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Gospel legend John P. Kee has made a chart-topping entrance onto the charts this week with his newest album, Life & Favor, debuting at #1.
Tamela Mann’s CD ‘Best Days’ goes from #1 to #2. And the newest project from VaShawn Mitchell, titled Created 4 This, debuts in the #3 spot. Continue reading
Five-time Grammy® Award winner and multi-platinum selling artist TobyMac has made career history with his latest project, EYE ON IT, entering the Billboard top 200 at No. 1, selling nearly 70,000 units and marking the first time in 15 years an artist in the CCM genre has accomplished such. EYE ON IT released August 28 to an overwhelming response, with the album topping the Overall iTunes® Chart just hours after its release, and continuing to reign there throughout the week. This amazing debut comes as his single, “Me Without You,” continues to hold onto No. 1 on the CHR and AC Indicator charts. Continue reading
Hot off the heels of their successful fourth album, Identity, James Fortune & F.I.Y.A. are set to release their first ever Christmas album, GRACE GIFT on October 16th.
GRACE GIFT is a must-have addition to your Christmas collection and offers 12-tracks of original tunes and Christmas favorites. Kicking off this beloved holiday in a fun, festive and merry way, Fortune teamed with his wife Cheryl to pen several new songs. Among the highlights, are the upbeat “Christmas Time,” the inspiring “Worship The King,” and the beautifully presented “Mary’s Song,” which features Cheryl on lead. Speaking to God’s ultimate gift to us, the Fortunes also offer the sentimental title track “Grace Gift.” This song is precisely what fans have come to love about Fortune & F.I.Y.A. and it can certainly live past the Christmas holiday.
Other gems include Fortune’s re-vamp / redux of the hit song on “I Believe Part 2” bringing back vocalists Shawn McLemore and Zacardi Cortez. The slower version is no less passionate than the first and still packs a punch. The unexpected inclusion of the CCM song “Love Came Down,” with Todd Galberth on lead rounds out the project.
GRACE GIFT, produced by Terence Vaughn and Ayron Lewis, also encompasses classic songs that awaken memories of family, love and all the holidays have to offer. Using this album as a way to highlight his longtime and close-knit group of singers, Fortune paired beloved Christmas favorites with his best singers. Long time F.I.Y.A. member D’Shondra Rideout soloed on “First Noel,” and Lisa Knowles & McLemore blazed on a rousing version of “Go Tell It/Wonderful Child.” The soulful “This Christmas” features Isaac Carree & Minon Bolton.
“Our prayer is that this Christmas album will be a blessing to everyone this Holiday season and remind us of the Gift we received, that we didn’t deserve and we couldn’t earn – that’s why it was a Grace Gift,” explained Fortune. “I’m also proud to be able to feature the amazing vocalists that serve with me every week traveling across the country helping me to advance the Kingdom.”
GRACE GIFT is sure to ignite the Christmas spirit in everyone.
Fortune continues to travel the country to promote Identity, as well as his current UAC, Gospel single “Hold On” featuring R&B singer Monica and Fred Hammond. Fortune is an ASCAP Songwriter Award winner, Stellar Award multiple nominee & winner and top-selling artist who has gained critical and consumer acclaim for his songwriting and musical ability.
Grace Gift Track Listing:
1. Holy Night (featuring Josiah “Jojo” Martin)
2. Christmas Time
3. Grace Gift
4. Gabriel’s Message (interlude)
5. Mary’s Song (featuring Cheryl Fortune)
6. Love Came Down (featuring Todd Galberth)
7. Go Tell It / Wonderful Child (featuring Lisa Knowles & Shawn McLemore)
8. The First Noel (featuring D’Shondra Rideout)
9. Worship The King
10. This Christmas (featuring Isaac Carree & Minon Bolton)
11. Fortune Kids Christmas Interlude
12. I Believe Part 2 (featuring Shawn McLemore & Zacardi Cortez)
Nia is pursuing her Masters of Divinity at Vanderbilt University and conducts worship workshops teaching the core principles of worship that she has learned throughout her ministry. “I want to convey the importance of worship and what it means to have a personal relationship with the Lord,” she shares. “Your worship doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s. You can have your own intimate relationship with the Father. He loves us, and longs for connection with each and every one of His children.” Nia hopes that her music will transcend through racial and cultural barriers, proving that worship is universal.
Grammy nominated and Reach Records artist released his highly anticipated album Gravity on Tuesday, September 4, 2012, which features Mali Music, Mathai (The Voice), label mates Trip Lee and Tedashii as well as production from DJ Khalil, Street Symphony’s Heat Academy and The Watchmen. Continue reading
In April 1975 Trinity Broadcasting Network, the world’s largest religious broadcaster and America’s most-watched faith channel, sponsored its first tour of Israel and the Holy Land. On September 4 — 37 years and over 25 tours later — TBN’s Matt and Laurie Crouch will join renowned Bible teacher and TBN ministry partner Joseph Prince, along with over 1,800 participants from all over the world, for the largest and most memorable of TBN’s many trips to the land of the Bible. Continue reading
Multi-Platinum and GRAMMY® Award-winning Gray Matters/Essential Records recording artist Jars of Clay has announced their highly anticipated 2012 Fall tour, featuring special guests Sleeping At Last and rising newcomer Mariah McManus. During each performance, Jars of Clay will preview new songs from their forthcoming 2013 release, as well as share many of their best-known hits and concert favorites, along with a few surprises.
Launching October 4 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the Jars of Clay Fall Tour will travel to Morristown, New Jersey; Alexandria, Virginia; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Foxborough, Massachusetts; and Houghton, New York, among other markets, before wrapping up October 13 in Pittsburgh. The Tour will be playing such esteemed venues as the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach; Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown; The Birchmere in Alexandria; Houghton College in New York; and the Levoy Theatre in Millville, New Jersey, among others.
“This Fall Tour will be a great opportunity for us to share for the first time some of the new music we have been writing and recording this summer,” said Jars of Clay’s Dan Haseltine. “We have admired the music of Sleeping At Last, and been impressed with the talents of 19-year-old Mariah McManus. We look forward to each evening being a unique time of music-making and camaraderie.”
Jars of Clay, made up of members Dan Haseltine (vocals), Charlie Lowell (keyboards), Steve Mason (guitars) and Matt Odmark (guitars), launched its breakout career with the multi-format hit “Flood” in 1995. Since then, it has amassed more than 6 million in career sales (five Gold, two Platinum and one Multi-Platinum certification), three GRAMMY® Awards, an American Music Award nod, three GMA Dove Awards, and BMI honors for songwriting as well as performing. The group also claims 17 #1 radio singles, numerous film credits, and has headlined thousands of sold-out shows and festivals.
In 2005 Jars of Clay founded the non-profit organization Blood:Water Mission (www.bloodwatermission.com) to empower communities to work against the HIV/AIDS and water crises in sub-Saharan Africa through creative grassroots efforts. To date, Blood:Water has partnered with more than 1,100 communities in Africa, providing life-saving water for over 700,000 people in 13 different countries and access to HIV/AIDS education, treatment and support for over 30,000 people. Blood:Water’s latest project is building a dam in drought-stricken Northern Kenya, which will provide a long-term water supply for 3000 people.
Sleeping At Last is the moniker for Chicago-based solo artist/songwriter Ryan O’Neal, whose song “Turning Page” was featured twice in the 2011 film The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part One, placed in both the iconic wedding scene and subsequent honeymoon montage. O’Neal’s other recent song placements include TV series So You Think You Can Dance, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, and Bones. Sleeping At Last pioneered an innovative recording project titled Yearbook in 2010/11, which consisted of a subscription-style release of three new songs every month for an entire year. Sleeping At Last has toured with Switchfoot, Yellowcard, Something Corporate, Zwan, and most recently, Christina Perri.
At 19 years old, Mariah McManus is an acclaimed singer/songwriter gaining notice throughout Nashville-and beyond. Her 2011 debut, Nice To Meet You, produced by Thomas Doeve and Aaron McManus, showcases the young artist’s ability to marry intimate storytelling with beautifully produced harmonies and infectious melodies.
For a complete listing of tour dates, visit www.jarsofclay.com.
After weeks of back to back competition, singing in front of millions and being judged by some of the best in the business, Sunday Best finally named their fifth season winner.
18-year-old Joshua Rogers, was named the fifth season winner of Sunday Best on BET, a national gospel singing competition. As a result he also put his small home town of Greeleyville located in South Carolina in the national spotlight.
The recent graduate of C.E. Murray High School beat out thousands of hopefuls across the country, and made history as the first male winner of Sunday Best.
Sunday night, people throughout the Low country gathered at the school for a viewing party, to watch the teen claim victory over Alexis Spight.
Joshua was the first male winner of Sunday Best, and received a 2013 Ford Escape and a music contract from Music World Gospel. Watch the interview below after Rogers wins, and following that the runner-up Alexis Spight talks!
Bebe Winans performed during the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on August 30, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. The performance was heavily commented about on social networks, and many African-Americans express disapproval.
It’s no secret that African-Americans traditionally vote democratic, but BeBe Winans did express that his performance was not a political endorsement. The popular gospel singer performed two numbers on the convention’s closing night — his song “America, America,” from his new CD of the same title, and “America the Beautiful,” as the convention came to an end.
But to those wondering whether Winans was pulling a Clint Eastwood (without the empty chair routine) and endorsing Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Winans says not so fast.
“Why not be here? Why not be part of the process. It’s all about letting people know that we are Americans first, before any association with any party, so that’s why I’m here,” Winans said after his performance, adding that he hopes to perform at the Democratic convention next week also.
A spokesman for Winans said he was approached by both parties to perform at their presidential nominating conventions, but that the Democratic National Committee balked at his performing at the RNC, while the RNC didn’t mind him doing both. Winans was not paid for his performance.
BeBe Winans is one of the most successful Gospel artists of all time. BeBe and his Sister CeCe recently received their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The question is why did the Democratic committee not want Winans?
