Shirley Murdock’s musical journey recently brought her to uncharted territory as she recorded her first Live CD & DVD for her upcoming release appropriately titled, The Journey. Based on audience response and early buzz surrounding the recording, it was hard to believe that it was the first live album for the veteran artist. Grammy Award winning producer, Cedric Thompson was tapped to produce the project.

Held at The Broadcast Group Complex in Fort Mill, SC, the atmosphere was filled with excitement and anticipation from those involved with the recording as well as the crowd. Many of Shirley’s industry friends were also in attendance including: Pastor Donnie McClurkin, actress /filmmaker Terri Vaughn (The Steve Harvey Show), Tom Joyner Morning show contributor Jawn Murray, and Bet.com’s Torrence Glenn.

Charlotte’s own Praise 100.9 radio personality, Melanie Clark guided the crowd through the night as Shirley graced the stage with her signature style and vocals.

The crowd rose to its feet as Shirley opened up the recording with the jubilant, pulsating praise song, “He is God” before smoothly transitioning to the jazzy “Upward Way” featuring R&B great, Regina Belle. Longtime friends, you could feel their instant connection between the two legendary singers.

Shirley surprised the audience as she went ‘straight-to-church’ with Gospel powerhouse Beverly Crawford on the foot-stomping song, “He Is the Rock”. The excitement remained on the catchy and grooved song “Rejoice Come On” which showcased the precise blended of the background vocalists, which also included Gospel singer Lejuene Thompson.

As one who typically takes the opportunity to reverence the Lord in her live appearances, Shirley wrapped up the first set with the worship song, “Lord You Reign”. Even after Murdock exited the stage to prepare for the next set, the song clearly struck a chord in the hearts of the audience as they continued to worship God.

The latter half of the recording was just as thrilling as the first. Attendees received yet another surprise guest appearance as R&B/Gospel sensation Kelly Price joined Murdock on the cherished song, “Lovin’ Me”, melodically singing of God’s sweet love.

There were other great songs that spoke of destiny, hope, encouragement, and unity including the finale song, “Someday”, which featured all of the illustrious guest singers.

As the crowd exited the building, positive comments regarding the night filled the corridors and spilled out into the parking lot. One person even sent Shirley a personal message via Facebook about her experience: “Several of my sisters and I attended this recording and I must say it was absolutely wonderful. I was tremendously blessed and would like to say that this is an experience that I will never forget.”

The individual went on to compliment Ms. Murdock on her ministry: “Shirley, the one thing that will make me follow you is your realness. Your personality is that of a true woman of God who know[s] who she is in Christ. I can’t wait to get the CD and look forward to another live recording! May God continue to bless you in all that you do”.

Shirley Murdock’s first live CD/DVD recording was a great expression of praise, worship, love and Shirley’s heart and personal journey.

The Journey will be released on Tyscot Music & Entertainment in October 2011. This will be Murdock’s second CD and first DVD with the label.

Trailing on the heels of a recent box office success, Bishop T.D. Jakes is looking to produce another hit, this time with the help of a veteran Hollywood producer. Set to co-produce with Joe Roth, former chairman of 20th Century Fox and Walt Disney Studios, Jakes ventures to tackle next the current New York Times #1 Bestseller, Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back.

Written by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent, the true story chronicles Burpo’s now 11-year-old son’s near-death experience during an emergency appendectomy operation when he was 3-years-old.

Son of a small town Nebraska pastor, Colton survived to tell his at-first skeptical parents about his experience in heaven, sharing details that he would have never known about – like meeting his miscarried sister and his long-dead grandfather.

He also describes the horse that only Jesus could ride, the bloody wounds on Jesus’ palms, about how the Holy Spirit shot down power from heaven to help believers, and how “reaaaally big” God and His chair are.

Though the story is told through Colton’s eyes, the book is narrated by his father who decided to turn his son’s spiritual encounter into a 163-page inspirational book with a simple message – heaven is a real place, Jesus really loves children, and be ready, there is a coming last battle.

The Jake and Roth combination is sure to propel much interest already, with Roth’s “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Three Musketeers,” just to name a few, and Jakes’ recent “Jumping the Broom” in between the two.

Roth, having a wide range of films under his belt, shared his surprise that nobody in Hollywood had called before he had about the book, as sales were surpassing every expectation of the publisher –Thomas Nelson, Inc – and breaking company sales records in the millions.

The film executive told Deadline he became curious about the book, which reminded him of “The Sixth Sense,” after seeing it on The New York Times Bestseller Lists, about six weeks ago.

And just as the book made its way into mainstream audiences, Roth jumped on the chance to produce, predicting that it would sell 10 million copies before the year was over.

Deadline reported that Roth will soon meet with the Burpo family. Roth stated that he doesn’t believe the film will be limited to a faith-based audience.

“There isn’t anyone in the world who wouldn’t like to know what is waiting for them,” Roth shared with Deadline. “When you consider this little boy came back and knew 9 or 10 things that he shouldn’t have, to me, this is about hope. From that standpoint, it’s non-secular.”

Speculations that Sony Pictures has acquired the screen rights to the book are circulating, though Sony spokesperson Steve Elzer – senior vice president of Media Relations told The Christian Post he could not confirm that the book was acquired “quite yet.”

An announcement from Sony is likely to be made in the coming days.

Heaven Is for Real was purportedly brought in by Sony Pictures executive DeVon Franklin, a Christian minister who recently published a book entitled, Produced By Faith: Navigating the Road to Success Without Compromising Your True Self, according to Deadline.

Widely acclaimed already in the literary world, with the three millionth copy recently printed, the book is expected to achieve nothing less on the big screen.

So how does 11-year-old Colton feel about all of the newborn success?

“People are getting blessed, and they’re going to have healing from their hurts,” he said. “I’m happy for that.”

During a visit to “The Talk” last week, Angela Bassett says she has signed on to re-team with Whitney Houston, Loretta Devine and Lela Rochon for a sequel to “Waiting to Exhale.”

The movie, adapted from Terry McMillan’s 1992 novel of the same name, was directed by Forest Whitaker.

Bassett responded to recent speculation that the original cast are ready to reunite for the sequel, saying, “It’s preliminary, but it’s going to happen, Waiting to Exhale 2. McMillan wrote ‘Getting to Happy’ and she’s written the screenplay. … Loretta, Lela, Whitney, Forest. Forest is working on the script now.”

The 1995 film was a financial success, opening at No. 1 at the North American box-office and grossing $14.1 million in its first weekend of release. In total the movie made $67 million in the U.S. and a further $14.4 million internationally.

Bassett is in theaters now with “Jumping the Broom,” and recently finished work on the forthcoming superhero movie “Green Lantern” with Ryan Reynolds.

Things are still smoking over at Black Smoke Music Worldwide where the Houston-based label’s music continues to fire up gospel music playlists everywhere. The label has placed a dozen songs on the Billboard ‘s national gospel charts over the last year such as the #1 smashes “I Believe” by James Fortune & FIYA and Earnest Pugh’s “Rain On Us.” Pugh is destined for another #1 with his new radio single “I Need Your Glory” (now available for digital download at online stores) that was written and originally recorded by James Fortune. “The song has a lyric that says less of me and more of you is what I need,” says Pugh. “The book of John says it like this: He must increase and I must decrease. That song made me take an inventory of where I was in my walk and was I really decreasing and allowing God to increase in me as an artist?

“In my quest to get clarity,” Pugh continues. “One morning while in prayer I asked the Lord to show me His glory. His response to me was, If you really want to see my glory you will have to put away your airs and pretense and come to me honestly about your struggles, challenges and your shortcomings.’ He would no longer allow me to sing, dance and shout over them. It was at that point that I yielded to Him and He revealed his presence to me in a mighty way.”

A Memphis native who got his start singing with O’Landa Draper & the Associates, Pugh released his first solo CD in 2006 and showed off his five-octave vocals on the radio hit “Wrapped Up, Tied Up, Tangled Up.” After years of making respectable forays into gospel, Pugh finally hit it big in 2009 with his #1 smash “Rain On Us” which led to TV appearances on BET’s “Celebration of Gospel” and TBN’s “Praise The Lord.” The new CD “Earnestly Yours” hits stores June 28th. Visit www.earnestpugh.com or www.mrkerrydouglas.com for more information.

Stellar Award winning recording artist Troy Sneed is following up his recent Top Ten smashes “Work it Out,” “The Struggle is Over” (#1 for 12 weeks) and ”Hallelujah” with a brilliant new track destined to eclipse them all. The new single “My Heart Says Yes” is #5 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart and headed towards the #1 position. A departure for Sneed and the gospel field, the soothing acoustic ballad can easily play between tracks by Robin Thicke or Maxwell on adult R&B stations where its also gaining airplay. ‘”Yeah, I get a lot of that,” Sneed laughs. “A lot of people didn’t think that was me singing at first because of the overall sound and feel of the song and the falsetto.”

“Supporting Sneed is a simple, delicate ostinato melody with a Brazilian beat led by acoustic guitar and muted percussion,” Bob Marovich writes in The Black Gospel Blog. “Understated and hushed, ideal for that moment in a worship service when easy does it.” Sneed’s first album in almost two years was scheduled for a late summer release but the single’s early and stratospheric success has led him to release the ten-song CD “My Heart Says Yes” (Emtro Gospel/ MSRP $13.98) on May 10, 2011.

The title-song isn’t a stand-alone track. The set includes an unplugged version of “My Heart Says Yes” and other soulfully stripped down performances of “Holy is the Lamb,” “Glorify The Lord” and the “Ole School Worship Medley” that features refrains from the hymns “In The Garden” and “Walk in the Light.” The inspirational tracks “Sunshine” and “Hold On” boast old school R&B grooves. “Tell The Lord You Love Him” is a quartet track, “Great & Marvelous” is an anthem of praise and “Great Jehovah” is a Contemporary Christian music styled worship tune. “Praise and worship is a big part of my ministry,” Sneed explains. “Those kinds of songs minister to me first. This record is real praise and worship but it’s got that contemporary edge that makes it accessible to people of all ages, races, in church or out of church.”

The public probably first noticed Sneed as an actor in the film “The Preacher’s Wife.” He also coached the Georgia Mass Choir for the Whitney Houston soundtrack. He later recorded solo albums for Savoy Records before launching his own Emtro Gospel Records label in 2005. Ever since, the label has placed 18 songs by various artists on the Billboard Hot Gospel Songs chart, including a half dozen by Sneed.

This was too funny!  I just hope they get paid by McDonalds for this one.  Watch the video below.

A recent crime inside a local Detroit church is raising plenty of eyebrows and questions.  My Fox Detroit reports that a man walked in a church and robbed the church offering plate at gunpoint.  

“To walk up in a church and rob a church … you’re doing something that’s pretty bad for you,” said Pastor Booker T. Williams.

He has presided over his faithful congregation at the Hicks Memorial Church of God in Christ on Mack Avenue for almost 29 years and has never seen anything similar happen.

“God says revenge belongs to me, and God will take care of him,” Pastor Williams said.

The suspect is a 20 to 25-year-old man who got in line at Sunday service to leave an offering on the table. Instead, he is alleged to have stolen all the money, probably about $200.

“He just took the money and just showed them the gun,” said Sherry Williams, the pastor’s daughter. “Said, ‘Don’t make this any harder’ and pretty much walked off.”

The suspect sat in the very back corner of the church through the entire service. Parishioners now say they may have seen him at the church before about a month ago with another man, and they think they were casing the place.

“You feel secure in a church. You feel safe in a church. It’s God’s house. You never expect that to happen,” said Detroit Police Commander Steve Dolunt.

He told us the suspect had a black backpack with blue trim. He wore a black hood and gloves and left the church on foot.

“I guess it’s a cry for help, but to go to a church? You feel safe there, and we need the public’s help on this one,” Dolunt said.

The pastor is just grateful nobody was hurt and hopeful the suspect will be caught.

“I guess I have to pray for him. That (is) about the best I can do,” Pastor Williams told us.

Anyone with information can contact Detroit Police at (313) 596-5940.

There is an old adage that says you never really miss somebody until they’re gone. This is true of Nate Dogg. Most of us have come to know him as the hip-hop partner to Warren G and for the hit song “Regulate” in the 90’s.

His untimely death sent fans of the G-Funk era spinning. In an interview with hip hop dx, Warren G says that Nate Dogg was turning over a new leaf in his career at the time he passed.

Warren G: “He was trying to get better and get out of there. He was a child of God and he was raised in the church.” He had just started work with Gospel groups. He was getting into Gospel music and there wasn’t going to be no more “I got hoes…” He was going to the church side of music.  He brought people from the church to my studio and had them singing on one of my tracks. We didn’t finish it.

Video of Nate Dogg’s choir can be seen performing below. For the full interview with Warren G click here.

The man who played Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson’s much criticized “Passion of the Christ,” says the role has been his “cross to bear,” and that Hollywood has shunned him ever since making the film.

Jim Caviezel, who, before taking the role of Jesus, was a rising Hollywood star with strong reviews for his work in “Frequency,” and “The Thin Red Line,” told an audience at First Baptist Church of Orlando on Saturday that Gibson begged him to reconsider taking the gig.

“He said, ‘You’ll never work in this town again,'” Caviezel remembered. “I told him, ‘We all have to embrace our crosses.'”

Caviezel recounted a similar story in 2004, when he spoke of the encounter in an interview with the 700 Club.

“The next day, he said, ‘I want you to be aware of what you are going to go through. You may never work again.’ He said that several times publicly. I told him, ‘Mel, this is what I believe. We all have a cross to carry. I have to carry my own cross. If we don’t carry our crosses, we are going to be crushed under the weight of it. So let’s go and do it.’ And we began with the film.

The filmmaker proved prophetic; the film was slammed for perceived anti-semitism, and roles have been hard to come by, as Caviezel says he was “rejected by [his] own industry.”

Following “Passion,” he starred in the small thriller “Unknown,” had a supporting role in the Denzel Washington film “Deja Vu,” and headlined absolute bombs “Outlander,” and “The Stoning of Soraya M.”

Still, he seems to have no regrets. “We have to give up our names, our reputations, our lives to speak the truth,” Caviezel reasoned to the audience.

In the 700 Club interview, Caviezel gave more insight into his reasons for doing the film.

“I felt like a great presence came within me at times when we were filming,” he said. “This prayer that came from me was, ‘I don’t want people to see me. I just want them to see Jesus. And through that conversions will happen.’ That’s what I wanted more than anything, that people would have a visceral effect to finally make a decision whether to follow Him or not.”

Deadly clashes between Muslims and Christians in the north of Nigeria following the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan has brought the death toll to over 500, according to a local civic group.

At least 516 people have died with the violence being the worst in Kaduna state, according to Shehu Sani, executive director of the Kaduna-based Civil Rights Congress.

Muslim opposition supporters of Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim and former military ruler, began rioting after the April 16 victory of Goodluck, a Christian from the south. Outraged over the 57 to 31 percent defeat, armed protesters took to the streets, chanting Buhari’s name and attacking Christian supporters of the president. The violence which took place at churches, homes, and police states, also triggered retaliatory attacks by Christians.

Buhari, candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, alleged widespread fraud in the election outcome. International observers, however, have called the National Assembly election fair and the outcome credible.

Relief officials estimate that at least 65,000 people have been displaced as a result of the tensions.

President Goodluck Jonathan

Jonathan is beefing up security forces to some northern states where post-election violence was most severe.

“Sadly, some misguided elements do not share in the spirit of our democratic achievement,” said Jonathan last week. “They formed into groups of miscreants and struck with deadly and destructive force in some parts of the country. They killed and maimed innocent citizens. They set ablaze business premises, private homes, and even places of worship.”

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