Music World Gospel Recording artist Le’Andria Johnson’s debut CD, The Awakening of Le’Andria Johnson debuts at #1 on multiple music charts, including both the Billboard Top Gospel Album and the Top Christian/Gospel Album charts. The Awakening of Le’Andria Johnson also debuts at #1 on the Christian Music Trade Association’s (CMTA) Current Gospel Overall chart. The CD enters at #3 on Billboard’s Independent Record Label chart, #21 on the Billboard Overall Digital Albums chart and #26 on Billboard 200.

Le’Andria’s new single, “Jesus,” lands at #23 this week on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Song chart and was #1 Most Added Single with 11 adds. “Jesus” was Billboard’s #1 Most Increased Spins, #1 on the Most Added and Most Increased Spins List on the Gospel Indicator charts. A live video version of Le’Andria performing “Jesus” at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Nashville, TN (Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III) is now available on YouTube (see video below).

“We are profoundly thankful for the initial success of Le’Andria’s debut project,” said Mathew Knowles, founder, President and CEO of Music World Entertainment. “It shows the power of partnership between music labels and TV, when it is the right brand. We look forward to working with future Sunday Best winners and contestants. The feedback from retail has been extremely positive. And the reaction of the music-buying public is very encouraging. Le’Andria will have a worldwide platform to bring her music and her message to audiences near and far, and we believe she will continue to grow her fan base that she developed on Sunday Best.” After being out of the national spotlight for over a year, Le’Andria states “It feels good. To God be the glory.”

Recently named among the 15 Top Gospel Artists to watch on ESSENCE.com, Le’Andria has been on tour promoting her new CD across the country with church and concert appearances, as well as radio and press visits. She also performed in her hometown of Orlando, Florida, at the Cricket’s sponsored event at the National Baptist Convention, where over 60,000 people were in attendance. This week, Le’Andria appeared on the season 4 finale of BET’s Sunday Best, where she performed her new single and joined season 1 and season 2 winners, Crystal Aiken and Y’Anna Crawley, in a tribute performance to gospel icon Mahalia Jackson. This season’s airing of Sunday Best broke all records. Over 2.1 million viewers tuned in and the show ranks as the #1 telecast in franchise history. The show is the #1 cable competition show and Sunday’s #1 cable series among African Americans this year.

The Awakening of Le’Andria Johnson is receiving rave reviews. “The awe-inspiring qualities of Johnson’s voice that helped her snag the Sunday Best crown are evident on this debut effort,” said Mona Austin of EURWEB.com. “Listening to ‘Jesus’ is like jumping in the river of Jordan, from a music critic’s perspective. Le’Andria Johnson’s voice has revived hope for this generation of singers.”

“Her talent will blow you away,” said Pat McKay, Program Director of SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio Praise Channel. “I don’t doubt that Le’Andria owns her place in the present and the future of gospel. She defines it. Her wholesome, elegant, soaring, soulful voice finds, then fills, a beautiful and strong spot for anyone with ears.”

Le’Andria’s star-turn on Sunday Best was not an “overnight success” story. For the 29-year-old, twice divorced mother of three, it has been a long and often arduous journey to the spotlight in the gospel music industry. An accomplished singer and songwriter and an anointed praise and worship leader, Le’Andria was born in Orlando, Florida, but moved to the small town of Palatka, Florida, where her father Dr. G.A. Johnson, Sr., served as presiding Bishop of the Head Quarters (HQ) Ministries. She began singing at her father’s church at the age of six and became praise and worship leader when she was 16. At 17, she had her first performance before a major audience when she sang for 8,000 people at a conference sponsored by gospel legend Pastor Shirley Caesar. She also sang with gospel artists Luther Barnes, Jimmy Hicks and Voices of Integrity and the Williams Brothers.

CCM artist Laura Kaczor, who just recently enjoyed her first #17 hit song on Billboard’s Soft AC chart with Alive In You that stayed on the chart for eleven weeks, is poised to release her next single to radio, Yours Forever. The song will go for adds at radio on September 9th and the tune was co-written by Kaczor, Chad Cates and Don Koch, who also produced Kaczor’s new album, Love Enough. The project has led to Kaczor becoming known for her strong vocals and prolific songwriting.

“When I hear Laura’s voice, the following adjectives come to mind: light, effortless, compelling, and passionate,” says Chuck Heuberg, Music Director, KCFB/St. Cloud, MN. “Her lyrics are based on God’s Word, and that is foremost to us at THE WORD when choosing music to minister to our listeners. Laura’s music does that and so much more.”

“Yours Forever is a great follow-up to Laura’s Top 20 Billboard hit, Alive In You,” says Wendell Gafford, Owner, Creative Promotions. “It highlights the wonderful variety of the music found on Laura’s latest project, Love Enough. It’s also the first single released to radio that focuses on her passion for praise and worship. This single should continue to solidify Laura’s impact on the Soft AC/Inspirational format and strengthen her growing relationship with key programmers across the country.”

Yours Forever is a modern rendition of Psalm 100, according to Kaczor. “It’s a call to worship and a reminder that we are His people ‘the sheep of his pasture’ forever. And it reminds us that the only reason we can enter into His presence is because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, ‘while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ He paved the way and ultimately our response has to be one of complete surrender, embracing the new identity that He has given us in Christ, his people, forever! “

While radio and fans are embracing Kaczor’s music, media has also shown strong support for the new singer/songwriter. Kaczor has done interviews with NewReleaseTuesday.com, Control Track, Baptist Standard and WATC-TV, along with receiving great reviews for Love Enough.

NewReleaseTuesday.com – Laura Kaczor’s first nationally distributed release, Love Enough, is a high-patina nugget that showcases the multi-talented (author, speaker,) singer/song-writer/musician’s unmistakable talent.

CW’s Place – With her latest release, ‘Love Enough,’ Laura Kaczor continues to show that she has a real heart for serving the Lord, along with the talents necessary to put it to music.

Jay’s Musik Blog – Laura Kaczor’s gorgeous vocals, beautiful music, and Christ-centered lyrics make Love Enough a debut project you will not want to miss!

Kaczor was born and raised in Pennsylvania and at 8-years-old she first sang at a neighbor’s tap recital, at 10 she wrote her first song, and soon became active in theater and music programs at church and school. Being raised in a Christian home, Kaczor has had a personal relationship with Christ throughout her life but her faith was deepened at Creation Festival when she was 17 and first experienced contemporary worship. Worship became her heart and passion, and it was at that moment she knew she wanted to pursue a music ministry. Kaczor remained active with music and Campus Crusade during her college years at the University of Pennsylvania and seriously started writing songs while serving as worship leader for 7 years at Jesus Fest. It was during this time Kaczor recorded her first CD Wake Me Up with the Grammy-nominated producer, Anthony Newett. In 2006, after graduating from college, Kaczor moved to Nashville and recorded an EP Wildflowers in 2007 with John Carter Cash (Johnny and June Carter Cash’s son) at the Cash Cabin Studios. Three years later, Kaczor began work on Love Enough that was released in Fall 2010 and distributed through LifeThirst/indieExtreme/Universal Music Christian Group (UMCG). Kaczor is the founder of the national LifeThirst worship, evangelism, and teaching conferences and the Lift Up U girls national conferences. Kaczor is married and still lives in the Nashville area.

For more info on Kaczor and updates on her tour dates visit online at www.laurakaczor.com and www.facebook.com/laurakaczormusic.

One of the most highly anticipated Christmas concerts of the holiday season, Andrew Peterson’s Behold The Lamb Of God Tour, will launch December 1st, marking its twelfth successful year. Joining Peterson onstage will be his featured guests, singer/songwriters Jason Gray, Jill Phillips, Andy Gullahorn, Ben Shive and Andrew Osenga. The 15-city tour kicks-off in Huntsville, AL and concludes December 18th at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. A complete listing of the tour dates is available below and at www.andrew-peterson.com. Tickets will be available at local venues and online at www.itickets.com.

Peterson launched the Christmas tour in 1999 to present a musical rendition of the Christmas story and to reinforce the true meaning of the season. It was immediately embraced by fans nationwide because of the powerful performances, entertaining stories and the sense of community between Peterson and his guest artists. The result was multiple sold-out venues and yearly return engagements. In 2004, fan support led Peterson to record the album, Behold The Lamb Of God: The True Tall Tale Of The Coming Of Christ, and the project won the 2004 Best Album of the Year, World Christian Music Editor’s Award and was named by Rhapsody.com as one of the ten best Christian albums of the decade. In 2009, Peterson released a 2-disc 10th Anniversary Edition of the project that includes a remastered version of the original CD and a live recording of the Christmas concert from 2008.

2011 has proven to be one of Andrew Peterson’s most successful years to date. He will join Steven Curtis Chapman on his Songs & Stories Tour September 29 – November 3, and will host Hutchmoot 2011, his second annual arts conference in Nashville, September 22-25. The event sold out in an incredible six hours and will feature special guest, acclaimed New York Times best-selling author Sally Lloyd-Jones, who wrote The Jesus Storybook Bible. Peterson’s own literary project, The Monster In The Hollows, is the third installment in the Wingfeather Saga series and is already being hailed as a classic. His current CD, Counting Stars, is the highest selling album of his career and debuted at #1 on iTunes and #6 on Billboard magazine. The Top Ten single from the project, “Dancing In The Minefields,” remains a popular song and video with over 500,000 views online.

Peterson began his career in 1996 and signed with his first label, Watershed/Essential records in 1999. His first CD, Carried Along made CCM magazine’s list of Top Ten albums of 2000. In 2004, Peterson received his first Dove nomination for “Family Man” for Country Recorded Song of the Year. Peterson’s first project for Centricity Music in 2008, Resurrection Letters, Volume II, became the highest Billboard charting album of his career at the time. Peterson has also authored four children’s books, The Ballad of Matthew’s Begats, On the Edge of the Sea of Darkness, the 2010 Christy Award winner for Young Adult Fiction, North! Or Be Eaten and The Monster in the Hollows. Last year, Peterson hosted his first annual event with Hutchmoot 2010, a three-day conference for lovers of story, art, and music. The conference sold out in three weeks. For updates about Andrew Peterson please visit www.andrew-peterson.com or www.rabbitroom.com.

Behold The Lamb Of God Tour Dates:

12/1 – Huntsville, AL
12/2 – Louisville, KY
12/3 & 12/4 – Milford, OH
12/5 – Knoxville, TN
12/7 – Bullard, TX
12/8 – Wichita Falls, TX
12/9 – Cleburne, TX
12/10 – League City, TX
12/11 – Austin, TX
12/13 – Montgomery, AL
12/14 – Charlotte, NC
12/15 – Birmingham, AL
12/16 – Asheville, NC
12/17 – Durham, NC
12/18 – Nashville, TN

Christian music’s premiere rock band, Downhere, has once again been honored with multiple Covenant Award nominations from GMA Canada. The band received seven nominations in several prestigious categories; Artist of the Year, Group of the Year, Song of the Year (Let Me Rediscover You), Recorded Song of the Year (Let Me Rediscover You), Male Vocalist of the Year (Marc Martel), Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year (Let Me Rediscover You) and Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year (Two At A Time). The awards will be handed out at the Covenant Awards Banquet and Awards Show in Calgary on October 28th.

“No matter how long we’ve been at this, it’s always a huge encouragement to know that our fellow Canadians recognize our music and ministry as quality work to the glory of God,” says Downhere. “Our music is not only pop rock, but truly Canadian pop rock. Intentional appreciation of this kind is part of what keeps artists going in times like these, and we are grateful. We regret not being able to be at the ceremony in person among our peers, and wish our fellow nominees all the best in the year ahead.”

Downhere’s new CD, On The Altar Of Love that debuted on the Billboard album chart at #18, just released on August 23rd and wasn’t eligible for this year’s Covenant Awards. The first single, Let Me Rediscover You, did qualify and garnered three nominations. Marc Martel’s powerful vocals on Let Me Rediscover You propelled him into the Male Vocalist of the Year category for the first time, and is a double honor since Martel also wrote the nominated song. Currently, Downhere has won eleven Covenant Awards during their eleven year career.

On The Altar Of Love has received strong media support with rave reviews immediately upon the album’s release. The project is being hailed as another masterpiece with catchy lyrics that still contain deep spiritual meaning, which are surrounded by standout vocals.

For more updates on Downhere please visit their website, www.downhere.com and become part of their active fanbase blogs at downhomie palooza.

During their illustrious eleven-year career, Downhere has garnered 11 Covenant Awards, 3 Juno Awards and a Dove Award for Modern Rock Recorded Song of the Year. Fans and radio continue to keep their singles at the top of the charts with “Here I Am” and “Hope Is Rising” peaking at #5 and #17 on the AC charts, while “My Last Amen” peaked at #5 on the CHR charts. All of the songs are from Downhere’s previous project Ending Is Beginning that media heralded as their strongest studio album at that time. While Downhere was songwriting for On The Altar Of Love, Centricity Music released Two At A Time that featured 9-B sides and 2 brand new songs, including their last single, “You’re Not Alone.” For more information on Downhere please visit their website, www.downhere.com or www.myspace.com/downhere.

About Centricity Music

Centricity Music is an independent recording and publishing company based in Bellevue, Washington and Nashville, Tennessee. The company’s mission is to enable our artists to create life-changing experiences for the world. Centricity Music’s artist roster includes Jaime Jamgochian, Downhere, Jason Gray, Andrew Peterson, Aaron Shust, High Valley, Sixteen Cities and Me In Motion. For more information about Centricity Music visit online at www.centricitymusic.com.

Clear Sight Music has released the self-titled debut album from newcomer V.Rose. In stores on August 16th through Infinity Music Distribution, V.Rose fuses relevant pop, rock and dance styles with Gospel saturated lyrics, specifically targeted to fans of Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez.

Born in Sacramento, California, V.Rose began singing as a child, and at just 15 years of age she was one half of the pop duo Harmony, which was signed to noted production house Spechouse Media. After appearing on two tracks on FLAME’s #1 Billboard release Captured (Clear Sight Music, 2010), including the hit single and music video “Surrender,” V.Rose was signed to Clear Sight Music.

“During my teenage years, I felt the Lord calling me to create relevant, Christ-centered music to reach the world, especially my peers,” says V. Rose. The result is her debut album, which tackles the issues facing young girls today head on, addressing the struggles with confidence and identity issues that she battled in her own life as a teen. “I never thought that I was pretty or smart enough, and I was always looking for someone to follow or be like. Thankfully, my commitment to God kept me on the straight and narrow.”

At just 22, V.Rose has already shared the stage with the likes of Group 1 Crew, Marvin Sapp, The Katinas, Deitrick Haddon and labelmate FLAME, and television viewers may recognize her from appearances and video airplay on JCTV, GMC, TBN and more.

Clear Sight Music has launched an extensive radio promotion campaign, with the singles “Christian Girl” and “Battery (featuring FLAME)” headed to CHR formats, while “Not So Average” is spinning at AC stations. A music video for “Not So Average” has also just been released.

Produced by Lamontt “SPEC” Blackshire, V.Rose features an all-star list of players, including Lance Tolbert (Mariah Carey, Keri Hilson), Kay-ta Matsuno (3 Doors Down, David Foster), Joey Bumpus (Lady GaGa, Chris Brown), John Katina of The Katinas and GRAMMY, Dove and Stellar Award nominated artist FLAME.

For more information, visit http://www.clearsightmusic.com.

To say Jackson’s ministry started two years ago would be a fact. In many ways, however, it started 46 years ago when he was born, 22 years ago when he met his wife and nine years ago in the Bahamas.

Jackson was born in a Catholic home, played in a Catholic youth basketball league and attended Catholic high school and college St. John’s. But he wasn’t much for going to church services, and he wasn’t “born again.”

That changed soon after Desiree Coleman, a successful Broadway performer and R&B singer, caught his eye on TV. One look, and Jackson told his roommate he had found his wife – well before he had met the singer.

After Coleman turned him down twice, including an offer that included a first-class flight to Houston and courtside tickets at the 1989 NBA All-Star Game he was playing in, Jackson finally got a first date. But Coleman’s full approval of Jackson didn’t come at the dinner table or the movie theater of their first date, but in the closing minutes in his car – when she broke down her definition of salvation and he committed to it. They were married in 1990.

“I wasn’t a bad kid,” Jackson said. “I didn’t have any drugs or drinking in my background. I didn’t have anything crazy in my background. I was a college graduate. I bought my parents a house and a car. I loved my family. I was doing things the right ways, but, according to my belief, I was still on my way to hell.

“My life and my afterlife changed that night.”

Read the full story on MSN Fox Sports

Spoiler Alert!! Amber Bullock wins!  But find out how she won over the spirit filled Andrea Helms.  It was truly a great season 4 of Sunday’s Best.

Verizon Wireless returns with the annual How Sweet The Sound Choir Competition, searching for the nation’s top church choir. Now in its third year, the tour kicks off on Sept. 15 in Dallas, TX at the American Airlines Center.

The tour and competition will make stops in Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington, DC, Detroit, St. Louis, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Oakland.

Donald Lawrence returns as the event’s host with CeCe Winans as co-host and Dorinda Clark-Cole handling co-hosting duties in selected cities. Marvin Sapp returns as the tour’s resident celebrity judge. Other celebrity judges throughout the tour include Byron Cage, Beverly Crawford, James Fortune, Ricky Dillard, Kurt Carr, Fred Hammond, Richard Smallwood, Shirley Caesar, Mary Mary, and Israel Houghton.  Visit www.howsweetthesound.com for more information.

2011 Tour Schedule:

A new date has been set for the dedication ceremony of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C., following its postponement in August due to Hurricane Irene.

The ceremony will take place on the National Mall on Oct. 16, and a formal announcement is expected this week, The Associated Press reports.

The dedication was planned to coincide with the 48th anniversary of King’s “I Have A Dream” speech on Aug. 28, but organizers indefinitely postponed the event because of safety concerns regarding the high winds and rains from Irene.

The newly appointed date also marks the 16th anniversary of the Million Man March on the National Mall. The mass march occurred in 1995 and attempted to inspire African-American men to improve their lives.

The 1964 Nobel Peace Prize winner is featured with a stern gaze and crossed arms in the 30-foot memorial. Each side of the statue bears a wall inscribed with 14 quotations from King’s writings and speeches.

King, murdered in 1968 in Memphis, Tenn., will be the first person of color to be honored with a memorial on the National Mall.

Click link to read full story on Christian Post.com

Christian educational channel NRB Network has announced the addition of church history documentaries from Lukas Media to its Thursday primetime lineup. Starting on September 29th and leading up to Reformation Day is a five-part series entitled The Spreading Flame which chronicles the Protestant Reformation and sheds light on the history of the English Bible. Each installment features beautiful footage of historical sites and will air Thursday nights at 8:30 pm ET with rebroadcasts at 12:30 am ET for west coast viewing. Other quality films about church history are scheduled to begin on September 15th and continue through November. NRB Network is seen on DIRECTV channel 378, Sky Angel channel 126 and can be streamed live at www.nrbnetwork.tv.

The first program in the The Spreading Flame series entitled Comes the Dawn introduces the key figures and describes the cultural context that set the stage for the Protestant Reformation. The second episode, Story of the Bible, traces the history of the English Bible and how it laid the foundation for our scriptures today. Parts three and four of the series, Champions of Freedom and Winds of Change, profile leading reformers John Knox and Ulrich Zwingli and explain how the movement advanced in Scotland and Switzerland amidst persecution and martyrdom. The final installment, The Reformation Comes of Age, highlights the life and ministry of John Calvin and the Reformation’s progress in England following the death of Henry VIII. The series begins September 29th and ends on October 27th.

Preceding the broadcast of the The Spreading Flame series are two other Lukas films. On Thursday, September 15th, A Pilgrim’s Progress takes viewers on an insightful journey into the life and ministry of John Bunyan. Friends in Jesus, which airs on September 22nd, tells the moving stories behind the classic hymns What a Friend We Have in Jesus and There’s a Green Hill Far Away. Both programs can be seen at 9 pm ET (and overnight at 1 am ET for west coast viewers).

The new film offerings mark an expansion of NRB Network’s ongoing relationship with Lukas Media, a leading distributor of Christian films with thousands of titles available for purchase on their website.

“Our motto is ‘Healthy Movies, Healthy Minds, Healthy Hearts’. As a company focused on delivering quality films that reflect Christian values, we at Lukas Media are thrilled to partner with NRB Network as a content provider,” said Dr. Enis Sakirgil, owner of Lukas Media.

To learn more about the The Spreading Flame series or Lukas Media, visit www.familychristianmovies.com. For a complete listing of NRB Network shows and air times, visit www.nrbnetwork.tv/schedules.