Y’Anna Crawley, winner of season 2 of BET’s Sunday Best, has debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart with her long-awaited project, The Promise.  Congratulations!!!

Also, Tamela Mann and Brian Courtney Wilson experienced some significant sales gains, jumping from #15 to #4, and from #10 to #5, respectively.

The rest of the top 10 looks like this…

#1 | Marvin Sapp – Here I Am
#2 | Y’Anna Crawley – The Promise
#3 | WOW Gospel 2010
#4 | Tamela Mann – The Master Plan
#5 | Brian Courtney Wilson – Just Love
#6 | VaShawn Mitchell – Triumphant
#7 | Various Artists (from Fred Hammond) – Life In the Word
#8 | BeBe & CeCe Winans – Still
#9 | Hezekiah Walker & LFC – Souled Out
#10 | Forever Jones – Get Ready

Did you guys grab Y’Anna’s new project yet?  What do you think of it?

What do you think of the rest of the top 10???

Word has it that Brian Courtney Wilson will be releasing a deluxe CD/DVD package of his debut release, Just Love, on October 5, 2010.

As you know, Brian has remained high on Billboard’s sales charts since the album’s release in 2009.  I’m eager to see what the DVD would include.

You?

VaShawn Mitchell has debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart with the new release of his latest album, Triumphant (EMI Gospel).  This sales week represents the highest week of his career.  Congrats!

Also, Brian Courtney Wilson jumped from #12 to #7 on the chart.  Great job!

The rest of the top 10 looks like this…

#1 | Marvin Sapp - Here I Am
#2 | VaShawn Mitchell – Triumphant
#3 | WOW Gospel 2010
#4 | Various Artists (from Fred Hammond) - Life In the Word
#5 | Forever Jones - Get Ready
#6 | Hezekiah Walker & LFC - Souled Out
#7 | Brian Courtney Wilson – Just Love
#8 | Fred Hammond – Love Unstoppable
#9 | Trip Lee - Between Two Worlds
#10 | BeBe & CeCe Winans - Still

What do you think???

Life In the Word, the first project in the joint venture between Fred Hammond’s fHammond Family Entertainment and Universal Christian Music Group has debuted at #2 on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart. Fred’s 2009 release, Love Unstoppable, came in at #6 this week, so he’s got TWO albums in the Top 10.  Congrats!

Also, kudos to Lowell Pye for debuting at #10 on the chart, with his solo debut, Finally, which hit stores last Tuesday. Click here to listen to snippets and to buy it!

The rest of the top 10 shakes out to look a little something like this…

The full run-down of the top 10 looks like this…

#1 | Marvin Sapp - Here I Am
#2 | Various Artists – Life In the Word
#3 | WOW Gospel 2010
#4 | Hezekiah Walker & LFC - Souled Out
#5 | Trip Lee – Between Two Worlds
#6 | Fred Hammond - Love Unstoppable
#7 | Brian Courtney Wilson - Just Love
#8 | Forever Jones – Get Ready
#9 | BeBe & CeCe Winans - Still
#10 | Lowell Pye - Finally

To be honest, I haven’t grabbed Lowell’s project yet– anyone got it?  Anyone lovin’ it?

Tell me about!

For a second week, it seems that an artist has debuted in the top 10 of Billboard’s Gospel Albums charts that many probably were not expecting to land there.

This time, it’s the project Landmark, a new album from Jasper Williams & Salem Bible Church Mass Choir, which debuted at #6.  This traditional gospel project was given a solid rating by The Black Gospel Blog (one of my faves for its historical accuracy and broad coverage).

The full run-down of the top 10 looks like this…

#1 | Marvin Sapp - Here I Am
#2 | WOW Gospel 2010
#3 | Trip Lee - Between Two Worlds
#4 | Hezekiah Walker & LFC – Souled Out
#5 | Fred Hammond - Love Unstoppable
#6 | Jasper Williams & Salem Bible Church Mass Choir – Landmark
#7| Brian Courtney Wilson – Just Love
#8 | BeBe & CeCe Winans – Still
#9 | Forever Jones - Get Ready
#10 | Donnie McClurkin - Playlist: The Very Best of Donnie McClurkin

Since his debut at #8 last week, gospel hip-hopper PRo has dropped to #22.  I’d probably blame that on a bunch of pre-sales, as well, without momentum beyond first week.  Either way, you guys have said good things about him… I think folks should check him out.

Ok, so who’s got good ol’ Jasper Williams’ project???

Talk to me!

Everything’s pretty much business as usual in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Gospel Albums charts, with the exception of two projects that I wasn’t really expecting to be there.

One is a compilation album from Donnie McClurkin.  It’s actually been on the charts for a while, but I don’t know how it managed to peek into the #10 spot. Not mad about it , though… welcome!

The other is Redemption, a new album from gospel hip-hop artist PRo (I did some googlin’), which debuted at #8.  The project features guest vocals from Lecrae and others.

The rest of the rundown looks like this…

#1 | Marvin Sapp - Here I Am
#2 | WOW Gospel 2010
#3 | Trip Lee - Between Two Worlds
#4 | Fred Hammond - Love Unstoppable
#5 | BeBe & CeCe Winans – Still
#6 | Hezekiah Walker & LFC – Souled Out
#7 | Forever Jones - Get Ready
#7 | PRo – Redemption
#9| Brian Courtney Wilson - Just Love
#10 | Donnie McClurkin - Playlist: The Very Best of Donnie McClurkin

Anyone have PRo’s album?  Heard of him? Like him?! Click here to listen to snippets of his album, Redemption.

Talk to me!

Word has it that Relevé Entertainment is just about ready for the return of its annual entertainment conference, The Merge Summit, from August 26-28, 2010 in Los Angeles, CA.

The Merge Summit “integrates faith and entertainment, and provides a platform and education for men and women of faith to interface and partner with executives and talent in the entertainment industry.” The event provides info and networking opps in film, television and music.

Confirmed attendees include Kirk Franklin, Hezekiah Walker, J Moss, Brian Courtney Wilson, James DuBose, Suzanne de Passe, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Wendy Raquel Robinson, and countless executives from entertainment companies including BET, ABC Networks, William Morris, Lionsgate, Creative Artists Agency, and Columbia Records.

Holly Carter, President of Relevé Entertainment, manages the careers of Mary Mary, Deitrick Haddon, Kierra Sheard and more.

For additional information and registration for the event, please visit www.themergesummit.com.

Anyone attend last year’s Summit? Anyone planning to attend this year?

Nothing monumental to report, though Forever Jones, Fred Hammond and Brian Courtney Wilson all experienced sales increases that pushed them higher in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Gospel Albums charts.

In fact, Forever Jones had the greatest sales gain of any gospel album last week… g’head guys!

The full rundown looks like this…

#1 | Marvin Sapp – Here I Am
#2 | WOW Gospel 2010
#3 | Trip Lee – Between Two Worlds
#4 | Fred Hammond – Love Unstoppable
#5 | Forever Jones – Get Ready
#6| Brian Courtney Wilson – Just Love
#7 | Hezekiah Walker & LFC – Souled Out
#8 | BeBe & CeCe Winans – Still
#9 | DeWayne Woods – My Life’s Lyric
#10 | Juanita Bynum – More Passion

What I’m kinda hoping for is that something from Walter Hawkins’ catalogue will pop into the top 10 next week… I’ll be taking down the playlist I made for him this weekend– maybe you’ll make a coupla purchases???

What do you think of the charts this week?  Of the projects listed above, whose albums do you NOT have?

After Trip Lee’s chart-topping debut last week, Marvin Sapp has regained the #1 chart position on the Gospel Albums chart at Billboard.  Trip Lee follows close behind, though, in the #2 spot.

Also, Phil Tarver, the music director and worship leader of Shekinah Glory Ministry, enters the chart at #4 with his new solo project, Place of Worship.  Congrats!

#1 | Marvin Sapp – Here I Am
#2 | Trip Lee – Between Two Worlds
#3 | WOW Gospel 2010
#4 | Phil Tarver – Place of Worship
#5 | Hezekiah Walker & LFC – Souled Out
#6 | DeWayne Woods – My Life’s Lyric
#7 | Fred Hammond – Love Unstoppable
#8 | BeBe & CeCe Winans – Still
#9| Brian Courtney Wilson – Just Love
#10 | Juanita Bynum – More Passion

Did anyone here grab Phil Tarver’s new project when it came out?

Whatd’ya think of the charts this week???

Interesting.

James Fortune & FIYA’s album, The Transformation, jumped 34 chart positions on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart this week, leaping from #41 to #7.  That, alone, is pretty noteworthy.  Even more incredible is that this is not the group’s most recent album; the newest project, Encore, rests at #16 on the chart.

Why in tarnation did so many buyers pass up the new album and go for the older one?!  Random.

*shrugs*

Anyway, the rest of the Top 10 looks a little somethin’ like this (you’ll notice that Fortune is tied with Brian Courtney Wilson at #7– they sold the same number of units):

#1 | Marvin Sapp - Here I Am
#2 | WOW Gospel 2010
#3 | Forever Jones – Get Ready
#4 | Hezekiah Walker & LFC – Souled Out
#5 | BeBe & CeCe Winans – Still
#6 | Fred Hammond – Love Unstoppable
#7 | Brian Courtney Wilson – Just Love
#7 | James Fortune & FIYA- The Transformation
#9 | CeCe Winans – Songs of Emotional Healing
#10 | Juanita Bynum – More Passion

Shout-out to CeCe for having two albums in the Top 10, and to Forever Jones for maintaining that #3 position!

I’m predicting that the Top 5 will see quite a shake-up next week.  I’m guessing the sales figures of the current top albums won’t be strong enough to beat out the first week sales of Darwin Hobbs, DeWayne Woods , Trip Lee and Juanita Bynum.

What say you???