Category: News

Stellar Awards announces change in quartet category

Recently posted on the Stellar Awards website:

Stellar Awards Fan Favorite Quartet of the Year

Although Quartets are a staple in the gospel music industry, the Stellar Awards criteria does not facilitate nationwide inclusion. Therefore, the category would be eliminated. However, because of the importance of quartets, the Stellar Awards Executive Board and Nominating Committee voted to have a separate Fan Favorite Quartet category, consisting of quartet projects released during our eligibility period. The Stellar Nominating Committee identified the quartets that will appear on the initial ballot and this initial list includes those quartets that were qualified to meet the initial Stellar Awards criteria.
The first Fan Favorite Quartet ballot will be available online at www.thestellarawards.com from October 25, 2013 – November 8, 2013. The top vote-getters from that ballot will move on to a second and final ballot, which will be voted on from November 15th to November 29th. The top four vote-getters from the second ballot will become the Fan Favorite Quartet Nominees and the winner will be announced during the Stellar Awards Pre-Show in Nashville on Friday, January 17, 2014.

Cobbs, Mann win at 44th Dove Awards

Cobbs
Tasha Cobbs and Tamela Mann are trophy heavy from this year’s Dove Awards.

During last night’s event, held at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena in Nashville, Cobbs earned awards for the categories of Gospel Performance and Contemporary Gospel/Urban Song (both for “Break Every Chain”), as well as for Contemporary Gospel/Urban Album (Grace).  Mann received two awards for Traditional Gospel Album (Best Days) and Traditional Gospel Song (“Take Me to the King,” written by Kirk Franklin).

Lecrae also walked with the Rap/Hip Hop Album award for Gravity.

You can view the complete list of winners here.

The 44th Dove Awards will air October 21, at 8 PM EST exclusively on the UP television network.

Kee to be inducted into NC Music Hall of Fame – Oct. 17, 2013

John P. Kee is one of eight artists being inducted into the NC Music Hall of Fame this Thursday, October 17, 2013, at 7:15 PM.  The award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, musician, choir director, and pastor was born in Durham, “outside the county line,” and presently shepherds New Life City of Praise in Charlotte.
Inductions into the hall of fame are held annually to honor and
commemorate North Carolinians who have made significant contributions to American
music.
The induction ceremony will take place at the GEM Theatre in Kannapolis.  Tickets to the event can be purchased at the NC Music Hall of Fame Museum or online at northcarolinamusichalloffame.org.

Congratulations to Pastor Kee from GMF!

Crouch okay after having been rushed to hospital

Let’s keep Pastor Andraé Crouch in our prayers.

Gospel icon Andraé Crouch rushed to hospital after falling ill

Musician Joey Sellars needs your prayers, contributions for heart transplant

Joey Sellars is a trooper.  He has continued to serve others through his gift of music as much as his health has permitted over the past several months, and now you have a chance to be a blessing to him.  The longtime NC/VA area musician is in need of your prayers and financial support toward a heart transplant.

Contributions can be made online at www.helphopelive.org (search for “Joey Sellars”).  The site also provides information if you wish to mail a check or pay by phone.

Additionally, the following benefit musicals are currently scheduled:

October 19, 2013
6 PM
Springdale AME Church
5554 S NC Hwy 62
Burlington, NC 27215
Free Admission – Please Bring Monetary Gifts of Love
Guests: Tony & The Magnificent Voices, New Creation, John Thorpe & Truth, Chosen Disciples

November 9, 2013
4 PM
Hamer Baptist Church
4425 NC 62
Blanch, NC 27212
Free Admission – Please Bring Monetary Gifts of Love
Guests: The Original Stars of Faith (Durham), One Accord, One Way, The Heavenly Stars

Your prayers and support are much needed and greatly appreciated.

2014 Rhythm of Gospel nominees announced

Nominees have been announced for the 2014 Rhythm of Gospel Awards. Online voting begins November 1, 2013 and continues through March 1, 2014.  See the complete list of nominees here.


Congratulations to all from GMF! 

PBS to air “Jubilee Showcase” anniversary special – Oct. 10

Sid Ordower

By Bill Carpenter

For the first time in almost three decades, fans of Jubilee Showcase,
a groundbreaking gospel music television program that aired from 1963 to
1984 on WLS Channel 7 in Chicago, will be able to see highlights of
the venerable show as it celebrates its 50th anniversary during a Public
Broadcasting System (PBS) Pledge special.  Veteran entertainer Clifton
Davis will host
the pledge break program on WTTW, the Chicago PBS affiliate, on October 10, 2013 at 9 PM CST. The special will also air nationally on PBS stations throughout the United States beginning in December 2013.

The hour-long broadcast
will present historic footage of The Staple Singers, The Soul Stirrers,
and The Caravans among others, from the television show that opened each Sunday morning
with this announcement: “Hello, I’m Sid Ordower and welcome to Jubilee Showcase, the program presenting songs truly American:
gospel, spiritual and jubilee songs–the great inspirational music of
the past and present.”  Dorothy Norwood, who
was once a member of The Caravans and appeared on the program during its 20 year run, will make a cameo during the pledge break to reflect
on the show and its cultural significance at the time.

Sid Ordower launched Jubilee Showcase in 1963
from an auto dealership on 47th Street. As a white man active in
the civil rights movement, Ordower became acquainted with gospel music
because so many political activities took place in churches where he
came in contact with gospel performers. He became a fan of the genre and
created the television show as a mainstream showcase for the artists.

At
its height, Jubilee Showcase boasted over 250,000 weekly viewers and
presented some of the biggest names in gospel. Many Chicagoans fondly remember watching
Jubilee Showcase on Sunday mornings as “church before church.” Log on at www.jubileeshowcase.com for news and updates.

Salvation & Deliverance Church Choir hopes to land a spot in Verizon’s HSTS finals

Salvation & Deliverance Church Choir won the finals in 2011.
Click here for update.

Salvation and Deliverance Church Choir of Tarboro is one of six choirs participating in Verizon’s How Sweet the Sound Baltimore tour in hopes of landing a spot in the gospel music competition’s grand finale.

The tour stops in Baltimore, MD, on October 2, at 7:30 PM, where an audience will join co-hosts Donald Lawrence and Yolanda Adams with judges Tamela Mann, Bishop Hezekiah Walker, VaShawn Mitchell and Byron Cage to see who will advance to the finals in Los Angeles.  The competing choirs also have a chance to win a recording contract and up to $50,000 in cash and prizes.
Salvation and Deliverance Church Choir–Verizon’s How Sweet the Sound 2011 national winners–will be
competing with Powerfied
(Salisbury, MD), Greater Morning Star Bishop’s Choir (Suitland, MD), Gentle
Giant Music Ministries (Hyattsville, MD), Beth-El Temple Celebration Choir (Baltimore, MD), and Total Prayze Chorale (Denton, MD).
Because I believe NC is home to some of the best gospel music makers on this side of Heaven, I’m behind Salvation and Deliverance 100 percent!

Visit to South African music school inspires launch of Jonathan Butler Foundation

Butler plays with members of the school’s first youth band, Freeborn.

(Eersterust, Pretoria)  Surrounded by children who danced with joy, Jonathan Butler, recently visited the Tshwane School of Music, of which he is Patron.

Butler visited the South Africa school to pay homage to the children who had inspired him to launch the Jonathan Butler Foundation, the reason why he is in the country this heritage week. The Jonathan Butler Foundation is established to help young people who are at risk by providing them with the means to create and develop a new heritage for themselves. Butler will be an active contributor to the foundation and its work, returning to South Africa as often as his hectic touring and recording schedule will allow. The foundation will roll out several music related programs and art therapy interventions across the country. Some of these have already been implemented in communities such as Eersterust.

While the Jonathan Butler Foundation has been a dream of the international music icon for many years, it was the meeting with Freddy Arendse, founder and CEO of the Tshwane School of Music, that could make a reality.

“I didn’t want to die and then have someone suggest ‘why don’t we do something to remember Jonathan Butler?’ I want to create a living legacy while I am still around to contribute to the initiative,” said Butler who was visibly emotional while surrounded by all the excited children. “It has taken time to implement this project as it of the utmost importance to work with the right people. Through the Tshwane School of Music, I now have the right team to assist me in making this dream come true.”

Aiming to replicate the success of the Tshwane School of Music around South Africa, the foundation is already in discussion with several partners and sponsors.

About the Jonathan Butler Foundation

The main aim of the Jonathan Butler Foundation (JBF) is to be a self-funded organization providing positive intervention to promote access to music and arts education for children. Underlying this, the JBF focuses on helping to prevent kids falling into a life of substance abuse.  For more information about the foundation, visit www.jonathanbutlerfoundation.org.za.

Luther Barnes to give concert at Duke Chapel – Sept. 22

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the integration of Duke University, gospel singer Luther Barnes will be performing in concert this Sunday, September 22, at Duke Chapel.  The musical is one of four events commemorating the occasion.

The performance starts at 4 PM and will feature Barnes with a local choir.  Tickets are free and open to the public.  For more information, call 919-684-8353.