Joel and Victoria Osteen, pastors of Houston-based Lakewood Church, have been slapped with a $3 million copyright infringement lawsuit by a little known New York band named The American Dollar.

The legal dispute centers on a song by band mates Richard Cupolo and John Emanuele, titled “Signaling Through the Flames,” which the Osteens used in television commercials for their DVD, “Supernatural.” The plaintiffs and their publishing company, Yesh Music, claim the pastors used the song without permission.

The songwriting duo signed an agreement last year that allowed use of their song by the Osteens and Lakewood but the agreement was only for one year and expired back in February, according to the plaintiff’s lawyer, Jarrett Ellzey. The band claims that the church has been using the song after the agreement expired.

Ellzey acknowledged to Houston Press that his clients were told by their publisher that their song would be marketed to a few megachurches. But the pair did not know, the lawyer said, that Lakewood, America’s largest church, would be one of the targets.

“They don’t want to be tied to a global televangelist for the rest of their careers, and a controversial one at that,” Ellzey told the local publication.

Despite their licensing agreement with the Osteens and Lakewood, the suit by Cupolo and Emanuele, and their publisher, asserts that “Yesh is not affiliated with any religious groups or political organizations, and does not desire to have its music associated with Defendants,” as reported by Houston Press.

Ellzey also said that the band cleared their song for use by the Osteens and Lakewood in a streaming web video and in live performance, but not in any video of those live performances.

The songwriters say they are asking for $3 million in damages because the 58-second clip of their instrumental “contributed to the success of the Defendant’s DVD and their marketing campaigns for other products, and substantially increased revenues and profits” for the Osteens and Lakewood, according to Houston Press.

In response, Lakewood spokesman Don Ilof said the two musicians are “apparently confused about the scope of the license, and are now demanding $3 million for uses that are authorized. We think this is unreasonable,” as reported by click2houston.com.

Iloff also told the Houston Chronicle that the church did not realize its licensing agreement had expired and offered to renew it before the band filed suit. “Now they’re asking for $3 million,” he said. “They see deep pockets.”

Lakewood Church in Houston is the largest church in the country with more than 40,000 weekly attendees.

Via Christian Post.com

Bishop Eddie Long accusers Jamal Parris and Spencer LaGrande have broken their silence for the first time since a financial settlement was reached in the case.  Speaking to Atlanta WSBTV Channel 2, the young men reveal additional details about their relationship with the Mega-church Pastor, which included how the touching and manipulation intensified throughout their relationship.  

The two announced plans to release a tell all book that they hope will help other people recognize the warning signs of abuse.  

The book could come at a stiff price if they decide to go forth with it.  As apart of the settlement (rumored to be as much as 25 million) the 4 accusers were not supposed to discuss the details surrounding the case.  Representing two out of the now 5 accusers, Jamal and Spenser said that they didn’t care about the money and that it was never about the money.  At the end of the interview, Parris defiantly challenges Bishop Eddie Long as it relates to coming after the settlement money.  “If you keep fighting me again, I’m going to embarrass you again,” Parris angrily says.    

Eddie Long’s Response:

New Birth Members,

We have a long history of dutifully serving those in need in the local and global communities and we will continue to do so. We are committed to the calling of a strong, viable and relevant ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, we are in the media again and people are wondering what I am going to say. All I have to say is what we stated earlier. All parties involved decided to resolve the civil cases out of court. The decision was made to bring closure to this matter and allow us to move forward with the plans God has for this ministry.

I will continue to honor and abide by my commitment of confidentiality and restraint as it relates to the resolution of the civil litigation and will not be diverted from the important work of the ministry.

I thank God for your faithful support of my journey to South Africa where thousands where blessed and more than 700 people gave their lives to Christ. We also were able to sow more support into the HIV/AIDS Hospice in Johannesburg that we partnered with last year. We built a wonderful bridge of relationships with pastors and community leaders to further establish the Kingdom and bless others.

I love you and thank you for your continued commitment and dedication.

Your Pastor,

Bishop Eddie L. Long

Sunday’s Best gospel music competition is down to Amber Bullock and Andrea Helms! It is now up to America to pick a winner.

Be sure to make your voice heard by voting. You will have until Saturday, September 10th to to vote. The winner will be announced on Sunday, September 4th.

Voting methods:

1. Online– http://www.bet.com/shows/sunday-best/games/sunday-best-finale-voting.html

2. Phone– 1-888-5-BEST-01 for Andrea Helms and 1-888-5-BEST-02 for Amber Bullock

3. Text– For $0.99 per vote, text the promoted keyword associated with the contestant to 53055 (1 for contestant 1, or 2 for contestant 2). Only send the text keyword to the short code 53055.

To see both contestants perform watch last weeks final episode before one of these ladies is crowned Sunday’s Best!

This week, Kirk Franklin’s Hello Fear regains the #1 position on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart, after Donald Lawrence debuted at #1 last week with his new project, YRM (Your Righteous Mind).

 Donald Lawrence now follows at #2, with the WOW Gospel 2011 project at #3, Mary Mary’s Something Big at #4, and Earnest Pugh rounding out the top 5.

The full top 10 at Billboard:

1 | Kirk Franklin – Hello Fear
2 | Donald Lawrence – YRM (Your Righteous Mind)
3 | WOW Gospel 2011
4 | Mary Mary – Something Big
5 | Earnest Pugh – Earnestly Yours
6 | Pastor James R. Adams – Times of Refreshing
7 | Richard Smallwood – Promises
8 | Deitrick Haddon – Church on the Moon
9 | Lecrae – Rehab
10 | Various Artists – Gospel’s Best Worship

By: Sheilah Belle — Plans for Sunday’s dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial on the National Mall have been postpone until September or October due to Hurricane Irene which is expected to hit the D.C. area by late Saturday or early Sunday.

As a result Hurricane Irene dashed hopes of paying tribute to the late civil rights activist on the 48th anniversary of his “I Have a Dream” speech.

In an email, Executive architect Ed Jackson Jr. stated that the hurricane bearing down on the East Coast had forced the postponement of the dedication originally planned for 11 a.m. Sunday. President Barack Obama was to have been one of the scheduled speakers at beside the King sculpture erected on a 4-acre site in the nation’s capital.

Harry Johnson, the president of the foundation that built the memorial, said at a subsequent news conference that he decided Thursday afternoon to postpone the dedication after studying the weather forecasts indicating Irene would potentially make weather conditions unsafe for visitors. He also said a Saturday black-tie gala event also has been postponed.

“We all are saddened by this. I remained optimistic all day, but Mother Nature is Mother Nature,” Johnson said at a news conference called at the Washington Convention Center.

But he added, “The memorial is going to be there forever.”

The forecasts threatened heavy winds and rains in Washington as Irene was expected to take an unpredictable path up the East Coast this coming weekend, the weather service said.

Organizers had previously said they expected to draw up to 250,000 people for what was to have been a tribute and celebration of the King legacy. The memorial was to have been dedicated on the 48th anniversary of King’s famous speech delivered less than a mile away on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

The hurricane was only the second disruption or organizers who also had to contend with a rare East Coast earthquake on Tuesday.

The 5.8-magnitude earthquake that caused a crack on the upper part of the Washington Monument had forced organizers to change a venue for a Saturday event celebrating the memorial’s dedication. An interfaith service had been planned Saturday the National Cathedral, but that landmark building suffered damages from falling capstones from the quake centered in neighboring Virginia.

Located between monuments to Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson, King’s memorial is the first monument on the National Mall honoring a black leader. The memorial is a 30-foot-tall sculpture in which King appears to emerge from granite carved to resemble the sides of a mountain. The memorial faces southeast across the Tidal Basin from the Jefferson Memorial and was sculpted by Chinese artist Lei Yixin. Jackson did much of the planning for the memorial over the past 15 years.

Christian comedian AKINTUNDE’s radio show is taking off!  AKINTUNDE’s new show “The Akintunde Show” was recently announced in syndication by the Life Radio Network. 

Akintunde interviews Comedian Chris Tucker who talks openly about his faith, and turning down movie roles because of it.

Shei Atkins’ letter to Da South.com announcing her departure out of Gospel music to R&B, read like an exit letter to the church.  Clearly trying to scorn the churches perception of what Gospel music should be.  The edited, primed, and prepped letter got me stirring as I tried to reason with an artist that clearly had one foot in and one foot out of Gospel music her entire career.  

There are a lot of factors surrounding Atkin’s departure of Gospel music, (and I will allude to some of those in a moment) but Shei seems to rationalize the industry in a manner that seems oppressive to Christian artists. 

“The messed up thing about the Christian community is that there is a religious and judgmental mentality inside of it that holds us back and keeps us from loving people when it comes to music,” writes Shei Atkins.

From an industry perspective Shei Atkins was appreciated, but yet justifiably wrong as it pertains to her marketability in the genre.  Furthermore, criticism of the church, Christians, her fans, and the industry were a stretch at best.

Shei Akins was celebrated in the Gospel community for such songs as “He Can Fix It” and “Lord I Love You,” which garnered much radio play, she also received backlash for songs that weren’t Gospel radio-friendly.

The local Houston product Shei Atkins is admired by many in the city of Houston where she resides.  Often singing and ministering to youth ministries across the country.  I Attended several engagements in which she ministered at and you can tell that she has a real passion for the Lord.  However, I’ve listened to several songs that she was featured on that made me wonder if she was ever a Gospel artist at all.  Even hearing her boast about the songs and secular artists she worked with in front of Christian teens.

At the same time Shei was being marketed to the Gospel community, Shei was furthering her secular brand by singing with secular rap artists like LiL Flip promoting trunk banging, cars, and a secular lifestyle.  Shei throws many scriptures around in her letter below, including Luke 5:10 that says, “Fear not, from now on you will be fishing for people.”  Another scripture I want to share with Ms. Atkins is “Come out from among them, and be ye separate.” -2 Corinthians 6:17.  That’s what we as Christians are called to do.  Come out from the world!  You can’t insult the intelligence of radio programmers and radio hosts by playing Gospel music from artists that will cause the station un-wanted backlash.  You can look no further than Tonex, AKA “B-Slade” as a prime example.  After his industry hating rampage, almost all of his music was pulled out of rotation with the exception of “Make me Over” which is such a powerful song it’s hard for radio to let it go.  Lead industry executive and Vice President of Verity Records Jazzy Jordan said, “Tonex made the decision easy.” When talking about Verity’s decision to drop Tonex from the label when he famously publicly said to Path MEGAzine that he was not a Gospel artist.  Jordan paraphrases that he signed up to promote a Gospel artist, and since Tonex was not that the decision was made.  

So my question is what did Shei Atkins expect to happen?  Gospel sales through the roof, and a budding secular fan club?  That’s not how the industry, God, or the fans work.  The equation that this adds up to is confused fans + hesitant industry executives = ministry showing little fruit.  ie: low sales.

Shei Atkins is no stranger to either industry doing background vocals for Kelly Rowland (formerly of Destiny’s Child) and making music with big names over the last decade.  It’s not within reason to believe that Shei could leave Gospel and have a flourishing and rewarding R&B career.  Her talent is amicable.  It’s also within reason to believe that she will be effective ministering in the world of R&B with both R&B and inspirational tracks on her album.  But in Gospel, love tracks and Gospel tracks on the same album don’t traditionally go over well with listeners.  I like music that talks about the beauty of love, and see nothing wrong with it.  However if I’m in worship or reflecting on my problems in a biblical manner, I don’t want the next track to be about a women scorned by her unappreciative lover.  I’m just saying!

When I let go of my secular business aspirations and put God first that was when God prospered my business.  I understand Shei feels this is her calling and I wish her the best, but don’t go out in a blaze of glory with a letter that asks for love but yet it’s wrapped in anger.  

Gospel must continue to be separate from the world, saying the word “Jesus” in its merchandise and performances.  It’s viability and creditability depends on it.  Fred Hammond, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Take 6 and others have sought love projects and thats fine.  BUT they were entirely love projects and there were no surprises as to what you were buying.

You can read an excerpt from Shei’s letter below, and read the rest on DaSouth.com by clicking here.

Shei Atkins Letter Excerpt:

My music can’t be put in a box. When it comes down to business, labels want to know how they will be able to market you and make money with your product no matter what your personal vision is. My tolerance level was getting low with the judgment. I had fans who loved me on one side and people condemning me on the other side calling me worldly, pulling me to the side at some of my shows about my hair color, sending in mean letters, etc. I understand that everyone wouldn’t see my vision, but it got to the point to where I just wanted to give up. I wasn’t doing anything wrong, BUT I wasn’t embraced by gospel all the way, and looking back, I can see where the confusion came in.

The messed up thing about the Christian community is that there is a religious and judgmental mentality inside of it that holds us back and keeps us from loving people when it comes to music. When I took my time off to pray and get clarity of my purpose, God reminded me that romance is His idea and He led me to the Book of Song of Solomon in the Bible. Song of Solomon is a book of love songs and poems from Solomon & His bride to each other. It’s very romantic. They even praise each other and their body parts in the book. That showed me that God didn’t have a problem with romance and love songs, it’s man. The mentality that someone is compromising or backsliding for singing other genres’ was passed down in the church from generation to generation and that is not true. If the truth be told, there are some good and bad apples in gospel as well as other genres’. Because of my purpose, when it comes down to marketing and promotion, Shei Atkins is best marketed as an R&B artist. Why? Because doing R&B allows me to make the music God put in me to make and be free without boundaries of what I can and what I can’t talk about. Does this mean I will never make a gospel album or sing gospel songs? “No, thats not what that means”. I can’t sing about life, love, and relationships under the Gospel title. It’s not because I don’t want to. It’s because of the mentality a lot of Christians have about music.

Although I love God’s people, I can’t waste years trying to break this mentality and use that as an excuse for not doing what God told me to do. We have the part where we accept Him in our life and become saved. Then we have the part where Christianity needs to be applied. That’s where my music comes in. I deal with life, love and relationships. I can’t speak for anyone else, but that’s my call. Just because you’re saved doesn’t mean you know how to be a wife or a husband. Just because you’re saved doesn’t mean you’re a good parent. If you’re not good with money, it doesn’t matter how saved you are, you won’t pay your bills on time and your bank account will be in the negative, etc. This thing doesn’t stop after salvation. We need wisdom and we need to learn certain principles to apply to our life on earth so that we can live the abundant life God wants us to live and be successful in every area of our lives. But there are so many people without that revelation because we’re so focused on a genre. People write me every day about how to handle different situations in their marriage and relationships or just letting me know how my music has helped their life and relationships. People need what God has put inside of me. Do you know that about 50% of CHRISTIAN marriages end in divorce? But I was judged for singing songs that spoke life into people.

Read the full letter by clicking here

The new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is shown in Washington August 22, 2011. The memorial to the American civil rights leader will be officially dedicated on August 28, the 48th anniversary of King’s “I have a dream” speech on the Washington Mall.

The life and mission of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. embedded itself into the fabric of American life and without question, had the greatest impact in advancing rights for minorities in the latter half of the 20th century. His works and accomplishments are being recognized with a national monument in his honor in Washington, D.C. that opened Monday.

African-American pastor and High Impact Leadership Coalition founder Bishop Harry Jackson Jr. said of the King monument, “As a Christian, I am really excited. Such a memorial shows the power of an individual life and the power of prayer.”

Jackson, who says he was 11 or 12 at the time of the 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech, prayerfully watched the march with his father in their hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio.

He says King’s influence is reflected in the election of Barack Obama, the first African-American president, and now permanently recognized with the erection of the King memorial.

The memorial includes a 30-foot high-sculpture of King’s likeness, arms folded across his chest and standing tall, hewn in a “Stone of Hope” just beyond a mountain-like portal.

The memorial’s design is meant to embody King’s words in his famous 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech: “With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.”

The tribute, located near the Tidal Basin, also features a marble inscription wall featuring many of his most memorable quotes, including, “I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits” and “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

The memorial makes King the first African American and the first person not elected as a U.S. president to be honored on the National Mall.

Despite his excitement for the memorial, Jackson says the memorial is a reminder that King’s dream that began over 50 years ago has yet to be completely fulfilled.

Noting the 53 percent decline in wealth and 15.9 percent unemployment among African Americans, Jackson stated King would be disappointed with the way future generations have not embraced the spiritual and moral values of his day.

Instead those generations have allowed material possession to lead them astray, he believes.

“Middle and upper income African Americans are busy enjoying their fancier homes, buying their more beautiful cars and maybe sacrificing their children on the altar of their own success because they are never there and they have not kept their own marriages and families together,” Jackson described.

Jackson says of the younger generation, “Many of them have thrown away the opportunities available to them.”

Pro-life advocate Alveda King said the materialism plaguing African Americans afflicts all Americans and reminds her daily of her uncle’s words.

“Dr. King said, ‘The negro cannot win if he’s willing to sacrifice the futures of his children for personal comfort and safety.’ American has certainly done that,” she said.

Ms. King says Americans’ sacrifice is evident in U.S. abortion rates, the national war on drugs, domestic violence and even war.

She says that the Bible puts a special emphasis on love. Because of that emphasis, she says we must love one another and stop killing each other with violence, abortion and selfish ambition.

Ms. King says she hopes that people will be inspired by Dr. King’s memorial to reconnect with his messages, not only of racial equality, but love in the kingdom of God.

Jackson reminds people that King was not just a civil rights leader, but also a theologian who spoke from an understanding of both the U.S. Constitution and the Bible.

Martin Luther King Jr. pursued theology studies at Crozer Theological Seminary in 1948 and Boston University in 1955 before joining the fight against racial inequality.

Following his ordination, King served at his Father’s church, Ebenezer Baptist in Atlanta, as assistant pastor. After finishing his doctoral studies at Boston University, he became the senior pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala.

During the civil rights movement, Alveda King says her uncle preached about love and fellowship in the body of Christ.

“He worked very hard to help all people to find the love of God,” she affirmed.

On the Aug. 28 official unveiling of the monument, she says, “We’re going to remember that dream.”

Alveda King says she will recall Martin Luther King’s messages of love and the universal family of God in her scheduled address.

President Obama is also scheduled to speak at the unveiling.

On Sunday, August 28^th – 48 years after he gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech before 250,000 people on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, a national monument will be dedicated to fallen civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr. Thousands are pouring into Washington, D.C. for a week of events leading up to the unveiling ceremony where President Obama will speak Sunday morning. Legendary soul singer, Shirley Murdock (best known for her 1986 gold-selling classic, “As We Lay”), is coming to the nation’s capitol to sing her new radio hit “Dream” (from her forthcoming CD “Live: The Journey”) at two official Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Dedication events.

The powerhouse vocalist will be backed by The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Dedication Choir at the Pre-Dedication Concert Ceremony (also featuring Patti LaBelle, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Jennifer Holliday, Donnie McClurkin and Mary Mary) taking place 9-11 a.m. EST on the National Mall. Later that day, Murdock will be backed by the “Sing For A King” Community Choir as she performs “Dream” at the Lift Every Voice Gospel Extravaganza taking place 4-6 p.m. EST at the Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place NW, Washington, D.C. 20001. That event features The Sounds of Blackness, Bryan Wilson, Earnest Pugh and the Duke Ellington High School of the Arts Students and Orchestra. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Dedication Choir was birthed through a partnership of Desho Productions and NEWorks Productions. Music Director, Rev. Nolan Williams Jr., assembled a multi-generational, multi-racial group of vocalists that will sing Williams’ composition “I Am The Dream” during the pre-service and “We Shall Overcome” at the unveiling program where President Obama will speak.

Coming to Washington to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy is important to Murdock who vividly recalls the day he was assassinated. “I was almost 11 yrs old,” she recalls. “I remember all the adults being absolutely grief stricken, as if a family member had died.  There was a lot of hurt, disbelief and anger after Dr. King died. My Mother was a praying woman, so as she placed her worries into God’s hands, I drew my peace from her peace. I heard him being referred to, as the `Moses’ of our time.  Like Moses, he didn’t make it to the promised land, but he let us know he’d been to the mountaintop and that his eyes had seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.” Murdock and her husband, Dale DeGroat, wrote her new radio hit “Dream” (#33 on BDS) with celebrated evangelist, Bishop T.D. Jakes. “My song is a reminder that God is the giver and the fulfiller of all the dreams He places in our hearts,” she says. “The dream is a glimpse of our future selves being more and doing more. It’s us at our BEST…fulfilling our PURPOSE…to loving one another, serving one another…celebrating and embracing our diversity and uniqueness.”

For More Info Contact: Tyscot Records www.tyscot.com

James Fortune’s new album is set for release January 2012, and he’s hard at work with producers across the country.  Young and talented producer J. Drew Sheard is working with Fortune to produce a fresh sound for multiple tracks on the album.  Listen to James Fortune as he gives you a preview of the track their working on with Kierra Sheard and FIYA.