Just weeks after releasing Le’Andria Johnson from her contract, Mathew Knowles of Music World Gospel has released budding star Brian Courtney Wilson from the label.
Wilson has been seeking his release for sometime, and was even being sued by Mathew Knowles for seeking a new label home before contractual obligations were met. Cooler heads have prevailed again, and Knowles has released the smooth sounding tenor from Chicago.
As Knowles restructures Music World Entertainment and its Gospel division, he is making it a priority to help continue the growth of the artists that were signed to the label.
“Brian is an exceptionally gifted artist with a unique vocal style,” says Knowles. “When I first saw him sing at church, I wanted to sign him immediately. I know that Brian will continue to have great success with his music and ministry. And Motown Gospel is a perfect fit for him.”
Attorneys Heather Beverly of the Law Office of Heather Beverly, P.C., and Chris Brown and Leslie Cross, Jr. Esq, of Brown & Rosen, LLC worked to assure that both parties were presented with the best possible options for their short and long-term goals. Music World Gospel’s attorney, Beverly states, “Brian Courtney Wilson has been a major part of the growth and success of Music World, and the future of his recording career was of utmost importance to Mr. Knowles.
Lead attorneys Cross and Brown, who represent Wilson, expressed a similar viewpoint, “Mathew Knowles really believed in Brian’s talent as an artist and, along with the Music World team, helped to build a viable career for him in the gospel industry. Brian will always be eternally grateful that he had his start at Music World.”
Brian Courtney Wilson experienced extraordinary success as a Music World artist. With the release of his inaugural CD, Just Love, Wilson was touted as one of gospel music’s contemporary break-through artists of 2010/2011. Just Love, entered at #2 on the Billboard Top Gospel Album chart and #6 on Billboard’s TopChristian Album chart. The CD remained at #1 on Christian Music Trade Association’s (CMTA) Inspirational Album chart for 52 weeks. After its release in June 2009, the CD held steady in the Top 20 on the Billboard Top Gospel Album chart for over 90 weeks—longer than any other CD title on Billboard’s Top 50 that year [2010]. Music World Gospel also released Just Love Deluxe Edition, which re-entered on Billboard’s Top Gospel Album chart at #3. Just Love made music chart history—Wilson was the only artist to have four active singles [“All I Need,” “Already Here,” “Just Love,” and “Awesome God”] on Billboard’s Gospel charts, and all singles had peaked in the Top 5, 10 and 15 positions [2009/2010]. His first single release, “All I Need,” was then, the longest-running single, charting 92 weeks on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Song chart. In 2010, Wilson received two Gospel Music Association’s Dove Award nominations for New Artist of the Year and Urban Recorded Song of the Year for “Just Love,” which was followed in 2011 with his third nomination for Urban Recorded Song of the Year for “All I Need.” In September 2010, Wilson received the Gospel Music Heritage Month Rising Artist Award, which was presented by Congressman Sheila Lee Jackson. In early 2011, Wilson received a nomination for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Gospel Album of the Year (Traditional and Contemporary). His second album, So Proud debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart, #1 on the Top Christian/Gospel Albums chart, #5 on Billboard’s Independent chart and #44 on Billboard’s Top 200.
