Tag: News

Sapp, Winans, Hammond among BMI honorees for 2011’s most-played songs

The BMI Christian Music Awards recently honored 2011’s most-played gospel and christian songs.  The gala event was held April 4th in Nashville and celebrated the songwriters and publishers of the year’s most performed songs on Christian radio and TV, according to the BMI website.

Among gospel award-winning songs are:
“The Best in Me” 
Writers: Aaron Lindsey & Marvin Sapp
“Close to You” 
Writer: BeBe Winans

“God Favored Me”
Writer: Jules Bartholomew

“Good News”
Wrtier: Norman West
“They That Wait”
Writers: Michael Bethany, Phillip Feaster, Fred Hammond, Calvin Rodgers, & Dynna Latyse Wells

Universal Music Publishing Group earned Publisher of the Year honors for:
“The Best In Me”
“Beautiful, Beautiful”
“When the Trumpet Sounds”
“Stuff of Life”
“They That Wait”
BMI is a long-standing American performing right organization that represents more than 475,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music.
For the full story and the complete list of winners, click here.

Passings Within the Quartet Community

GMF is sad to report that Alfred “Gino” Smith, baritone singer for the Gospel Keynotes passed away this weekend.

Also, Willie Claud Ligon, younger brother of The Mighty Clouds of Joy’s lead singer and original member Joe Ligon, has passed away.

GMF offers its condolences.  Please uplift their families and friends in prayer during this time.

Twinkie Clark’s new CD available everywhere today

How many of us have been waiting for this?  Twinkie Clark’s With Humility CD drops today.  Her nephew, Larry Clark (Denise’s son), handles the production work for this project and is also featured on the CD’s single, “Awesome God.”

This musical effort is sure to delight Twinkie’s fans.  Of course, the COGIC evangelist takes to the organ and reminds us why she is hailed as “Queen of the Hammond B3.”  We can also expect the presence of the Clark family, as usual; only this time it is the Clark Brothers who are featured with their auntie.  For a special treat, Twinkie is dueting with her mom, the late Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, on what is certain to be a highlight of the album.

Ben & Jewel Tankard’s New Reality Series “Gospel Cribs”

 

Surely, you’ve seen at least one episode of MTV Cribs.  If you’re from a prior generation, you probably even remember Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.  Well, how about this for the Lord’s people:  Ben Tankard’s Gospel Cribs!

I am stoked already.
 
Ben Tankard is recognized as the best selling gospel jazz instrumentalist in the world.  He is also the music producer who is said to have discovered Yolanda Adams. Now, he and his wife Jewel are behind a new reality series.  According to the Gospel Cribs facebook page, Christian artists, actors, pro athletes, and businessmen are going to be showcasing their lavish homes, showing that God’s people can live large too.  I will definitely BOLO (be on lookout) for this show in the fall season lineup.  Do you all think any televangelists will be so gracious as to invite the scrutiny public into their (most likely not-so-humble) abodes?
 
I am sure Gospel Cribs, and some of these Christian lifestyles, are going to create quite a buzz, especially among the pharisees.