I think this will be fun for discussion– just tryna get a read on what consumers want…

The gospel industry doesn’t really see tours like it used to (think about the Tour Of Life with Fred Hammond, Yolanda Adams and Kirk Franklin, or Hopeville with Yolanda, Kirk and Donnie McClurkin).  And there are many reasons why the touring industry is floundering– that’s not the point of this post.

Your task: assemble the dream gospel tour.  Pick 3 to 5 artists that you’d love to see on tour together.  Moreoever, pick 3 to 5 artists that you’d actually PAY to see on tour together.

I think mine would be Fred Hammond, Kirk Franklin and The Clark Sisters.  But maybe I’m just dreamin’…

Who would you put together for your dream tour???

[Amendment: Let's add some newer artists to the mix, too... To the three I listed above, I wanna add 21:03 and Mali Music.]

I’ve been a supporter of Melinda Watts since she won Gospel Dream last summer on Gospel Music Channel.  From that time, I anxiously awaited her debut album, People Get Ready.  The wait is over– I’ve got it and it’s a great album.

This ten-track project (available this coming Tuesday, the 28th) is a solid blend of music that will appeal to both gospel and CCM audiences alike.  She covers all bases with a range of production styles– from Freddy Washington, Jr. to Aaron Lindsey, from PAJAM to Bernie Herms.  At all times, though, it’s clear that she understands her calling to bridge gaps in the Christian music marketplace.  And she does that well.

The danger of creating an album like this– one intended to reach all Believers– is that by aiming at both markets, artists often hit neither of ‘em.  Melinda avoids this problem well, but there are a couple of tracks on the project that may be hard to place in gospel radio or CCM radio because they don’t have a clear market sound.  That said, I’m not bound by my “market” (neither are many of you), so listen to what you wanna!

Standout tracks for me include:  the single, “So Good,” which has been gaining radio airplay and already has a video spot on Gospel Music Channel; “Available To You” her duet with J Moss, which re-works the classic Milton Brunson choir song; “Come Boldly,” an R&B-styled song of restoration; “Happy,” a cross-cultural song that simply expresses the joy of knowing God, with co-writing from Evin Martin of 21:03; “Faith That Conquers,” a classic Vanessa Bell-Armstrong track re-made with a simple piano accompaniment before heading to a worshipful vamp; and one of my faves, “Purpose Driven Life,” a moving ballad at the end of the album, written by Smokie Norful and Myron Butler.

In sum, People Get Ready is a summertime staple.  It’s a worthy collection of heartfelt music, from an incredibly gifted vocalist.  You’ll want to add it to your list of must-have music this month.

Earlier today, I was SUPER blessed to speak with the incomparable CeCe Winans about her upcoming Always Sisters, Forever Brothers conference!

The two-day annual event will be held on July 24th and 25th at Belmont University’s Curb Center, Nashville, TN.  It’s gonna be HUGE and I wanted to make sure you guys got a chance to hear about it from her first-hand.

So, without further delay, here’s my conversation with CeCe Winans:

*     *     *

EJ:  Hi!  How are you?

CW:  I’m good, how are you?

EJ:  I’m awesome, thank you so much.

CW:  Good.

EJ:  I wanna thank you for taking a minute to chat with me.

CW:  You got it.  Thank you.

EJ:  I can only imagine how busy you are right now, so I really appreciate it.

CW: *laughs* You got it.

EJ:  Well, let’s jump right in and chat about the Always Sisters, Forever Brothers conference.  What is your vision for this gathering?

CW:  My vision is for this to be a life-changing gathering for all who attend.  We want to motivate them to do the right thing.  We want to encourage them to realize that they can accomplish anything they want to accomplish.

We’re losing a lot of our younger generation to a lot of bad things out there– whether it’s to suicide, or to our prison system– we’re losing them in so many ways.  And we have to save ‘em.  We have to stop the cycle.  So, our vision is to stop the cycle, in these two days, and get them redirected and on the right path.

EJ:  Absolutely.

CW:  I will be very excited and very pleased if they leave with a different perspective, understanding who they are and whose they are.  And power… we wanna empower them in these two days.

EJ:  That sounds great.  And this year is unique in a sense because you’ve expanded the conference to include young men, not just young ladies.

CW:  Yes, exactly.

EJ:  What was the impetus for that?

CW:  Well, it’s something we’d been contemplating doing for the last three years, since we started actually.  It’s something that the parents requested for us to do.

And hearing everything that’s going on with our young men, we were focused on the young women, but there’s no need in having the girls together if we don’t have our brothers together! *laughs*

EJ:  *laughing* Right!

CW:  There’s an attack on our young men.  They’re doubting who they are and whose they are, they’re losing their identity.  And it’s real important for all of us, for families, the human race… to regain our young men and for them to take their place, understand their value and how powerful they are.

We decided “why wait?”  Let’s do it this year, turn it into a youth conference, and build ‘em both up at the same time.

EJ:  Awesome.  I have to tell you, I was so glad to hear that you’re having a luncheon for teen mothers.

CW:  Yes!

EJ:  I think they represent a very real segment of our youth, even in the church, though people don’t want to acknowledge it.

CW:  Exactly.

EJ:  But they’re often cast aside because of how they ended up where they are.  Why was the intentional inclusion of these ladies important for you?

CW:  Well, first of all, we all know that just because you have a baby doesn’t make you a mother and it doesn’t make you a father.

EJ:  Wow.

CW:  You just have a baby.  So, they have to be taught what being a mother or father is.  But, like you just mentioned, they feel like because they’ve made that mistake, their whole LIFE has to be a mistake now.

They have to be reassured– you made a mistake, it’s okay.  Pick up your life right where it is.  God still has a plan for you, what He has in mind for you has not changed because of your mistake.  And walk in authority.  Knowing that you’ve made a mistake and God has forgiven you, now what?  Now, make the right choices, keep going and watch God turn your mistake into miracles.

EJ:  Sure.

CW:  And, they have to understand, you’ve got another life here.  Now, you’re responsible.  Let’s teach you how to be a mother.  A lot of them get frustrated because they’re still very young and they haven’t matured in the ways that they should before they have a baby.  But… you’ve got it now. *chuckles*

EJ:  Right!

CW:  And it’s okay.  There’s still laughter, there’s still life, there’s still love and fullness of life waiting on you.  We don’t want the enemy to make them feel like life is over and they have to be second-best in everything.  That’s not God’s plan– you’re still royalty.  You have to pick yourself up and keep going.  So, it’s to encourage and inform them.

EJ:  And that’s so needed.  Now, you’ve got some speakers you’ve got slated include Pastor Jentezen Franklin, Mom Winans, Pastor R.A. Vernon, Coach Tony Dungy… This is a diverse group of people that may not usually be expected to be seen together at once.

CW:  Right!

EJ:  Which bases are you trying to cover with this group?

CW:  Well, I love having my mom in the mix.  Not just her, but I love having older people in the mix.  That’s one of the problems with our youth today– we don’t respect the older people, we don’t understand that they’re walking around with the treasures that we need.

EJ:  Absolutely.

CW:  Growing up, my grandmother was like my best friend.  *laughing*  People thought I was crazy, but she was my best friend.  She was funny and I learned so much wisdom from her.  We don’t have to make the same mistakes that they made.  That’s why they went through them.  We need to be at their feet, learning from them.

And a lot of these kids, too, don’t know where their mothers are or they’ve never had a father in the house.  So, they miss that ingredient.  And even though God is their Father, He still sets order in place in the natural.  He’ll bring other people in to fill those shoes.

We were talking about teenage mothers– a lot of them don’t have their mothers, so how can they learn how to be a mother unless we speak to them?  It’s the practical things that we have to set forth so they can walk this thing out.

EJ:  You’re right.

CW:  Then, you have Tony Dungy… wow.  Look what he brings to the table.

EJ:  Sure, especially for the young men.

CW:  ESPECIALLY for the young men.  So, for him to say he would come was just another sign that God is with us.  In a game that everyone loves– especially men– he was very successful in it.  He left that successful career to pour into the lives of young men, going to the prisons and pouring in.  We wanna get the young men straight before they go into prison.  And I believe he’ll be a great blessing.

Jentezen Franklin is… what can I say?  He’s just awesome.  He tells it like it is, he’s funny and he just relates to the youth.  He can relate to the black and the white.  And this is a Kingdom thing.  I strive hard to have a mixture because we’ll have kids from all walks of life.

EJ:  That’s so important.

CW:  People that might listen to me might not hear somebody else.  People might hear Kim Daniels, who came from a life that STILL keeps my mouth wide open, you know?  She can speak to things that I can never speak about because she just comes from a life of different depths of sin… it’s just amazing to see what God has done for her life and done through her.

It’s really important to me that, at each conference, we have people from all walks of life.

EJ:  I agree.  And it’s insightful that you’ve done that even as it relates to the music.  You’ve got a whole concert planned featuring Mary Mary, 21:03, Da’ T.R.U.T.H., Anthony Evans, and a performance that I think kids of ALL ages are excited about– you and your brother, BeBe.

CW:  *laughing* Okay, yes!  We’re the older generation now! *laughs*

EJ:  But it’s funny because GospelPundit.com has some youth commenting on the blog and they’re excited about this reunion, too, because of what they’ve heard about it.

CW:  *laughs* Well, alright!

EJ:  But it appears that you’ve been very meticulous and prayerful about WHO participates in the conference.  Some people plan an event and they want the hottest ticket or the most popular speaker… what was YOUR criteria?

CW:  My criteria for this conference is SO not based on the hottest speaker.  It might end up that we have the hottest speaker, or the hottest artists at the time, but it is SO not built on that.

I’m trying to build something that is holy, that is life-changing, that is full of substance.  Will you be entertained?  Yeah.  You’ll be entertained because we’ll have people who do things in excellence.  But it’s not to be entertained.  Entertainment is not the thing that will keep you.

EJ:  Amen.

CW:  You know, I was saved as a child and I’ve seen a lot of things, gone a lot of places, made a lot of mistakes.  And the only thing that brought me back was God’s Word.  The only thing that kept me was God’s Word, prayer, fasting.

So, that’s what I’m trying to build… something that makes a difference.

EJ:  Something that LASTS.

CW:  That lasts.  Yeah.  So that when these kids leave out, a nice song… ok, great.  That’s not gonna help them when they have to make a decision about whether to take drugs or not, or help them to come out of a homosexual lifestyle, or help them fight the enemy if they’re getting suicidal thoughts.

I’m trying to save lives– literally, save lives.  And in order to do that, it’s gotta be pure, it has to be holy, it has to be saturated and sanctioned by God.  We’ve only got two days!

EJ:  *laughing* Right.

CW:  None of us, in our own power, can do anything in two days that’s gonna make a difference.  So, we have to have a supernatural move so that when they hit trouble, because they will hit trouble, they’ll be able to draw something from what they’ve learned at the conference to literally save their lives.

EJ:  And that’s a great focus.  It should be everyone’s focus, but some people get caught up in the importance of saying they’re HAVING a conference or HAVING an event.

CW:  Yeah!  I could care less.  At our last conference, they wanted a midnight type of thing, with music.  We had a talent show and everything and I was tired as all get out. *laughs*  ‘Cause I’m not trying to be a teenager.  I know better than that!

EJ:  Right.

CW:  I was so tired.  But we had it and the next morning, they were late getting in and they were tired.  I said “awww, naawwww…”

EJ:  *laughing*

CW:  “I need for y’all to know this will not happen next year.”  ‘Cause I could care less about having anything at midnight.  Everybody needs to be asleep as far as I’m concerned at midnight. *laughing*

So I cut that out– SO quick– out of the program.  Because I want y’all to be here ready in the morning to get the Word of God so your lives can be changed.  Everything else, y’all can do that on your own time.

EJ:  *laughs*

CW:  You know what I’m sayin’?!  So, it’s like, y’all wanna do something fun?  This is not based on fun.  I WANT them to enjoy it, but I could really care less if they have fun! *laughing*

EJ:  I love it! *laughs*

A couple of months back, you hosted TBN’s Praise The Lord and your husband, Alvin Love, shared his heart for young men.  I was personally inspired.

CW:  Oh, praise God.

EJ:  But he said that he really had a passion, and he’s stepping into his calling as a mentor and a point of guidance for young men.  Is he participating in the conference this year, too?

CW:  He will be there.  He won’t be speaking this time, but he’ll be there.  We’re having a luncheon for the young men called “Just For Men.”  It’s gonna have fathers and sons there, and my pastor will be speaking.

But next year, it’ll be him, both of my kids will be totally involved… because it’s more of a family thing now.  That’s what the enemy is fighting– he’s fighting families more than ever.

EJ:  Absolutely.

CW:  Alvin spoke at our church for the first time and it was just so powerful.  He taught on Nehemiah– rebuilding the wall.  Oh my God, it was just so incredible!  He was talking to the men, going from the wall itself– about your responsibilities as men, being providers.  But also, just rebuilding yourselves and how God wants to rebuild the IMAGE of the man.

It was really an amazing message.  Actually, my pastor asked him for all his notes.  So, he’ll definitely be more involved.  He’ll be more visible than ever before because we’re bringing in the guys and they need to see men.  I’m a mother and I have a son and a daughter, but there’s only so much that I can pour into the men.  We wanna have real powerful men involved, teaching and speaking.  So, Alvin will be even more involved starting next year.

EJ:  Awesome.  There’s a great word in him.  The two of you clearly have a burden for youth.  Did that develop or intensify in any way as your children got older, perhaps as you saw them dealing with different issues?

CW:  Mm-hmmm.  Definitely.  It definitely intensified.  It was there before because, as I said, when I started out, I was really young.  I was probably 16 or 17 when we did our first professional singing stuff and we started getting letters then, you know?

EJ:  Right.

CW:  So, we’d read the letters and they would say “oh, I love your music.”  But then you’d get a letter, like “I was contemplating suicide, but I heard your song on the radio and I decided to give life another try.”  You get a letter like THAT and you’re young, it’s like “oh my God, yeah… this thing is serious.”  Lives are depending on you being a great messenger for God, through music or whatever you do.

So the burden started a long time ago.  But as I got older and, of course, had my own children, and I realized how much life had CHANGED and how much worse things had gotten.

EJ:  Accelerated!

CW:  Oh my goodness.  So then, yes, you really get a burden for ministering to children.  And, like you said, understanding that both of my children have a mom and a dad, and we take them to church, we live a life of holiness in front of them, and we STILL see the challenges to keep them on the straight and narrow… so what are kids going through if they DON’T have all of that?

EJ:  Right.  How much harder…

CW:  And you see the enemy try to come in, maybe through the internet, and try to take your kids out.  Then you really get an attitude.  It’s like “first of all, you will NOT have mine.  And just for that, you’re not gonna have somebody else’s either.”

EJ:  *laughing*

CW:  So, yes.  You’re on it.  It definitely intensified just seeing what I had to fight through to keep my children.  We understand now, more than ever, the need for this.

EJ:  And I think that comes across very clearly.  It’s clear, having watched it since it started a few years ago, this is not just a conference.  A lot of prayer, care, compassion… and love has gone in.  It’s thoughtful preparation for “what do these children need,” “what are they lacking” and “how can we fill it”?

CW:  Yes!

EJ:  Well, I really pray that God gives you the opportunity to continue doing that, to see your vision– different perspectives and an equipped generation– to see that come to pass.

CW:  Yes.  Praise God.  Awesome!

EJ:  I’m excited for you and I thank you.

CW:  Thank you.  Praise God.  Keep praying for us!

EJ:  Absolutely.

CW:  It was great talking to you.

EJ:  Same here and thanks, again.

CW:  You got it!  You be blessed.

EJ:  You too.

*     *     *

Well, how awesome was THAT?!  I enjoyed her fun and relaxed spirit… an awesome woman of God.  FYI– she’ll be on TBN’s Praise The Lord again tonight!  Check your local listings.

And this conference sounds like it’s gonna be incredible!  Don’t forget that GospelPundit.com has partnered with the conference to provide the Always Sisters, Forever Brothers Giveaway!  Click here for details on how to win FREE REGISTRATION to the conference and TICKETS to the star-studded gospel concert!

What do you guys think?  Anyone planning to go?  Talk to me!

It occurred to me that, while many of you are already on Twitter, not everyone is interested in joining, for various reasons.

Still, in this new digital media age, MANY of your favorite artists are on Twitter, and are making announcements on a daily basis.  I try to fill you guys in as much as possible, but sometimes artists do stuff that isn’t “press release” worthy, but you’d still be interested in knowing it…

Like the fact that, to prepare for her album release this coming Tuesday, Coko was hitting the gym HARD (sometimes twice a day), to be in top form.

Or, did you know that Kirk Franklin holds “twurch,” a Q&A church service of sorts on Twitter, whereby people send him theological/practical questions about their walk with Christ, and he answers ‘em?

Or, did you know that 21:03 regularly speaks at Detroit area Career Day programs in the public school system?

Now, I realize that I’m adding a lot to my plate… but it’s for you guys, so it’s worth it. It’ll be a weekly recap deal… dunno which day yet.  But consider this your first installment.

Word has it that Zie’l is heading to Detroit for some help on their next album.  They’re gonna be working with PAJAM, 21:03, and J Drew on some blaaaaaazin’ new tracks for their upcoming album.

Those ladies sing so tough, I can only IMAGINE what these sessions are gonna produce!

Xist Worldwide has partnered with Royal Caribbean International and Travel Network Group to present its first Xist Urban Gospel Cruise, scheduled to depart from Miami on September 17, 2010 (that’s NEXT year, folks), with port calls at Coco Cay and Nassau, Bahamas, before returning on September 20th.

The performance line-up is expected to include Coko, DeWayne Woods, 21:03, JR, Mali Music, Sean Simmonds, Karima Kibble, T-Bone and many more.  The cruise will also feature a choir competition, daily praise & worship, and a new artist showcase.

Visit http://www.xistgospelcruise.com for more info.

I get sooooo easily seasick, but this line-up makes a brotha wanna take some Dramamine and make my way!

Has anybody ever gone on a gospel cruise?  Anyone planning to check this one out?  Holla at me.

Yoooooooooo… If you haven’t noticed yet, there are BIG things happening at GospelPundit.com.  And GOD is to receive ALL GLORY for it.  I’m excited.

Ladies and gents, GospelPundit.com welcomes its newest contributor– Evin Martin, of the Grammy-nominated gospel group 21:03!

Evin’s gonna be providing guest video blogs (vlogs) for the Across The Aisle series (if you don’t remember what that series is all about, click here).  You may be thinking… “Evin?  From 21:03??  HE’S gonna be talking about CCM artists???”

To that, I say “ABSOLUTELY!”  As he’ll explain in his first vlog, he’s an avid follower of CCM.  Like, huuuuuge.

So, check for his first vlog, coming soon.

In the meantime, e’rybody say “HI” to Evin…

CeCe Winans is gearing up for her annual conference, which is being expanded this year to include young men.  I think it’s going to be an AWESOME event.

The Always Sisters, Forever Brothers conference, to be held in Nashville, TN on July 24th and 25th, will feature guest speakers tackling topics like AIDS, teen suicide, teen pregnancy, fatherless families and more.  Other events at the conference include a fashion show and a teen mothers’ luncheon (I LIKE that idea).  Guest speakers include famed NFL coach Tony Dungy, Jentezen Franklin, R.A. Vernon and Mom Winans.

The event will culminate with a concert featuring Mary Mary, Da’ T.R.U.T.H., 21:03, The Katinas, Anthony Evans, Nia Allen and the Chenaniah Praise Dancers.  Over 5,000 youth, ages 13-26, are expected to attend this year!

The event is sponsored by Verizon Wireless (props to them for supporting gospel endeavors) and Mercy Ministries.  For more details, visit http://www.alwayssistersforeverbrothers.com.

Anyone been before?  Anyone planning to attend this go ’round?

Did y’all catch The Best of The Stellars on Gospel Music Channel on Sunday?  I thought it was really great.

Vickie Winans hosts it and does a good job.  She’s hilarious to me cuz you NEVER know what she’s gonna do or say.

The episode I watched featured some of the best Opening Performances from the past 24 years (though, it really only went back as far as Fred Hammond’s “Let The Praise Begin” in 1999).  I forgot how good some of those performances were– from Kurt Carr’s “In The Sanctuary” to Dorinda’s “I’m Coming Out”… (sidebar: y’all remember how excited everyone was when Dorinda’s debut finally album came out?!).  And Yolanda Adams’ performance of “That Name” with Richard Smallwood on keys.  Oh my goodness…

Anyway, a good show with awesome performances and backstage interviews of Tye Tribbett, 21:03, Donnie McClurkin, Dorinda Clark-Cole… I’m excited to keep watchin’.

Who else saw it?  What did you think?

So, I’ve been hitting the gym pretty hard over the past month and, like many, I HAVE to listen to music while I work out.  It motivates me and helps me keep a rhythm to my reps.

I usually waste a lot of time going through different songs by different artists on my iPod.  This morning, I thought, “EJ, just make a PLAYLIST and you won’t have to worry about changing it after every song.”

And so began my self-imposed assignment.  Then, I wondered “what do OTHER folks listen to when they work out?”  Now, I dunno if y’all are even exercising, but you NEED to be… at the very least, to keep your hearts going good.  NOTE:  A quick Sunday service two-step is NOT sufficient cardio.

Anyway, I’m askin’:  Who’s on YOUR workout playlist???

Some of my must-haves right now are:

1. Israel Houghton – “Saved By Grace”

2. Kierra Sheard – “Wave Your Banner”

3. Kirk Franklin – “Still In Love”

4. 21:03 – “Holding On To You”

5. Fred Hammond - “L.O.U.D.L.O.U.D.”

What do y’all listen to???