GMC TV, America’s favorite channel for uplifting music and family entertainment, presents the World Television Premiere of the original gospel play “Sugar Mommas,” starring Daytime Emmy© nominee Vanessa Williams (“Lincoln Heights,” “Soul Food”) and NAACP Image Award© winner Terri J. Vaughn (“Meet the Browns,” Daddy’s Little Girls). “Sugar Mommas” premieres on GMC Saturday, January 21ST at 7:00 p.m. ET with encore broadcasts at 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. ET.

“Sugar Mommas” features a stellar cast including Daytime Emmy nominee Vanessa Williams (“Lincoln Heights,” “Soul Food”), NAACP Image Award winner Terri J. Vaughn (“Meet the Browns,” Daddy’s Little Girls), Rachel True (“Half & Half”), Lamman Rucker (“Meet the Browns,” Why Did I Get Married Too?), Tommy Ford (“Martin”) and the Grammy-nominated and Stellar Award Winner Gospel music sensation VaShawn Mitchell (in photo). “Sugar Mommas” is directed by Roger Melvin (“The Love You Save,” “She’s Still Not Our Sister”), and written by Cas Sigers (A Cross To Bear).

Inspiring, heart-warming and hilarious, “Sugar Mommas” centers on three 40-something women who start a bakery together to fulfill their own sweet desires to be independent women after motherhood, failed marriages and the loss of loved ones have left indelible marks on their lives. Together, their story is a celebration of womanhood, the good and the bad, as each learns new lessons about maturing, love and romance, and opportunity.

“Sugar Mommas” follows Sisters Sheila (Vaughn) and Lynn (Williams), who have lived very different lives. Sheila is widowed and Lynn recently divorced with a daughter in college. With time on their hands and longing for something different, they decide to start a business together and, having always loved sweets, a bakery seems a natural choice for them. When they invite close friend Tommi (Rachel True) to join them as their specialty pie maker, their recipe for success is complete. But these three women’s personalities are as distinct as the cupcake flavors they invent: Lynn is sassy and bold; Sheila is sweet and enduring, often to her own detriment; and Tommi is extremely practical, and the day to day at “Sugar Mommas” becomes an often spicy mix. As old challenges, new loves and opportunities surface, these women embark on a journey of self-awareness, affirmation, and hope as they write the next chapter in their sweet lives.

“’Sugar Mommas’ is an exceptionally entertaining stage play that provides interesting character roles not only for female actors of color, but for female actors in an age bracket that the entertainment industry as a whole tends to under-represent,” said Leslie Chesloff, executive vice president of programming at GMC. “It’s a life stage that’s rich with possibilities for growth and learning, which this production celebrates—as do we at GMC.”

The GMC broadcast of “Sugar Mommas” is produced by Swirl Films’ Eric Tomosunas, who has produced and taped numerous stage plays and feature-length films for television and DVD including, “Love Me or Leave Me,” “The Ideal Husband,” Love for Sale,A Mother’s Prayer, and There’s a Stranger in My House.

“Sugar Mommas” is the sixth original gospel stage play to air in GMC’s hit series following the success of GMC productions “Love Me or Leave Me”, “The Ideal Husband”, “She’s Not Our Sister,” “The Love You Save,” and “She’s Still Not Our Sister.” GMC, which has more installments planned for 2012, is the only network producing the popular medium and bringing it to a broad television audience.

“We could not be more thrilled with the overwhelmingly positive response we’ve received for our gospel plays, which have become a cornerstone of our programming,” said GMC Vice Chairman Brad Siegel. “These heartwarming, funny and uplifting stories feature characters that are vibrant and real, and who face challenges many of us can identify with. It’s that ‘reliability factor’ that has made this stage play series so successful, and “Sugar Mommas” is no exception.”

ABOUT GMC: (www.watchGMCtv.com) is America’s favorite television channel for uplifting music and family entertainment. The Parents Television Council™ awarded its Entertainment Seal of Approval™ to GMC for being “an authentic family-friendly cable network.” In 2011, GMC was the second fastest growing ad supported cable network in total day households and A18-49. GMC can be seen in more than 51 million homes on various cable systems around the country, as well as DISH Network on channel 188, DIRECTV on channel 338 and Verizon FiOS on channel 224. Follow GMC TV on Facebook and Twitter at http://facebook.com/gmctv and http://twitter.com/gmctv.

Without a doubt America has the coolest president out of the 44 Presidents that have had the honor of leading this great country.  

At a New York fundraiser at the historic Apollo Theater, President Barack Obama shocked those in attendance by singing Al Green’s hit song ‘Lets Stay together’ while Al Green set in attendance.  

Obama recognized the legendary singer as “Reverend” Al Green and said sandman didn’t even have to boo him off stage.

The shocking part was that Obama didn’t sound that bad!  What do you think of Obama’s voice?  Does he have your vote for re-election? 

Bishop Eddie Long’s New Birth Missionary Baptist Church plans to reopen its New Birth Academy on Thursday, according to Channel 2 Action News.

New Birth’s announcement in late December that the school would close after 18 years sent hundreds of students scrambling to find a new school. The church said then it would have to close the school due to the sluggish economy and low enrollment. 

New Birth spokesman Art Franklin confirmed to Channel 2 that it was announced at Sunday’s worship services that the academy will reopen through a cooperative agreement with Aurora Day School. Franklin declined to release details on what role Aurora Day School will play in New Birth Academy operations, saying the details would likely be released during a news conference later this week. Aurora has campuses in Tucker and Roswell.

Franklin told Channel 2 that all students, including those previously enrolled at New Birth, will need to enroll this Wednesday at New Birth between 7 a.m.  and 7 p.m. He said New Birth Academy plans to reopen its doors this Thursday.

The pre-K-12 school, founded by new Birth’s senior pastor Bishop Eddie Long, had an enrollment of 221, according to the Georgia Independent School Association, and employed 20 teachers. Just a few years ago, the Lithonia academy boasted of having one teacher for every eight students.

The news that it would close capped a tumultuous year for Long, who was back in the pulpit Sunday after a brief leave in December to take some time off from pastoral duties to tend to “family business,” he said. In May, he settled a sexual coercion suit filed against him by four former New Birth members. Earlier in December, his wife of 21 years, Vanessa, filed for divorce. Long returned New Year’s Eve and has continued to do so at weekly services.

Karen Clark Sheard’s Karew (pronounced: Kuh-rue) Records has signed multiple Stellar Award winner and GMA Dove nominated recording artist Jonathan Nelson to an exclusive recording agreement, the company announced today. Nelson, one of gospel music’s top contemporary worship leaders and songwriters, has a new project that will be released by Karew Records in late spring/early summer 2012.

“I have been a longtime follower and supporter of Jonathan’s ministry as praise and worship leader,” said Clark Sheard, co-founder of Karew Records. “Jonathan is an extremely gifted, talented and anointed artist — and a great songwriter too. He is our first signee to the label from outside of the Clark Sheard family, and we are excited that he chose Karew Records as his new home.” Bishop J. Drew Sheard added, “We are building a record label on the legacy of great talent and ministry that keeps with the family tradition, and Jonathan is certain to help us do just that.”

Through his relatively short career, Nelson has penned several hit songs including Donald Lawrence’s “Healed,” for which he won a Stellar Award for Songwriter of the Year in 2006. He had initially recorded the song for himself on his independent debut project, Live In Baltimore: Everything You Are. One of Nelson’s biggest songs to date is Youth For Christ’s congregational ballad, “The Struggle Is Over,” which spent 12 weeks at #1 on Billboard’s magazine Hot Gospel Songs chart and was the sleeper hit of the summer of 2006. Other hit songs written by Nelson include Bishop T.D. Jakes’ “My Praise Is My Weapon” and “Right Place,” a song he wrote with Troy Sneed for Pastor Rudolph McKissick which became a top Billboard gospel hit.

Nelson’s most successful CD project to date is his second recording and debut project with a major label. The award-winning and critically-acclaimed Right Now Praise (Integrity Music) garnered three Stellar Awards and received a recording breaking eight Stellar Award nominations in 2008. That year, Nelson received more Stellar nominations than any other artist in gospel music. Several months later, he received two GMA Dove nominations for Best New Artist of the Year and Contemporary Gospel Song of the Year for the hit song, “My Name Is Victory,” which spent 65 weeks on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart and the single was cited as the Most Singable Song of the Year by Gospel Today magazine (2008).

In 2010, Nelson released Better Days (Integrity Music), a live CD recording with his 18-member group, Purpose. The CD was produced by GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Aaron Lindsey and was recorded at the Faith Center in Sunrise, FL, where Nelson is currently the minister of music (Bishop Henry Fernandez, Senior Pastor).

“I am thrilled to have joined the Karew Records family with Bishop J. Drew Sheard and Karen Clark Sheard,” said Jonathan Nelson. “I had my first experience in the gospel music industry with Karen more than 10 years ago; how fitting to now be joined to her company. This connection is going to be absolutely amazing! It has been declared at my church that 2012 is the year of ‘great opportunity.’ I receive that and continue to expect greater things to come. Get ready!”

Nelson’s father, Bishop James Nelson, was the senior pastor of Greater Bethlehem Temple Church in Baltimore, MD, for over 30 years. Jonathan Nelson and Clark Sheard’s relationship began when she was first invited to his father’s church as a special guest artist. She made a request for background singers, and Nelson, along with a group of singers from the church, now known as Purpose, sang with her.

Nelson’s brother, Jason Nelson, is a recording artist with Verity Gospel Music Group. Nelson was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and currently resides in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He is married with two children.

ABOUT KAREW RECORDS

Karew Records was founded in 2009 by multiple award-winning gospel legend Karen Clark Sheard and her husband Bishop J. Drew Sheard. Based in Detroit, MI, Karew Records was initially established as a label home for the family’s various recording projects. The label roster includes Karen Clark Sheard, Kierra Sheard, The Clark Sisters and the production works of producer, JDrew Sheard II (JDS). Karew Records is a faith-based label focusing on various forms of gospel, Christian and inspirational music for all nations and generations. In 2012, Karew Records signed renowned worship leader and recording artist Jonathan Nelson. This signing marks the label’s first acquisition outside of the family namesake.

www.jonathannelson.us

www.karewrecords.com

Twenty one-time Stellar Award winner, Pastor John P. Kee received the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award for his historical and significant contributions to gospel music at the 27th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards on Saturday, January 14 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, TN. Kirk Franklin presented the award to a tearful Pastor Kee.

Pastor Kee is the recipient of 21 Stellar Awards, 27 GMWA Excellence Awards, a Trailblazer Award from President Bill Clinton, one Soul Train Music Award, two Billboard Music Awards, a Gospel Music Hall of Fame Award, seven GRAMMY® Award nominations and numerous other honors. However, The James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award is especially meaningful to him. “This is by far one of the greatest honors I have received to date,” says Pastor Kee. “When you look at the true history of John P. Kee, this award signifies a circle of completion. It was the late Dr. James Cleveland who gave me my start in music, so to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award in his name is priceless.”

During the Stellar Award Weekend, Pastor Kee also participated in the Hezekiah Walker Presents Choir Fest 2012, along with Ricky Dillard, JJ Hairston, Meachum L. Clarke, Kevin Lemons, and Darrel Petties, at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church, the Antioch location in Nashville.

An icon in American music, Pastor Kee and the New Life Community Choir will release a new CD this spring. The new single, “Life And Favor (You Don’t Know My Story,)” will be released to gospel radio this month. The single features special guest artists, including LeJuene Thompson and James Fortune. “One of the greatest assets that we have as Christians is our testimony,” said Pastor Kee. “It is that testimony that reveals the true nature of our deliverance. God has graced me with the ability to share these trials and triumphs through melody. This single, ‘Life And Favor (You Don’t Know My Story,)’ has become a memorable melody in the lives of thousands. When you find yourself singing the vamp uncontrollably, we’ll know undoubtedly that you too have a story.”

In the late 1980s, Kee was crowned the Prince of Gospel, which is a title he laughs at because his middle name is Prince. Over the course of his professional career, which spans more than three decades, he has written music for Hallmark, Inc., Stephanie Mills, Jonny Lang, The Hawkins Family, Daryl Coley, Billy Preston, Dorinda Clark Cole, Joe Walsh, Rev. James Cleveland, the Florida Mass Choir, the Mississippi Mass Choir, and Vanessa Bell Armstrong, among others. His music has been featured in film and television commercials and even on Saturday Night Live. His music catalogue is said to be one of the largest in the world today by an individual publisher/writer.

Although he is one of gospel music’s greatest pioneers, his real passion is for clear, genuine, and aggressive street ministry. His heart’s desire is to show the love and power of the Lord to the world-but especially to the inner city communities of our nation.

Since its inception in 1995, Pastor Kee has been the full-time pastor of the New Life Fellowship Center. Through non-traditional outreach that transcends the four-walled structure, the church’s unique approach to ministry has resulted in a rapidly growing and thriving congregation. Pastor Kee’s ability to personally relate to the urban lifestyle allows him to reach those who would not typically attend church and those who are not welcomed by many assemblies.

Houston, TX native Yolanda Adams never seems to reach the peak of her career.  That’s because she’s always expanding and increasing to new heights that few Gospel artists have ever been to.

Yolanda’s latest CD ‘Becoming’ was released in 2011, with the hit song ‘Be Still’ currently resting in the top 5 of Billboard Gospel’s Chart.  That’s an extraordinary accomplishment when you consider the fact that the top-selling artists’ song is still on the charts after 37 weeks.  ‘Be Still’ is a song that ministers to so many, and PATH is proud to be the first media outlet to give you a little sneak peek of the conceptual idea for the music video.

Yolanda Adams has had an incredible 2011 even by her standards.  It’s been a year that’s seen her sing in front of Gospel audiences and mainstream audiences alike.  Yolanda has sung for presidents, stole the show at Michael Jackson’s tribute concert in Wales, and most recently at Dwyane Wade’s 30th birthday party in Miami.  Adams passionately brought the Gospel to the funeral of late rapper Heavy D, and was even called upon to sing the national anthem at the NFL Houston Texans first ever playoff game.  

With all that goes on in this busy women’s life she encourages us to be still and take time to be with God.  The ‘Be Still’ music video illustrates this by featuring Yolanda being whisked away into day-to-day career activities, and then coming home in a relaxed house setting to be with the Lord.  Adam’s has said in interviews, “That no matter how busy you get, you have to be still.”  Be still and know that God is always by your side.  

The entire video will be out at the end of the month, but take a look at the Sneak Peek below. 

Holly Spears will release her highly-anticipated full-length album, Heartache to Hope (Girl on a Mission Music), on April 3rd, via her own label, Girl on a Mission Music, LLC. Spears has just released her debut singles, “Learning to Love” (Christian Radio) and “Watch Over Me” (Pop formats) which has a companion music video. Produced by Mitch Dane (Jars of Clay, Bebo Norman, Caedmon’s Call) at Nashville’s famed Sputnik Sound recording studio, the album features vocal, bass, keyboard and mastering support from Jars of Clay.

Spears grew up in the small town of Wana, West Virginia, where she found her voice as a little girl, accompanying her father on Sunday mornings in church choir. Her mother enrolled her in piano lessons at an early age, but she began to feel trapped creatively, until a Melissa Etheridge performance on television led her to the search for her first guitar.

“I literally begged my mother to buy that guitar,” remembers Spears. “Little did my mom know that the seemingly insignificant purchase of a twenty-five dollar garage sale special would set the stage for a whirlwind of new life experiences.”

Spears spent her high school and college years writing songs and learning about the world of music business. She played in various bands and interned at a local radio station, where she was introduced to frontman Eliot Sloan of the platinum-selling pop/rock band Blessid Union of Souls. Soon after, Spears was in the studio with Sloan who worked with her to craft her sound.

“I would attend class during the week and travel to Cincinnati on weekends and during school breaks to write and record,” she recalls. “It was clear to me that I was doing what I was designed to do.”

With no label, and very little promotion, she released her debut album, Redemption Road in 2009, and found her music used in network shows on MTV and VH1, and popping up on radio stations nationwide. Before long, she was sharing the stage with such notables as Blessid Union of Souls, Spin Doctors, Gin Blossoms and Roger McGuinn of The Byrds, among others.

In April, Spears will release her first national release, Heartache to Hope, which tells the story of a hopeful small town girl with big city dreams and an even bigger heart.

“My dream for this album is to reach the deep, deep wounds in the hearts of everyone who hears it,” says Spears. “I hope to connect with people through the pain I have experienced in my own life, only to help them see the hope I have found on the other side. From heartache to hope, I have been through a lot in my life, just like everyone else in the world. My goal is to help others find truth in the fact that no matter what they’ve gone through or what their situation is, there is always hope and they are never alone.”

For more information, visit www.hollyspears.com.

Christian Comedian Akintunde, returned as the “Off Camera Host” or “Warm Up Comedian”, as it is more commonly known within the Television Industry for this year’s “Stellar Awards” taping in Nashville TN at the historic Grand Ole Opry. Says the 18 year Stand Up veteran, “I’m like the third host, and it’s my job to keep people laughing and energized when the cameras are not rolling – to make the Broadcast Hosts’ job easier.”

No stranger to the Stellars, Akintunde Co-hosted this year’s “Stellar Awards Nominations Concert” live on the Gospel Music Channel (along side Gospel duo Trinitee 5:7), and will handle the responsibilities of breaking down the voting rules in this year’s 27th Annual Stellar Awards broadcast.

A lesser known fact, is that Akintunde, and his wife of 16 years, Eunissa, serve as Mentors to scores of youth through their “Blaze Mentoring” after school program. And this year’s ceremonies were even more special because many of their mentees accompanied them.

Additionally, Akintunde, Eunissa and their 5 children went to Nashville for the taping. Says The Assignment Agency Administrative Assistant Kiz Everette, “Our children were exposed to a life changing experience. They were propelled into another realm in thinking about possibilities available through Christ Jesus..” Staff, Parents, Family, and several Local Supporters went along and served as chaperones.

Speaking out for “life” has become more than a passion for Grammy® Award winning Christian singer and best-selling author, Rebecca St. James. She’s this week reminding America that this Sunday-January 22-is “Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.”

In a January 13, 1984 proclaimation, President Ronald Reagan designated the third Sunday of January as “National Sanctity of Human Life Day.” The date was chosen to coincide with the eleventh anniversary of the “Roe V. Wade” Supreme Court case that first recognized the constitutionally protected status of abortion in America.

In the now almost 40 years since “Roe v. Wade,” the nationally recognized Guttmacher Institute has recent statistics released in 2011 that estimate that more than 50 million abortions have taken place in the U.S.

Care Net, one of the leading national organizations on the frontlines for life through their network of more and 1,100 pregnancy centers, estimates that in 2012 alone, 3,300 women will wake up in America every day facing unplanned pregnancy and the belief that abortion is their only option.

Rebecca has used both her platform in national media and her lead role in the critically acclaimed 2009 pro life film “Sarah’s Choice,” to become intimately attached to the world of crisis pregnancy-both in word and deed. Her film work led to her growing interest in becoming involved with several major U.S. organizations on the forefront of promoting the choice for life, among them Care Net. Rebecca’s concert schedules have yearly increased to include a number of special events in support of crisis pregnancy and pro life.

Notes St. James:
“My passion for the pro-life message began when I attended a crisis pregnancy center fundraiser in Los Angeles. There I saw the incredible work of pregnancy centers; the children’s lives being saved, unmarried mothers finding the support they need to give life, wounded women receiving healing. I remember asking God to show me what I could do to help and He was not long in responding to that prayer. A couple months later, I was asked to play the lead role in the pro-life film, Sarah’s Choice and God also gave me a song for the film called ‘Little One”- a tribute to life. Since the release of the film in the fall of 2009, I have been singing at fundraisers for pregnancy centers and I cannot describe to you the incredible joy of being involved in this work.”

St. James is encouraged that recent statistics show Americans are supporting the pro life agenda in increasing numbers and emphasizes the crucial need to let their voices and funding make a difference.

“One of the things I have seen in being involved with the crisis pregnancy work across the board is that they have very limited resources,” noted St. James in a recent interview. “My real hope in doing “Sarah’s Choice” was that ultimately the film would be a resource that pregnancy centers could use-whether as a trailer, or showing the whole movie to the young women or the families of young women facing the issue of ‘choice.’ I am thrilled whenever we learn its being used as a tool of encouragement for someone to choose life for their unborn baby.”

On the ongoing efforts of those working to preserve the lives of the unborn, Rebecca feels strongly: “These are the real heroes of our time. Women are too often overwhelmed by life’s circumstances, believing there is no alternative, and they tragically end their pregnancies. I hope to help spread the message even wider that there is hope through the compassionate network of pregnancy centers who are every day through, their expressions of both practical support and God’s love, empowering women to choose life.”

This Sunday-January 22, 2012–Sanctity of Human Life Sunday-will be a reminder of that mission–and that hope.

For more information on the work of Care Net, resource: www.care-net.org

To see a clip from Rebecca’s film “Sarah’s Choice” watch video below.