrett Sisters release their long-awaited documentary film

For more than 60 years, Delois Barrett Campbell and The Barrett Sisters have performed gospel music throughout the United States and overseas.  They have made media appearances with Johnny Carson, Patti LaBelle, and Oprah Winfrey and are counted among pioneers in gospel music alongside Thomas A. Dorsey, Mahalia Jackson, Roberta Martin, Theodore Frye, and Sallie Martin.  Still, perhaps you know them best from their performance in the critically acclaimed movie Say Amen, Somebody. 
 
One remaining dream for the renowned 80-something year-olds is the release of The Sweet Sisters of Zion: Delois Barrett Campbell and the Barrett Sisters, the long-anticipated documentary film tracing their extensive careers and contributions to gospel music through rare performance footage and interviews with sisters Delois, Billie, Rodessa and others.
 
But the Barrett Sisters need the help of their family, friends, fans, and well-wishers around the world.
 
The film is finished; however, expenses for its release are mounting and your financial support is much needed.  Your contributions will pay for the costs of filming, packaging, promoting, and distributing the independently produced movie, as well as hosting a premiere screening in Chicago on February 16, 2013.
 
Go to www.indiegogo.com/TheBarrettSisters to make your contribution, claim your thank-you gift(s), watch sneak peeks, and stay updated throughout the campaign.
 

This documentary is sure to be treasured for generations to come as a commemorative piece of gospel music history about one of the genre’s greatest female trios.

 

Charles McLean of the Gospel Keynotes has died

Rev. Charles McLean, formerly of the Gospel Keynotes, died today.  He was 69 years old.

Rev. McLean was born in Greensboro (NC) in 1943. He joined the Keynotes in 1979 and remained with the group through 1984, when he departed to focus on his own ministry.
GMF sends condolences to Rev. McLean’s family and to the quartet community.  He will be remembered as one of the great falsetto singers in quartet music.

Arrangements are as follows:

Musical Tribute
Thursday, January 10th at 7 PM

Homegoing Service
Friday, January 11th at 10 AM

Both services will be at Gospel Temple Church Of God In Christ, 4121 Thurmond Road, Conley, GA 30288.  Meadows Mortuary in Atlanta is in charge of arrangements.

Men of Standard’s Pierce takes helm as senior pastor of Greensboro’s Mt. Zion Baptist

Bryan Pierce, Sr. of the Stellar Award winning group Men of Standard has been named the Senior Pastor and CEO of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Greensboro, NC.  The “Passing of the Torch” service took place New Year’s Eve at Mt. Zion.  Bishop George W. Brooks, who has been the church’s senior pastor for more than 31 years, is now Pastor Emeritus.

Pierce started preaching at age six and was licensed at nine.  Since being ordained at the age of 19, he has served in the capacity of Youth Pastor at Greater St. Stephens Full Gospel Baptist Church under Bishop Paul Morton, Sr. and as Senior Pastor of Bethel Baptist Church Ministries in Kannapolis, NC.  In June 2011, he became the Chief Administrative Officer at Mt. Zion Baptist Church where he served until his appointment to senior pastor there.

In addition to his pastoral duties, Pierce is a noted songwriter, arranger and producer.

‘Happy New Year’ and ‘Thank You’ from GMF’s Libra Boyd

Happy New Year to each of you! 

I take this time to thank you so much for your support, prayers, and well wishes throughout 2012.  Thank you for your interest in GMF; you have been reading, commenting, and telling others about the blog.  Many of you have also submitted wonderful music: thank you, and keep it coming!
You are the reason GMF is a 2013 Rhythm of Gospel Award nominee for Internet Media Group of the Year.  Thank you to all who are voting; your frequent votes through March 1, 2013 are appreciated. (Vote here and vote often.)
As we enter into this new year, let’s keep moving forward with great expectations for God, self, and the advancement of gospel music.
Libra Boyd, Founder & Editor
Gospel Music Fever

GMF Editor’s Top 10 Picks of 2012

By Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever

This year has been another filled with great gospel music.  As I look forward to 2013 ushering in more of the same, I revisit the best ten songs to have come across the GMF desk during 2012.  The following short list includes only the songs I have reviewed and featured on GMF this year.

“Awesome God”
Maurette Brown Clark

“I Call Him Mine”
Daphney Hilton

“Don’t Forget About Me”
Cat Cole

“Turn It Around”
Tim Rogers & The Fellas feat. John P. Kee

“Can’t Live”
Genita Pugh

“How Glorious and Excellent Is Our God”
Freda Battle & The Temple Worshippers feat. Rodney Posey

“Hosanna“
Joyceland McCaster and Victorious Soul

“Burn It All Down”
Lexi 

“Imagine Me”
Alexis Spight

“I Still Have A Praise Inside of Me”
Georgia Mass Choir

Inez Andrews Homegoing Recap

Yolanda Adams, Smokie Norful, and the Caravans were among those who gathered to remember Inez Andrews Friday at Apostolic Church of God in Chicago.  Andrews, a towering force and soaring voice in the famous Caravans, passed December 19, at age 83.

Dave Hoekstra of the Chicago Sun-Times provided a well-written recap (click here), and award-winning photographer David Spearman captured photos of the service (view the gallery here).  He also shared footage (click here), during which Pastor Shirley Caesar comforts the family with stirring and uplifting remarks following the Caravans’ musical numbers (“May the Work I’ve Done Speak for Me,” “Jesus Is the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me,” and “Lord, Keep Me Day by Day”).

"Salute to the High Priestess"

Milton Brunson’s Thompson Community Singers minister at the memorial musical for Inez Andrews of the Caravans, Thursday night at Chicago’s Apostolic Church of God. The homegoing will be at the church Friday at 11am.

R&B Singer Fontella Bass (1940-2012)

Fontella Bass, R&B soul singer famous for her hit “Rescue Me,” died Wednesday.  She was 72 years old.

Bass was the daughter of gospel singer Martha Bass of the Clara Ward Singers.  Her brother, R&B and gospel singer David Peaston, passed in February of this year.

Read more on the career of Fontella Bass here.

Offstage: GMF Insider with Shirley Caesar

By Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever

Shirley Caesar

Pastor Shirley Caesar is multidimensional.  She is a singer and songwriter, a preacher and pastor, a former politician and forever a comedian.

A comedian?

“There’s a side of you that many people don’t see,” I mentioned to Pastor Caesar several weeks ago inside her sprawling office at Raleigh’s Mount Calvary Word of Faith Church. “A lot of people don’t know that you have a sense of humor.”  She bursts into laughter.

Since I opened the door, I figured she may as well take us on a tour of what it’s like to be Shirley Caesar offstage.

Libra:  If you were not a singer, preacher, or pastor, what would you be doing?

Pastor Caesar: Um…(long pause)…raising children.

Libra:  How many?

Pastor Caesar: Two.

Libra:  A boy and a girl?

Pastor Caesar: A boy and a girl.

Libra:  Do you have names for them?

Pastor Caesar: I like “Desiree,” and I like “Hope.”

Libra:  What’s the best dish you can prepare?

Pastor Caesar: (Laughs heartily)  I think my best dish would be spaghetti and meat sauce with all of the — I mean I fix all of that from scratch.  I bake it, I fix it any kind of way.  And my rice.  I can cook rice and the grains are not gummy…yeah…and I can cook other stuff — I just don’t.  I go out and eat everyday.

Libra:  Me too.  I don’t really cook, but I can make a really good peach cobbler.

Pastor Caesar: Really?  I cannot cook a lot of sweets; I can’t do that, but you know, some things I watched my Mom do.  My sister Anne, Anne was a cook, because Mama taught her!  She learned by observation.  Not me.  I was always running and breaking streetlights and doing something crazy when I was a little girl! 

Libra:  What’s your favorite thing to do in your leisure time?

Pastor Caesar: I have a Galaxy [tablet], and I have a lot of games on there.  There’s one game on there that’s called Tile Takedown.  It’s a word game, and I love words.  In fact, I saw it on the bed on the way to church, and I started to grab it!

Libra:  Do you have a favorite cartoon or fictional character?

Pastor Caesar: Favorite cartoon is Tom & Jerry, but I also like uh— what’s that “beep beep”?

Libra:  Road Runner.

Pastor Caesar: Road Runner!  I love Road Runner, because he’s always trying to figure out a way to catch the chicken. (chuckles)

Libra:  Is there another product or service that you would endorse if given the opportunity?  (Pastor Caesar currently has endorsements with AARP and Medicare.)

Pastor Caesar: When I was growing up, we did not have a McDonald’s or a Burger King — but I don’t eat red meat, and I’ve also become something of a health nut.  I could [endorse] the salads though.  I’d also maybe like to talk about cancer or some other cause like that.

Libra:  What’s the one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

Pastor Caesar: That because I’ve come from a family that wasn’t well-to-do— I didn’t even have, uh, hardly a spoon, much less a silver or a gold spoon in my mouth—that today, I give 50% of my earnings to the Lord, monies realized.  I try to help needy families.  I buy them fans in the summer and try to help them with heat in the winter; not because I’m trying to be different from anybody else, but I know where I’ve come from.

Related Stories

“God Will Make A Way” – Shirley Caesar

“God Will Make A Way”
Shirley Caesar
From the upcoming CD, Good God (Available March 26, 2013)
Light Records (2012)
Available on iTunes

Written and produced by James Fortune, the Queen of Gospel knows how to solicit the talents of current cutting edge artists to keep her at the forefront of gospel music.

Pastor Shirley Caesar’s single “God Will Make A Way” encourages that through friendlessness, bad reports from doctors and the like, “the God I serve, He’ll be right there–I know He will!”

The James Fortune imprint is all over this slow and soulful single that gradually builds into a robust declaration that “God will make a way / I know that He will / I’ve seen it and He will!”