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"It is Well" – Joe Pace Presents: Pastor H.B. Charles, Jr. and the Shiloh Church Choir

Pastor H.B. Charles, Jr. and the Shiloh Church Choir cover art

“It is Well”
Pastor H.B. Charles, Jr. and the Shiloh Church Choir
From the CD, Joe Pace Presents: Pastor H.B. Charles, Jr. and the Shiloh Church Choir (September 23, 2016)
Shiloh Worship/360MusicWorX
www.Shiloh.church/music

By Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever

The sacred hymn “It is Well (With My Soul)” is two years older than the 141 year-old Shiloh Baptist Church, shepherded by Pastor H.B. Charles, Jr.  Nevertheless, Joe Pace’s arrangement of the hymn staple, as featured on the project, Joe Pace Presents: Pastor H.B. Charles, Jr. and the Shiloh Church Choir, melds the tune’s enduring lyrics with modern musical and vocal stylings to refresh the morning worship standard for a new generation.  

The Shiloh Church Choir’s contemporized version of “It is Well” is characterized by an uptempo rhythmic bounce and a vamp in which they emphatically affirm, “It is well with my soul / It is well with my soul, it is well!“

Pace is a Grammy, Dove, and Stellar-nominated songwriter, producer, and choir director.  The music industry veteran presently serves as Shiloh’s pastor of worship and arts.

Shirley Caesar celebrates birthday, pastorate, 50-year solo career with all-star musical

Pastor Shirley Caesar (front), joined by (left to right): Melvin Williams, LaDehra Alston, Dr. Bobby Jones, Beverly Crawford, Le'Andria Johnson, Ami Rushes, Teddy Campbell, and Tina Campbell. 
Pastor Shirley Caesar (front), joined by (left to right): Melvin
Williams, LaDehra Alston, Dr. Bobby Jones, Beverly Crawford, Le’Andria
Johnson, Ami Rushes, Teddy Campbell, and Tina Campbell. 

By Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever

The tribute lineup read like Who’s Who in gospel music Friday evening, October 14, at Raleigh’s Mt. Calvary Word of Faith Church, where gospel’s queen Shirley Caesar is pastor.  There, a host of artists along with a crowd of over 1,000 gathered to help the pastor-singer celebrate her 78th birthday.  Caesar’s longtime friend and industry colleague, Dr. Bobby Jones, was the emcee.

The four-hour program included musical tributes from the Mt. Calvary Word of Faith Choir, mime minister Arie Pope, Ami Rushes, Melvin Williams, Teddy and Tina Campbell, Wess Morgan, Le’Andria Johnson, and Beverly Crawford.  Nieces Tammy Caesar and LaDehra Alston along with Shirley Caesar Group mainstay Bernard Sterling also honored Caesar with musical tributes.  Interspersed between the performances were humorous anecdotes, no fewer than three frenzied praise breaks, and congratulatory videos from Karen Clark-Sheard, Regina Belle, Jekalyn Carr, and Stellar Awards executive producer Don Jackson.

The honoree took the stage as the night drew to a close.  Flanked by the program participants, Pastor Caesar and the audience revisited her recent Hollywood Walk of Fame experience with video excerpts from the star dedication ceremony.  Afterward, the gospel music matriarch offered expressions of gratitude–sprinkled with humor and sermonic tuning–and treated her fans to an abbreviated version of “Jesus, I Love Calling Your Name.”

Pastor Caesar’s birthday was October 13, and Friday’s musical was the third of four services this week commemorating her birthday.  This year’s events are also in recognition of her 26th pastoral anniversary, 50-year solo music career, and star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  The celebration series culminates Sunday, October 16, at 5 PM, with a choir competition dubbed, “Battle of the Choirs.”

Dr. Bobby Jones (front) with (left to right): Bernard Sterling, Biddy Newborn, Melvin Williams, Tammy Caesar, Anthony Hill, LeDehra Alston, Beverly Crawford, Le'Andria Johnson, Ami Rushes, Teddy Campbell, Tina Campbell, Wess Morgan, and Mt. Calvary Word of Faith Choir (background). Not pictured: Arie Pope.
Dr. Bobby Jones (front) with (left to right): Bernard Sterling, Biddy Newborn, Melvin Williams, Tammy Caesar, Anthony Hill, LeDehra Alston, Beverly Crawford, Le’Andria Johnson, Ami Rushes, Teddy Campbell, Tina Campbell, Wess Morgan, and Mt. Calvary Word of Faith Choir (background). Not pictured: Arie Pope.

Winners of 47th Annual Dove Awards announced

Congratulations to all of the winners and honorees at the 47th Annual Dove Awards, which took place October 11, at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena in Nashville.  Kirk Franklin (pictured accepting award) and Anthony Brown & group therAPy were among the gospel artists who carried trophies away from the ceremony.  

For a recap of the show and the complete list of winners, click here.  The Dove Awards will air on TBN this Sunday, October 16, at 10PM ET (7PM PT).

Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Dove Awards

"Grateful" – Ted Winn & Balance feat. Maranda

"Grateful" Ted Winn & Balance art work

“Grateful”
Ted Winn & Balance feat. Maranda (2016)
Shanachie Entertainment
Available at iTunes

By Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever

Ted Winn’s gospel ballad “Grateful” doubles as a personal expression of thanks and a tribute to his friend and musical influence, the late Bishop Walter Hawkins.  

Inspired by Hawkins as well as three generations of matriarchs in his own family, Winn said of the self-penned single, “‘Grateful’ is a song I penned as I thought about the significance of my mom, my grandmother and great-grandmother in my life. My dad wasn’t present but God orchestrated it so that these powerful women were.  So I realized you can cry over who left or celebrate who stayed. I chose to be grateful.”

Strings and a simple piano chord progression open the track, leaving ample room for Winn’s impassioned words of gratitude:

Taught me how to love myself 
Recognized my value, my internal wealth
Now I see my potential the way you do
And I am grateful to you

The song ascends from its bridge to the chorus, accompanied by group members Balance, before making its segue into the Hawkins classic “Be Grateful,” where jazzy Maranda Willis trades the lead with Winn.

“Grateful” is from Winn’s forthcoming album, set for release in 2017.

“Come On Everybody” – Greater New Hope Mass Choir

Greater New Hope Mass Choir cover art

“Come On Everybody”
Greater New Hope Mass Choir (2016)
Touch One Musiq
Available at CD Baby

By Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever

Greater New Hope Mass Choir in Oxford, NC is having some foot-stomping church, and they don’t intend to do it alone.  They issue an exuberant invitation to “praise the Lord…for He is good, He is good, He is good” with their current single, “Come On Everybody,” recorded live during a spiritual service.

“Come On Everybody” has all the hand clapping, horn stabbing, organ riffing, and tambourine shaking you’d expect in a traditional church choir song.  Punctuated by pulsating bass and the lead vocal of the song’s writer and producer Brian Foster—who is Greater New Hope Baptist Church’s minister of music and co-founder of the North Carolina Community Choir (Malaco)—”Come on Everybody” has Sunday Morning written all over it.

Official Video – "Gospel on Sunday" – Mike Body



Enjoy Mike Body’s official music video, “Gospel on Sunday,” which features Jarell Johnson and is directed by King G.  “Gospel on Sunday” is the self-written single from Body’s 2016 EP, Signs of Maturity.

Hezekiah Walker lands radio show on Rejoice Musical Soul Food Radio Network



(Virginia Beach, VA)  Rejoice! MSF (Musical Soul Food Radio Network) has signed gospel music legend Hezekiah Walker to an exclusive syndication and sales partnership. Rejoice! MSF will handle production, distribution, and syndication duties while Sun Broadcast Group will supply sales support for Walker’s new syndicated radio program. 

The working title for the show that will launch the first week in November is, “The Hezekiah Walker Show.” The Grammy, Stellar, and Dove Award winning recording artist has sold millions of records over the years and is known for classic songs such as “Every Praise” and his current No. 1 hit “Better.” Hezekiah Walker joins Rejoice! Musical Soul Food’s illustrious roster of gospel stars who also host syndicated radio shows such as Dorinda Clark Cole, Melvin Williams of the Williams Brothers, Dottie Peoples, and Coko Clemmons of the R&B group SWV. 

“The Hezekiah Walker Show” will target urban, urban adult contemporary, hip-hop, and gospel stations with a one-hour, weekday music-driven inspirational format to kick-off the mornings with a burst of inspiration. Additionally, Walker will also package a two-hour weekend program targeting multi-formats. 

“The addition of Hezekiah Walker to our lineup of powerful celebrity-driven shows positions us to increase our impact in the gospel music arena,” says Mike Chandler, Rejoice! MSF President. “We’ve been blessed to have some of the most recognizable names in the gospel industry as part of our talent pool.”


Hezekiah Walker says, “I am excited about teaming up with such an influential organization in the gospel music industry as the Rejoice Musical Soul Food Radio Network….so radio look out, here we come!”


SOURCE Bill Carpenter

Ami Rushes teams with Kurt Carr, seeks songwriters for 2017 album

(Los Angeles, CA)  Gospel recording artist Ami Rushes is gearing up for her sixth album and she wants to make you part of the process. As Rushes continues to uplift and inspire with her Sunday morning classics, praise and worship anthems, and foot-stomping, hand-clapping gospel music, she’s seeking songwriters to contribute music for her presently untitled 2017 release that will be produced by the award-winning Kurt Carr.
“I love ‘Standing Up For Jesus’ and spreading His message through gospel music,” says Rushes. “And I’m looking to work with some fresh, new songwriters on music that will encourage God’s people. Come go to church with me and participate in this recording process.”
All interested songwriters should submit original material only—complete songs with music that will professionally record. Submissions should be sent in the mp3 format. Deadline to submit music is Friday, December 16, 2016. For consideration, submit to: info@amirushes.com.
As a member of the West Angeles Church of God in Christ and a former singer for the late Rev. James Cleveland, Rushes has a deep appreciation for gospel music and prides herself on maintaining the traditions of the genre.

Services announced for Lecresia Campbell

The passing of songstress Lecresia Campbell (September 29) left the gospel music industry in mourning.  Campbell—whose notable songs include “Perfect Praise (How Excellent)” with Walt Whitman and the Soul Children of Chicago, “Stand Still,” “Magnify,” and “Safety”—was recovering from a stroke and was scheduled to be released from Emory Rehabilitation when a pulmonary embolism led to her demise.

Remembrances have flooded social media and include condolences from fans and ministry colleagues across the country.  Our prayers are with Campbell’s family, friends, and fans.  Celebration of Life services appear on the flyer below.

Arrangements flyer for Lecresia Campbell