Category: News

Grand Opening of Greensboro’s Club EnCORE

It’s being called Greensboro’s premier spot for Christian nightlife.  Tonight, you can check it out for yourself at the grand opening of Club EnCORE.
Christian hip-hop crew, The C.O.R.E. will perform along with other guests.
When: March 10, 2012
Where: 2100 E. Wendover Avenue, Greensboro, NC  27405
Time: 7 PM until
Admission: General – $10; College Students – $7

Fred, Le’Andria, Ledisi to perform at BET’s 12th Celebration of Gospel

Fred Hammond
Gospel’s “main man” Fred Hammond, 2012 Grammy winner Le’Andria Johnson, and R&B sensation Ledisi are among this year’s cast of performers at BET’s 12th annual Celebration of Gospel.  The program will air, for the first time in its history, during the Easter season, Palm Sunday, April 1.
Steve Harvey will once again host the two-hour show.  The lineup also includes Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, Pastor Shirley Caesar, Jessica Reedy, Earnest Pugh, Isaac Carree, Moses Tyson Jr., Ricky Dillard & New G, Zacardi Cortez and Maurette Brown Clark.  Additionally, there will be a special appearance by BET Music Matters artist Mali Music.
Other performers are Jennifer Holliday, Faith Evans, Johnny Gill and Kelly Price.  Dr. Bobby Jones and actress Wendy Raquel Robinson will deliver spoken word selections, and tributes will be paid to Mahalia Jackson and Whitney Houston.
The show will be taped Friday, March 16, at 8PM (PST) at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles.

Delois Barrett Campbell "Her Legacy Lives On" Musical – March 11

Click flyer to enlarge

On what would be the weekend of her 86th birthday, the life and legacy of Delois Barrett Campbell will be celebrated at Chicago’s First Church of Deliverance.  Some of Chicago’s finest–including Shekinah Glory Ministry, Chicago Mass Choir, Kim Stratton, and DeAndre Patterson–will gather in tribute to the internationally renowned soprano vocalist of the famed Roberta Martin Singers and the phenomenal Barrett Sisters.  Admission is free.

Campbell, recognized as “The Royal Lady of Gospel,” exchanged time for eternity on August 2, 2011 (see related story).  This year, she was honored posthumously at the Stellar Gospel Music Awards, during which new trophies were unveiled bearing her name among the inscriptions of several other gospel greats. 

Set for release later this year is a documentary chronicling the life and career of Delois Barrett Campbell and the Barrett Sisters.  For the trio, it is a career that spans more than 60 years.

Delois Barrett Campbell “Her Legacy Lives On” Musical – March 11

Click flyer to enlarge

On what would be the weekend of her 86th birthday, the life and legacy of Delois Barrett Campbell will be celebrated at Chicago’s First Church of Deliverance.  Some of Chicago’s finest–including Shekinah Glory Ministry, Chicago Mass Choir, Kim Stratton, and DeAndre Patterson–will gather in tribute to the internationally renowned soprano vocalist of the famed Roberta Martin Singers and the phenomenal Barrett Sisters.  Admission is free.

Campbell, recognized as “The Royal Lady of Gospel,” exchanged time for eternity on August 2, 2011 (see related story).  This year, she was honored posthumously at the Stellar Gospel Music Awards, during which new trophies were unveiled bearing her name among the inscriptions of several other gospel greats. 

Set for release later this year is a documentary chronicling the life and career of Delois Barrett Campbell and the Barrett Sisters.  For the trio, it is a career that spans more than 60 years.

"Go on…God is still in charge!"

The Original Messengers paid homage to their founder and quartet frontman, the late Willie Banks, with a lively concert Saturday evening, at Cedar Grove Baptist Church in Roxboro, NC.  Led by Rev. Curtis Watson, the tribute included a stroll down memory lane with “God Is Still In Charge” and “God’s Goodness,” among the Mississippi quartet’s notable songs.  Banks, who passed 19 years ago this month, is remembered for his relaxed stage persona and flat-footed presentation, which intermingled story-telling with blues-tinged gospel.

“Go on…God is still in charge!”

The Original Messengers paid homage to their founder and quartet frontman, the late Willie Banks, with a lively concert Saturday evening, at Cedar Grove Baptist Church in Roxboro, NC.  Led by Rev. Curtis Watson, the tribute included a stroll down memory lane with “God Is Still In Charge” and “God’s Goodness,” among the Mississippi quartet’s notable songs.  Banks, who passed 19 years ago this month, is remembered for his relaxed stage persona and flat-footed presentation, which intermingled story-telling with blues-tinged gospel.

Kirk Franklin, Sounds of Blackness, T.D. Jakes win NAACP Image Awards

Winners of the 2012 NAACP Image Awards aired tonight on NBC.  Gospel and inspirational nominees were represented across several categories.  Below are the categories that had at least one gospel or inspirational nominee, with the winner denoted in red.  Congratulations to all!

Outstanding New Artist

Committed
Epic

Diggy Simmons
Atlantic Records

Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.
Columbia Records

Mindless Behavior
Streamline/Conjunction/Interscope Records

Wynter Gordon
Big Beat/Atlantic Records

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration

Boyz II Men
Benchmark Entertainment/MSM Music Group

Cee Lo Green feat. Melanie Fiona
Elektra Records

Mary J. Blige feat. Drake
Geffen

Sounds of Blackness
Malaco Music Group

The Roots
Island Def Jam Music Group

Outstanding Gospel Album (Traditional or Contemporary)

Becoming
Yolanda Adams
N House Music Group

Church on the Moon
Deitrick Haddon
Verity Gospel Music Group

Hello Fear
Kirk Franklin
Verity Gospel Music Group
Something Big
Mary Mary
Columbia Records

The Journey
Andraé Crouch
RiverPhlo Entertainment 

Outstanding World Music Album

Afrodiaspora
Susana Baca
Luaka Bop

Carnival Fever
Brother B
King Chero Records

Live at 2011 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Boukman Eksperyans
MunckMix, Inc.

Sounds of Blackness
Sounds of Blackness
Malaco Music Group

The First Grader
Alex Heffes
Varese Sarabande

Outstanding Song

“Best Thing I Never Had”
Beyoncé
Columbia Records

“Fool for You” feat. Melanie Fiona
Cee Lo Green
Elektra Records

“I Smile”
Kirk Franklin
Verity Gospel Music Group

“So In Love” feat. Anthony Hamilton
Jill Scott
Warner Bros. Records

“Someone Like You”
Adele
Columbia Records

Outstanding Reality Series

All-American Muslim
TLC

American Idol
FOX

Dancing with the Stars

ABC

Sunday Best
BET

Tia & Tamera
Style Network 

Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional

A Year to Wellness and Other Weight Loss Secrets
Bertice Berry
Freeman House Publishing

Living My Dream: An Artistic Approach to Marketing
Synthia Saint James
Create Space

Our Difficult Sunlight: A Guide to Poetry, Literacy, & Social Justice in Classroom & Community
Quraysh Ali Lansana
Teachers & Writers Collaborative

The T.D. Jakes Relationship Bible: Life Lessons on Relationships from the Inspired Word of God
T.D. Jakes
Atria Books

Too Important to Fail: Saving America’s Boys
Tavis Smiley (Author), Juan Roberts (Illustrator)
SmileyBooks

Kirk Franklin, Sounds of Blackness, T.D. Jakes win NAACP Image Awards

Winners of the 2012 NAACP Image Awards aired tonight on NBC.  Gospel and inspirational nominees were represented across several categories.  Below are the categories that had at least one gospel or inspirational nominee, with the winner denoted in red.  Congratulations to all!

Outstanding New Artist

Committed
Epic

Diggy Simmons
Atlantic Records

Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.
Columbia Records

Mindless Behavior
Streamline/Conjunction/Interscope Records

Wynter Gordon
Big Beat/Atlantic Records

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration

Boyz II Men
Benchmark Entertainment/MSM Music Group

Cee Lo Green feat. Melanie Fiona
Elektra Records

Mary J. Blige feat. Drake
Geffen

Sounds of Blackness
Malaco Music Group

The Roots
Island Def Jam Music Group

Outstanding Gospel Album (Traditional or Contemporary)

Becoming
Yolanda Adams
N House Music Group

Church on the Moon
Deitrick Haddon
Verity Gospel Music Group

Hello Fear
Kirk Franklin
Verity Gospel Music Group
Something Big
Mary Mary
Columbia Records

The Journey
Andraé Crouch
RiverPhlo Entertainment 

Outstanding World Music Album

Afrodiaspora
Susana Baca
Luaka Bop

Carnival Fever
Brother B
King Chero Records

Live at 2011 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Boukman Eksperyans
MunckMix, Inc.

Sounds of Blackness
Sounds of Blackness
Malaco Music Group

The First Grader
Alex Heffes
Varese Sarabande

Outstanding Song

“Best Thing I Never Had”
Beyoncé
Columbia Records

“Fool for You” feat. Melanie Fiona
Cee Lo Green
Elektra Records

“I Smile”
Kirk Franklin
Verity Gospel Music Group

“So In Love” feat. Anthony Hamilton
Jill Scott
Warner Bros. Records

“Someone Like You”
Adele
Columbia Records

Outstanding Reality Series

All-American Muslim
TLC

American Idol
FOX

Dancing with the Stars

ABC

Sunday Best
BET

Tia & Tamera
Style Network 

Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional

A Year to Wellness and Other Weight Loss Secrets
Bertice Berry
Freeman House Publishing

Living My Dream: An Artistic Approach to Marketing
Synthia Saint James
Create Space

Our Difficult Sunlight: A Guide to Poetry, Literacy, & Social Justice in Classroom & Community
Quraysh Ali Lansana
Teachers & Writers Collaborative

The T.D. Jakes Relationship Bible: Life Lessons on Relationships from the Inspired Word of God
T.D. Jakes
Atria Books

Too Important to Fail: Saving America’s Boys
Tavis Smiley (Author), Juan Roberts (Illustrator)
SmileyBooks

Kirk Franklin, Le'Andria Johnson win Grammys at the 2012 pre-show

Gospel’s Grammy winners have been announced at the 54th Grammy Awards pre-show.  The recipients are listed in red.

Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance
 
“Do Everything”
Steven Curtis Chapman
re:Creation 
 
“Alive (Mary Magdalene)”
Natalie Grant
Music Inspired By The Story 
“Your Love”
Brandon Heath
Leaving Eden 
“Jesus”
Le’Andria Johnson
The Awakening Of Le’Andria Johnson 
“I Lift My Hands”
Chris Tomlin
And If Our God Is For Us…
Best Gospel Song
 
“Hello Fear”
Written by Kirk Franklin (performed by Kirk Franklin)
Hello Fear 
“Sitting With Me”
Written by Erica Campbell, Tina Campbell, Gerald Haddon & Tammi Haddon (performed by Mary Mary)
Something Big 
“Spiritual”
Written by Donald Lawrence (performed by Donald Lawrence & Company feat. Blanche McAllister-Dykes)
YRM (Your Righteous Mind) 
“Trust Me”
Written by Richard Smallwood (performed by Richard Smallwood & Vision)
Promises 
“Window”
Written by Canton Jones (performed by Canton Jones)
Dominionaire 
Best Gospel Album
 
The Love Album
Kim Burrell 
The Journey
Andraé Crouch 
Hello Fear
Kirk Franklin 
Something Big
Mary Mary 
Angel & Chanelle Deluxe Edition
Trin-i-tee 5:7 
Best Contemporary Christian Music Song
 
“Blessings”
Written by Laura Story (performed by Laura Story)
Blessings 
“Hold Me”
Written by Jamie Grace Harper, Toby McKeehan & Christopher Stevens (performed by Jamie Grace feat. Tobymac)
“I Lift My Hands”
Written by Louie Giglio, Matt Maher & Chris Tomlin (performed by Chris Tomlin)
And If Our God Is For Us… 
“Strong Enough”
Written by Matthew West (performed by Matthew West)
The Story Of Your Life 
“Your Love”
Written by Brandon Heath & Jason Ingram (performed by Brandon Heath)
Leaving Eden 
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
 
Ghosts Upon The Earth
Gungor 
Leaving Eden
Brandon Heath 
The Great Awakening
Leeland 
What If We Were Real
Mandisa 
Black & White
Royal Tailor 
And If Our God Is For Us…

Chris Tomlin

Kirk Franklin, Le’Andria Johnson win Grammys at the 2012 pre-show

Gospel’s Grammy winners have been announced at the 54th Grammy Awards pre-show.  The recipients are listed in red.

Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance
 
“Do Everything”
Steven Curtis Chapman
re:Creation 
 
“Alive (Mary Magdalene)”
Natalie Grant
Music Inspired By The Story 
“Your Love”
Brandon Heath
Leaving Eden 
“Jesus”
Le’Andria Johnson
The Awakening Of Le’Andria Johnson 
“I Lift My Hands”
Chris Tomlin
And If Our God Is For Us…
Best Gospel Song
 
“Hello Fear”
Written by Kirk Franklin (performed by Kirk Franklin)
Hello Fear 
“Sitting With Me”
Written by Erica Campbell, Tina Campbell, Gerald Haddon & Tammi Haddon (performed by Mary Mary)
Something Big 
“Spiritual”
Written by Donald Lawrence (performed by Donald Lawrence & Company feat. Blanche McAllister-Dykes)
YRM (Your Righteous Mind) 
“Trust Me”
Written by Richard Smallwood (performed by Richard Smallwood & Vision)
Promises 
“Window”
Written by Canton Jones (performed by Canton Jones)
Dominionaire 
Best Gospel Album
 
The Love Album
Kim Burrell 
The Journey
Andraé Crouch 
Hello Fear
Kirk Franklin 
Something Big
Mary Mary 
Angel & Chanelle Deluxe Edition
Trin-i-tee 5:7 
Best Contemporary Christian Music Song
 
“Blessings”
Written by Laura Story (performed by Laura Story)
Blessings 
“Hold Me”
Written by Jamie Grace Harper, Toby McKeehan & Christopher Stevens (performed by Jamie Grace feat. Tobymac)
“I Lift My Hands”
Written by Louie Giglio, Matt Maher & Chris Tomlin (performed by Chris Tomlin)
And If Our God Is For Us… 
“Strong Enough”
Written by Matthew West (performed by Matthew West)
The Story Of Your Life 
“Your Love”
Written by Brandon Heath & Jason Ingram (performed by Brandon Heath)
Leaving Eden 
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
 
Ghosts Upon The Earth
Gungor 
Leaving Eden
Brandon Heath 
The Great Awakening
Leeland 
What If We Were Real
Mandisa 
Black & White
Royal Tailor 
And If Our God Is For Us…

Chris Tomlin