Over the past decade, Israel Houghton has amassed a legion of fans while blasting down musical barriers and drawing together people of all ages, races and cultures through worship. On March 6, Integrity Music celebrates the past 10 years of Houghton’s music and ministry with Decade, a two-disc collection that includes 26 of his best-loved songs including “Friend of God,” “Moving Forward,” “New Season,” “Say So” and many more.

As a worship leader, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and leader of the ministry ensemble New Breed, Houghton has created a canon of songs that have become standards in houses of faith around the globe. And along the way, has been fittingly graced with six Dove Awards, two Stellar Awards, a Soul Train Award and four Grammy® Awards.

Decade features songs that are fan and congregational favorites from Houghton’s celebrated albums including New Season, Real, Live From Another Level, Alive in South Africa, A Deeper Level, The Power of One and Love God.Love People. The collection also includes the new song “Jesus At The Center,” which will be featured on Houghton’s new live recording titled Jesus At The Center available this fall.

“After a Decade worth of projects, hundreds of songs, thousands of nights of worship, and hundreds of thousands of people who have allowed us to usher them to Jesus, whether by way of recording or live events, I am so grateful that you gave us an opportunity to worship with you,” says Houghton. “Thank you for singing songs like ‘You Are Good,’ ‘Friend of God,’ ‘Alpha and Omega,’ ‘Moving Forward,’ and so many others and for responding to us over the last decade with such humbling words of encouragement.”

“There’s one decade down and generations more to come,” he adds. “We feel like we’re just getting started and we’re already putting finishing touches on the first project of the next decade!”

The complete tracklist for the Decade album is: Disc 1
1. Friend Of God
2. Again I Say Rejoice
3. You Are Good
4. We Have Overcome
5. Not Forgotten
6. Who Is Like The Lord
7. New Season
8. Alpha And Omega
9. No Limits (Enlarge My Territory)
10. To Worship You I Live
11. There’s A Lifting Of The Hands
12. Hosanna (Be Lifted Higher)
13. Jesus At The Center Of It All

Disc 2 
1. Saved By Grace
2. Just Wanna Say
3. With Long Life
4. Nothing Else Matters
5. Love God. Love People.
6. Going to Another Level
7. I Know Who I Am
8. Say So
9. The Power of One (Change The World)
10. You Hold My World
11. If Not For Your Grace
12. Another Break Through
13. Moving Forward

Decade will be available everywhere Christian music is sold beginning March 6. It will be distributed to Christian retail stores through Provident Distribution and to mainstream stores through Sony Music Entertainment. A digital deluxe version of Decade, featuring additional songs and videos, will be available exclusively through iTunes.

A worship leader and member of Houston’s Lakewood Church, Israel has also led worship for Hillsong conferences, Franklin Graham crusades and a variety of music festivals around the world. Houghton is the leader of New Breed Ministries, an organization comprised of noted musicians and singers who serve within their respective churches and together serve the Church at large. Additional information can be found at http://newbreedmusic.com.

William McDowell, well known worship leader and e1/Light Records recording artist, is enjoying a successful season with his current CD ARISE.

The popular 2-CD set has been a consumer hit since it’s release last fall. Reaching Number 1 on the Billboard Top Gospel chart upon release, it stayed there for over 4 weeks. The album continues remain in the top 10. ARISE was recorded live in Ft. Lauderdale, FL at Christian Life Center and is packed with 23 compelling songs of worship, praise, authority, inspiration and revelation.

Driving sales and radio play, is McDowell‘s latest song “I Won’t Go Back.” As with his previous triumphant song “I Give Myself Away,” this single put forwards a message of universal worship and deliverance. The Spirit-led song is a fluid and powerful example of pure worship. “I Won’t Go Back” is Number 3 on the gospel radio chart and continues to rise weekly in spins and plays.

McDowell was recently seen performing “I Won’t Go Back” on the 27th Annual Stellar Awards that aired nationwide in January and February. He has had several televised performances including BET Bobby Jones Gospel and GMC’s Stellar Award Nominee Concert special and is featured in this week’s JET Magazine. McDowell will also be performing at Radio One’s upcoming Inspiration & Music Conference in Philadelphia on March 10th.

McDowell, an Ohio native, will be honored at an upcoming Cleveland Cavaliers game at the 8th Annual State Farm Black Heritage Celebration presented by PNC. On Friday, March 2nd, the Cavs will present Gospel Night at the Cavs vs. Chicago Bulls game with a salute to McDowell.   Mt. Zion of Oakwood Village Church, a local choir will perform his hit song, “I Won’t Go Back,” and he will be awarded for his achievements as a Christian artist. McDowell attributes his accomplishments to his childhood days spent in church and playing the keyboard in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Independent of past, present and future accomplishments, ARISE leaves no doubt that McDowell remains committed to providing the world with modern worship and leading others to God’s throne.

Marvin Winans, Carvin Winans and BeBe Winans have formed a new group and will record a new album together.

Fresh off officiating Whitney Houston’s funeral, the Winans helped make Whitney’s funeral one for the ages.

The group has already begun recording its first song, a tune in tribute to their late brother Ronald, and Whitney Houston.

Apparently, the collaboration is a dream come true for BeBe Winans.  For sometime BeBe wanted to have the brothers collaborate on a record.  

BeBe is probably best known as the second part of the hit duo that he forms with his sister CeCe Winans.  The siblings have recorded music that has afforded them the privilege of performing on some of the worlds biggest stages.  Last year the duo announced that their last album would indeed be their last full project together.  

Pastor Marvin Winans is an accomplished singer in his own right, releasing his first solo recording, ‘Alone, But Not Alone‘ in 2007.  The album was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album.

Marvin Winans, a pastor, founded The Perfecting Church in Detroit, Michigan in the early 1990s, and released an album with the church’s choir in 1992 entitled Introducing Perfected Praise. A second album, Friends, appeared in 2001. 

Marvin Winans sang in the 1970s with his brothers Ronald, Carvin (his twin) and Michael (the group also included others) as The Testimonial Singers. Their first performance was at a high school talent show. In 1975 the group’s name was changed to The Winans. Their musical careers spanned both the 1980s and 1990s. The Winans, who were discovered by Andrae Crouch, released their first album under the new group’s name, entitled Introducing The Winans, in 1981. The Winans were greatly influenced by the Queen of Gospel Albertina Walker and her group The Caravans.

On his first project Eric Carrington taught us about what God said, then he taught us how to soar, he made us evaluate our relationship with Christ and now he’s back working on his fifth CD ‘Amplified Prayze’, set for release 2012.

Undeniably, Eric Carrington is a breakthrough artist. Now his fifth release with Divine Line Records, is categorically what contemporary Praise & Worship Gospel is all about.

Eric, born and raised in Houston, Texas, was another Gospel child prodigy as a minister of music. As an act of obedience to his father, Rev. James Carrington Jr., pastor of the Willing Workers Baptist Church in Houston, Texas Eric discovered that God had gifted him beyond his years. At the tender age of 13, his father instructed him to get on the organ and play one Sunday and the rest was history. That day Eric found his calling and he knew that music was his ministry.

In 1992 Eric took the next step toward developing his gifts with the release of his first project “Calvary”.

Although this project didn’t earn him national recognition it caused the local market to take a second look. In 1996 Eric followed up with his second project

“God Said It” and this was the introduction of Eric’s signature style. This project announced to the world that a genius was born. Eric has a unique ability to

turn traditional gospel music into melodic tunes for the urban gospel contemporary audience. In 1999 he followed up with the release of his third project

“SOAR”. This project featured his hit song, “Anointing”.

His forth release T.E.C.P Vol I “Relationship” “Relationship” is an indication of where Eric is as a man and as an artist. “Relationship” is not about the typical Eros type of love relationship. The relationship that he is talking about is the Agape love relationship between an individual and Christ.

His fifth project is going to be the surprise of the gospel industry. It has been predicted to be his best work of all time. Keep your eyes and ears open, you won’t want to miss his next work entitled “Amplified Prayze” set for release 2012.

Visit Eric’s website at www.ericcarrington.com

What a week it has been for Sparrow Records singer-songwriter Audrey Assad, whose critically adored sophomore album, Heart, bowed on Valentine’s Day to across-the-board praise and her highest sales-week numbers to date. Heart ranked in at No. 3 on the Christian Soundscan chart, selling over 7,300 units, giving her a 185 percent sales increase over the debut week of her last album, The House You’re Building. The CD also crowned the iTunes ® Christian & Gospel Albums chart and reached No. 18 on the overall iTunes ® Albums chart. In addition, before Heart‘s release, Rhapsody named it one of their “Most Anticipated Albums of 2012.”

Here is just some of the acclaim being heaped on Assad:

“This thoughtful, cerebral singer-songwriter has a unique approach… In an industry that can be confining at times, Assad shines as a true original.” -Rhapsody

“If Audrey’s debut album was to show the world what a talented singer and songwriter she is, then Heart does this in abundance, adding an extra edge of maturity. “Breaking You”…shows Audrey at her best. And when she is at her best, no other singer gets close to her.” -LouderThanTheMusic.com

“Sparrow,” the debut single from Heart, is currently No. 5 on Soft AC/Inspo Monitored chart, with it being the most-added track on that chart this week.

The singer-songwriter and multiple GMA Dove Award nominee recently wrapped a stint on Matt Maher’s “The Love In Between” tour, having performed in markets including St. Louis, Washington D.C., and New Orleans, among others. Beginning March 23 in Red Bluff, Calif., Assad will pair with singer-songwriter JJ Heller for a spring co-headlining tour that concludes on April 26 in Raleigh, N.C. For all tour information, visit www.audreyassad.com.

About Audrey Assad:
28-year-old, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Audrey Assad propelled to the forefront of Christian music with her debut album on Sparrow Records titled The House You’re Building. Produced by Marshall Altman (Brooke Fraser, Natasha Bedingfield, William Fitzsimmons, Marc Broussard), the record released in the summer of 2010 to much acclaim. Assad’s fresh sound was named among the best of 2010 from Relevant Magazine, Rhapsody.com, Gospel Music Channel online and more and was profiled on CNN Online. In addition, The House You’re Building was named Amazon.com’s “Best Christian Music of 2010” and iTunes ® Christian & Gospel “Breakthrough Album of the Year.”

Recently married, Audrey found her songs expressing the joys and struggles of fighting for lasting love. She draws her inspiration from this introspection, as well as classic literature and songwriters like Paul Simon and James Taylor. Her collaborations with everyone from Chris Tomlin to Jars of Clay have marked her celebrated songwriting and vocal talent. Assad released an exclusive iTunes ® Live from SoHo album in August. She released her sophomore album, Heart, on February 14, 2012, also produced by Altman.

Congratulations goes out to Le’Andria Johnson who now has two albums in the Top 10 at #4 and #5 respectfully.  Wow Gospel 2012 moves into first place for the first time since it’s release 4 weeks ago.  The hugely successful WOW Gospel compilations always does well year after year on the charts.

Gospel Star James Fortune continues to sale well with his new project ‘Identity,’ and Fred Hammond comes in at #3 with his latest ‘God, Love, and Romance.’

Next week expect Sunday Best Runner-Up Andrea Helms to do well on the charts with her new release ‘Moving Forward,’ due out in stores March 6th.

View the rest of the Top 10 Below:

1 | WOW Gospel 2012
2 | James Fortune & FIYA – Identity
3 | Fred Hammond – God, Love & Romance
4 | Le’Andria Johnson – The Evolution of Le’Andria Johnson
5 | Le’Andria Johnson – The Awakening of Le’Andria Johnson…
6 | Various Artists – Joyful Noise Sountrack
7 | William McDowell – Arise
8 | Brian Courtney Wilson – So Proud
9 | Kirk Franklin – Hello Fear
10 | Lecrae – Rehab

One good deed deserves another. In this case it’s a good deed from actor-director Tyler Perry that will allow Chicago’s “rooftop pastor” to end his vigil.

Rev. Corey Brooks camped out for months on an abandoned motel as part of a pledge to raise $450,000 to purchase the land and build a community center across from his New Beginnings Church in the 6600 block of South Martin Luther King Drive.

Perry announced during the “Tom Joyner Show” Friday that he would raise the remaining amount to help Brooks reach the goal and asked him to come down.

“Coming on Tom Joyner Morning show,” Brooks tweeted around 7:39 a.m.

Tyler plans to take the pastor to see his new movie, “Good Deeds.”  Good Deeds finished second at the box office this week with 16 million in sales.

Pastor Brooks was extremely grateful to Tyler Perry.  Brooks left the roof only three times since the vigil began, most recently in January to officiate at the funerals of two teens killed in a shooting at a South Side Church’s Chicken restaurant.

In January, Governor Pat Quinn visited Brooks on his 56th day on the roof. After 92 days of camping out, Brooks was still short $98,000 from his goal and holding strong in his pledge to stay up there until the money was raised.

The intended community center is a part of Project H.O.O.D. (Helping others Obtain Destiny) and will feature mixed income housing, commercial spaces and the New Beginnings Church’s “Master Academy.”

In his eulogy at Whitney Houston’s funeral, Bishop T.D. Jakes spoke of the lessons one could learn from Whitney Houston, and on Monday, The Potter’s House pastor explained further, listing the spiritual lessons to be had from the life and untimely passing of singing sensation Whitney Houston.

Whitney Houston was “a child of God and embraced that posture throughout her life,” Jakes wrote in his column for The Huffington Post, referencing Houston’s upbringing in a Baptist church where she also sang in the choir. In fact, Jakes writes, “she never strayed far from her Baptists roots” at any point in her life.

The Christian Post points out that Jakes believes Houston’s life serves as an example of the benefits of learning faith early on in life. Thus, from Houston’s life one learns to “find comfort as parents that faith instilled in our small children is a long term investment that will benefit them as they face the varied challenges of their adult life.”

Jakes also speaks to Houston’s family connectedness and the strong relationship she had with her daughter, Bobbi Christina, and her mother, Cissy Houston. He writes that Houston embodied Christian values because “family was her bedrock, her source of strength, [and] comfort.” He makes note of the family’s “fiercely protective cross-generational love that incubated and informed who [Whitney] was.”

The Potter’s House pastor also noted that Houston “was a woman of deep and abiding prayer” and was “known for gathering her friends and colleagues in an impromptu circle to petition God.”

Jakes closed by discussing the “indelible impression [Houston made] on the hearts and minds of everyone who experienced her immense talents.” He also explains that those who survive the pop legend can look to her life as an example and “find hope that our dreams are more than inspiration but mixed with determination and steadfast faith even the most obscure dream can be realized.”

Just as people can learn so much from Houston’s life, Jakes points out that one can learn from her death as well. Houston’s death reminds us to make each day count, as “tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us no matter the enormity of the gifts we posses.”

The Associated Press speaks with Gospel legend Andrae Crouch recently.  Andrae Crouch‘s songs have made him a gospel legend. He’s written dozens that he’s made classic hits, while others have been sung by the likes of Elvis Presley.

But for Crouch, the songwriting process isn’t actually about writing because of his dyslexia.

Crouch, whose signature songs include “Soon and Very Soon” and “My Tribute (To God Be the Glory),” usually starts off with drawings of how he thinks the song would sound before he begins to write lyrics. From there, he memorizes the images of his drawn characters and sometimes asks his twin sister, Sandra, to help him comprehend a difficult word, so the words do not “look like a bunch of hay stacks.”

“I memorized everything through sight, the shape of the word,” said Crouch, who also pastors at New Christ Memorial Church of God in Christ in San Fernando, Calif., which was founded by his parents. “Some things that I write, you’ll see a page with cartoon pictures or a drawing of a car — like a Ford — or a flag. I still do it on an occasion when a word is strange to me.”

Although dyslexia has been a lifelong struggle for Crouch, he thinks it played an integral role in his success.

“If I was sharp in every area, I might be too big headed or something,” he said in a recent interview.

Since he debuted in 1960, Crouch has collected eight Grammys. He also helped pioneer the burgeoning “Jesus Music” movement from the late 1960s and ’70s that initiated the spread of contemporary Christian music. He and his choir The Disciples have sung background for Madonna’s song “Like a Prayer” and he went on to arrange music for the 1985 film “The Color Purple” and the Disney’s “The Lion King” in 1994.

Click Here to read the full story by the Associated Press.

The City Harmonic, continues to gather acclaim following the release of its first full-length album, I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home). Gathering three awards, including “New Artist of the Year,” from the Gospel Music Association Canada Covenant Awards last fall, the Gospel Music Association bestows another “New Artist of the Year” nomination on the band for the 43rd Annual GMA Dove Awards, which will take place April 19 at the Fox Theater in Atlanta.

Hearing the news while traveling on the 60-market “God’s Not Dead World Tour” with newsboys that launched Jan 12 and runs through May 5, The City Harmonic front man, Elias Dummer, comments, “We’re so grateful to be out every night making music for and with the Church, and this is another humbling reminder that that means something to people. Many thanks.”

Already known for its engaging live performances, The City Harmonic is playing its hit singles and new music from I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home) while on tour, including the title track, a top 15 Billboard National Christian Audience radio hit, and “Manifesto,” which is featured as a bonus track on the album.

“I was eager to see if they could translate that big, sonic sound from the studio to a live show,” says a ChristianMusicZine.com tour reviewer. “…I was really quite blown away with how impressive these guys were live, with such an aura around them that is hard to find…from the powerful piano notes, to the banging of a ‘ginormous’ drum, to the clip of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous mountain top speech, I don’t think they could have possibly done more…”

In less than a year, The City Harmonic went from being virtually unknown to international acclaim. Released Oct. 18 on Kingsway with EMI CMG Distribution in the USA, I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home) hit No. 1 on iTunes® in Canada, No. 6 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart and never left the Top 4 on the iTunes Christian/Gospel US chart in its debut week at retail. The digital single, “Manifesto,” has also sold well over 100,000 copies and is the only song from a new artist in 2011 to break into the top 10 of the SoundScan Top Current digital singles sales chart as it’s companion music video has been viewed on YouTube by over 1,300,000 people (http://www.youtube.com/thecityharmonic).

“Wowing” the critics, who are using adjectives like “fabulous,” “infectious,” “exciting,” “spectacular,” “worshipful,” “captivating,” “creative,” “brilliant” and more to describe the album, I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home) became one of two Christian music entries on Google Music’s 2011 Favorites list and has been named among the best albums of 2011 by Watchgmctv.com staff, senior music and entertainment editors.

“There is nothing in Christian music that sounds like this. So, so incredibly good! In the still-saturated world of worship, this album was a breath of fresh air. There’s a fresh verve and energy in these vertically minded songs, and their obvious passion for God is downright contagious,” says www.watchgmctv.com.

The City Harmonic, consisting of Dummer, bassist Eric Fusilier, guitarist Aaron Powell and drummer Josh Vanderlaan, wrote, recorded and produced all of the songs for I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home). From the “now but not yet” tension of earthly Christian living heard in much of the album, including the title track and “Mountaintop,” to having hope in the midst of struggle in “Fell Apart” and “Be Still O My Soul,” to dealing with apathy in “Yours” and “Wake Me Up” and living missionally in “Spark” and “Benediction,” the songs take the listener on a poetic journey.

More information on The City Harmonic and its touring can be found at:

www.thecityharmonic.com
http://www.facebook.com/thecityharmonic
http://www.myspace.com/thecityharmonic
http://www.youtube.com/thecityharmonic
http://twitter.com/thecityharmonic