Category: News

Andraé Crouch Hospitalization: Official Statement from Sandra Crouch

Yesterday (Sunday, January 4), reports circulated throughout social media about Andraé Crouch’s hospitalization.  Crouch’s sister Sandra has released an official statement that you can view on USA TODAY at the following link: Gospel great Andraé Crouch hospitalized

GMF joins thousands of others in praying for Pastor Crouch and his family.

Update (1/6/15) @ 6:47 a.m. – Yesterday at 12:58 p.m., the update below was shared on Crouch’s Facebook page.

UPDATE FROM SANDRA CROUCH:

Andraé Crouch, who was hospitalized on January 3rd, has had some positive response to the medical attention that has been given to him. The medical team has given some encouraging news and we are so grateful for the many thousands of people who are praying on behalf of my brother.

With the continued medical attention and your prayers, we are trusting the Lord for a full recovery.

Al Green fêted at 37th Annual Kennedy Center Honors, airs Dec. 30

Rev. Al Green is among five recipients of the 2014 Kennedy Center Honors. The gala was held December 7, at the Kennedy Center and will be broadcast on CBS tomorrow, December 30, at 9 PM ET.  The Kennedy Center explains:

The Honors recipients recognized for their lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts—whether in music, dance, theater, opera, motion pictures, or television—are selected by the Executive Committee of the Center’s Board of Trustees. The primary criterion in the selection process is excellence. The Honors are not designated by art form or category of artistic achievement; the selection process, over the years, has produced balance among the various arts and artistic disciplines.

While Al Green demonstrates musical excellence in both the soul and gospel genres, gospel great Marion Williams (whose career included tenures with the Clara Ward Singers and the Stars of Faith) is the only strictly gospel singer to have received the honor since its inception 37 years ago. Don’t you think it’s time for more of our deserving gospel artists to be recognized?  I can certainly think of a handful who merit recognition for their lifetime contributions and excellence, such as Shirley Caesar, Andraé Crouch, Richard Smallwood, and Edwin Hawkins. 

So, here’s a challenge to GMF readers: review the criteria for this honor and submit your recommendation for 2015 here: Submit A Kennedy Center Honors Recommendation

Tankards’ reality series ‘Thicker Than Water’ returns in January for second season



(New
York, NY)  Bravo
Media’s Thicker Than Water season two will
premiere on Sunday, January 4, at 9 PM ET/PT. Season two features the
unpredictable Tankard clan as they continue to live their lives as best as they
can with their strong religious convictions at hand. Ben and Jewel Tankard are
back, leading their self-proclaimed “Black Brady Bunch” family with
children Brooklyn, Britney, Benji, and Cyrene. Joining the family in the
“Tankard Palace” is Ben’s oldest son, Marcus, who returns to Tennessee with his
wife, Tish, to a warm welcome from everyone—except Britney.


Beginning Monday,
January 5 through Friday, January 9, fans can join the Tankard Family
throughout the week for a series of live Facebook Q&As on the Thicker Than Water Facebook Page. Viewers
will get the inside scoop on the family, the drama and what to expect from
the upcoming season.
For
a sneak peek at the series, visit: www.bravotv.com/thicker-than-water/season-2/videos/first-look-thicker-than-water-season-2
Thicker Than Water is produced by Sirens Media with
Rebecca Toth Diefenbach, Valerie Haselton Drescher and Lucilla D’Agostino
serving as executive producers, and by John Doe Productions with Renard Young and
Darren Toon serving as executive producers. 

Dorinda Clark-Cole to be part of reality series ‘Preachers of Detroit’

By Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever

I suppose the cast of a new Preachers… series wouldn’t be complete without a prominent preacher who is also a powerhouse singer. It’s apparent from the first two seasons that Deitrick Haddon has it on lock with the LA installment.  Come February 18 (10pm ET), Dorinda Clark-Cole will hold it down on the new Oxygen network series, Preachers of Detroit. 

The three-time Grammy winner and member of the legendary Clark Sisters wears many hats: COGIC evangelist, recording artist, TV and radio host, and fashionista with her own clothing line called The Rose Collection. The reality show will chronicle Clark-Cole’s efforts to juggle her whirlwind lifestyle (as her family’s primary bread winner), her desire to strengthen her relationship with her daughter Nikki, and her own self-care.

The Preachers of Detroit cast features six other high-profile persons of the cloth: Bishop Charles H. Ellis, III, Bishop Corletta Vaughn, Pastor Tim Alden, Pastor David Bullock, Bishop-Elect Clarence Langston, and Pastor Don William Shelby, Jr.

Rod Aissa, Executive Vice President of Original Programming and Development for Oxygen Media, says in a press release, “Preachers of Detroit is the latest iteration of the honest, thought-provoking storytelling that Oxygen viewers have so strongly connected with. We introduce a new group of Preachers who have various roads to faith, triumph and transformation, but share a united dedication to help influence positive change in Detroit.”

For a sneak peek of the series visit: www.oxygen.com/shows/videos/preachers-of-detroit-a-new-series

I’m just curious. What’s the likelihood of adding Preachers of Memphis to the franchise with Al Green rounding out the cast?

From
left to right: Bishop-Elect Clarence Langston, Pastor Don William
Shelby, Jr., Bishop Charles H. Ellis, III, Pastor David Bullock, Bishop
Corletta Vaughn, Pastor Tim Alden, and Evangelist Dorinda Clark-Cole. 

57th annual Grammy nominees announced

Congratulations to gospel’s nominees for the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. Erica Campbell and Smokie Norful received two nods each.

The Grammys will air live Sunday, February 8, 2015.

See all the nominees for the gospel categories here: 57th Annual Grammy Awards Nominees [Gospel award genre]

Erica Campbell wins the 2014 Soul Train Award for Best Gospel/Inspirational Song

Congratulations to Erica Campbell, whose tune “Help” won the 2014 Soul Train Award for Best Gospel/Inspirational Song. Campbell beat out nominees Tamela Mann (“I Can Only Imagine”), Smokie Norful (“No Greater Love”), Inspired People featuring Charles Jenkins (“Real Love”), Michelle Williams featuring Beyonce and Kelly Rowland (“Say Yes”), and Donnie McClurkin featuring Tye Tribbett (“We Are Victorious”) for the win. 

Campbell is one-half of the duo Mary Mary. “Help” is the title track of her debut solo studio album. 

The Soul Train Awards was filmed November 7, at New Orleans Arena and aired November 30, on BET and Centric TV networks. 

Damon Little recovers from heart ailment, headlines concert at the Kirby – Nov. 29

Click to enlarge

JT Productions in association with New Hope Person Missionary Baptist Church will present Damon Little in concert November 29, at 5 PM. The program will take place at the Kirby Civic Auditorium in Roxboro, NC. Tickets are $15 in advance (call 336-504-5936 or 919-824-8968) and $20 at the door.

Damon Little is known for his hit songs “You Can’t Straddle the Fence,” “Do Right,” and “Make A Way.” His current single is “Because of You” from the forthcoming CD Change of Heart.  Read GMF’s review of the single here: “Because of You” – Damon Little.

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

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.