Tamela Mann makes history
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Official Video – "God's Spirit" – Dr. Leonard Scott
Enjoy the official music video “God’s Spirit” featuring Dr. Leonard Scott (Tyscot Music & Entertainment). It’s the debut single from his August 2015 release, Greatness of Your Love.
DMV veteran announcer Cheryl Jackson to be honored with anniversary concert – June 20
From Bill Carpenter
A who’s who of the gospel music world is coming together to celebrate the 25th anniversary of veteran radio personality and broadcast executive Cheryl Jackson (the midday hostess at Praise 104.1 in Washington, D.C. and Praise 106.1 in Baltimore, MD) for “Cheryl Jackson’s 25th Anniversary Celebration Concert” on Saturday, June 20, 2015 at 6 PM at Ebenezer A.M.E. Church, 7707 Allentown Road, Fort Washington, MD 20744.
Grammy Award winning gospel music icon Karen Clark Sheard will headline the big show. Grammy Award nominated artist Vashawn Mitchell will host the program that features performances from luminaries such as J.J. Hairston of Youthful Praise, Anthony Brown & Group therAPy, Dottie Jones, Bruce Parham, Phillip Carter & Sounds of Victory, Darius Brooks, Eddie Ballard, Joshua Copeland, Tonisha Harris and Charles Butler & Trinity. Tickets are $30 and available from eventbrite.com.
Jackson’s been a popular voice in the DMV gospel music community since she launched her career in June 1990, at WDIH 90.3 FM in Salisbury, MD. Her pastor, the late Elder Ricky McCrimmons, got Jackson’s radio demo tape into the hands of Radio One founder Cathy Hughes who ended up hiring Jackson for Radio One’s WWIN gospel station in Baltimore. Later, Jackson moved to the 50,000 watt Heaven 1580 AM station in Lanham, MD, first as an announcer but eventually worked her way up to program director where she was instrumental in breaking Christian Hip Hop artists. She was also one of the first program directors to introduce an urban inspirational format that featured inspiring songs by the likes of R. Kelly and Whitney Houston alongside the popular gospel acts of the day. Since 2010, Jackson has fluctuated between afternoon drive and midday host on Radio One’s Praise 104.1 station, where she is a consistent ratings winner. In May, Jackson became the new voice for sister station Praise 106.1 FM in Baltimore, MD–the Charm City’s first FM gospel station.
R.I.P. Edward "Eddie" Huffman, formerly of the Soul Stirrers
By Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever
GMF is sad to learn of the recent passing of Edward “Eddie” Huffman, Sr., former frontman for the Soul Stirrers. Huffman died May 13, at age 71.
Huffman joined the Soul Stirrers in 1973 and led some of the group’s popular numbers, including “Lord, Remember Me.” In 2000, he co-organized a quartet called the Soul Savers. A later reorganization of the group led to the release of the traditional gospel quartet album, Testimony, in 2004.
A homegoing service was held May 28, at Divine Mortuary in Lithonia, GA. Our condolences are extended to the Huffman family during this difficult time.
Photo Credit | Facebook Profile of Edward Huffman, Sr.
"On My Journey" – Clarice Hall
“On My Journey”
Clarice Hall (2015)
www.msreecie.com
Clarice Hall’s vocals are soulful and crisp—a lovely complement to the contemporary gospel styling of her mid-tempo single, “On My Journey.”
And just when her skillful yet unforced riffs get your head bobbing, she pays tribute to the old school with a turn of phrase (“Church folks sing it like this, y’all…”) that segues into a 20-second a cappella interlude.
Clarice’s vocal flair reaches across the genres of gospel, jazz, and R&B, and her music résumé includes performances with heavyweights in each genre.
Clarice is a native of Raleigh and a member of Word Empowerment Church in Durham. She concurrently serves as minister of music at Durham’s Mt. Olive AME Zion Church.
"Man Up" featuring Chuck Singleton arouses nation's social consciousness (Video)
Chuck Singleton (above)
pastors Loveland
Church in Ontario, California.
Enjoy the music video “Man Up” featuring Chuck Singleton
and his son, Mike. The song’s socially conscious lyrics call
attention to the civil unrest that pervades our society.
attention to the civil unrest that pervades our society.
"Breakthrough" – Half Mile Home
“Breakthrough”
Half Mile Home (2015)
www.halfmilehome.com
Church Boy Muzik
Half Mile Home’s inspirational hard handclap track, “Breakthrough,” drives home an important message: keep the faith. The contemporary tune is the lead single from the Akron trio’s album, Don’t Judge Me (set for release this summer).
Check out the official video and you’ll see three gentlemen with soulful chops letting you know it’s “time for your breakthrough!”
DeWayne Woods features Mint Condition on single, “They Said”
From Bill Carpenter
The award-winning vocalist DeWayne Woods teams up with Lawrence Waddell and Stokley Williams of the legendary R&B band Mint Condition for the third radio single from his best-selling album Life Lessons (Soul Therapy). The smooth track combines intimate urban balladry with a powerfully revelatory message of God’s love and self-affirmation. “When everybody had given up on me He knew I was redeemable and made me whole,” Woods sings of God’s intervention during his lowest moments. In the second verse, he hits naysayers with, “Used to be so hung up on what others said about me; so busy casting stones they overlooked their own wrong.”
“I’ve made many mistakes and bad decisions in my life and most of us at one point or another have allowed what others said about us to affect us in a negative way, but God has the final word and gives us a second chance,” says Woods, who is currently performing alongside Yolanda Adams and Donald Lawrence on The McDonald’s Celebration Inspiration Gospel Tour running through October. “It’s mind blowing to be afforded this amazing opportunity to be a part of such widely respected national tour and to sing this empowering song to the thousands who have been attending the shows.”
“Working with DeWayne on ‘They Said’ was amazing,” Waddell and Williams said in a joint statement about the song they tailor-wrote and produced for Woods. “He sings with a genuineness and musical sensibility that is at once moving and awe-inspiring. Beyond a vocalist, he is an instrumentalist with words.”
DeWayne Woods led a late `90s incarnation of the R&B group Atlantic Starr before making a leap into faith music with John P. Kee. His debut album, Introducing DeWayne Woods & When Singers Meet, won four of five Stellar Award nominations–including New Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year. His sophomore set, My Life’s Lyric, hit #3 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart. Woods’ latest project, Life Lessons, debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart and features “Never Be The Same” (#23 Billboard Hot Gospel Songs chart) and the Anthony Hamilton & Dave Hollister collaboration “Friend of Mine” (#13 Billboard Hot Gospel Songs chart).
The Church and B.B. King
By Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever
Over his nearly 70-year professional career, blues legend B.B. King (1925-2015) returned to his gospel roots once, in 1959, to record a vinyl album entitled B.B. King Sings Spirituals. The Crown Records release captures 30-something year-old King wailing, at times both vocally and on his guitar, tunes that we now know have withstood the test of time in traditional gospel. Among them is “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” composed by a former blues pianist who is now recognized as the Father of Gospel Music, Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey.
King passed May 14, at the age of 89.
In his essay for The Washington Post, “How the church gave B.B. King the blues,” Daniel Silliman explores King’s church upbringing. Read it to gain insight into the King of the Blues’ relationship to the church and gospel music in his own words.
B.B. King’s official website reports that there will a public viewing Friday, May 22, from 3 PM to 7 PM at the Palm South Jones Mortuary, 1600 South Jones Blvd, Las Vegas. For complete information about the memorials and funeral, visit www.bbking.com.
"Jesus Over Everything" – Thomas E. Bell
“Jesus Over Everything”
Thomas E. Bell (2015)
Available at iTunes
Thomas E. Bell honed his songwriting craft during his high school days, penning tunes for his R&B group. At the age of 21, he decided it was time to dedicate his talent wholly to the Lord. “Jesus Over Everything” is Bell’s current single. In the hip-hop laced single, he makes clear that the name of Jesus is above all others, and “ain’t nobody takin’ His place.”
“Jesus Over Everything” is heavy on percussion as well as keyboard and vocal effects; but just like a good cobbler crust, Bell’s creatively expressed lyrical message rises to the top.