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

Andraé Crouch talks about dyslexia and songwriting

Many would be surprised to learn that the legendary composer of numerous treasures like “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power,” “Soon and Very Soon,” and “My Tribute (To God Be The Glory)” has dyslexia.

In a recent AP interview, eight-time Grammy winner Andraé Crouch shared his unique approach to songwriting, despite having a disorder that impairs his reading and comprehension abilities.

Read the interview here: Gospel’s Andraé Crouch calls dyslexia his blessing.

Live from Los Angeles – Vol. 2 – Beverly Crawford

Beverly Crawford
Live from Los Angeles – Vol. 2
JDI Records (2010)

By Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever

Recall Bobby Jones and New Life’s glory days and you will readily recall the voice that made the group a favorite throughout the early 90’s.  Several solo projects, a Grammy nomination, and a Stellar award win later, Beverly Crawford returned again in September with Live from Los Angeles – Vol. 2, and we can see she is still giving God the glory, ministering to His people, and singing us into frenzies.

The project’s opening number “It’s About Time for a Miracle,” set to what may as well be called “shouting music,” ignites the fire that burns throughout the album.  By the time “Miracle” graduates to its vamp, I can most certainly envision that Crawford and her audience are singing, praising, and pickin’ ’em up and puttin’ ’em down all at the same time.

Next up is “It’s So,” a tempo contrast to the preceding track.  Crawford, who serves as co-pastor at Gainesville Family Worship Center with her husband Todd, delivers the verses just like the singing preacher that she is.  By the song’s end, the preacher is in high gear, exhorting us in sermonette fashion to “name it, claim it, believe it, accept it–it is so!”

From there, she sprinkles a fair amount of quartet-flavored seasoning on the Doug Williams-penned “Born Again,” making the choir tune just right for down-home Sunday morning church.  She then reminds us that she not only can take us to church, but can also lead us into worship with the self-penned “For Who You Are”–easily the centerpiece of this project.

Another standout is “Everything Will Be Alright” (written by Shawn McLemore), the James Brown-esque groove with sassy, brassy horns for which Crawford and her friend and industry contemporary Shirley Murdock team up. As expected, the two make a great tag team, taking turns with the soaring lead vocals.  (You’ll likely be hearing them again on Murdock’s upcoming live CD/DVD.  See GMF’s related post here.)  “Serve You Well” is the beautiful ballad that follows.  Then Crawford is joined by her youngest daughter, Latrina Crawford, on “Radical Praise.”  It’s “I Need A Word” however, where Latrina’s vocality as a soloist shines.

Rounding out the project is “Marvelous,” written by Myron Butler and Ted Winn.  Crawford brings Murdock back in the reprise to riff over the climactic vamp, and the two have us headed straight into another frenzy.

With Michael Bereal and Professor James Roberson handling the production of this project, Live in Los Angeles – Vol. 2 encompasses all that we’ve come to enjoy about Beverly Crawford’s ministry through the years and affirms why she remains a force to be reckoned with among today’s female traditional gospel artists.

Favorites

“Born Again” – “For Who You Are” – “Everything Will Be Alright” – “Marvelous”

Fever Meter
SMOKIN’ (4 of 5 Stars)

“Happy birthday, Rev. Al Green!”

GMF wishes a very happy birthday to The Reverend Al Green, who turns 65 today.

Green serves his Full Gospel Tabernacle congregation in Memphis as pastor while continuing to travel as both a gospel and R&B performer. Among his accolades are multiple Grammys, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and the distinction of being one of Rolling Stone magazine’s “100 Greatest Artists of All Time.”  He is also a Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductee.

Green’s most recent achievement is that his chart-topping 70’s hit, “Let’s Stay Together” has been selected this year for inclusion in the National Recording Registry for preservation in the Library of Congress.  On that note, happy birthday and congratulations, Rev. Green.

What are the GRAMMYS doing with The Gospel?

Hmm.  The Grammy Academy, if you will, is cutting some categories.  Thirty-one to be exact.

Apparently, this is the academy’s effort to maintain the prestige and competition of the awards.  Well, that’s what the Recording Academy’s President/CEO, Neil Portnow says.  You know what this means for gospel music right?

Well, for starters, it means there is a name change to the Gospel Field.  (There are name changes to other fields as well, but this is a gospel music blog.)  The Gospel Field has been renamed the Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Field.  Then, there are category changes.  The 53rd Grammy Awards had the following categories in the Gospel Field:

  • Best Gospel Performance
  • Best Gospel Song
  • Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album
  • Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album
  • Best Southern, Country Or Bluegrass Gospel Album
  • Best Traditional Gospel Album
  • Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album  

The 54th Grammy Awards will have the following categories in its restructured Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Field:

  • Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance 
  • Best Gospel Song
  • Best Contemporary Christian Music Song
  • Best Gospel Album
  • Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

It will be interesting (to say the least) to see how this restructuring will directly affect the gospel music industry and its artists.  I can think of a few singers who are definitely going to end up unclassifiable.  Of course, they’ll be made to fit for Grammy eligibility, but is it fair to take them out of their artistic zones and to place them in one that doesn’t quite describe them in hopes of a nomination?  I suspect there are going to be quite a few surprises among the next round of nominees.  And we thought gospel music was already competitive…

You can get all the details about the Grammy evolution here.