Category: News

“Church Girl” movie stars Ja Rule, features production & music by Israel Houghton

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(Beverly Hills, CA)  Hollywood newcomer Reverence Gospel Media
(“RGM”) announced today that their first feature film, I’m In Love With A Church Girl, will open domestically on October 18, 2013 with an international
release to follow.

Based on a true story, the film stars Jeff “Ja Rule” Atkins who, as a successful
entrepreneur haunted by a criminal past and surrounded by old friends still “in the life,”
finds faith, redemption and inspiration when God puts a woman of faith (Adrienne
Bailon) in his life. Rounding out the cast are Stephen Baldwin, Vincent Pastore, Michael
Madsen, T-Bone, Martin Kove and TobyMac. Steve Race directs.

Galley Molina wrote the film and has produced it alongside Christian music superstar and RGM vice president Israel Houghton, who also
contributed to the movie soundtrack. Houghton, who also shares screenplay
credit on Reverence Gospel Media’s next two films, is a multiple Grammy, Stellar and
Dove Award winner, and is a worship leader at Lakewood
Church in Houston.

I’m In Love With A Church Girl (102 minutes, rated PG) will be distributed in the US by High Top Releasing.  Check out the official trailer below.

Habakkuk Music releases compilation CD for exclusive sale at Cracker Barrel

(Baltimore, MD)  Noted entrepreneur April Washington’s Habakkuk Music recording label has compiled a black gospel CD collection for Cracker Barrel Old Country Store®. Gospel Legacy: The Collection was made available on August 26, 2013 exclusively in all Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® locations and online at crackerbarrel.com.
 
“As a minority business owner, it’s important to stay relevant and inspired to create innovative ways to market your product,” Washington says. “We are excited to establish a relationship with Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® by providing this genre of music that we hope their guests will find inspirational and uplifting.  What’s more, this CD creates a bridge to building a business relationship for diversity inclusion with such a notable corporation.”
 
This soul-stirring, twelve-song CD boasts vintage and present day gems by some of America’s most beloved recording artists. There are rousing traditional gospel songs such as Aretha Franklin’s 1972 rendition of “How I Got Over,” Fred Hammond’s “Jesus Be A Fence Around Me” and Vickie Winans’ “Long As I Got King Jesus.” There are contemporary tracks like Kirk Franklin’s double platinum smash “Stomp” and Gerald Scott & Co.’s festive “Alright.”
 
Passionate songs like Kurt Carr & The Kurt Carr Singers’ “In The Sanctuary” and Shirley Caesar’s “Jesus (I Love Calling Your Name)” are some of the most memorable praise and worship tunes around. The Winans’ pristine ballad “Tomorrow” and Cece Winans’ “Mercy Said No” show off the softer side of gospel, while The Commodores’ “Jesus is Love” is a power anthem known throughout the globe.
 
Gospel Legacy: The Collection will be featured Labor Day Weekend (August 29  – September 1) at the 2013 Allstate® Tom Joyner Family Reunion (TJFR) in the Orlando, FL area. The Grammy® Award nominated artist, Kurt Carr, who appears on the CD, will perform in concert at the TJFR Gospel Explosion, followed by an in-store autograph signing at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® located at 5400 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway on Sunday, September 1, 2013 at 2:00 PM near the Gaylord Resort in Kissimmee, FL. 
 
Founded in 2007, Habakkuk Music is sold through normal distribution channels by INgrooves Fontana (a division of Isolation Network, Inc.) and has released superlative gospel music by brilliant artists such as Lisa Page Brooks, Cheneta Jones, Earl Bynum & The Mount Unity Choir, Gerald Scott & Co., and The Temple of Deliverance Choir. Its acts have won Stellar Awards and enjoyed chart-topping hits on the Billboard gospel charts. Washington has successfully formed marketing relationships with organizations such as the American Heart Association | American Stroke Association, Chick-fil-A and Rejoice Radio Network, etc. to broaden and expand the reach of her musical products.
 
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. provides a friendly home-away-from-home in its old country stores and restaurants.  Guests are cared for like family while relaxing and enjoying real home-style food and shopping that’s surprisingly unique, genuinely fun and reminiscent of America’s country heritage.

Pastor Shirley Caesar sings “How I Got Over” at 50th Anniversary of MOW (video)

In 1963, gospel’s Queen Mahalia Jackson took to the platform and rattled the heavens with the Clara Ward-inspired “How I Got Over” at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.  Exactly half a century later, gospel’s reigning queen, Pastor Shirley Caesar, did the same during the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington commemorative celebration.


GMA announces 44th Annual Dove Awards nominees

Nominees for the 44th Annual GMA Dove Awards have been announced.  The awards show will be held Tuesday, October 15, at 7:30 PM CT, at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena in Nashville.  It will air Monday, October 21, at 8 PM EST on the UP! Network.

You can view the list of nominees here.  Second ballot online voting opens September 3, from which the winners will be chosen.

Earnest Pugh headlines "The Men of Worship" tour, promotes new CD

Earnest Pugh

It was announced today by Bill Carpenter that Earnest Pugh is headlining “The Men of Worship Tour,” which kicks off with an appearance at Bishop T.D. Jakes’ MegaFest on Friday, August 30, at 8:30am.  Joining Pugh on “The Men of Worship Tour” will be EPM Music Group recording artists Keith Williams and Vincent Tharpe & Kenosis. Williams releases his sophomore urban contemporary CD Tone For Worship on September 10, and Tharpe is pushing his current CD Live in Memphis.

From there, Pugh will weave fifteen listening party concert dates for his forthcoming CD The W.I.N. (Worship in Nassau) Experience into his regularly scheduled touring dates.  The new CD is produced by Grammy winner Cedric Thompson and features appearances by Shirley Caesar, Rance Allen, LeJuene Thompson, and Vincent Tharpe & Kenosis.

You can get news updates on Pugh, book “The Men of Worship Tour” for your church, and or his confirmed tour dates at earnestpugh.com or by calling 301-259-1419.  You can also stream snippets from the new album at https://soundcloud.com/earnest-pugh.

Jonathan, Jason Nelson and family present ’13 Full Nelson Worship and Word Summit

The Nelson Family
Stellar Award winning recording artist, Jonathan Nelson, who recently
topped Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart with his latest CD Strong
Finish, and his twin brother, Bishop Jason Nelson (currently rising on
the charts with “Nothing Without You”), are partnering once again with
their siblings to present the second annual Full Nelson Worship and Word
Summit taking place September 19-21, 2013, at the CFSMM Worship Center in the Baltimore, MD area.
 
“It
is our vision to come together to impact God’s people with key tools
for successful ministry as well as empowering a new generation to
establish Kingdom principles and best practices in the 21st century,”
the Nelson family says in a unified mission statement. The family
is bringing together an astounding array of today’s top psalmists,
intercessors, facilitators and speakers for this unique gathering.
 
Last
year’s summit was a rousing success and this year’s event promises to
be just as memorable and life changing.  The opening night speaker is
Bishop Marvin L. Winans. Each morning begins with a prayer session
facilitated by Pastor T. Renea Glenn of the Life Center in Greenville,
SC. There are daytime sessions with Dr. Carolyn Showell, musician Mike
Clemons (Israel Houghton & New Breed) and Pastor Hart

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Ramsey. The
night services open with praise and worship led by Sha Simpson. There’s
special music by Grammy Award nominee Vashawn Mitchell, Kierra Sheard
and Kirk Franklin protégées The Walls Group. Bishop John Francis is also
an evening speaker.

 
Joining the Nelsons in coordinating this
year’s event are their brothers Bishop James Nelson (Pastor of Destiny
Christian Church in Baltimore) and Pastor Anthony L. Trufant (Emmanuel
Baptist Church in Brooklyn, NY); their sister Janice Nelson Briley
(Co-Pastor of New Harvest Ministries in Baltimore, MD); and their cousin
Floyd E. Nelson II (Kingdom Harvest Ministries in Landover, MD).
 
The summit takes place at the CFSMM Worship Center, 701 Cherry Hill Road, Baltimore, MD 21225. Obtain registration information by calling (443) 468-7167 or emailing [email protected].  You can also visit the website at www.fullnelsonsummit.com.

Opera expert discusses his passion for Black gospel

Mahalia Jackson

“The values embedded in gospel music are not exclusive to religious people, and that is part of this music’s power,” says opera expert and journalist, Fred Plotkin.

Read his column here–The Gospel Truth About Opera–which highlights the contributions of Rev. Thomas Dorsey, Mahalia Jackson (pictured), Marion Williams, Aretha Franklin and others, and identifies themes across the two art forms.

Agnostic subway posters prompt “God Belongs In My City” movement, anthem (video)

(Brooklyn, NY)  Youth pastor Daniel Sanabria, a co-founder of the “God
Belongs In My City” prayer movement, and other Big Apple youth
evangelists have pooled their diverse resources to create a new
recording label, In My City Records.

The company slogan is, “Sounds that
connect people to God and invoke change.” Those vibrant sounds are
youthful rhythms that span the gamut of faith-fueled hip-hop songs to
rock-edged praise and worship anthems. Various artists affiliated with
the movement or the label are hitting the concert trail in August and
the first recorded offering will be the October 15th digital release
of Korean-born female rapper HeeSun Lee’s debut CD, Stereotypes.

The
God Belongs in My City movement began in October 2009, when
members of a Christian youth group saw a billboard in the New York City
subway system that asked the question, “A Million New Yorkers Are Good
Without God. Are You?” They were so angered by the ad that they
complained about it to their youth pastor who in turn started to ask
area church leaders, “What are we, as the body of Christ going to do
about this?” Those leaders galvanized young adults from all five New
York boroughs to hold a prayer walk where participants wore T-shirts
simply declaring, “God Belongs in My City.”

On November 14,
2009, over 1,500 youth trekked down from Harlem and up from Battery Park
and met in the middle–Times Square–to make their voices heard
through public prayers and music. “It’s like the civil rights movement
but from a spiritual perspective,” says In My City Records CEO
Jeremy Castro. At that assembly, a rapper named Andy Mineo, free styled
the song “In My City” that’s become the movement’s anthem. A YouTube
video has nearly 700,000 hits to date. (Watch the video below.)  The walk
was duplicated in other cities and has now mushroomed into a
national movement for the millennial generation to evangelize a society
that is increasingly losing its religion.

“Diversity
is the heartbeat for us,” Castro adds. “This has become a global
movement. We have people from Brooklyn to Botswana. A lot of young
people are trying to find out who they are and where they fit in the
world. HeeSun Lee was born in Korea and was in the foster care system.
Then, she was adopted by Chinese parents on Staten Island so those are a
lot of different cultural clashes but she found an identity in
Christ where all believers become one family following Him.  For more news on the movement activities, log on: http://www.godbelongsinmycity.com

The Wardlaw Brothers release song to support cancer patients and families (video)

(Lyons, GA) Cancer is a group of diseases that in one form or another has affected loved ones, friends or even oneself.  Cancer does not respect age, ethnicity or gender.  Millions all over the world have suffered, but, millions are surviving!  The popular gospel group The Wardlaw Brothers (TWB) are among those who have experienced this painful disease within their own family and are on a mission to spread hope and assist those who are suffering, as well as to celebrate those who have survived. 

To honor all persons who have been touched in some way by cancer, The Wardlaw Brothers have written and released a special song, “We Will Survive.” The single is available only on iTunes with portions of the proceeds from the sale of the single to benefit two Georgia-based foundations.  TWB has partnered with The Nick Eason Foundation and The Pretty in Pank Foundation who are on the same mission, to offer support to those affected by this disease.
TWB is requesting that everyone partner with them in support of this effort by not only downloading the single, but by watching and sharing the companion video.  “We Will Survive” has a poignant and inspiring video that features friends, family and those TWB admire who are cancer survivors, currently fighting cancer and those who have succumbed in their fight.


TWB are five biological brothers (Tony, Luther, Jamie, Carl and Rodney) from Georgia who have recently garnered success with their Top 20 Billboard Gospel Radio Chart hit “Right Now Lord” from their God’s Been There CD.  The brothers have also had key appearances on national TV shows–BET’s Bobby Jones Gospel, The Word Network and TCT TV Network.  TWB will be featured as musical performers at the Bill Pickett Rodeo in Atlanta, GA, on  August 3-4 and have a special performance appearance in the forthcoming film Angel’s Wings, featuring noted actor Reginald VelJohnson (Family Matters TV show) and actress Robin Givens.

Founded in January of 2012, The Nick Eason Foundation has a mission to assist families with loved ones fighting cancer.  The foundation helps families financially as well as spiritually and emotionally to try and relieve some of the immense pressure that comes with managing such a critical family time. 

The inspiration for The Nick Eason Foundation comes from Nick’s own experience losing his mother to breast cancer in 2012.  He also lost his uncle to cancer, and has lost other friends to the illness over the past few years.  Through his experiences, he realized that many families cannot manage the struggle alone, whether from the financial or emotional stresses the consistently arise. 

Nick Eason is a native of Lyons, GA and played football for Clemson University before going on to play in the NFL for the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Arizona Cardinals.

The Pretty in Pank Foundation was begun in Georgia in 2007 by three friends–Ann Owens, Jill Murphy, and Pete Frost–whose families had each been greatly affected by breast cancer. Although Jill’s mother had lost her battle, Ann’s niece and Pete’s mother had recently been diagnosed.

And so it began, three friends enlisted local talent and other volunteers to plan a variety show FUNdraiser to “raise a little money” for the ladies affected in their small town. Ann, the owner of the local theater, afforded the use of the perfect venue. The first Pretty in Pank variety show was held, selling out and making $3,000, and thus launching future events to support the foundation’s goal: to bring help, hope, and humor to those battling breast cancer.


Artists, media group, designer rep NC with Rhythm of Gospel Award wins

Lamanuel Boykin & Company accept their award

Congratulations to all nominees and winners for the 5th Annual Rhythm of Gospel Awards.  Winners were announced this weekend at the pre-show, media awards, and main show in Jacksonville, Florida.

Entrants from 54 categories hailed from all over the US, Canada, and Bahamas.  Below are the winners from NC, the birthplace of Gospel Music Fever. (A complete list of winners is available on The Black Gospel Blog.) 

Internet Media Group of the Year
Gospel Music Fever Blog

Quartet Group of the Year
Apostle Joseph Green & God’s Glory 

Quartet CD of the Year
Lamanuel Boykin & Company 
Living for the Lord 

Holy Hip Hop Song of the Year
Electionsure 
“Backpacks and Snapbacks” 

Product Packaging of the Year
Kelvin Chappell Designs
Eunice Wright’s CD, Worth It All