If you are ANYWHERE REMOTELY CLOSE to Chicago on Saturday, June 5th and/or Sunday, June 6th, you already know (hopefully) where you need to be– it’s the annual Chicago Gospel Music Festival in Millennium Park.

The two-day weekend gospel celebration features a mainstage with non-stop concert performances from some of the biggest names in gospel each year.  This year, attendees include Ricky Dillard & New G, Kathy Taylor, Byron Cage, Hezekiah Walker & LFC,  The Caravans, Richard Smallwood & Vision, and Fred Hammond.  Plus, there are two smaller stages with performances from great Chicagoland talent throughout each day.

In addition to the performances, you’ll find food, vendors, gospel radio booths and more.  The event goes down from 11am to 9pm each day and you oughta be there, if ya can.  For full details, visit www.chicagogospelmusicfestival.us.

Lemme know if you’re going!

Only one friend of mine has ever been able to demonstrate that they know as much about this album as I do.  And it kinda shocks me cuz it had all the right ingredients for a hit record.

Released in 1994 on GospoCentric, Personal Inspirations is the debut gospel album from Stephanie Mills.  No novice to performance (she was the original “Dorothy” in The Wiz on Broadway and had a wildly successful R&B career), she recorded this project LIVE.  On production?  None other than Donald Lawrence, her long-time musical director.  On background vocals?  The Tri-City Singers.

I won’t say that I adore every track– some are simply nostalgic at this point.  But there’s no denying that she’s got some real gems on this project.  From the album’s opener, “I Had A Talk With God,” to her cover of The Caravans’ ”Sweepin’ Through The City,” Stephanie Mills demonstrates that she’s no outsider to the gospel genre.

My favorite track on the project is “He Cares,” written by John P. Kee (and, on which, he makes a guest appearance).  It’s classic.  As if it weren’t enough on its own, she does a reprise of it and grabs Arnetta Murrill-Crooms (remember her lead vocal on Tri-City’s “I Am God”?) from among the background vocalists… beautiful.

Other stand-outs for me is her remake of the Winans’ classic “Everything You Touch,” “Everybody Ought To Know,” “I’m Gonna Make You Proud,” and the gospel version of her own R&B hit, “Power Of Love,” re-titled “Power Of God.”

I’m not saying that it should’ve been #1 on Billboard for a year.  But I am saying that it was good initial effort, with great production, nice songs and arrangements…

I couldn’t find many clips online from the project, so bear with me on the YouTube video below (audio only). And also, click here to hear that reprise of “He Cares” (the person disabled embedding, so I couldn’t post that video).

Whatd’ya think???

Gospel pioneer and legend Albertina Walker is celebrating her 80th birthday with two days full of events.

The Albertina Walker Scholarship Foundation is hosting an event in her honor tomorrow, August 29th at Chicago’s Hyatt Regency hotel.  Special guests will include Yolanda Adams, Tramaine Hawkins, The Caravans and more.

Then, on Monday, August 31st, a second celebration concert is scheduled in her honor, featuring Shirley Caesar, Donnie McClurkin, the Clark Sisters, Ricky Dillard & New G and MORE.

WHAT?!  *goin’ to Travelocity to find a last minute fare to Chicago*

That’s an awesome celebration.  Happy BDay to the Queen of Gospel!

For more info, go to http://www.AlbertinaWalker.com!