Marvin Saap, Casting Crowns, Steven Curtis Chapman, Fireflight, Third Day, TobyMac and Chris Tomlin have been nominated by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) membership for Artist of the Year at the 40th Annual GMA Dove Awards to be held on April 23, 2009 in Nashville.

     Those artists were among the Dove Award nominees announced at the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau Visitor Information Center. The GMA Dove Awards, Gospel music’s biggest night of the year, featuring artists from every style of Gospel/Christian music coming together for a night of music and celebration, will be broadcast nationwide live on the Gospel Music Channel from 8 – 10 p.m. (ET/PT) on Thursday, April 23, 2009.

     For the first time, fans will become stakeholders in the Dove Awards with an opportunity to vote for the winner of Artist of the Year along with New Artist of the Year, which includes nominees Addison Road, Francesca Battistelli, Fee, Jonathan Nelson, Remedy Drive, Chris Sligh and Tenth Avenue North. Fan voting, which will be conducted through the Gospel Music Channel website (http://www.gospelmusicchannel.com) and at http://www.doveawards.com, will open on February 26, the same day online voting opens for GMA members. The cumulative fan vote, which will continue through the live Dove Awards broadcast, will account for one-third of the total vote in those two categories.

     While the awards are the purpose of the show, music performances will definitely share center stage at the Dove Awards, showcasing some of Gospel music’s hottest and most diverse artists. In addition to the exclusive live broadcast, Gospel Music Channel will present back-to-back encore broadcasts that night and additional re-airings following. Gospel Music Channel’s rapid growth has made it the fastest growing network in television for the past two years and GMC is now available in more than 43 million homes in all major markets on the major cable systems as well as on DIRECTV on Channel 338.

     Artist and Male Vocalist of the Year nominee Marvin Sapp made history last year when his single "Never Would've Made It," from the gold-selling CD Thirsty, became the longest-running No. 1 single ever across all radio formats, spending a staggering 47 weeks at the top of the gospel radio charts. Earlier this year, Sapp was honored with eight Stellar Awards. 

     Natalie Grant and Francesca Battistelli each are receiving five nominations. Grant, the current three-time Female Vocalist of the Year recipient, receives another nomination in the category, along with a nod for Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year for Relentless, while the No. 1 radio hit from that record, “I Will Not Be Moved” was nominated for Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year.

     Other artists receiving four nominations include Mary Mary. A producer and songwriter also enjoyed big nomination success this year is Warryn Campbell (Mary Mary, Kierra Sheard) receiving five nominations.

     Dove Awards will be handed out in 43 categories. The complete nominations list is at http://www.doveawards.com. The American Bible Society (http://www.americanbible.org) is official charity of the GMA.

     Founded in 1964, the Gospel Music Association serves as the face and voice for the gospel/Christian music community and is dedicated to exposing, promoting and celebrating the gospel through music of all styles including Pop, Rock, Praise & Worship, black Gospel, R&B, Hip-Hop, Southern Gospel, Country, and more. The GMA community consists of more than 3,000 members including agents, artists, church leaders, managers, promoters, radio personnel, record company executives, retailers, songwriters and other industry visionaries. The GMA produces the GMA Dove Awards, GMA Music Week and the GMA Academy. For more information, please visit http://www.gospelmusic.org.

Battery Records, a newly formed imprint under the Sony Music Entertainment’s RCA/ JIVE Label Group umbrella, is pleased announce the release of singer/songwriter TONEX. His forthcoming album Unspoken, dropping March 17th, will bring his unique talents to the forefront of music. Though TONEX’s name might be new to some, his impactful work has long been a mainstay in the Gospel world.

TONEX, indeed a prolific artist; having released three albums on Verity Records over the years, while producing for both gospel, secular and mainstream artists alike, he has also amassed several awards including eight Stellar Awards and two GMA Awards. He also earned a Grammy nomination for Best Soul Gospel Album for his 2004 critically acclaimed album, Out The Box.

TONEX is excited for the shift from the Verity to Battery. On Battery Records he’ll be given the freedom to showcase his true talent as a music-maker. His brand new LP Unspoken features hard-hitting R&B, dance and even a smattering of alternative with its lead single "Blend". The timely song addresses the need to stay true to oneself. "I knew that ‘Blend’ was going to be the lead single from the start,” TONEX stresses. “It represents who I've been all along by bringing that artist to the masses for the first time."

For TONEX, Unspoken is a transitional album that heads in a more mainstream direction yet still targets his longstanding gospel segment. Says TONEX, “I didn't want to alienate the fan base generated from the Out the Box phenomenon. Even though I appreciate that album's success, I felt that there were so many people from different demographics I still had yet to reach. I made the transition from Verity Records to Battery Records to facilitate that career evolution."

Unspoken conveys TONEX’s variety, musical prowess and adaptability. A dreamer, TONEX’s dream of showcasing his rare spectrum of talents to an R&B audience is coming true. The project will be marketed to not only gospel music lovers but also mainstream R&B music lovers. Battery Records stands wholly behind TONEX and his ambitious project. Neil Levine adds “It is important that TONEX keeps his credibility within the gospel community while Battery helps him expand to a more mainstream audience”

Battery Records was formed to develop young urban talent, in an age where such development is sorely lacking. Neil Levine, Battery Records’ Senior Vice President and General Manager, aims to uncover and cultivate young talent and thereby create an indispensable niche in the marketplace.

Check out the single “Blend”:
release.theplatform.com/content.select?pid=NMr0pPgjdYrGZwpvHOcGfO3dOmSkTdIC&UserName=Unknown

The 29-year-old son of Bishop T.D. Jakes was arrested last month after he exposed his genitals to two undercover vice detectives at a public park.

       According to CBS 11 News in Dallas, Jermaine Jakes was charged with indecent exposure and released on a personal recognizance bond.       

       The arrest warrant affidavit from Dallas Police says Jakes walked up to one of the detectives at Keist Park on Jan. 3 with his pants unzipped.  He then began to masturbate while making eye contact with the detective, according to the affidavit.        

        Jakes’ attorney, Faith Johnson, released a statement on Wednesday saying, “We are aware of potential allegations involving Jermaine Jakes and are undertaking our own investigation of these allegations at this time.  Given an apparent government investigation, we have no further comment at this time.”

Related Info (downloadable): Read arrest warrant for Jermaine Jakes. (Please note file contains graphic material.)

Multiple Stellar award winner and worship leader Byron Cage is set to record his next live recording on March 13, 2009 at Second Ebenezer Church in Detroit, Michigan. Special guests for this effort include Marvin Winans, Marvin Sapp, and Tye Tribbett, with 2009 Stellar Award Producer of the Year Aaron Lindsay handling production duties. Cage's last recording Live at The Apollo: The Proclamation produced the hit "With All of My Might" and won Cage the 2009 Stellar Award for Contemporary Male Vocalist of the Year. (Feb 12, 2009)

Grammy Award winning songstress Regina Belle announced this week that an 'undetected illness' and two surgeries will limit her from continuing to make appearances and performances. Belle faces a long road of recovery and hopes her fans and supporters continue to understand.

     Belle is coming off the smash success of her Gospel project, “Love Forever Shines” and has been consistently touring and promoting the top-10 album since its release last May. Belle underwent her first of two surgeries and is recuperating successfully in her home in Atlanta.  In an open letter to her fans, Belle wrote:

     "I have had the first of two surgeries to correct my illness and because 'GOD IS GOOD' the first surgery went wonderfully!  The healing time requires no singing or flying for a 3 month period…..my second surgery will take place in six months, and I will have another 2 month recovery period….I really believe that God heals!

     "I will continue to heal and be thankful for what God has already done, while I trust that you are prayerful and sending me well wishes.  To all of my fans, pastors and churches, radio and retail, booking agents, promoters and everyone that has allowed my messages of music to go forward, thank you so much for your understanding in all of this.  I Love you all and I'm working hard to get back to you!"

     The 14 spirit-filled tracks on “Love Forever Shines” features the hit single, "God Is Good," which topped the R&R and Billboard Monitor charts at its debut and continues to be a radio favorite, as well as the current single, "I Call On Jesus," a duet featuring Shirley Murdock. 

     This is the debut CD release for the re-launch of Ruben Rodriguez' Pendulum Records, in association with Walker Davis Entertainment, distributed by Fontana.  The CD is executive produced by Ruben Rodriguez, Ray J. Davis and Chris Walker.

     “Love Forever Shines” is available everywhere and for more information on Regina Belle please visit www.pendulumrecords.biz or  www.reginabelleworld.com or www.myspace.com/msreginabelle

Rev. Robert H. Schuller is watching his life's work crumble after his son and recent successor, the Rev. Robert A. Schuller, abruptly resigned as senior pastor of the Crystal Cathedral. The shimmering, glass-walled mega-church is home to the "Hour of Power" broadcast, an evangelism staple that's been on the air for more than three decades.

     The church is also in financial turmoil: It now plans to sell more than $65 million worth of its Orange County property to pay off debt. Revenue dropped by nearly $5 million last year, according to a recent letter from the elder Schuller to elite donors.

     In the letter, Schuller Sr. implored the Eagle's Club members, who supply 30 percent of the church's revenue, for donations and hinted that the show might go off the air without their support.

     The Crystal Cathedral blames the recession for its woes. It's a problem common to personality driven ministries. Most have collapsed or been greatly diminished after their founders left the pulpit or died.

     “Members often tie their donations to the pastor, not the institution,” said Nancy Ammerman, a sociologist of religion at Boston University. “Schuller, with a style that blends pop psychology and theology, has a particularly devoted following.”

     Church-based televangelism led by powerful personalities filled TV in the 1980s, but now only a handful of shows remain. Among the struggling ministries are those of Oral Roberts and the late D. James Kennedy of "The Coral Ridge Hour" TV show.

     The elder Schuller, who called his weekly show "America's Television Church," founded his ministry in a drive-in theater after moving to Southern California in 1955. He studied marketing strategies to attract worshippers and preached a feel-good Christianity, describing himself as a "possibility thinker" and spinning his upbeat style into a 10,000-member church and a broadcast watched by millions worldwide.

     The church's main sanctuary, the Crystal Cathedral, is a landmark designed by renowned architect Philip Johnson, with a spire visible from afar amid Orange County's suburban sprawl. Thousands make the pilgrimage to see where the broadcast is filmed before a live congregation.

     The Schullers consider the church a family business and the younger Schuller's 2006 appointment was sanctioned by the Crystal Cathedral's parent denomination, the Reformed Church in America, but the church announced on Nov. 29, 2008 that Schuller Jr. had resigned as senior pastor, just a month after he was removed from the church's syndicated broadcasts.

     In a news release, Schuller Sr. said, "Robert and I have been struggling as we each have different ideas as to the direction and the vision for this ministry."

     The church has since instituted a rotating roster of high-profile guest preachers, including Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church, the Chicago-area mega-church, and evangelist Luis Palau.

     Schuller Sr.'s daughters and sons-in-law remain involved in the church, some in key roles. But Juan Carlos Ortiz, the interim senior pastor, hopes to appoint a senior pastor with no ties to the Schuller family within two years.

     On the church Web site, concerned members and TV fans have posted hundreds of comments protesting the upheaval, with some indicating they have stopped giving or will leave altogether. (Source: GospelToday.com)

 winners in red

Best Gospel Performance

The Inaugural ceremony of President Barack Obama on January 20 had the world talking — about the official oath of office, the President's Inaugural address, the record breaking attendance, the adorable First Family, Aretha Franklin's gospel-infused rendition of the anthem "My Country 'Tis of Thee," and "the hat."

The Smithsonian Institution has now asked Franklin if she will donate the now iconic Inaugural hat to the museum to become a part of an exhibit of President Obama's Inauguration, joining other items scheduled for display including First Lady Michelle Obama's Inaugural night gown.

Commenting on the Smithsonian's request, Franklin says, "I am considering it. It would be hard to part with my chapeau since it was such a crowning moment in history. I would like to smile every time I look back at it and remember what a great moment it was in American and African-American history. Ten cheers for President Obama."

The now-famous bow-tied, Swarovski jewel-studded, heather grey wool hat worn by the Queen of Soul seemingly took on a life of its own, becoming an overnight sensation worldwide in the media and cyberspace. Everyone from Jon Stewart on the "Daily Show" to the ladies on "The View" to Jay Leno of The Tonight Show" talked about the hat the following day, and Ellen DeGeneres wore an exaggerated version of the hat on her show. Women's Wear Daily (WWD), the fashion-industry trade journal sometimes called "the bible of fashion," wrote about the hat in their daily publication. On the Internet, people have created dozens of sites devoted to the hat and, using software, it has been placed on mug shots of Dick Cheney, dogs, President George Washington and the heads of Mt. Rushmore, among many others. The hat even has its own Facebook page (www.facebook.com/pages/Aretha-Franklins-Inauguration-Hat/71597018624).

With the onslaught of coverage the hat generated, newspapers from across the country began writing about it: "Aretha Franklin's Inauguration Hat Becomes Overnight Fashion Sensation" (Detroit Free Press), "Aretha Franklin's Inauguration Hat Inspires a Line of Toppers" (People Magazine), "Aretha Franklin's Hat, Detroit-Made, Wins Global Acclaim" (Detroit Free Press), "Fans Flock to Copy Aretha Franklin's Big Bow Inauguration Hat" (New York Daily News), "Aretha's Hat Upholds Tradition Born in Churches of the South" (The Providence Journal) — many outlets asked readers to voice their own opinions about the hat.

Aretha Franklin performed at President Obama's historic Inauguration during the Swearing In Ceremony in front of an international audience of billions. Franklin is now recording and releasing a commemorative version of "My Country 'Tis of Thee."

On the eve of Black History Month, the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life released a new analysis that paints a detailed religious portrait of African-Americans. The analysis finds that African-Americans are markedly more religious than the U.S. population as a whole on a variety of measures, including reporting a religious affiliation, attendance at religious services, frequency of prayer and the importance of religion in people's lives.

Compared with other racial and ethnic groups, African-Americans are among the most likely to report a formal religious affiliation, with fully 87% of African-Americans describing themselves as belonging to one religious group or another. The analysis also finds that nearly eight-in-ten African-Americans (79%) say religion is very important in their lives, compared with 56% among all U.S. adults.  Per Forum representative Robert Mills tells Path MEGAzine that 3,101 African American adults were surveyed for their analysis.

These are among many findings of the new Pew Forum analysis detailing the unique nature of religion in the African-American community. Other highlights include:

    * A large majority of African-Americans who are unaffiliated with any particular faith (72%) say religion plays at least a somewhat important role in their lives; nearly half (45%) of unaffiliated African-Americans say religion is very important in their lives, roughly three times the percentage who says this among the religiously unaffiliated population overall (16%).

    * African-Americans express a high degree of comfort with religion's role in politics, with roughly six-in-ten saying that houses of worship should express their views on social and political topics and roughly half saying that there has been too little expression of faith and prayer by political leaders. At the same time, most African-Americans support certain restrictions on the mingling of politics and religious institutions, with nearly six-in-ten (58%) saying that churches and other houses of worship should refrain from endorsing political candidates.

    * The link between religion and some social and political attitudes in the African-American community is similar to that seen among the population overall. For instance, just as in the general public, African-Americans who are more religiously observant are more likely to oppose abortion and homosexuality and more likely to report higher levels of conservative ideology.

    * On a variety of other questions, including political party identification and opinions about the proper role of government in providing services to the citizenry and assistance to the poor, there are few differences in the views of African-Americans across religious groups. Perhaps most strikingly, the partisan leanings of African-Americans from every religious background tilt heavily in the Democratic direction.

The analysis is based on the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, conducted by the Pew Forum in 2007 and released in 2008, as well as other Pew Research Center surveys.