Category: News

Bryan Andrew Wilson and Bri Briana Babineaux shine both on red carpet and gospel chart

Publicist Bill Carpenter shared this photo of recording artists Bryan Andrew Wilson and Bri Briana Babineaux on the red carpet at the 31st Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards last weekend in Las Vegas.

According to Carpenter, both Bri’s radio single “I’ll Be the One” and Bryan’s self-penned single “Overflow (Let Your Spirit)” are perched on Billboard Magazine’s Gospel Airplay chart. 
The Stellar Awards airs March 6, on TV One.

Anthony Brown wins huge at 31st Stellar Awards

By Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever

Ask Anthony Brown about his weekend, and you may well hear just how stellar it was.  The singer/songwriter/producer and his aggregation, group therAPy, won every category in which they were nominated, including Song of the Year for “Worth” (from the CD, Everyday Jesus).

That’s ten Stellar Awards.

Charles Jenkins and Fellowship Chicago also had a great weekend, taking home four awards, including one for Choir of the Year.

Check out the list of winners and honorees at uGospel.com.  The awards show will be televised March 6, 2016, on TVOne.

Gospel winners announced at the 58th Grammy Awards

Congratulations
to the gospel winners at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, announced last
evening (February 15, 2016) in Los Angeles. 

Best Gospel Performance/Song 
“Wanna Be Happy?” – Kirk Franklin
Written by Kirk Franklin

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
“Holy Spirit” – Francesca Battistelli
From the album, If We’re Honest (Deluxe Edition)

Best Gospel Album
Covered Alive in Asia [Live] – Israel & New Breed

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
This is Not a Test – Tobymac

Best Roots Gospel Album
Still Rockin’ My Soul – The Fairfield Four

Nominees for the 31st Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards

Congratulations to this year’s nominees for the 31st Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards.  You can view the complete list here.

The show takes place February 20, 2016, at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.  Rickey Smiley and Sherri Shepherd will share hosting duties.

‘Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child’ is back; stars Shirley Caesar [Updated]

Originally posted Jan. 2, 2016 at 7:30 AM

Last updated Jan. 9, 2016 at 5:45 PM

The information originally shared here has been updated as a result of cast updates provided to GMF by the play’s writer and producer, Dr. Mildred Summerville on Friday, January 8.  

Dr. Mildred Summerville, award-winning playwright, presents the stage play “Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child” Saturday, January 23, 2016, at Columbus, GA’s River Center.  The play, directed by James A. House, features a talented cast, including 11-time Grammy winner Pastor Shirley Caesar.

For more information or to buy tickets, visit www.sparetherodstageplay.com. Showtime is 8 PM. 

Read the play synopsis below.
 
SYNOPSIS
Genre: Drama/Comedy/Musical/Christian
Time/Place: The time is present day. The place is the James’ family home, workplace and a church.

Using
spirit-filled music and memorable characters like Mark, the doting son; Tammy, the insensitive daughter-in-law; Hope, the promiscuous teenager; and Sister Cantaloupe, Grandma’s feisty sister, “Spare the Rod, Spoil the
Child” touches on issues within the community such as family dysfunction,
peer pressure, substance abuse, and other pertinent matters that are
too often inadequately addressed or considered altogether taboo. 

In
this gripping and engaging dramatic piece, a woman simply known as
“Grandma” serves as the pillar of her surroundings. Her son’s family is
in crisis, and those within her neighborhood are drowning in chronic
troubles of their own. Through it all, Grandma seeks God on behalf of
those who are not spiritually inclined enough to seek Him for
themselves. Even those who resent her, such as her son’s sometimes-rigid
wife, Tammy, ultimately end up on Grandma’s prayer list. And when the
walls of the lives of those around Grandma seem to come tumbling down,
they know who to turn to for guidance and sound counsel. It’s not always
advice that they want to hear, but it is consistently the precise word
needed to steer them in the right direction.

Other
characters in the cast bring even more drama to the script. In her
God-given wisdom, Grandma confronts Hope’s suppressed anger and
bitterness, convincing her to open up about a rape kept secret for
years. In addition, she prays her grandson, Timothy, out of choosing a
life of gang involvement.

Though
the ending takes a toll on Grandma, the audience will rejoice in
knowing that this elderly woman’s life was full of purpose and not at
all lived in vain.

High
drama, bad karma, and a praying grandma, all come together to make “Spare
the Rod, Spoil the Child” a must-see theatrical production. Infused with
foot-stomping gospel music, this is soul-stirring entertainment that
will warm the hearts, tickle the funny bones and uplift the spirits of
all those who experience it.

58th Annual Grammy nominees announced

Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever 

Congratulations to gospel’s nominees for the 58th Annual Grammy Awards.  Israel & New Breed received two nods.

Pioneering gospel greats, The Fairfield Four, also earned a nomination.  Travis Greene, Jonathan McReynolds, Tasha Cobbs, sisters Dorinda Clark-Cole and Karen Clark Sheard and others are among this year’s nominees as well.

To see the complete list in the gospel categories, visit: 58th Annual Grammy Awards Nominees [Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Award Genre]

The awards show will air February 15, 2016, at 8 PM ET on CBS.

‘Holiday Praise: The Thankful Tour’ features Charles Jenkins, Michelle Williams, Byron Cage

(Chicago, IL)  Multi-award winning songwriter and Inspired People
recording artist Pastor Charles Jenkins (right) and his electrifying
choir Fellowship Chicago are hitting the road this month for Inspired
People’s “Holiday Praise: The Thankful Tour.”  Pastor Jenkins will be
joined on the tour with fellow GRAMMY® winner Michelle Williams and Byron Cage.
 
Pastor
Jenkins is coming off of a huge summer hit with his radio smash “War,” which spent five weeks at #1 on Billboard Magazine’s Gospel Airplay chart
and 55 weeks on the overall survey.  His new radio single and latest
worship anthem “Just To Know Him” features Byron Cage and is
quickly making its way up gospel radio playlists everywhere.  Both tracks
hail from the album “Any Given Sunday” (Inspired People/Motown Gospel)
that debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Gospel Albums sales chart this past
spring.

“It’s been an amazing year for us and we’re all so thankful,”
says Jenkins.  “We all have so much to be thankful for and to celebrate
God’s goodness.  The tour is going to be an amazing, uplifting and fun
experience for the entire family.”
 
Here are the dates:
 
11/22 @ 7 PM New Jerusalem Church, Jackson, MS (Hallelujah 95.5 FM)
11/23 @ 7 PM New Rising Star Church, Birmingham, AL (WAGG 102.1/610 AM)
11/24 @ 7 PM Restoration Ministries Int. Christian, Augusta, GA (Shout 94.7 FM)
11/26 @ 8 PM Elizabeth Baptist Church, Atlanta, GA (Praise 102.5 FM)
12/07 @ 7 PM Fellowship Chicago, Chicago, IL (1390 AM)
 
General Admission seating is $20 and VIP seats are $35.  Tickets are available at www.holidaypraise.com.


From Bill Carpenter (press release)

Tribbett to host ‘iHope’ concert in memory of murdered cousin Corey Jones

Tye Tribbett’s cousin Corey Jones, a drummer, was on his way home from a concert gig when he experienced SUV trouble in the early morning of October 18th. While he was awaiting roadside assistance on Interstate 95 in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, an undercover officer approached Jones’ stranded vehicle. While there are differing accounts of what happened next, less than an hour later Jones was dead, felled by at least three bullets after he began to run away from the policeman.

The death of Tribbett’s cousin has moved him once again to speak out and advocate for change in the way humans deal with each other and how law enforcement deals with us all.

The Grammy winner is hosting a free admission “iHOPE” concert to call for social change with Tasha Cobbs, Mali Music, Le’Andria Johnson and Tim Rogers. The free concert takes place Thursday, November 12 at 7:30 PM at The Faith Center located at 5555 NW 95th Avenue, Sunrise, FL. For concert info, contact (973) 351-1569 or visit www.tyetribbettworldwide.com.

Earlier this year Tribbett was moved to speak out after the June 2015 Charleston church massacre. Consequently, he launched a packed “Hate Won’t Win” concert in Columbia, SC to benefit the Mother Emanuel Hope Fund that retired burial debt and other expenses related to the nine people who were shot to death in that tragic incident.



From Bill Carpenter (press release)

GMF nominated for 2016 Rhythm of Gospel Award

Vote now through March 1, 2016.

Congratulations are in order again for Gospel Music Fever (GMF), which has been nominated for the 2016 Rhythm of Gospel (ROG) Award in the category of Gospel Internet Promotion & Marketing Group of the Year.  


This
is GMF’s second nomination.  In 2013, GMF emerged from a category of
nine nominees to win the ROG Award for Internet Media Group of the Year.


“It’s gratifying to be nominated,” says GMF’s founder and editor, Libra Boyd. “GMF uplifts and advances gospel music, and it’s an honor for that to be recognized.”

According to the Rhythm of Gospel Awards website,
the awards show is presented by the National and Independent Gospel Music
Association (N.I.G.M.A.) and “recognizes
outstanding churches/pastors, choirs and independent gospel music
artists of all genres, for their outstanding contributions toward the
betterment and advancement of their communities.”
 
Voting is now open for you, our GMF readers, to vote at http://www.therhythmofgospelawards.com/VOTING.html# an UNLIMITED number of times through March 1, 2016.  Please note:

  1. GMF is in category #49
  2. The site requires that you vote for each category
  3. You must click the black and white VOTE box near the bottom of the page to submit your votes.

JSUP to hold S.O.S. (Select Our Single) Listening Party – Nov. 14

Inasmuch as SOS is the international Morse code distress signal, it can be said that Juan Santiago and Uninhibited Praise (JSUP) need your help.

JSUP has been working hard in the studio and is ready for you to hear what they’ve been cooking up.  The choir invites fam, fans, friends, and media to join them November 14 at 3 PM, for their S.O.S. (Select Our Single) Listening Party.  That’s right, the award-winning aggregation wants you to select the new single from their forthcoming album, Fresh Fire.

The event takes place at SkyLofts Gallery & Studios, 3701 Bank Street, in Baltimore, MD.  General admission is $12.  Admission is free for media, but you must RSVP to admin@jsuplive.com by November 12.

In other celebratory news this year, JSUP is nominated for four Rhythm of Gospel Awards, including Traditional Choir of the Year and Traditional Song of the Year for “Take Your Burdens.” (Read GMF’s review of “Take Your Burdens” here.)