More details are surfacing about the upcoming Stellar Awards Mother’s Day Gospel Music Festival I mentioned last year, hosted by Central City Productions.

The 3-day celebration will take place in Orlando, FL from Friday, May 7th through Sunday, May 9th.  Hosts for the weekend will be Vickie Winans and comedian Akintunde.

Featured performers include Byron Cage, Deitrick Haddon, James Fortune, Kierra Sheard and Jonathan Nelson on Friday; Shirley Caesar, Yolanda Adams, Vickie Winans and Crystal Aikin on Saturday; Karen Clark Sheard, Kevin LeVar and Endurance on Sunday.

In addition to your travel and hotel, you’ll have to buy tix for the big gathering.  A 3-day pass to all events can be purchased for about $162.50 from Ticketmaster.  Click here for more info on the event.

The nominees for the 41st annual Dove Awards were announced on Thursday.

Natalie Grant and Bart Millard will host the awards show on April 21st.  Unlike last year, the awards will not be broadcast live– they will air on gmc on Sunday, April 25, 2010 from 8pm-10pm EST.

There are 43 categories and you guys don’t know most of the names in ‘em, so I’m not typing it all… sorry.  BUT, you can visit http://www.gmclife.com/41st-dove-award-nominees for the full list.

In the meantime, a quick recap of some of the folks you’ll find there:

Donnie McClurkin, Israel Houghton, Melinda Watts, Freddy Washington, Brian Courtney Wilson, Mali Music, Vickie Winans, Smokie Norful, Mary Mary, Crystal Aikin, Bishop Paul Morton, Hezekiah Walker, Heather Headley, Mandisa, B. Reith, Fred Hammond, Group 1 Crew, Da’ T.R.U.T.H., BeBe & CeCe Winans… see, there are just too many to name!

Ok, more Dove Awards info and discussion as the time draws nigh.  Until then, tell me what you think about the nominee list!

Most of you know me as a gospel music fan and blogger.  And that’s me.  But by trade, some know me as an attorney.  And that’s me, too.

So, for a moment, I’m swapping my blogger hat for my attorney hat to simply caution all of you would-be Sunday Best auditioners… be VERY CAREFUL of anything you sign as you go to audition for the hit gospel talent competition.

DISCLAIMER:  Legal information is distinct from legal advice.  The commentary that follows is not intended, in any way, to serve as legal advice.  If you desire legal counsel and assurance, you are advised to consult a competent attorney.

First, please know that what I’m about to say is in NO WAY intended to slight BET or the Sunday Best program.  Their legal requirements are generally similar to other televised talent competitions and many of the things that viewers and auditioners might consider “unfair,” are merely protections that the network and the program’s producers need, and deserve, to have in place.

With that said, I’m going to speak GENERALLY about how some of the agreements at televised talent competitions, such as Sunday Best, American Idol and Gospel Dream, operate.  This info is not necessarily applicable to each televised talent contest.

Here we go:

1.  You’ll HAVE TO sign it.  Please understand that when you audition for a show, you will be required to sign a binding legal agreement.  I’m not talking about just before the finals– I’m talking about while you’re standing in line with thousands of folks.  If you don’t sign something, you’re not auditioning.  Period.

2.  When you sign, you’ll be giving your CONSENT to a lot of stuff.  Most folks don’t care about this.  At the preliminary stage, you’ll just be consenting to have your image, likeness, singing voice, etc. on TV.  How else is America supposed to laugh at you or applaud you if you make it to the judges?  Basically, you’re consenting to be on the show WITHOUT PAY.  And the show can edit, manipulate and use the images and sounds that they get from you in any way they choose (even if it makes you look like a heathen).  Further, the show owns, and can use, this footage any way it wants, FOREVER.

3.  You might not be able to sing, dress or act like you want to.  How many times have we heard “wrong song choice” from the judges?  Or how many times have you sat at home and said “why is she singing THAT?!”  Well, sometimes, it’s not really up to the contestants.  Remember when I interviewed a bunch of the Sunday Best finalists last year?  Several of them mentioned that they didn’t get to pick their songs at all.  And let’s not forget about the mandatory makeovers.  A good one can be anybody’s friend, but don’t start fussin’ about “holiness” if they color your hair and dress you like a lounge singer.  This is what you wanted.

4.  You might get a MANAGER that you don’t want.  Some shows, within that early agreement, make contestants agree that they can be managed by a manager of the show’s choosing.  This is particularly rough if you’re already working as an aspiring artist and you’ve already got a manager– you might have to drop him/her and end up having your career guided by a total stranger.

5. Some shows bind you to a RECORD DEAL.  Many of you have asked me why Jessica Reedy doesn’t have a record deal yet.  Here’s why… BET may have temporarily taken away her right to do so.  Take a look at the Sunday Best release from this year’s auditions in Nigeria (click here) as an example… there’s a clause that says “if my appearance, name, likeness, voice, singing voice… are used in connection with the Program, I may be required… to enter into… an agreement for my exclusive recording services which may include an agreement for my exclusive songwriting services…”  OUCH!

In effect, it says “in order to appear on the show, I may be required to sign a record deal.”  So, you ask me “but, with what label?”  Here’s the kicker– with BET’s “record label.”

Now, you and I both know that they don’t really have a gospel label, but look at the beauty of this clause for them.  If a contestant is good, and has a huge fan following from the show, BET gets the FIRST opportunity to sign that artist to a label that it has, or will create.  For how long?  Let’s just say that I have spoken personally to a former contestant from last season who is STILL not allowed to sign a record deal.  But we’re already getting ready to tape a new season!

Actually, I should amend that… BET will allow you to sign with another label, but only if they can split the profits with that label.  Or maybe the new label will have to pay to buy you out.  How much?  Dunno exactly, but I can guarantee it’ll be too much for ANY gospel label to pay and still make a profit from your record sales.  So, you might just have to wait it out and hope that people still remember you, or care about you, once the contract is up…

6.  Some shows bind you to a SONGWRITING DEAL, too.  This is where it can really hurt financially.  In the same Sunday Best release I referenced above, did you notice the language that says “which may include an agreement for my exclusive songwriting services”?  When you sign an agreement for your songwriting services, it generally means you’re gonna lose some, or all, of your publishing rights.  Publishing rights refer to song OWNERSHIP, so you can count on losing some, or all, of the money from songs you may write after signing this agreement, IF you are signed to a songwriting agreement.

Note, also, the buzz-word “exclusive.”  That’s right, buddies… exclusive means you can’t do a similar contract with ANYONE else.  If you’re a writer, that means you can’t write for anyone else without BET taking a percentage of that songwriting money, because they’re part owners of any song that you write while under that exclusive songwriting contract.  In the gospel industry, where so many artists write their own material, this could have a significant effect on your career and the money that you bring in from it.

7.  You may be sharing your income for a while.  In addition to recording and songwriting deals, some shows may take bites of every apple you can get your hands on, for years to come.  From merchandising (like, a T-shirt with your picture on it) to touring revenue (if you’re so fortunate), the contract you sign MAY require you split the profits from any money-making opportunities you get as a result of your appearance on the show… and how are you REALLY gonna prove that your future success isn’t linked to your appearance on their national television program?

8.  You might have to be where they want you, when they want you.  Your cousin is gettin’ married the same weekend of an American Idol tour date?  Sorry, you’ll have to miss your cousin’s wedding.  Your goddaughter is getting baptized next Saturday?  Yeah, well, that’s the taping of Celebration Of Gospel and we’re gonna need you in the audience for camera shots, soo… yeah.  Catch my drift?  The network doesn’t just get access to you for its show– it needs you to promote all things related to the show.  If you’re trying to be an artist, that may be great for you.  But don’t complain… this is what you wanted!

 9.  And don’t go using their name or logo, either.  Funny how one-sided things can be– they can use your picture and name to promote their stuff, but don’t think for a MINUTE that you can use their logo or title to promote yours.  To do that, you’ve gotta get consent from the network.  It makes sense, I guess– they want to control how their brand is being used and discussed.  What that means, though, is that it’s harder for you to book yourself for gigs or promote your independent record (you can’t necessarily say “from Sunday Best” or “from American Idol“).  Unless you were incredibly memorable, most consumers need a reminder of who you are and why they should care.  You may not get permission to GIVE that reminder, though.

10.  You have only a moment to decide.  This is, perhaps, the hardest part of the contract– you must commit, and commit QUICKLY.  Eventually, the only thing standing between you and the judges’ table will be a wordy document that you don’t really understand.  No one’s really waiting while you find an attorney and fax him your contract to review… either sign it, or leave.  You won’t really be missed.  Plus, this is your big shot.  The shows are prepared to dress you up and put you on national TV to sing!  But, decide now– what are you prepared to do in exchange???

Sooooo, I hope this helps to explain what some of the language you might see actually means.  Again, NOTHING I HAVE SAID IS INTENDED TO SERVE AS LEGAL ADVICE.  I ENCOURAGE YOU TO SEEK PROFESSIONAL LEGAL COUNSEL WITH REGARDS TO ANYTHING YOU MIGHT SIGN.  And that goes DOUBLE for anyone who makes it from the massive audition line to the televised stage.

Now, having said all of that, who’s auditioning???

Immediately following the taping of the 25th Annual Stellar Awards, social networking sites were flooded with praises, lauding THIS show as the best Stellar Awards EVER.  And I agree.

I’ve attended numerous times and I’ve watched the show since I was kid growing up in Chicago– the performances on this show were innovative and you’ll be hard-pressed to find more memorable and captivating performances right now.

!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!

During the taping, I sent tweets via Twitter about who was on stage, but intentionally left off the songs that were being performed.  Here, I’m recapping the ENTIRE taping, so if you wanna leave anything to your imagination, don’t read any further.

If you wanna know the juicy details, do proceed…

As you probably know, the show was hosted by Donnie McClurkin, Vickie Winans and Kirk Franklin.  They did a great job, especially Vickie, who served as comic relief for much of the night.  There was no hype man between set changes this year, so we could’ve gotten really restless but for Vickie’s jokes about herself.

For the first time, the Stellar Awards featured a live house band, which was led by producer Percy Bady.  This made a WORLD of difference because the sound was tighter than ever, the performances came to life, and we weren’t bound by the restrictions of each artist’s performance track.  EXCELLENT decision.

If you follow my tweets, you know that I said that the theme for this year’s show would be COLLABORATIONS.  Almost all of the performances on the show are medleys between artists that have made significant contributions to gospel music over the past 25 years.  The others were performances from artists that left a great impression on the industry in the past year.

The show opened with a collabo between Ricky Dillard & New G and Hezekiah Walker & LFC.  If you love choirs, you’ll get a glimpse of Heaven within the first coupla minutes of the program!

Ricky Dillard & New G performed “Search Me” before transitioning into the classic vamp of “More Abundantly”… you know, the part where the sopranos, altos and tenors break down into parts, singing “JOYYYYY!”  During this time, the Love Fellowship Choir had joined them on stage, just in time for Bishop Hezekiah Walker to lead them in their hits “I Need You To Survive” and “Souled Out.”  It was electrifying.

The next performances came from the legendary Vanessa Bell Armstrong, performing her hit single “Good News.”  She looked incredible and sounded even better.

In a traditional female vocalist collaboration, we were super blessed to witness Lady Tramaine Hawkins sing “Changed” (it doesn’t matter how many years have passed– her voice DOES NOT CHANGE) before Dottie Peoples came on stage to sing “On Time God” like you wouldn’t believe.  As if that wasn’t enough, Pastor Shirley Caesar came to the stage to tell us about ol’ Shoutin’ John in “Hold My Mule”  Y’all remember that song?!  It was a classic performance.

The next collabo came from Richard Smallwood and Smokie Norful.  This was absolutely one of the best performances.  Fortunately, I had seen it during some rehearsals, because I could’ve missed the whole thing.  An usher at the Grand Ole Opry House used this time to SCREAM in my area, talkin’ about “are there any SEAT FILLERS over here?!”  Fortunately, my wife told her to “shhhhh!!!” and we still caught some of it.  Don’t mess with Janice Gaines, y’hear?

Picture it– Smallwood and Norful, both in tuxedos (with tails), each at a black grand piano, tickling the ivories like nobody’s business.  Richard Smallwood started by playing Smokie’s “I Need You Now,” then Smokie followed by playing Richard’s “Center Of My Joy.”  Smokie then played and sang “Dear God” (from his latest project) and Richard Smallwood capped the performance off with his classic anthem, “Total Praise.”

New Artist Of The Year Crystal Aikin came to the stage next with her hit single “I Desire More,” and left the entire room desiring more… I could’ve heard her on that vamp all day.  Her voice soars, effortlessly, and she’s got such control and sincerity… a true treasure.

Another stand-out performance came from our favorite bro & sis– BeBe & CeCe Winans, singing their latest single “Grace.”  They looked like a million bucks and they sounded like they never took a 15-year break.  They’re just pros who don’t miss a beat.

Up next was another classic performance– Kirk Franklin performed with his singers– new and old– a medley of his greatest hits, including “Silver & Gold,” “Why We Sing,” and a bunch of others I’m forgetting.  The best part of the performance was probably when Tamela Mann and Dalon Collins joined them to sing “Now Behold The Lamb.”  That auditorium went UP and IN.  CLASSIC!

Up next was the popular single “I Trust You” from James Fortune & FIYA.  They gave a great performance and reminded everyone why he had such great success at radio– it’s a singable anthem that encourages souls… great stuff.

The next performance is one that you’d BETTER watch for on the broadcast.  Don’t take bathroom breaks even remotely close to this segment.  I’m talking about the all-male vocalist collaboration between Donnie McClurkin, Byron Cage and Marvin Sapp.  There are hardly words to describe it.  The song list was great–  ”Never Would Have Made It,” “The Presence Of The Lord Is Here,” “Faithful To Believe,” “Marvelous” (by Walter Hawkins), and “Stand.”

Each of the three guys took turns singing on “Never Would Have Made It” and “Stand.”  By the end of their set, the ENTIRE room was on its feet worshipping.  They came back in on “Stand” and the taping had to take a break.  I’ve NEVER heard Byron Cage sing the way he did, Donnie’s range was limitless and powerful (as always) and Marvin Sapp was simply incredible.

At this point, Kirk came out and shared some of what’s been on his heart.  One thing that stood out was a quick phrase he gave– “IN ADVANCE.”  He shared that, as we sleep, as we doubt, while we’re not knowing what is going to happen, GOD has thoughtfully already worked everything out for us, in advance.  Our response to THAT should be that we praise Him, in advance.  It was a very powerful moment– I know I’m not typing it well enough to convey that, but… you’re gonna have to trust me.

The fire was kept burning by the next performance, which came from Israel Houghton and Mary Mary.  Israel performed via satellite from London, while Erica & Tina Campbell looked and sounded great on stage as they sang the Grammy-nominated “Every Prayer.”  I loved the concept of it and the execution.  Great job.

The finale of the show came sooner than I had prepared for– I guess I wanted to go until midnight or something– but when it came, it was great.

Donald Lawrence & The Co. (and you guys KNOW I love me some Co.!) sang “Back II Eden” with the Atlanta West Pentecostal Church Choir, winners of How Sweet The Sound (HSTS), behind them.  It was a great concept to include the choir because HSTS was such a great and popular part of the gospel industry this year.  And when Floyd Wilkinson came up to do his vamp… I’m sayin’… I could listen to that vamp 10 times in a row and never got tired of it.

What I think you WON’T see on camera is Vickie Winans clownin’… she won Female Vocalist Of The Year and the award was presented by Shirley Caesar, Dorothy Norwood and Albertina Walker.  When she won, she was so overwhelmed and blown away that she went to the podium and said to Albertina (who sat with an oxygen tank next to her), “girl, gimme some of this [oxygen].”  I NEED them to not edit that out! LOL

Also, you probably won’t see Tina Campbell with her gorgeous new lil’ baby, TJ.  She walked to her seat with him at one point, and the whole audience awww’ed and oooo’ed cuz it was just priceless.

Even without those moments, you’re gonna get all the rest… and that’ll be one of the best set of televised gospel performances you’ve ever witnessed.

I commend Don Jackson, Central City Productions, Barbara Wilson, and the entire Stellar Awards production crew for an incredible show– definitely my favorite over the past decade, and probably EVER.  Elegant, professional, classic… it was more than just a celebration of 25 years of the Stellars… it was a celebration of gospel music.  Perfect!

Soooooooooooo… sound good to anyone else?  Anyone attend and wanna chime in?  Did I miss anything???

Sooo, if you follow me on Twitter, you know that the 25th annual Stellar Awards weekend was ACTION PACKED.

Throughout the week, I’m gonna try my best to give recaps of the events that I attended (there were SEVERAL), but before I do, I wanted to post the full list of winners at this year’s award show…

Artist Of The Year - Hezekiah Walker & Love Fellowship Choir, Souled Out (Verity)

Song Of The Year - “God In Me” by Mary Mary, The Sound (Columbia)

Male Vocalist Of The Year - Smokie Norful, Smokie Norful Live (EMI Gospel)

Female Vocalist Of The Year - Vickie Winans, How I Got Over (Destiny Joy)

Group/Duo Of The Year - Mary Mary, The Sound (Columbia)

New Artist Of The Year - Crystal Aikin, Crystal Aikin (Verity)

CD Of The Year - Hezekiah Walker & Love Fellowship Choir, Souled Out (Verity)

Choir Of The Year - Hezekiah Walker & Love Fellowship Choir, Souled Out (Verity)

Producer Of The Year - Donald Lawrence & Daniel Weatherspoon, The Law Of Confession Pt. 1 (Quietwater/Verity)

Contemporary Group/Duo Of The Year - Mary Mary, The Sound (Columbia)

Traditional Group/Duo Of The Year - Lee Williams & The Spiritual QCs, Fall On Me (MCG)

Contemporary Male Vocalist Of The Year - Smokie Norful, Smokie Norful Live (EMI Gospel)

Contemporary Female Vocalist Of The Year - Crystal Aikin, Crystal Aikin (Verity)

Traditional Male Vocalist Of The Year - Donnie McClurkin, We All Are One (Verity)

Traditional Female Vocalist Of The Year - Dottie Peoples, Do It! (DP Muzik Group)

Contemporary CD Of The Year - Hezekiah Walker & Love Fellowship Choir, Souled Out (Verity)

Traditional CD Of The Year - Shari Addison, Shari Addison (Verity)

Urban/Inspirational Single Of The Year - “God In Me” by Mary Mary, The Sound (Columbia)

Music Video Of The Year - “How I Got Over” by Vickie Winans, How I Got Over (Destiny Joy)

Contemporary Choir Of The Year - Hezekiah Walker & Love Fellowship Choir, Souled Out (Verity)

Traditional Choir Of The Year - Bishop Paul S. Morton & The FGBCF Mass Choir, Cry Your Last Year (Light)

Special Event CD Of The Year - The Clark Sisters, J. Moss & Kierra Sheard, Silky Soul Music - A Tribute To Maze (Barantera Music Group)

Instrumental CD Of The Year - Ben Tankard, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Verity)

Rap/Hip-Hop Gospel CD Of The Year - Da’ T.R.U.T.H., The Big Picture (Cross Movement)

Children’s Performance Of The Year - Rev. Dr. Emory Andrews & Oxon Hill High School Choir, Amazing (Yrome)

Quartet Of The Year - Lee Williams & The Spiritual QCs, Fall On Me (MCG)

Praise & Worship CD Of The Year - Stephen Hurd, Times Of Refreshing (Integrity)

Recorded Music Package Of The Year - Denise Trotman for Donald Lawrence’s The Law Of Confession Pt. 1 (Quietwater/Verity)

Stellar Radio Awards:

Internet Radio | http://www.ishoutforjoy.com
Small Market | WEUP 1700 AM – Huntsville, AL
Medium Market | Hallelujah FM – Little Rock, AR
Large Market | WTLC 1310 AM – Indianapolis, IN
Major Market | WLIB 1190 AM – New York City, NY

Lonnie Hunter of Praise 103.9 in Philadelphia was awarded with the Announce Of The Year Award. And the Central South Distribution REACH Awards were awarded to Vickie Hill (Saginaw, MI), Willie Mae MacIver (Dallas, TX) and Michael A. Davis (Memphis, TN).

I was surprised only by about two of these wins– I thought that Praise & Worship CD Of The Year would go to Israel Houghton.  He really got shafted this year, because The Power Of One was one of the best albums to come out in 2009.  The fact that he was only nominated in three categories, one of which was for packaging… c’mon.  But, kudos to Stephen Hurd anyhow.

Second, I didn’t think Hezekiah Walker & LFC would walk away with Artist Of The Year.  I really figured it would go to Donald Lawrence.  Either way, I’m thrilled.  I have loved Pastor Walker for YEARS and I couldn’t be more excited for him… he definitely deserved to be recognized and that album is an absolute favorite from the past year.

So, that’s THAT.  If you get Gospel Music Channel, the show airs on February 28th at 8pm ET/7pm CST.  BUT, it will likely air in your region before that… I’ll post the local dates and times when the Stellars post it… I can’t type all of that! LOL

And check back here throughout the week for my recaps– I went a lot of places, chatted with a lot of folks, and I’ve got LOTS to tell you.  Deal?  DEAL!

In the meantime, TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK of the winners!!!

The list of artists who will perform at the 25th Annual Stellar Awards has been released:

Mary Mary
Byron Cage
Dottie Peoples
Hezekiah Walker
Shirley Caesar
Ricky Dillard & New G
Tramaine Hawkins
Richard Smallwood
Crystal Aikin
Smokie Norful
Vanessa Bell Armstrong
Edwin Hawkins
BeBe & CeCe Winans
Jonathan Slocumb
Israel Houghton
James Fortune
Walter Hawkins

For some reason, the list doesn’t mention Donald Lawrence, but it was announced elsewhere that he will be performing with the Atlanta West Pentecostal Church Choir (winner of this year’s How Sweet The Sound competition).

Should be interesting performances– glad to see some new folks on the show, like James Fortune and Crystal Aikin, as well as some faves that don’t always perform, like Tramaine Hawkins and Hezekiah Walker.

At the fear of sounding redundant, I would love to see Kierra Sheard SOMEWHERE on SOMEBODY’S show… she’s nominated for several awards, including ARTIST OF THE YEAR, for cryin’ out loud.  She can’t get a performance slot?!

As an aside– it’s interesting that, despite the fact that so many indie artists proudly let us know that they “took the ballot by storm” this year, not one of them was given a performance opportunity…

What do you guys think of the line-up?

Hope you didn’t tune it late… cuz just 10 minutes into the show, they had finished the much-hyped “sing-off” and sent Latice Crawford packin’.

I was rather frustrated with the entire show last night.  Not necessarily cuz of anything the contestants did, but because I just don’t think it was well done.

The show opened with Kirk announcing that the sing-off would begin immediately, and that the contestants would be singing “Jesus Loves Me,” with no rehearsal, no huge band– just vocals and an organ.  Great.  Lookin’ forward to it.

Latice Crawford came out first and did a great job, followed by Jessica and Y’Anna.  I thought Latice seemed most comfortable and kinda gave a better vocal than Jessica and Y’Anna (though, don’t ever get me wrong– I looooooves me some Jessica and Y’Anna).  In any event, right after they sang, the show moved into “results” mode and Latice was sent home.

What the world?!  Even if the judges thought that Latice didn’t “win” the sing-off, it’s not like they went to a commercial break to actually DISCUSS who did win it… Clearly, a decision had already been made, which begs the question– why we gotta extend things for an entire week?  All you really needed was to add 10 more minutes to the end of LAST week’s show to make your decision.  Or, maybe there was more that we didn’t see and the editing was just THAT good…

In any event, I simmered down once Ricky Dillard & New G hit the stage to perform “Search Me, Lord” (from their latest release, 7th Episode, which is incredible).  I was gonna be satisfied with just that, but you should’ve heard my GLEE when it flipped into a funky remix of his CLASSIC choir hit, “More Abundantly.”  I think I kinda lost my mind for a minute.  I’ve been a lifelong fan (shout-out to Chicago choirs!), so I was VERY pleased.

Then, Y’Anna took to the stage again, singing “The Battle Is The Lord’s.”  It’s CLASSIC and she did a great job ministering.  Jessica followed, with “I Won’t Complain,” and also did a phenomenal job ministering.  I agreed with the judges– you could see when something flipped for her in the middle of the song, and the words started ministering to her first, THEN to us.  Both ladies gave great performances.

Last season’s winner, Crystal Aikin, followed with a performance of her single, ”I Desire More.”  It’s a great song, which she performs VERY well, in my opinion.  I’ma need Brother Sound Man to give us a little more of her and a bit less of the music, though. Still, she really delivers that song and it was great to kinda have that full-circle moment with last year’s winner.

Y’Anna and Jessica capped off the evening with a duet of “Jesus Is Love.” Now, I said on Twitter last night (you followin’ me???) that I did not understand WHY someone chose that song out of aaaall the duets that could have been created.  And the mediocre performance further illustrated my point.  Just cuz Smokie Norful and Heather Headley recently turned it into a duet doesn’t make it work!  The key seemed right for Y’Anna, not right for Jessica.  And there wasn’t a whole lot for either of them to do (vocally) to demonstrate their artistry, so it just kinda came off like an awkward performance to me.

The show ended and we were reminded of how we can vote for our favorite contestant.  Unfortunately, at NO POINT DURING ANY PORTION OF THE SHOW were we told WHEN voting would end.  ARRRGH!

Fear not, readers… that’s what GospelPundit.com is here for:

You can vote until 12 noon PST on Saturday, May 9th.  There are three ways to vote:

1.  Click here to vote online.

2.  Call toll-free: (877) 701-0141 for Jessica… (877) 701-0142 for Y’Anna.

3.  Send a text to 70101 with the letter ‘A’ for Jessica… ‘B’ for Y’Anna. (Note: that’ll cost ya $0.49 per text in addition to any standard rates on your plan, so guess who’ll be doing the “online” and “toll-FREE” option?)

ALL IN ALL, as heavy-handed as this particular recap was, I have loved the entire season of this show.  The vocalists were so good that it’s gonna be fair either way… and, if Latice had stayed, I woulda been absolutely fine with that, too.

Make sure you click here to read my EXCLUSIVE interviews with each of the three ladies, if you haven’t done so already.  And make sure you head over to the new poll in the sidebar (>>>>>>>>>) to predict the winner of the show. 

MY PREDICTION:  I’ve always said that Jessica is my FAVORITE contestant, and she still is.  I’ve also never taken anything away from Y’Anna, cuz she’s phenomenal too.  I love both of these ladies as vocalists and I can see them as new artists.  That said, if people vote the way I expect them to, Y’Anna Crawley will be crowned Sunday Best next week.

*opening the floodgates*

YOUR THOUGHTS???

Okay, people.  Here’s the culmination of my chat with our vocalist extraordinaire, Melonie Daniels.  If you missed Parts ONE and TWO, click here to catch up on what she’s had to say so far!

In this segment, Melonie shares a bunch of info about her vocal routine, what it takes to be a great background vocalist, her work at NYC’s Village Undergound, her transition from background to foreground as a solo artist, and what’s next for her.  You don’t wanna miss it!

Ladies and gents, enjoy PART THREE:

*     *     *

EJ:  How do you prepare for a studio session?  Like, how much rest do you get, what foods do you avoid, and all that?

MD:  Well, that’s a biological thing and it’s an individual situation.  There are those of us that are lactose intolerant, or allergic to citric acid, or whatever.  You have to know what your body is capable of handling, what your allergies are…

EJ:  And you don’t mean “allergies” like if you eat it, you have to go to the hospital, right?  You just mean “allergies” in the sense that your body responds negatively in some way?

MD:  Right.  It’s not a blanket thing.  I love the teachings of Lady Tramaine Hawkins, but her routine may not work across the board for everybody.

EJ:  What does she do?

MD:  She’s very protective of her voice.  Wherever she ministers, she has to shut down the air in the entire place, she stays wrapped up.  She can’t handle air conditioning.  And there are several singers that do that.  For me, I’m like “turn down the heat, turn up the COLD.”

EJ:  Really?!

MD:  I chew ice.  I don’t have a problem with dairy products, but I can’t do orange juice because I’m allergic.  So it really is dependent on the individual and knowing what your body can handle.

EJ:  Know your instrument, people!

MD:  Yeah, you have to really study yourself.

EJ:  That’s funny cuz some people take themselves so seriously based on what they’ve heard… like “no, no… I can’t do dairy right now because we’re singing later,” when that may not even affect them in the same way.

MD:  Right.  When I’m ministering and they ask me if I want water, I’m like “yes, ICE COLD.”

EJ:  Are you for real?

MD:  *laughing*  Yeah!  I’m like “you got some ICE?  Crack me up some ice!”  But that’s just me.

EJ:  *laughing* What does it take to be a great background vocalist?

MD:  Be teachable.  Be very studious.  And be quick about it.  Have good intonation, memorization, good pitch… Ear training has a lot to do with it because you have to pick up stuff so quickly sometimes.  And you don’t get a second chance a lot of times.  Rehearsal is the only place where you can fool up and get away with it, but when it comes to performance, you’ve gotta nail it.

And that’s why a lot of background singers are losing jobs– because a lot of people now are keeping Pro Tools nearby and aren’t using background singers.  You’ll never sound like what they have on the record because artists will either hire session singers that don’t travel, or they’ll do the vocals themselves.  So, there’s no way to sound just like that.

Most of my life, I’ve done live stuff.  I don’t sound exactly like the record, but I try to come as close to it as possible– to do the same inflection, the same words, and the same tone quality, if possible.  I have the advantage of being like a mimic, especially from growing up and watching cartoons, because I could mimic the characters’ voices.

EJ:  So, watch your cartoons, folks! *laughing*

MD:  That was my thing.  And even people’s speaking voices.  You have to study those things in order to be effective as a background singer.  And that’s why people keep getting called– they can give the singer certain nuances, they can give the artist something familiar.  You may have a great voice, but if you’re not able to conform VOCALLY to what someone requires of you for that moment…

That’s the hardest part of background singing for a lot of people– conforming vocally.  You have to, though.  They called me at the last minute to do something with Ricky Martin 8 or 9 years ago.  That next morning, I was on a flight and I had to learn five or six songs, three of which were in Spanish.  I took French.

EJ:  *laughing*

MD:  *laughing*  So, I had to take a crash-course in learning how to phonetically pronounce the Spanish lyrics.  And then, you know how some Spanish artists have the mariachi-type, nasal sound?  I had to adapt to that as well.  So, you have to be a chameleon of sorts as a background singer.

You know, the Bible says don’t conform to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind… that’s the only place I conform! *laughs*

EJ:  *laughing*  Right!  I ask most of the background vocalists this when I interview them– can you assemble a dream team of background vocalists for me?

MD:  Ummm… Jerard and Jovaun Woods.  Blanche McAllister-Dykes… ummm… well, that’s a soprano, alto and tenor right there!

EJ:  Aaaaaand you’re DONE! *laughing*

MD:  See, that would be a great session.  Working with people like Donald Lawrence and Richard Smallwood, even with Mariah… I’ve had the opportunity to sing, coast-to-coast, with some great voices.  There’s a girl named Sharlotte Gibson, she’s on American Idol now singing background.  She used to sing with Mariah and she’s incredible, one of the L.A. crew.  Umm… the late Olivia McClurkin was a wonderful person to sing with.

EJ:  I know.

MD:  Oh my God.  Incredible voice.

EJ:  For real!  I miss her.  You know, in these interviews, I like to ask about how lucrative session work can be.  Do background vocalists need a day job or can they be alright?

MD:  They can be alright if they have a certain work ethic.  There’s no job too small, no job too big.  Pride goes out the window.  It can range from doing a demo session for somebody and getting $250 to do it, all the way to doing a performance and getting paid $5,000 to do background with Madonna.

EJ:  For one show?!

MD:  For one show.  It can be very lucrative.

EJ:  Am I on the wrong side of this business?! *laughs*

MD:  *laughing* That’s why I’m sayin’… If Sting, Elton John, Madonna and Cher… if any one of them wanna call me to put me on the road and I get $5,000 a show, guess who’s goin’?

EJ:  *laughing hard*

MD:  Me and my Bible!  *laughing*  But, like I said, there are certain criteria that have to be met before I can do that.

EJ:  Right.  No matter how much.

MD:  Yeah, no matter how much.  I’ve been offered hundreds of thousands of dollars and said “no,” because it didn’t feel right.  It didn’t sound right to my spirit to accept it.

EJ:  I understand that.  I wanna get to your solo artistry in a sec, but talk to me for a minute about the Village Underground in NYC on Sunday nights.  For those who’ve never heard about it, how would you describe what it is?

MD:  Basically, it’s an open mic– anyone that wants to come up and sing can sign the list and sing, accompanied by the band LIVE… no performance tracks.  And it’s just somewhere to let your hair down and enjoy music without being threatened by what you believe or don’t believe.

There was a time that we did, one Sunday a month, a gospel night.  But because we were in what people call a “secular” place (a bar), the owners complained because they were losing money. *laughs*

But there’s a responsibility involved in invoking the presence of God.  We were literally changing the atmosphere.  And they said they were losing money at the bar because we were singing gospel music.  We were forced to discontinue the gospel night, but that doesn’t mean we’ve stopped singing gospel music.  At any time, in that venue, someone may come up and sing a gospel song.  If it’s true to that individual, spirit recognizes spirit, and whoever’s in there will hook into it and we will have a worship moment in there that’s better than what you can find at some churches.

EJ:  Why do you think it’s become so popular?  It’s even been featured on Bobby Jones Next Generation as the place to be in New York.

MD:  It is an outlet for people, especially in this new generation, to be “in the world, but not of the world.”  Because you can be in a place, and not be a part of what’s going on in the place.  But that comes with a level of maturity in your walk with Christ.

I’ve heard people emphatically say “I will NOT” or ”I cannot be caught in a place like that.”  Those were the words that were used.

EJ:  Really?

MD:  Yes.  But on the flip side, Martha Munizzi comes down, Israel comes down, Lisa McClendon has called me to get information, Shari Addison and Crystal Aikin were there a month or so ago.

EJ:  Yeah, I haven’t been in years, but it’s great.  My wife and I are coming soon!

Listen, I wanna chat about your transition from background vocalist to artist.  First, is it hard to do and, if so, why?

MD:  Ummm… a lot of times, it’s an insecurity issue… not feeling adequate to deliver.  Comfort zones– you feel safe in a group, in the back.  I’m speaking all from personal experience.  Not feeling like you have anything to convey to the general audience…

But mostly, it boils down to insecurity.  Everyone has a purpose because God put us here with purpose.  It’s up to the individual, in their walk, to recognize the purpose that God has placed in them and to walk in that purpose.  And that can be difficult.

EJ:  Amen.  But you went for it… a coupla years ago you released your long-awaited solo project.  Talk to me about your album, Live In Concert.

MD:  It started as a conversation with my pastors.  And the church invested in me.  And September of 2006 was the result of that investment– we recorded a CD.  They just sowed into my life.

EJ:  That’s great.

MD:  Yeah, so that’s how the record got done.

EJ:  Who wrote and produced it?

MD:  Stanley Brown produced the music with Nathaniel Townsend III, the drummer.  I got to handpick everyone.

EJ:  How do you describe your style of gospel music?

MD:  The CD’s style is as eclectic as I am.  You can hear “Glory After This,” which is straight churchy, or “My King,” with intricate harmonies and chord structure, kinda gospel-jazz.  I’ve got a song on there called “Kingdom I,” which has a neo-soul kind of vibe.

EJ:  You workin’ on another album?

MD:  Umm… still planning stuff out.  Not actively working on it yet, but just thinking.  There are so many different directions I could go in, because of my musical influences.  I would love to do a “big band” gospel CD… I would love to do a neo-soul set, unplugged… I would love to do alternative-sounding stuff, because I’m a student of music, not just gospel music.  To me, all music is God’s music, honestly.

So, I have so many ideas that I have to narrow them down to get at least the NEXT project out.

EJ:  I was gonna say “we will take all of the above, thank you!”

MD:  *laughing*  That’s enough material for three more projects.  I would even love to do a CD of love songs for gospel folks who are uncomfortable buying Luther [Vandross], or Joe or Anita Baker… or Jill Scott.

But, then again, you have to contend with the critics who say that it doesn’t glorify God…

EJ:  Ewww… well, please contend!  I think that would be great.  Either way, I’m looking forward to it.

MD:  We’ll see.

EJ:  Well, that’s it for me.  I have REALLY enjoyed chatting with you and I appreciate you for taking the time to do this interview.

MD:  Thank you!

EJ:  No doubt.  I’ll talk to you soon.

MD:  Okay, bye.

*     *     *

And, that’s THAT!  You can learn more about Melonie (and buy her bangin’ album) at her website, http://www.meloniedaniels.com/.

Sooooo… what did you guys think of the interview series???

Oh, and as a parting gift, here’s the Melonie clip for this segment.  It’s an audio clip of a KILLER track from her solo album, entitled “Glory After This”:

What in the world?!

Everyone was confused about who was gonna be on the show this weekend.  The cable guide said Crystal Aikin & Canton Jones, press and media said Damita and ‘em.  In reality, Tye Tribbett was on.

He performed “So Amazing,” with his usual energy and charisma.  He also did a good interview, which featured his wife and a chat about how she deals with all that energy!

A bonus for us:  We got to hear nearly two minutes of an original song from Juda Camp (the current house choir) DURING the show.  Awesome!  I secretly think someone at BET is checkin’ this site and adopting our suggestions…

They also showed the entirety of the featured music videos now, as opposed to the snippets they’d been showing.  Much appreciated.

Aaaaand the choir battle:

Voices of Promise sang a song called “Time Is Moving.”  They’re a nice youth choir with a kinda “Brooklyn choir” sound.  Age-appropriate and cool.  The other choir, Youth On Fire, sang a song called “Thank You.” 

All in all, 106 & Gospel is not disappointing me at all.  It’s become a part of my regular Sunday rotation.

Who else saw it?  Comments???

Over the weekend, I went to one of several tapings of 106 & Gospel (the new name of our favorite new show, 106 & Park Presents: Generation Gospel).  Actually, they’ve been calling it 106 & Gospel for a minute now, but it’s all official now, with a new logo and everything.  But BET has heard our cries and made some changes.

They probably have a few shows left from their last production run, so we’ll be seeing the “older” stuff for a few more weeks, but stay tuned cuz I think BET’s heading in the right direction.

First, and most important to me: THAT YOUTH CHOIR IS OUT.  LOL

Deep down inside, I kinda believe that someone saw me blasting it and decided it had to be over.  If you watched the show yesterday, you saw that Juda Camp is the new house choir.  Remember them?  They were the choir in the choir battle that sang to a track and did a lot of dancing.  Well, they won and they’re singing sho’ nuff now… and they’ve got a new song that brings us in and out of commercials. It’s better, though, for real.  WORLDS better.

Jor’el and Angel are still doing their thing.  I’ve always thought, and still believe, that he was more comfortable in this role than she is, but she’s warmed up a lot.

All in all, I think BET is really trying to listen to everyone’s feedback and make the show better.  I think you’ll be pleased with the result.  Upcoming performances include Canton Jones, Crystal Aikin, Damita Haddon, James Fortune & FIYA, Tye Tribbett and more.  Make sure you stay tuned!