Category: News

Gladys Knight has gospel project in the works

Tehillah Enterprises announced today (July 8) that its client, R&B legend Gladys Knight, is prepping to drop a gospel album entitled Where My Heart Belongs. The release date is set for September 9, 2014.

The Jones Family Singers "make a way" in music, film

Jones Family Singers
 

Rolling Stone named the Jones Family Singers as a “Top 25 Must-see Act” at this year’s SXSW festival.  Check out the video of their scorching quartet single “Down on Me” from their current project The Spirit Speaks, and you’ll see why.  Besides Rolling Stone, the soulful family has garnered praise from NPR and Wall Street Journal.  Additionally, they’ve gotten the attention of filmmakers who are now interested in creating a feature documentary of the family’s life on and offstage. 

An Indiegogo campaign is underway to help fund the film, The Jones Family Will Make A Way.  Find out more about the documentary and fundraising campaign, and most definitely watch the video “Down On Me” here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-jones-family-will-make-a-way.

Donald Lawrence asks for your support of The Thomas A. Dorsey Project

Professor Thomas A. Dorsey, Father of Gospel Music

(Springfield, IL)  The Thomas A. Dorsey
Project is proud to announce the support of Grammy, Dove and Stellar
Award winning recording artist, Donald Lawrence.

Donald Lawrence is an international songwriter, producer, music and
choir director and gospel extraordinaire with a storied musical career.  In support of The Thomas A. Dorsey Project, Lawrence issued this
statement:

As the Father of Gospel music, Mr. Thomas A. Dorsey has had a
profound impact on me as an artist. In fact, one of the first
songwriting awards I won as a young songwriter was the “Thomas A. Dorsey
Song of the Year Award,” during The Thomas A. Dorsey Convention of
National Choirs and Choruses. Mr. Dorsey not only paved the way for
future Gospel artists, he laid the foundation for which our genre of
music was built upon. All generations of musicians, regardless of their
musical preference or style need to study the work and life of Thomas
A. Dorsey. What better tool to learn the man than a piece of literature
written by his own grandson, Thomas A. Dorsey III? Thomas is currently
raising money via PayPal to facilitate the creation of this book about
his grandfather. Please contribute to this cause so that all of us
maybe allowed a window into the life of this musical genius.


The Thomas A. Dorsey Project is committed to protecting the image,
works, and reputation of Thomas A. Dorsey while preserving the legacy of
the most prolific innovator of gospel music. Dorsey arguably produced
the soundtrack to the Civil Rights Movement. Dorsey’s songs have been
recorded and performed by the likes of Sam Cooke, Albertina Walker,
Clara Ward, Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston, and Melonie Daniels, just to
name a few. The project is currently in Phase 1 of its Crowdsourcing
& Fundraising Campaign in which all funds received will assist in
facilitating logistics such as research, writing, editing, artistic
design and licensing necessary to complete a factually based narrative
which chronicles nearly a century of American History.

The Thomas A. Dorsey Project is seeking to transform Dorsey’s life story
into a manuscript, film and beyond. Please send all monetary
donations to:

The Thomas A. Dorsey Project
c/o Thomas A. Dorsey III
P.O.
Box 1825
411 East Monroe
Springfield, IL 62705

Online donations can
be made at PayPal.

For exclusive content and photos please “follow” The Thomas A. Dorsey Project on Twitter @Dorsey_Project, “like” on Facebook at The-Thomas-A-Dorsey-Project, or visit the official Tumblr blog at http://thethomasadorseyproject.tumblr.com.  

The preceding content is from a press release issued by The Thomas A. Dorsey Project.

Anita Wilson's CD, Vintage Worship, is in stores and online today

It’s June 24th, and Anita Wilson’s sophomore album, Vintage Worship, is now in stores and online everywhere.

Sandra Crouch and family request prayer for Andraé Crouch

Pastor Sandra Crouch and the Crouch family are requesting prayers and messages of encouragement for Pastor Andraé Crouch.  A note from the Crouch family, shared at www.thelightnc.com, discloses that the 71 year-old beloved singer, songwriter, pianist, and gospel music legend “is facing some health challenges” and recently spent time in the hospital.  The note asks those who have been blessed by his life and ministry to cover him in prayer and to send him your encouraging messages and testimonies at pastorandraecrouch@newchristmemorial.org over the next 48 hours.

GMF will certainly be sending prayers up for Pastor Crouch, twin sister Sandra and the entire Crouch family, as well as the New Christ Memorial Church family, where they pastor. 

Pre-Mother’s Day Celebration Honoring Evangelist Maggie Ingram – May 10

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CPR Ministries presents “It’s You and Me” Women’s Retreat – May 10

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The Wardlaw Brothers make movie debut in "On Angel's Wings"

The Wardlaw Brothers (TWB) make their film debut today in the opening of the movie, On Angel’s Wings, starring Reginald Vel Johnson, Robin Givens, Taylor Faye Ruffin, and Sweet Brown.  In addition to appearing in the movie, the group’s hit “Right Now Lord” and cover of “Here I Am to Worship” are featured.  Luther Wardlaw also wrote the movie’s theme song, “Angel’s Wings.”
On Angel’s Wings is directed by Aaron L. Williams (Preaching to the Pastor; The Pastor’s Secrets; Mama, I Want to Sing). It’s a family film about a star player for the Angels soccer team who gets injured, and Coach Carter (Vel Johnson) decides to play the water girl, McKenzie Adams (Ruffin). After embarrassing herself in front of
the entire school, her luck changes when she meets an angel that grants
her three wishes. Unable to keep it a secret, she takes her little brother
Josh (Tyler Humphrey) and their dog Zeus on a whirlwind of fun and adventure.  Their
excitement proves short-lived when McKenzie’s luck runs out and she has
to figure things out on her own. In this coming of age family movie,
McKenzie, Josh, and their dog Zeus find that miracles really do happen
everyday, because they happen whenever we help someone in need.
On Angel’s Wings premieres at AMC Theatre, 9168 Mall of Louisiana Blvd in Baton Rouge, LA, today, April 13, at 3 PM. Tickets to the premiere are available at www.digitalmediala.com/angels.  Use the promo code “Angels” to receive $1.00 off each ticket purchase.
You can watch the official movie trailer here. 

Take 6 to be inducted into Gospel Music Hall of Fame

Take 6 will soon take its place alongside other vocal groups like The Fisk Jubilee Singers and The Winans in one of gospel’s grand “halls.”  The a cappella sextet, along with Brown Bannister, Rich Mullins, and the Gaither Vocal Band, are the newest inductees into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. 

Take 6’s contemporary brand of gospel, heavily laced with jazz and R&B, has netted them twelve Grammys, five Dove Awards, and one Soul Train Award. The group was formed (and named the Gentleman’s Estate Quartet) in 1980 at Alabama’s Oakwood College. Since becoming Take 6 in 1987, they have released 18 albums; the most recent is entitled One, on the Shanachie label.

The Gospel Music Association also announced that Dr. Bobby Jones is one of five GMA Honors recipients for 2014.

The induction and honors ceremony will take place April 29, 2014, at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena in Nashville.

Divine Connections’ 4th Anniversary Celebration: Songs, Dance, and ‘Prayse’

Mime group Krazie Prayse from Burlington, NC, performs “Take My Life (Holiness)” at Saturday’s anniversary of Divine Connections in Durham. Check out their YouTube channel here, and like them on Facebook here.

The W.H. Amos Praise and Worship Mass Choir wrecks the house.
GMF recently interviewed Deloris Williams of Divine Connections. Read it here: Deloris Williams, entrepreneur and author, talks about the value of ‘divine connections’.  
See more pics from yesterday’s celebration on the Gospel Music Fever Facebook page. GMF thanks Deloris for the opportunity to be a part.