Category: News

47th Annual GMA Dove Award nominees announced

Photo Credit | GMA Website

Tasha Cobbs, Jonathan McReynolds, Kirk Franklin, and Anthony Brown & group therAPy
are among those whose nominations were announced today (August 10) for
the 47th Annual GMA Dove Awards.  The complete list is available here.

 
This year’s awards will take place October 11, at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena in Nashville and will air October 16, exclusively on TBN. 

Congratulations to all nominees!

RCA Inspiration announces shift To Nashville, TN under Provident Music Group

(Nashville, TN)  RCA Inspiration
will operate under the umbrella of the Provident Music Group, a
division of Sony Music Entertainment, in a shift of operations for the New York-based award-winning inspirational music label.  Under this shift, RCA Inspiration will now conduct operations based out of Nashville, TN.

Terry Hemmings,
President and CEO of Provident Music Group, says: “Provident Music
Group is delighted to welcome RCA Inspiration, and their incredible
lineup of artists whose ever-evolving and diverse sounds have continued
to make such an impact on Gospel and inspirational music. They mark a
valuable addition to Provident Music Group’s ongoing growth and shared
vision in delivering wide-ranging and uplifting entertainment across the
world.”







RCA Inspiration includes a comprehensive
breadth of artists steering the sounds of Gospel, praise and worship,
contemporary inspiration, hip hop, and more today, which also includes
artists on Kirk Franklin’s
Fo Yo Soul Recordings label.  RCA Inspiration’s top-notch roster
encompass award-winning superstars, such as prolific influencers Israel Houghton, Fred Hammond, Marvin Sapp, and Donnie McClurkin.  It also continues developing hit-making newer artists, such as Travis Greene,
Le’Andria Johnson, and Dee-1.  In relocating under Provident Music
Group, RCA Inspiration joins the division’s outstanding scope of fueling
faith-based entertainment across multiple creative platforms from
Christian music and worship to music publishing and film. Provident
Music Group’s labels and entertainment entities encompass Christian and
worship artists such as Casting Crowns, Steven Curtis Chapman, Brandon Heath, Matt Maher, Third Day, as well as Provident Films (“War Room,” “Woodlawn“), Essential Music Publishing, among other services.         


ABOUT RCA INSPIRATION
RCA
Inspiration (formerly Verity Gospel Music Group), is the Gospel label
operating under Provident Music Group, a division of Sony Music
Entertainment. Voted Billboard’s #1 “Gospel Songs Label” for the past 15
years, RCA Inspiration is the home of mega-gospel artists Donnie McClurkin, Israel Houghton, Marvin Sapp, Le’Andria Johnson, Fred Hammond and many more.

SOURCE RCA Inspiration – August 2, 2016

Jovonta Patton debuts at #1 on Billboard Gospel Albums chart with no radio airplay

It’s a pretty remarkable accomplishment for Minneapolis singer/songwriter Jovonta Patton.  This week, his third album Finally Living debuted at the top of the Billboard Gospel Albums sales chart–with no radio airplay. 


Equally notable is Jovonta’s album sits on two other Billboard charts: the Billboard Christian & Gospel Albums sales chart at number 12 and the Billboard Independent Albums sales chart at number 21. 


In a press release, CEO Marquis Boone of MBE Enterprises said, “We count it an honor to be able to introduce the next generation of artists to the world.  Jovonta is a great talent.  We are excited that he hired our firm to assist him in introducing hi music to the world.  I think Jovonta has a long, wondrous career ahead of him.”  Boone also manages gospel sensations Casey J and Bri Babineaux.  


Jovonta got his start singing at the tender age of four in the choir at Berean Missionary Baptist Church.  He began writing songs at age six.  He cites Donald Lawrence, one of gospel’s prolific songwriters, as his musical hero and says that the 11 tracks on Finally Living are, like Lawrences’s compositions, grounded in the Scriptures. 

Kingdom Encounter Family Conference to feature Eddie James, Maranda Willis

The Covenant Triangle’s Kingdom Encounter Family Conference will present an amazing “REACH” experience at a Triple E.E.E. Block Party at NC Central University’s Library Bowl on Thursday, July 28, at 6 PM, featuring the amazing gift of Eddie James & Dream Life Ministries. The New Covenant Christian Church’s Triple E.E.E. theme is indicative of the season of “Excellence in Evangelism without Excuse,” so come expecting an outpouring of God’s glory and vision manifestation!

Dream Life Ministries is a team of 40 young people who were saved off the streets of Atlanta, GA by the power of God through the evangelism/outreach ministry of Eddie James. They lead worship with Eddie and give their testimonies intermittently throughout the experience. Prophetess Kathy Lindsay of New Covenant Christian Church of the Triangle said in a message to GMF, “We are believing our God for 100+ souls to be saved, prodigal sons/daughters to ‘come to themselves,’ fathers and sons to reconcile, and this Joshua generation to be drawn back to our heavenly Father through the power of God!” 

On Saturday, July 30, at New Covenant (3308 Durham Chapel-Hill Blvd. in Durham), the Kingdom Encounter Family Conference continues with a benefit concert featuring Maranda C. Willis (“Nobody Like You Lord”), along with guest artist Vernon Gordon and others.  Melissa Wade and Dr. Angelia Riggsbee, Founder/CEO of Healing After Domestic Violence (H.A.D.), are the special guest co-hosts.  All proceeds will support H.A.D. families for back-to-school supplies.  If you can’t make the concert, you are asked to share the love of God through giving at www.newcovenantchristian.org and note your donation is for either H.A.D. or to support evangelism efforts to reach the lost for Christ through Triple E.E.E. event. 

‘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.

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

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

Shirley Caesar’s Hollywood Walk of Fame Dedication set for June 28

By Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever

Pastor Shirley Caesar’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame will be dedicated during a public ceremony at 6126 Hollywood Boulevard, in front of the Fonda Theatre, on Tuesday, June 28.  As GMF reported when the honor was announced here last June, Caesar is among only a handful of black gospel music artists to have stars cemented into the famous Los Angeles walkway.

The ceremony will begin at 11:30 AM PT (2:30 PM ET) and stream live here: Shirley Caesar – Walk of Fame Ceremony.  Gospel luminaries Kirk Franklin and Yolanda Adams will speak during the 45-minute dedication.  Read more about Pastor Caesar’s upcoming star ceremony here.

Gospel music’s reigning queen, who is also a Raleigh pastor, is currently celebrating the success of her latest project, Fill This House, which debuted in the number one spot on Billboard’s Top Gospel Album chart and features the single “It’s Alright, It’s OK” with Anthony Hamilton and the tribute song “Mother Emanuel.”