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Coming this October, the Church of God in Christ will host its 104th Holy Convocation in St. Louis, Missouri, and its expected to be the biggest convention of 2011 in the city.
The St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission says the 2010 convocation attracted 35,000 attendees that spent upwards of $35 million during the eight-day event. This year’s attendance is expected to supersede numbers in the past, positively impacting the local economy.
Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr. explains that this convention will be an opportunity for the members of COGIC to “set down our buckets to receive the latter rain of inspiration, instruction and the work of ministry.” The convocation is a time for the delegates to experience great speakers and some of the greatest Gospel music singers in the nation.
The official Holy Convocation website has just launched and includes up-to-date information about the 104th Holy Convocation, including a list of events, speakers and musical artists for the week.
The event will take place Oct. 31-Nov 9 this fall.
Visit www.cogic.org and click on the Holy Convocation banner for additional information.
The official Stellar Awards second & final ballot will be available for online public voting at www.thestellarawards.com starting Monday, September 19th through Monday October 17th. Your vote on the final second round will determine the four finalists for each of the Stellar Awards categories.
Many of the entries in the categories from the first ballot were tied for votes, therefore, in the interest of fairness; all of the entries in some categories are included on the second ballot. Your vote is critical in determining the Nominees for the Stellar Awards.
Important Upcoming Dates
October 29, 2011 – Live Stellar Awards Press Conference on GMC (Gospel Music Channel) to announce the 2011 – 2012 Stellar Awards Nominees for each category. The taping is free to the public. Please check www.thestellarawards.com after October 1, 2011 for details to attend.
October 29, 2011 – November 15, 2011 – Public voting for the categories of Gospel Announcer of the Year & Internet Radio Station of the Year.
January 14, 2012 – 27th Annual Stellar Awards Taping – Grand Ole Opry House Nashville, TN
Le’Andria Johnson, winner of season three of BET’s Sunday Best, has debuted at #1 with her first solo album, The Awakening of Le’Andria Johnson. Le’Andria also hit #3 on the Independent Albums chart, #21 on the Digital Albums chart and #26 on the Billboard Top 200. Congratulations to Le’Andria Johnson!
Also making a strong debut is the Group 21:03 who debuted at #12 with their new album ‘Evolved.’
Check out the full top 10…
1 | Le’Andria Johnson – The Awakening of Le’Andria Johnson… 2 | Kirk Franklin – Hello Fear 3 | Isaac Carree – Uncommon Me 4 | WOW Gospel 2011 5 | Dorinda Clark Cole – I Survived 6 | Donald Lawrence – YRM (Your Righteous Mind) 7 | Mary Mary – Something Big 8 | Earnest Pugh – Earnestly Yours 9 | PRo – Dying to Live 10 | Marvin Sapp – Playlist: The Very Best of Marvin Sapp
The legendary Grammy Award nominated gospel singer and pastor of Toledo, Ohio’s New Bethel Church (COGIC), Dr. Rance Allen, has been nominated and approved by to the General Board of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) to succeed the late Bishop Alfred D. Knight, Jr. as the Jurisdictional Prelate of the Michigan Northwestern Harvest Jurisdiction. Following Episcopal Training at COGIC Headquarters in Memphis, TN in October 2011, Dr. Allen will be consecrated as Bishop of the 104th Holy Convocation in St. Louis, Missouri on November 7, 2011.
It’s been a year of milestones for Dr. Allen as his groundbreaking group, The Rance Allen Group, marked its 40th anniversary with the Top 10 CD/DVD, “The Live Experience II: Celebrating 40 Years of Music and Ministry” (Tyscot Records). Outside of including two medleys of their past hits, the new eleven-song set was recorded live at Detroit’s Greater Grace Temple. It’s comprised of future classics such as the first radio single, “You That I Trust,” and “Angel.” Making cameo appearances on this musical merry-go-round are Gospel’s First Lady, Shirley Caesar; veteran gospel star Vanessa Bell Armstrong; and The Christianaires’ Paul Porter. The new radio single, “Holy One,” a praise and worship ballad, is currently making its way up the gospel radio airplay charts.
The Rance Allen Group was born in their grandfather’s Monroe, MI church in the 1960s. They began recording for Stax Records in 1971 where they made a string of gritty, R&B-flavored gospel and message songs for the Gospel Truth imprint. They toured with the big R&B artists of the day such as Isaac Hayes and Barry White, and literally took the gospel to the world. From there, the group recorded for a variety of labels and scored their first #1 gospel album in 1991 with the “Phenomenon” CD that featured the crossover R&B smash, “Miracle Worker.” Allen closed out the 1990s performing in a variety of gospel-oriented touring play productions but the group signed with Tyscot Records in 2002 and kicked off a new string of hits such as “Do Your Will,” “Closest Friend,” “For Your Feet,” and the Kirk Franklin duet, “Something About The Name Jesus.”
After 50 years of being together with the Mighty Clouds of Joy,Joe Ligon and Richard Wallace have decided to pursue other avenues in the gospel music industry and will no longer be working together. The legendary lead singer, Joe Ligon, will continue touring all over the world and recording as Joe Ligon and the Mighty Clouds of Joy. All of the members – Johnny Valentine, Ron Staples, Michael McCowin, Ron Clark, Ervin Williams and Ulysses McKiver who have worked with the group for years will continue to tour with Joe.
One of the greatest gospel groups of all time, Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame Inductees, Gospel Hall of Fame Inductees, Image Award winners, 11 time Grammy Nominee and 3 time Grammy award winning Mighty Clouds of Joy have been singing and traveling for over 50 plus years. Their hits include “I been in the Storm Too Long”, “Ride the Mighty High”, “Steal Away”, “Bright Side”, “Heavy Load”, and “I’m a Living Testimony”. They have toured with the Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Earth Wind & Fire, Kirk Franklin and many others.
“I wish Richard the best in whatever endeavors he chooses to embark on in the future”, said Joe Ligon. “It was time for me to take a different path in my life”.
Stryper frontman and accomplished solo artist Michael Sweet announced his departure from legendary rock band BOSTON today, in order to devote his full attention to his longstanding role as the lead vocalist and lead guitarist for multi-platinum rock outfit Stryper – a band he co-founded in 1983. Sweet joined BOSTON in 2008, sharing lead vocals and playing guitar on a headlining tour of North America, performing the band’s classic hits like “More than a Feeling,” “Peace of Mind,” “Amanda” and “Don’t Look Back.”
Following the BOSTON tour, Stryper released the 2009 studio album Murder by Pride (featuring a cover of BOSTON’s “Peace of Mind”), which led to a yearlong world tour with all of the original members. In 2010, Stryper released The Covering, and another world tour recently concluded. Stryper is currently in the studio working on an untitled release for 2011, with tour dates already announced for this fall.
“My focus and my loyalty lies with Stryper, the band that I’ve committed almost thirty years of my life to,” says Sweet. “The guys in Stryper are my brothers and I’m excited about our future together. The music of BOSTON helped shape who I am as an artist, and the opportunity to be a part of their musical legacy is overwhelming. It’s been an honor to share the stage with them, and a bigger honor to call them my friends.”
In addition to the increasing demands for Stryper, Sweet has been spending some of his time off the road in Nashville, writing with A-list songwriters such as Blair Daly (Rascal Flatts, Uncle Kracker, Lynyrd Skynyrd), Luke Laird (Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw), Britton Cameron (Steel Magnolia, Lonestar, Eden’s Edge) and others.
“I’ve always loved the writing process and to be able to collaborate with some of the greatest writers in Nashville is an absolutely amazing experience for me,” explains Sweet. “I’m looking forward to many more successful trips to Music City.”
Stryper has sold more than 8 million albums worldwide. The group’s unprecedented 1986 album To Hell with the Devil went double-platinum and was named one of the “100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music” by CCM Magazine.
When Shonlock’s full-length debut release NEVERODDOREVEN (Arrow Records/Universal Music Christian Group) was released on June 21, 2011, the artist, previously best known for his ongoing gig as part of TobyMac’s Diverse City, stepped up to a mic that was all his own. With the success of his first two radio singles and an increased demand for touring, Shonlock will depart from TobyMac’s touring outfit at the end of this month to devote his full attention to his own artistry.
Shonlock’s debut single, “Something In Your Eyes,” became one of this year’s biggest radio hits, holding the #1 spot on Billboard’s CHR Chart, where it remained for seven straight weeks. The follow-up single, “Hello,” is currently #5 and climbing, and a music video will be shot in the coming weeks.
With a lengthy tour schedule for the remainder of 2011, Shonlock will next hit the road on this fall’s “Outta Space Love Tour” with Group 1 Crew, Rachael Lampa and Rapture Ruckus. He spent the summer performing at major festivals, including Creation East, Creation West, Ignite Festival, Heaven Fest and Rock the Desert.
“My band and I have been invited to a lot of festivals, and the crowds have been amazing,” says Shonlock. “It feels good to be able to share what God has given me with such large and attentive audiences. It’s fun to see the reactions people have when they finally put the face with the songs. I love it!”
The excitement about one of Christian music’s most promising new artists extends to the media, where the reception has been overwhelmingly positive. “The acclaimed choreographer (Arrested Development, Aaliyah) turned member of TobyMac’s Diverse City Band is even more talented as a solo artist, dropping one of the rap/rock scene’s most compelling concoctions this year,” said Andy Argyrakis for television network GMC’s Web site.
“If one had to name the freshest urban Christian music album so far in 2011, this one’s a lock,” said mega-site Crosswalk.com. According to TheBlackGospelBlog.com, “Shonlock may well be the breakout Christian artist of the year,” while JesusFreakHideout.com declared the songs to be “extremely creative and some of the best musical artistry that I’ve heard in a while.”
“At the end of the day, I just want to fulfill the plans that God has for my life,” says Shonlock. “I want to use everything He’s put in me to point people to Him regardless of music genre or ethnicity, and remain focused on the things that bring us together rather than the things that keep us apart.”
220/Universal recording artist Rachael Lampa will celebrate the upcoming release of her album All We Need with a free concert event at Nashville’s famed 12th & Porter concert venue on Monday, September 26th. The event will kick-off at 5:30pm with a live performance by Lampa, followed by a live viewing of Lampa’s debut on NBC’s The Sing-Off at 7:00pm.
Lampa will appear on Season 3 of the hit series as part of The Collective, a group of Nashville vocalists that was formed specifically to compete in the upcoming season. In recent weeks, Lampa has been in Los Angeles taping the series, while simultaneously promoting her highly anticipated upcoming album, which hits stores on September 27th. The first single, “Remedy,” is available at iTunes, and Lampa will hit the road this fall with Group 1 Crew, Shonlock and Rapture Ruckus for the Outta Space Love Tour.
“I’m so excited to share my heart and the stories behind some of my favorite songs on the record as well as play many of them for the first time,” says Lampa. “Plus, we get to watch my first episode of The Sing Off with my group, The Collective. I can’t wait to share this night with everyone!”
About Rachael Lampa
In 2000, at just 15 years old, Lampa skyrocketed onto the pop scene amassing an unprecedented nine Top 10 singles (four at #1) while touring heavily (with Destiny’s Child, Boyz II Men, Nickel Creek, Stacie Orrico, Amy Grant and Vince Gill, among others) and making high profile appearances on The Tonight Show, The View, Entertainment Tonight, E! and Extra, as well as gracing the pages of Teen People, CCM Magazine and many more. She explored acting with a supporting role in the 2006 film Hidden Secrets, opposite John Schneider (Dukes of Hazzard, Smallville) and joined American Idol winner Jordin Sparks on tour in 2010 as a background vocalist on her tours with the Jonas Brothers and Britney Spears. For more information, visit www.rachaellampa.com.
The trials that Aaron Shust and his wife dealt with during his 2-year-old son Nicky’s illness really had an impact on Aaron’s songwriting for the new project.
Nicky was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis, a rare and extremely painful condition, and he was unable to take in any nutrition. Doctors tried multiple food formulas but his body rejected all of them. He had to spend months in the hospital. Finally, when the last available option was tried, his body accepted it. But he still had to be fed through a tube that bypassed his stomach. Doctors further explained that Nicky would have to be on steroids for the rest of his life to manage the pain, so the Shust’s began researching the negative side effects of each steroid. That’s when Nicky’s doctor contacted them with stunning news: their son’s tests had come back normal. It was as if he’d never even had the condition. What was considered to be a permanent disease seemed to have disappeared. The doctor could offer no explanation as to why. But the Shust’s were confident they’d just received a miracle.
It’s a powerful story and a powerful CD, with the first single already #11 at AC Indicator and #21 AC Monitor. But I’d rather you hear Nicky’s story from Aaron himself. Watch Video below.
Centricity Music has announced an exciting new tour for this fall that features three of their artists…. Downhere, Aaron Shust and Jason Gray. World Vision presents The Called To Love Tour that launches October 1st and runs through November 13th. All three artists are releasing new projects this fall; Aaron Shust This Is What We Believe (8/23), Downhere, On The Altar Of Love (8/23), and Jason Gray A Way To See In The Dark (9/13). The teaming of these popular and high-profile artists will bring audiences a meaningful and fun evening of worship and music.
“This will be my 6th tour with Downhere, a group of guys that I not only respect and love, but also have lived a lot of life with them on the road,” says Jason Gray. “I’m a fan. I love their new record and am grateful that I get to be part of sharing it with their audience. I’ve gotten to know Aaron over the past year, too – a humble man of God who pursues excellence in his passion to honor God. I’m excited to get to know him better and am grateful to be a part of this exciting chapter of his ministry. I’m honored to be in such great company and it will be fun for us to all share in celebrating the release of our new records. That we get to serve Jesus together while also partnering with World Vision is more than I should hope for, but am grateful. The only problem is that sharing the stage with such excellent people will mean I’ll have to work harder. Thanks a lot guys – why do you have to be so awesome?!”
“Any time we get to hit the road with our music, we consider it a privilege and a joy,” adds Marc Martel, leader singer, Downhere. “When we get to go out with good friends like Jason Gray and Aaron Shust, it is even more rewarding, giving the fans a unified, well-rounded experience with performers who not only share the same bus, but also the same heart and vision.”
“I couldn’t agree more with Marc and Jason; chemistry is so important when doing Kingdom work,” says Aaron Shust. ”Even though what we do is described as ‘playing’, an artist’s work can be emotionally draining, so having like-minded brothers to walk with on the journey and pour back into your life is a blessing. I’m so grateful to have those relationships in my band and on this tour with Jason Gray and Downhere.”
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For more information, visit www.worldvision.org.
