The BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™ 2012 special on BET is back for a third televised installment with heartfelt performances, tributes and special awards to celebrate the achievements of remarkable women of color.  Back by popular demand is the dynamic duo of Tracee Ellis Ross and Regina King who are returning to co-host this year’s awards show.  The historic Loews Paradise Theatre in New York City will be the site of the annual celebration which tapes Saturday, October 13, 2012 and premieres Sunday, November 4, 2012 on BET Networks.

Black women are leading in the White House and are becoming more and more prevalent in Fortune 500 companies, dominating professional sports, driving political discourse and winning Hollywood‘s top awards. BLACK GIRLS ROCK! 2012 promises to deliver defining moments for women around the world through highlighting empowering stories of excellence from women of color from a broad spectrum of diverse missions and professional backgrounds. 

This year’s much-deserving celebrants and award recipients include: Grammy Award-winning music legend Dionne Warwick – Living Legend Award; actress Kerry Washington – Star Power Award; magazine editor, writer and journalist Susan Taylor – Inspiration Award; singer-songwriter Alicia Keys – Rock Star Award; and human rights activists and doctors, Dr. Hawa Abdi and her daughters – Social Humanitarian Award.

The two-hour event will be a star-studded evening with performances and appearances by Mary Mary, Alicia Keys, Brandy, India.Arie, Keyshia Cole, Ciara and 2011 BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Star Power Award recipient Academy Award-nominee Taraji P. Henson and more.  Viewers can expect more memorable moments from this year’s awards show that are sure to empower, entertain and elevate the soul.

“We’re thrilled to once again partner with Beverly Bond and her fantastic organization to bring to the screen the 2012 edition of BLACK GIRLS ROCK! It’s truly an honor to recognize our celebrants who have accomplishments in a wide variety of fields. Look for some very special performances from an array of genres. BLACK GIRLS ROCK! is empowering, uplifting, fun…and perfect on BET!” said Stephen Hill, President of Music Programming and Specials.

“BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Inc. is extremely proud to partner with BET Networks, for a third year, to produce the 2012 BLACK GIRLS ROCK! special. This show has become an essential platform where dynamic women are honored and exalted for bringing the best of our cultural contributions to the forefront.  The BLACK GIRLS ROCK!award show on BET celebrates the nexus of achievements of women of color and showcases Black female excellence, to inspire and empower the next generation of leaders,” said Beverly Bond, founder of BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Inc.

Official sponsors of BLACK GIRLS ROCK! 2012 include My Black is Beautiful, Crest 3-D White, COVERGIRL and Chevrolet. 

BLACK GIRLS ROCK! 2012 will premiere internationally on Tuesday, November 13, 2012.

For more information on BLACK GIRLS ROCK! go to www.BET.com/BlackGirlsRock  Join the conversation on Twitter by using hashtag: #BLACKGIRLSROCK and following us @BET.

To apply for media credentials to cover BLACK GIRLS ROCK! 2012 red carpet, visit our press site, www.betpressroom.com.  The deadline to apply for media credentials ends at midnight, Monday, October 8, 2012.

The televised special, BLACK GIRLS ROCK! 2012 is a BET Networks and B.G.R. Enterprises Inc. production.  BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Founder and CEO, Beverly Bond executive produces the telecast along with Stephen Hill, President, Music Programming and Specials, BET Networks and Connie Orlando, Salli Frattini of Sunset Lane Entertainment and co-executive Producer, Jane Mun. 

*All times ET/PT

About Tracee Ellis Ross
Ross is best known as the star of the hit sitcom GIRLFRIENDS that ran for eight seasons on The UPN/CW network and earned her eight NAACP Image Award nominations including two wins, one in 2007 and again in 2009 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She recently starred in and produced the NAACP Image Award nominated series REED BETWEEN THE LINES. Ross, who won an NAACP Image Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Award for her performance, co-starred opposite Malcolm Jamal Warner.  Ross was also seen in the short film series FIVE which aired on Lifetime Television and received an NAACP Image Award nomination for her performance.  In early 2011, Ross returned to the stage and garnered rave reviews in Nora and Delia Ephron‘s LOVE LOSS AND WHAT I WORE, first at the Westside Theatre in NY and then at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.  Ross’s feature film work has included HBO’s LIFE SUPPORT with Queen Latifah,Tyler Perry‘s DADDY’S LITTLE GIRLS with Gabrielle Union and HANGING UP with Jennifer Connelly and Marcia Gay Harden to name a few.  Ross is a dedicated and passionate volunteer, intent on making a difference in the lives of at-risk teenage girls. She works closely with Aviva Family and Children Services in Los Angeles and also The Big Brother Big Sister organization. As a vetted Obama Surrogate, Ross campaigned across the country during 2007 and 2008 and again during the current election season. She actively participates in the President and First Lady Obama’s Mentoring Initiative.

About Regina King
Regina King‘s distinguished talents have not gone unnoticed by Hollywood.  The skilled actress can currently be seen playing ‘Detective Lydia Adams‘ in TNT’s drama, SOUTHLAND, in production for its fifth season.  Southland focuses on a police unit from Los Angeles, taking viewers into the lives of LAPD cops, criminals and their victims.  In between filming Southland, King made her feature film directorial debut with the teleplay adaptation of the best-selling book, LET THE CHURCH SAY AMEN, for BET to air on the network in 2013.  King’s notable film credits include OUR FAMILY WEDDING, THIS CHRISTMAS, RAY, MISS CONGENIALITY 2; ARMED AND FABULOUS, CINDERELLA STORY, LEGALLY BLONDE 2: RED WHITE AND BLONDE, and DADDY DAY CARE.  Born and raised in Los Angeles, King made her television debut on the hit sitcom “227.”  After five seasons, King made the leap to the silver screen with a role in John Singleton‘s powerful directorial debut, BOYZ N THE HOOD.  She would soon collaborate with Singleton again in POETIC JUSTICE and HIGHER LEARNING.  King has always been consistent in showing her dynamic range, bouncing effortlessly from dramatic material to comedic performances like in the hit film FRIDAY with Ice Cube and in A THIN LINE BETWEEN LOVE AND HATE,opposite Martin Lawrence.  A definite turning point in her career came in 1997 with her memorable role as Cube Gooding Jr.’s wife Marci in the blockbuster film JERRY MAGUIRE, which led to starring roles in HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK, ENEMY OF THE STATE, MIGHT JOE YOUNG and DOWN TO EARTH. 

About BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™
Founded by celebrity DJ and Philanthropist, Beverly Bond, BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™ is dedicated to promoting positive images of women of color in mass media.  BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™ Inc., is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, that has been dedicated to the healthy development of young women and girls since 2006.  BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™ Inc. seeks to build the self-esteem and self-worth of young women of color by changing their outlook on life, broadening their horizons and helping them to empower themselves. For additional information on BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™, visit www.blackgirlsrock.org.

About BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, theCaribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks – BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET operates in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

Nashville Publicity Group, a public relations firm specializing in family-friendly entertainment, will commemorate their 10th anniversary with the upcoming 2-Disc album release, Nashville Publicity Group presents TEN. The album will be released on January 1st to all digital retailers, including iTunes and Amazon.com. 100% of sales from the album will go to charities handpicked by the artists themselves.

Disc One will feature 10 tracks from artists that have been part of Nashville Publicity Group’s first decade. Participating artists include Kevin Max, Bryan Duncan, Stryper, Blessid Union of Souls, Joanne Cash (featuring Johnny Cash), Collin Raye, Kevin LeVar, Propaganda and more. 

Disc Two will feature 10 handpicked songs from independent artists that have the potential to be the future of the music industry. Nashville Publicity Group is accepting submissions from indie artists through October 31, 2012. Email info@nashvillepublicity.com for more information.

“Despite an economic recession and well-documented turmoil within the music industry, we’ve just experienced our tenth consecutive year of growth,” said Mayes about Nashville Publicity Group’s milestone. “I’m proud of the friends that we’ve made, the partnerships we have created and the lives that have been affected as a result of the tremendous talent that we have had the privilege to represent.” 

About Nashville Publicity Group
Founded in 2002 by music industry veteran Brian Mayes, Nashville Publicity Group is a forward thinking full-service public relations and consulting company specializing in family-friendly entertainment. Nashville Publicity Group routinely delivers unparalleled results by creating aggressive, tailor-made campaigns for recording artists, authors, actors, concert tours and festivals, charities, social media and multimedia properties, television and feature film projects and more. For more information, visit www.nashvillepublicity.com.

Imagine her surprise when Alicia Day’s father handed her the phone. It was Tyler Perry calling, and he wanted to replace her stolen van.

“God is good, and Tyler Perry is just wonderful,” Day told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday.

The Atlanta movie mogul had heard a Channel 2 Action News report Monday evening about the theft of Day’s customized Chrysler minivan out of the driveway of her Decatur home Sunday.

The 24-year-old woman, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, would be lost without the van, her sole transportation to her part-time job as a greeter at Home Depot on Ponce de Leon Avenue. But about two hours after the story aired, Alicia had a new van, compliments of Perry.

“It’s unbelievable, it happened so fast,” said Alicia’s dad Cecil, who answered the phone around 5 p.m. Monday. “He said, ‘This is Tyler Perry,’ and I said, ‘Who?’ and he said Tyler Perry. He asked to speak to Alicia.”

Perry told Alicia Day he wanted to replace her van that same day.

“This made me feel so wonderful,” she said. “Tyler Perry, of all people, decided to help a handicapped person.”

Perry then drove to R & R Mobility Van & Lifts Inc. in Conyers, where the Days had bought the stolen van 12 years ago. The dealership was closed, but Perry convinced the manager to open back up. It probably didn’t take much convincing. The van cost nearly $60,000.

“I’d never seen anything like this,” said salesman Michael Bortvit. “I had left for the day. I turned around and came back and met with Mr. Perry, who drove up alone in his Land Rover.”

Alicia’s parents, Cecil and Hannelore Day, showed up shortly thereafter, was shown a selection of vans and chose a silver customized 2011 Volkswagen Amerivan.

“It was a humongous gesture of generosity,” Bortvit said. “And it was obvious that not only was he not seeking recognition, he was going out of his way to avoid it.”

Perry has a fan for life in Alicia Day. “I was a big fan of his even before this,” said Day, who said her favorite Tyler Perry movie is, “Why Did I Get Married?”

Meanwhile, her colleagues at Home Depot had begun a fund to help Alicia Day before Perry stepped in. They and company officials plan to present her with a check for $5,000 for her medical expenses on Friday.

The collaboration merges Gospel legend Fred Hammond, Former R&B superstar turned Gospel artist Dave Hollister, 2010 breakout artist Brian Courtney Wilson, and Eric Roberson.

Fred said via his social cam that he’s been talking to the fellas for nearly a year to make this happen.

Details of the collaboration still have to be worked out with their respected labels, but that hasn’t stopped the four of them from recording.

Brian Courtney Wilson speaks with PATH publisher Kris Patrick first about the news, from the studio and home of Fred Hammond as they listen to the first mixes of the album.  

Say’s Brian, “I am extremely grateful to be working with Fred Hammond and the team he has conceived.  We are all excited to be working together and even more excited for you to hear what we think will be an important contribution to Kingdom music.”  Brian goes on to say “That God will be pleased.” as he gets ready to work it out with his Music World Gospel label.  

The new group will be called ‘United Tenors’ for short “U.T.”  Brian says, It’s not just about the talent they put together, the new group is going to look united. 

A pumped up Dave Hollister tells Publisher Kris Patrick, “U.T. is a worship experience like no other for me!  I’ve had visitations before, but the hand of God is on this, and the heart of God is what we are seeking in this experience.” 

“Get ready, get ready,” Dave Hollister says emphatically! 

After announcing that he was a little hurt that he was left out of the Kings Men Tour which features fellow Gospel greats Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin, Marvin Sapp, and Israel Houghton, you got the sense that Fred was ready for a new challenge.  This is one challenge that if achieved through contract will make a major impact on the people of God.

Currently, Dave Hollister is Pastoring at Word Assembly Family of Churches in California.  Brian Courtney Wilson is coming off his sophomore album, and Eric Roberson is touring Africa.

Fred Hammond is keeping busy as host of Verizon’s How Sweet the Sound competition, and did surprisingly well with his last album that blended love songs and Gospel music.

A member of Detroit’s famous Winans gospel music family – Michael Winans Jr., 30, who now lives in Jessup, Maryland — pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges. Winans is the nephew of  Marvin Winans, who gave the eulogy at Whitney Houston’s funeral.

Winans was charged with defrauding investors out of approximately $8 million dollars, United States Attorney Barbara McQuade announced.

Here’s how investigators said the scheme worked: Winans represented the Winans Trust as a company investing in crude oil bonds in Saudi Arabia. Winans initially recruited 11 people, whom he called “shareholders” in the Trust, to invest in the crude oil bonds. Winans required the “shareholders” to solicit additional investors and send the investors’ funds to the Trust.

Over 1,000 victim investors from several states sent over $8 million to the Trust. All of these victims were led to believe they were investing in Saudi Arabian crude oil bonds that Winans well knew did not exist. Winans guaranteed the victim investors that the bonds would yield returns of $1,000 to $8,000 within 60 days.

“In reality, Winans converted some of the victim investors’ money to his own personal use while giving some of his later victims’ money to his earlier victims, and falsely represented to them that it was the return on their “investments” he had promised,” investigators said in a press release.

“Investor fraud schemes like this one are just a fancy way to steal other people’s money,” McQuade said. “Anyone who robs citizens of their hard-earned savings will be brought to justice.”

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, who was involved in the investigation, said, “Winans has allegedly fleeced many innocent people and betrayed their trust. This is a significant step in bringing justice to his many victims.”

Winans sentencing has been set for 2 p.m. Feb. 27, 2013 before the Honorable Sean F. Cox at which time he could face a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

This case was a joint investigation with the FBI, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office and the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation (OFIR).

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abed Hammoud.

Anyone who believes they may have been a victim click here for more information.

Atlanta based Record Label Arrow Records continues to revamp its lineup and management. The label announced today the signing of Grammy Award Nominated artist Pastor Kim Burrell. 

The three time Stellar Award winning artist known for her amazing vocal styling is the second artist to sign to the label after Grammy Award Winning Ann Nesby signed on earlier this year.  

Newly appointed General Manager Cappriccieo M. Scates states,  “We have all been huge fans of her work for many years, and having an opportunity to assist in bringing her music to the world is an amazing honor!  Like most, I refer to her as the greatest voice alive, and I am so excited about working with her!”

The label also carries Shonlock and comedian Akintunde.

Kim Burrell has managed to stay in the news often as vocal coach for Sunday Best contestants, and by appearing on primetime networks like CNN and offering performances on BET.  The singer recently announced a new reality TV show currently being shopped for television.

Pastor Kim Burrell is set to release new music in May of 2013.

Renowned modern worship songwriter/artist Brenton Brown releases his fourth full-length album, God My Rock, today from Integrity, with distribution in North America by Provident Music Distribution. Brenton’s first live solo record and first live worship project since the Vineyard UK’s release of Come Now is the Time and its best-selling album Hungry, God My Rock is receiving wide critical acclaim.

The 14-track album features six brand new songs and new versions of many of Brenton’s worship classics all recorded with his band, The Worship Republic (Daniel Ornellas – bass, Ben Showalter – drums and Scotty Murray – guitar), in Dayton, OH in front of 4,000 energized high school age students at a Dare2Share event. The songs on God My Rock came to life at this youth evangelistic mobilization organization event earlier this year and follows a two-year touring stint for Brenton and his band that started at Hume Lake Christian camps.

As the music begins reverberating around the globe, here is how the critics are already responding to the new offering from Brenton Brown and The Worship Republic:

“True musical art in the genre of worship is found in fresh accessibility…God My Rock keeps Brown’s singular song-crafting approach at its heart, and the result is a subtly resplendent worship release that will be remembered as one of his finest offerings…Both fresh and deep, filled with revolutionary truths, captured with art and congregational skill, God My Rock is a must have for worship leaders.” – Worship Leader

 

“Brenton Brown’s driving rock mixed with Americana worship style along with his sincere vocal prowess and honest writing come through in fine fashion to create an enjoyable collection of worship.” – Worship Musician

“God My Rock…is a wonderful mix of old, new, familiar and fresh. It’s not uncommon to search an album for one, maybe two useable, songs for worship environments, but just about every single song on this album is a song that will be effective and accessible for gatherings by worship ministries everywhere. Worship leaders, we highly recommend this one!” – TheWorshipCommunity.com

“From reflective piano-focused songs to rock infused praise melodies, Brenton’s vast display of musical and lyrical ingeniousness….Brenton’s album is one of the standouts for worship enthusiasts in October 2012.” – IndieVisionMusic.com.

“This is a great collection of worship songs written by Brenton and recorded in a live setting, which I think is where we find Brenton at his best, leading people closer to God… if you’re looking for a worship album to put on and spend time with the Lord, then you can’t go wrong with this one.” – LouderThanTheMusic.com

“God My Rock flowed effortlessly…The Worship Republic shine on this album with tight, effective and well thought out arrangements and musicality enhancing rhythms and melodies.” – M-Brio Music

Leading up to the recording, longtime friends Brenton and Paul Baloche teamed up to pen the anthemic first radio single and title track from the album. Taking a queue from the famous hymn of old, “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” the modern day expression in “God My Rock” points to the unshakeable truth of God’s reliability. A compelling lyric video of this song that includes turbulent seafaring footage can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0b2GFdxuVk.

A South African-raised Rhodes scholar who studied at Oxford University, was worship pastor in England’s Vineyard Church and now resides in Malibu, CA, Brenton Brown is one of today’s most prolific writers of modern worship with nine CCLI Top 500 songs that are being sung by millions in churches all around the world. Forty-eight chord charts and lyrics to his most requested songs are available for free at www.brentonbrown.com/songs.html, including “Everlasting God,” which was honored by ASCAP as one of the most performed songs in the USA in 2007 across all genres, marking the first time that a worship song has been recognized with such an honor.

For more Brenton Brown information, including tour dates, go to www.brentonbrown.com.

About Integrity:
Integrity Music is a division of David C Cook, a nonprofit global resource provider serving the Church with life-transforming materials. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Integrity Music’s resources are distributed in more than 160 countries and sold worldwide. Additional information can be found at www.integritymusic.com.