Multiple award winning, Grammy nominated recording artist, James Fortune & wife Cheryl talk about relationships in the cover story of the new issue of Gospel Today magazine. The May/June Issue features the Fortunes in the summer ‘Love’ issue along with five other prominent ‘it’ couples.

In the cover story, James & Cheryl share their powerful love story of survival and strength. As portraits of courage James & Cheryl recall the most difficult time in their marriage -the season of being homeless. The couple relives how they stuck by each other and leaned on their unwavering faith to survive despite an over 7 month stretch of being jobless, living in their car and subsequently moving from motel to motel.

“It was a difficult time because it affected our entire family” said James. “To realize that I was having a hard time providing for my kids, in the midst of this family struggle proved a difficult, dark time in my life.”

The Fortunes didn’t allow their lives to be defined by that narrative and have thrived since that trying time. The Fortune’s have enjoyed a burgeoning career along with successfully launching their own record imprint F.I.Y.A World Music in conjunction with Light Records, under which Cheryl’s solo album will be released next year.

James’ current CD IDENTITY quickly debuted at number #1 on Billboard’s Top Gospel chart when it was released earlier this year and continues to remain in the Top 5. Further, the first single, “Still Able,” continues to be one of the most played gospel songs at radio as Fortune by way of his dynamic performance and delivery has become a beloved pillar and treasure within the genre.

2005 saw the explosive release of James Fortune and F.I.Y.A’s debut album YOU SURVIVED. The title song, “You Survived” peaked at #2 on the R&B Gospel singles chart. He amassed worldwide recognition in 2009, with the award winning song, “I Trust You,” off his sophomore release THE TRANSFORMATION. “I Trust You,” held the number one slot on the Gospel National Airplay chart for over 30 weeks, making history by becoming the longest running #1 single of any genre. James’ meteoric rise continued with the subsequent success in 2010 of “I Believe,” which earned him his second ASCAP Writer’s Award in 2011. “I Believe” also received a 2011 Soul Train nomination for “Best Gospel Performance” along with three Stellar Award nominations for “Contemporary CD of the Year,” “Contemporary Male Vocalist of the Year” and “Group/Duo of the Year.”

 

The Stellar Awards are now accepting your music or artist submissions for 2013.  According to the awards website, eligibility submissions can be done online now through June 30. For artists submitting by mail, your form must be postmarked by July 1.

 

Firefighters remained at Tyler Perry Studios in southwest Atlanta early Wednesday, watching for hot spots and trying to determine what caused a spectacular blaze that damaged one of the complex’s buildings.

“The fire’s out, but the cause remains under investigation,” Capt. Jolyon Bundrige with the Atlanta Fire Department told the AJC just before 11 p.m. Tuesday.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that about midnight, Bundrige said that several fire units were still on the scene, “conducting a damage assessment, including salvage and overhaul.” At least one fire truck remained at the studios at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Firefighters were able to contain the blaze to one building in the center of the 30-acre complex owned by Atlanta filmmaker Perry, Bundrige said.

Bundrige said Wednesday that the fire damaged the exterior of the building, but “due to the concrete masonry construction behind the exterior fascia, fire did not penetrate the interior of the building.” The interior did suffer some water damage, he said.

The first report of a fire came in at 8:41 p.m., and before it was over, more than 100 firefighters had responded to a blaze that quickly escalated to four alarms.

The fascia of the affected building collapsed, but its structural integrity was not compromised, Bundrige said. No injuries were reported.

Though the flames were extinguished within an hour, many firefighters remained for several hours putting out hot spots. Several units were still there around midnight conducting a damage assessment, including salvage and overhaul.

Perry was at his Continental Colony Parkway complex Tuesday night and spoke with Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran, but did not talk to reporters gathered nearby, Bundrige said. Employees leaving the studio grounds after the fire told reporters they were instructed not to speak to the media.

Efforts were being made to reach a spokesman for the studio.

Dorothy Ware, a resident of the Asbury Harris Epworth Towers senior housing apartments next door, said she first learned of the fire from a guard who came around to alert residents.

The guard told anyone who had cars parked along the fence next to the studios to move their vehicles so fire engines could get in, Ware said. She went outside and described the scene.

“It was all in flames,” she said. “The building started popping. Whatever the fire was hitting, was blowing up. There were plenty of sparks coming over here where we are.”

The flames shot as high as the nearby trees, roughly six stories in height, she said.

The 200,000-square foot studio, which opened in 2008, is home to sets, sound stages and a 400-seat theater. In March, Perry hosted a fundraiser for President Barack Obama at the studio.

Perry has worked as director, writer, producer, actor and playwright. His film credits include “Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” “Meet the Browns” and “I Can Do Bad All By Myself.” His latest movie, “Madea’s Witness Protection,” is scheduled to open June 29.

 

With the popularity of televised vocal competitions like the explosive a cappella show The Sing Off and the mania over singing driven comedy dramas like Glee, Take 6 is the original torchbearer for the first instrument. The ten-time Grammy and ten-time Dove winners, Take 6, (Claude McKnight, Mark Kibble, Joel Kibble, Dave Thomas, Alvin Chea and Khristian Dentley) celebrate their 25th Anniversary this year and have a lot to be grateful for. The distinguished Gospel/Jazz vocal group, heralded by Quincy Jones as the “baddest vocal cats on the planet!’ are the quintessential acapella group and model for what vocal genius is.

Through the years they have won praise from such luminaries as Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Brian Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald and Whitney Houston. Any singer who aspires for vocal excellence cannot overlook the contributions these men have made to music. The multi-platinum selling sextet says of their longevity, “The glue for Take 6 is that we consider this a Ministry. We are God’s group! We are also family in the sense that we care deeply about each other, and that helps keep us together. We have times when it gets tough, but we pull together because of the love we have for one another.”

One is Take 6’s first project without Cedric Dent, who retired from the group last year. “Cedric had taken a position with MTSU (Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN) which didn’t allow him to go out on the road during the school year and kind of limited him only to the weekends and that’s if it worked for the schedule,” says Kibble. “So we decided it was best to find a person to step in and cover him when he couldn’t be there. We actually had a pool of three people we used over the years. Khristian Dentley was one of those people called on to step in. He did it beautifully and had a lot of energy. In standing in for Cedric, we were able to learn his personality and he was able to learn the music. After seven years, Cedric decided to go full time into academia and when he did, Khristian was already primed to step in behind him.”

Dentley brings a multitude of skills to the mix. He programmed, co-wrote or co-arranged some of the songs such as “One,” the soulful, block-party styled title song. “Khristian was the visionary behind the music video for that song,” says McKnight. It was shot at a private home outside of Los Angeles with about 40 Take 6 friends and family members. Stevie Wonder; Claude McKnight’s little brother, crooner Brian McKnight; Lalah Hathaway, Lil Fizz from B2K and former pro football player Greg Gunther all make appearances in the video. “The video was all about getting together at a family styled barbecue and hanging out and just having fun,” says Claude McKnight. “We invited some of our friends, we had some cameos. It was just a lot of fun.”

The group also had fun recording One and considers it a return to their spiritual heritage. “We’re pretty excited because this album is one of our first completely gospel-influenced albums,” says McKnight. “It kind of takes us back to when we first started out. The touring that we’re planning on doing will include a lot of churches and gospel-flavored venues. Interestingly enough, we’ve always toured Internationally because were basically a jazz group and we still have those elements on this album but lyrically it’s a lot more gospel based. We really wanted to go back to our roots and to be a part of that and uplift people from that standpoint.”

While they have dabbled with straight jazz and even adult R&B rhythms over the last decade, Take 6 dusts off Korean War-era gospel songs and injects them with a modern flair while maintaining their traditional quartet style of singing. Handclaps and a little percussion enliven The Selah Singers’ 1952 tune, “Down Here I’ve Done My Best”.

The hymn “Glorious Day” and the Jackie Verdell & Brother Joe May’s 1962 cut, “You’re Gonna Need Him,” both get Pentecostal workouts but with a sophisticated polish. The ballads “Alleluia” and “What A Friend We Have In Jesus” are given tender arrangements that show off the group’s layered harmonies. On “Noah,” their voices simulate instruments to create the signature Take 6 sound. The mid-tempo tracks “In My Heart” and “Farther Along” boast minimal instrumentation and a lot of funky swagger.

Rounding out the set is the wistful tune, “Can’t Imagine Love Without You,” that includes a harmonica solo and lead vocals by Stevie Wonder. Take 6 first performed the song with Wonder on a BET Honors television special in 2010. “We just liked the way the song flowed and we liked how it felt,” says Kibble. “We needed one more song for the CD and somebody made the suggestion that we should sing that song.”

Take 6 has come a long way from their days at Huntsville, Alabama’s Oakwood College where McKnight formed the group as The Gentleman’s Estates Quartet in 1980. The group eventually became known as Alliance but when they signed to Reprise Records in 1987 they found that there was another group with the same name, so they became Take 6. Their self-titled debut CD won over jazz and pop critics and they’ve never slowed down.

A part of what has allowed the group to stay together as what has allowed the group to stay together as One is the group’s willingness to let members do side projects. “It adds to the brand,” Joey Kibble says. “You have six individuals that are interested in six different combinations of activities.” Kibble is a motivational speaker and Alvin Chea does Voiceover & Session-singing on dozens of TV and Feature films as well as commercials. Two of the members have solo projects in the works, others produce outside acts and McKnight is working on a documentary. “It adds even more credibility to the group as a whole,” Kibble adds. “That based on each individual further developing what they were called to do, then when you look at those entities making up this entire unit which is Take 6, the group is stronger because the individuals continue with their contributions and development of their own gifts.”

So, what’s next for Take 6 as a unit? “The next project we’re going to work on I believe is going to be an orchestral project,” says McKnight. “We’ve performed with orchestras but we’ve never done a fully orchestrated album so that’s what we’re working on to try and get the logistics for that. One of the key things we’re really looking at is almost reintroducing, in a way, Take 6 to our domestic audience. We’ve done so much International touring that I think there are core fans of ours who may, in fact, not know that we’re still around so that will be kind of a cool thing to be like, `Hey, we’re here! Check us out.'”

TAKE 6
Tour Dates: 06/24/12 – Chicago, IL @ Gospel Music Fest (Bronzeville stage) 
06/30/12 – Moscow, Russia @ Open Air Fest 
07/01/12 – Vienne, France @ TBD 
07/02/12 – Geneva, Switzerland @ TBD 
07/04/12 – Gru Village, Italy @ TBD 
07/05/12 – Cervia, Italy @ TBD 
07/07/12 – Berlin, Germany @ TBD 
07/11/12 – Paris, France @ TBD 
07/12/12 – London, UK @ TBD 
07/14/12 – Wiesbaden, Germany @ TBD 
08/29/12 – Tokyo, Japan @ Billboard Live 
08/30/12 – Tokyo, Japan @ Billboard Live 
08/31/12 – Tokyo, Japan @ Billboard Live 
09/01/12 – Tokyo, Japan @ Billboard Live 
09/03/12 – Osaka, Japan @ Billboard Live 
09/04/12 – Osaka, Japan @ Billboard Live 
09/05/12 – Osaka, Japan @ Billboard Live 
09/08/12 – Tokyo, Japan @ Tokyo Jazz Fest 
09/22/12 – Norfolk, VA @ Chrysler Hall 
10/27/12 – Austin, TX (w/ Austin Symphony Orchestra) 
11/29/12 – Santa Clarita, CA @ College of the Canyons 
11/30/12 – Malibu, CA @ Smothers Theatre (Pepperdine University) 
12/01/12 – Rancho Cucamonga, CA @ Victoria Gardens (Lewis Family Playhouse) 
12/20/12 – St. Louis, MO @ Powell Symphony Hall 
02/22/13 – Moscow, ID @ Lionel Hampton Jazz Fest (University of Idaho)

 

Christian hip-hop artist Lecrae revealed his plans for his upcoming mixtape Church Clothes along with the artwork he will use for its cover to Rapzilla.com in an interview over the weekend.  You can download it FREE Here.

“This mixtape is aimed at the mainstream and is raw, uncut Hip-Hop,” said Lecrae to the site. “This is totally different from my past releases, and I hope I can build a bridge between my current fans and create new ones.”

Church Clothes will be hosted by Affiliates DJ Don Cannon, a close associate of mixtape king DJ Drama, who has worked with everyone from Lil Wayne to 50 Cent.  Cannon expressed his excitement about the project.

“What interested me was that he feels so strongly about his beliefs, and I am the same way,” said DJ Don Cannon in an interview with Rapzilla. “It’s something special in music to be able to stand up in this industry and bring the people something different.”

Church Clothes is Lecrae’s official introduction into the mainstream hip-hop scene and will feature some well known artists and producers including rapper No Malice of the Clipse and production from Boi-1-Da, S1 and Street Symphony.

Last year was one of major recognition for the Reach Records artist, who appeared on the BET Hip Hop Awards in the famous freestyling exhibition that featured some other popular secular hip hop artists including Eminem, Rick Ross, Busta Rhymes, Ludacris and Wale.

Lecrae also appeared on DJ Statik Selektah’s album Population Control that was released earlier this year in a song called “Live and Let Live.”

The emcee also performed alongside some hip hop legends and underground sensations including the Wu Tang Clan, Dipset, Brother Ali, Mac Lethal, Boot Camp Clik and Macklemore at this year’s Paid Dues independent hip-hop festival that took place on April 7.

 

Famed Producer Tyler Perry’s studios caught fire and severe damage is being reported by news affiliates in Atlanta.  

Capt. Jolyon Bundridge with the Atlanta Fire Rescue told the AJC shortly after 9 p.m. that one building had partially collapsed.

By 10 p.m., the flames were extinguished, but firefighters continued to battle hot spots, and at least a dozen fire trucks lined Continental Colony Parkway, Channel 2 Action News reported.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the fire. No injuries were reported.

The 200,000-square foot studio, which opened in 2008 on 30 acres, is home to sets, 4 sound stages and a 400-seat theater. In March, Atlanta filmmaker Perry hosted a fundraiser for President Barack Obama at the studio.

Perry has worked as director, writer, producer, actor and playwright. His film credits include “Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” “Meet the Browns,” and “I Can Do Bad All By Myself.”

His latest movie, “Madea’s Witness Protection,” is scheduled to open June 29.

Lets keep Tyler in prayer and please return for updates.

 

Each year the saints are devastated by the affects of undiagnosed and sometimes unmanaged diabetes. In 1 Corinthians’ 6:20, God commands us to take care of the temple he has given us: “For God bought you with a high price, so you must honor God with your body,” A Better You Today is a Blog Talk Radio Show which talks discusses major illnesses plaguing Black Americans. Dr. Sabrina Elliot of Houston speaks with host Isadore B about Diabetes Prevention.

A Better You Today was aired March 7, 2012 and discussed the devastating consequences of a disease that is taking our people too soon. Diabetes is classified into Types 1 and 2. Type 1, also known as Juvenile Diabetes, is an autoimmune disorder where the body fails to produce insulin. It accounts for only 5% of total diabetics worldwide. Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes and is characterized by an excess of glucose (sugar) in the body. Dr. Sabrina of Houston offers several tips on controlling diabetes, not the least being the ability to keep your Body Mass Index (height to weight ratio) under control. The more excess pounds a person carries, the more susceptible they are to diabetes.

She emphasized the importance of walking at least 30 minutes a day to lower glucose level. In her family practice, Dr. Elliot has seen many people come in with blurry vision and unquenchable thirst, not realizing they are symptoms of diabetes. Most people tend to have diabetes for 6 months to a year before being diagnosed. She concludes the interview by emphasizing the changes to prevent diabetes are small, but can make a BIG difference.

Click Here to watch A Better You Today.

 

Marvin Sapp’s I Win returns to the top spot on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart this week, after Trip Lee’s latest, The Good Life, debuted at #1 last week. Trip’s project remains in the #2 position, followed by the 2012 release of WOW Gospel at #3.

After a disappointing debut Forever Jones is climbing the charts at #15 this week.  Congratulations to emerging gospel artist Anita Wilson who is charting at a respectable #20 this week.

The full Top 10 at Billboard looks like…

1 | Marvin Sapp – I Win
2 | Trip Lee – The Good Life
3 | WOW Gospel 2012
4 | Fred Hammond – God, Love & Romance
5 | JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise – After This
6 | William McDowell – Arise
7 | James Fortune & FIYA – Identity
8 | Smokie Norful – Once In A Lifetime
9 | Isaac Carree – Uncommon Me
10 | Jessica Reedy – From the Heart