Last night’s episode of Sunday Best, titled “Stairway to Heaven,” was said to feature songs about Heaven. By the end of the finalist’s performances, I realized that the only real “Heaven” connection is that, at some point, the song had to mention it in the lyrics. Not the strongest theme, in my opinion, but we got some nice tunes out of it.

We also got some much longer performances this week– virtually full songs– due to the fewer number of finalists. We were down to 5 and, by the end, we landed at 3.

Before the finalists gave it their best shot, the show opened with DeWayne Woods singing his hit single, “Let Go,” along with special guest Dave Hollister. I didn’t exactly get the connection to Heaven on this one, but it was good to see DeWayne on the show. Though “Let Go” is from DeWayne’s first major solo project (released in 2006… totally underrated… click here to listen and buy to it), it’s probably his best-known single to date, so I’m glad he got on-screen time to put a face to the song with which many are familiar.

After that performance, we heard from the finalists. It went a little something like this…

Andrea Helms – “The Heavens Are Telling”
I have no doubt that Andrea loves God– it is MORE than evident in her performance– but I’m just not as into her vocal performances yet. Her sincerity is what shines each week. She has been consistently serious about this thing as ministry, and I do believe that’s what the judges are feeling in that studio each week. I don’t know if that means she should win the competition, but it’s definitely admirable and refreshing.

Sue Roseberry – “Heaven”
It is not easy to remake a Karen Clark Sheard tune, especially introducing your own ad libs. Mama Sue did a good job, but the song got away from her in a few places. I think the judges didn’t want to really knock her for it, but this week’s performance was definitely not where she has been before. Still, I appreciate her gift and her style– it’s always nice to see someone who can confidently step onto stage and give you their all.

Michael Pugh - “Special Gift”
This was, hands down, my favorite performance from Michael Pugh all season. His tone was killer, his range dynamic, and his approach (and execution) was virtually without flaw. This tune was right in his wheelhouse– allowed him to start by shining with a polished tone, then finish with his signature growls and exhortations (which I feel were a bit more well-controlled last night than usual). Great great great job.

Monica Smith – “Heaven Help Us All”
Great song selection on this one. Monica’s greatest struggle to date has been her own confidence. She hasn’t owned the stage yet, though she definitely could have! The result was an enjoyable performance (despite a bit of an odd ending), but no “wow” factor. If only she knew how great her tone and style was… she might have moved across the stage differently, looked up at the audience a bit more, engaged us and declared that she was ready. I hope we get to hear more from her.

Amber Bullock – “A City Called Heaven”
Amber’s performance was CLEARLY the performance that stole the show.  This was a great jazzy arrangement fit for her jazzy voice and styling. It was impeccable– not a note out of place or trick that she didn’t pull off well. This was on another level. I agree with Pastor Donnie– she “styled” the tune. Great work.

After the finalists, six-man a cappella group Committed performed “Soon I Will Be Done.” These guys are gifted and, despite the natural inclination to compare them to Take 6, I feel like there’s a different audience in the wings for them. Though they won NBC’s The Sing-Off, I enjoy seeing them on sacred stages as well as secular ones. The sound mix was a bit uneven to me, which can be disastrous for an a capella group, but I loved the arrangement.  Their debut album hits stores on August 30th.

In the end, Mama Sue and Monica Smith were sent home, leaving the top three finalists– Amber Bullock, Michael Pugh and Andrea Helms. If I had to call it, I’d say that Amber and Michael should be in the final two, and that Amber’s gonna take the title, though I wouldn’t count out the heart-thumping reach of Andrea’s performances.

By now, you should be able to tell me who you WANT to win this thing– who’s your pick???

 

Purchase or Pass is the new series from Mia Paylor, GospelPundit.com’s newest contributing writer (click here to read about her).  Here, in her first post, she comes clean. Go on, Mia.  Tell ‘em what you did…

*     *     *

I have a confession to make. I never purchased or listened to the gospel CD’s released by Michelle Williams, Dave Hollister, Heather Headley… notice the trend? I admit that I normally don’t purchase projects released by those I think are “I can’t make it financially with secular music so I’ll just make money off of church folk” gospel artists. It’s not that I believe secular artists aren’t saved and don’t desire to see souls saved. I just don’t want to hear what I’m thinking was motivated by money…not ministry.

So, you know what I didn’t do when I heard that Jason Champion, former member of the R&B duo, Men at Large, released Reflections through EMI Gospel. That’s RIGHT! I didn’t buy it! My fellow R&B connoisseurs remember Men at Large or, at the very least, you remember their hit, “So Alone”. I sure do…cause that was my JAAAM!

But, while listening to Bonnerfide Radio recently, I heard Jason’s song, “Find a Reason”…and I LOVED it! Through this guitar-laced jam (with what I swear are some Prince elements from the Purple Rain era), Jason declares that in spite of what we face in life, we must always find reasons to do what God calls us to do. I found myself listening to that song over and over again until I finally told myself I needed to download it…because I was DONE fast-forwarding halfway through that 2 hour podcast just to listen to it! Then, after previewing all the tracks, I knew I had to download the whole CD. And I’m GLAD I DID!

I have not stopped listening to it. The lyrics are completely Christian and relatable. The production was handled by greats such as Warryn Campbell and Gerald Haddon. The R&B vibe is consistent throughout the entire CD. “Always” (with its millennium disco vibe) and “Friend of Mine” (with its base driven groove) keep me dancing! And, most importantly, I felt Jason’s heart in every song…which prompted me to dig up his story. I learned that God released Jason from Men at Large and, shortly thereafter, he began recording and touring with Kirk Franklin. He’s a family man with a powerful testimony and a heart for ministry. His wife, Paula, is featured singing beautifully on “For Better or For Worse”.

I’m now a changed woman! No more passing on purchasing a gospel CD simply because the artist just hopped off of the secular bandwagon seemingly because they were too broke to stay there! Instead, I’ll do a bit of research…try to get a feel for their true motive for recording the project by reading bios and interviews…listen to their song clips to see if my Spirit-man connects with them. Then, I’ll decide to purchase or pass.

So, Jason, PLEASE forgive me! Accept this heartfelt editorial as a penance for doing you sooo wrong! I withheld a blessing from myself and, most importantly, you…because you deserve every cent I paid for it.

I won’t be making this mistake again. What about you?

*     *     *

Okay, so I guess I’ll confess, too.  When Mia told me she was writing on Jason Champion, I was SoOooO excited because I had JUST discovered the full album, myself.  I had heard tracks from it before, and I loved his voice and the music, but never listened all the way through!

IT IS INCREDIBLE.  Definitely my favorite album of the past 30 days– even though it’s 2 years old.

So, I stand with Mia on this one.  Do yourself a favor, if you have not already done so, BUY THIS ALBUM.  At least, take a listen to see if you wanna do it.  Click here to listen to snippets and to make a purchase.

Tell me–

(1) Whatd’ya think of what Mia had to say?  Didn’t she do a great job?!

(2) Did you Purchase or Pass on Jason Champion’s project?  What are your thoughts on the album?

Curious– does the gospel music marketplace attempt to dictate who can sing gospel music?  Moreover, do we think that God has asked us to determine for Him who is authentic and who is not?

Two things served as the impetus for my query– first, this morning, Gerard Bonner launched his new radio show, Bonnerfide Radio, during which he played an incredible track from Ledisi entitled “Knockin’.”  In it, she tells the devil “I hear you knockin’, but you can’t come in.”  In the chatroom, we discussed whether it’s “okay” for secular artists to sing gospel songs, etc. (I think we all agreed that she sang that song and we love it).

Second, on Monday, I announced the release date for the debut gospel album from legendary R&B/soul group The Whispers.  Comments were made that suggested the group was just another secular act trying to take advantage of the gospel marketplace.

My concern: It seems unfair to me that a musician who has spent any amount of time singing or playing secular music would have to PROVE to us that they’re legitimate before they can enter “our” arena.  First of all, we stand divided as to whether “secular” music is even bad.  But even assuming that it is, why would we have SOOOO many barriers up and hurdles to jump before some prodigal singer or musician can “come home”?

We’ve seen it time after time.  Whether it’s Coko, Kelly Price, Dave Hollister… we give them the side-eye and assume the worst FIRST– they’re probably not for real, they probably don’t really wanna honor God, they must have a hidden motive.

But do we look at our altars every Sunday morning and assume that most of the people who have come to it are just fakin’ it?  Do we wonder whether they’re just trying to steal from the offering plate?

Why is the default response, in MUSIC, one of mistrust, rather than a warm embrace?  When was the last time WE had to prove ourselves in the same way?  And if we haven’t had to do so, what Biblical basis do we have for demanding such proof from them?

AND, if we’re gonna demand proof, what have we decided it will be?  Do we need press releases about their salvation before the gospel album is released?  Is there a waiting period of 3 years between the time that they “leave” secular music and start singing gospel?  Where’s our list of criteria and from where are we deriving it?

It all seems unfortunate, but it’s the reality…  I’m just wondering why.

Thoughts???

George Huff’s entrée into the music industry may have been through American Idol, but I think his latest album, entitled George Huff, confirms that he’s not just another contestant from a nationwide talent search– he’s a bona fide gospel artist.

If you haven’t heard his project, you NEED to.  It’s ridiculously good– awesome vocals, songwriting and production.

Okay, enough intro… the interview says the rest!  Here’s my dude– George Huff.

*     *     *

EJ:  Hey man!! How’s it going?

GH:  Hey!

EJ:  Thanks for chattin’ with me, I know you’re a busy dude right now.

GH:  Thank you SO much, Brother EJ, for interviewing me.  I’m so excited about this.  We’re always on your site, trying to get the latest and stuff.

EJ:  Oh, wow.  Thanks, man!  Before we get started, a random fact for you– my wife and I sat in front of you at the Stellars this year, in the first mezzanine.

GH:  I was excited to sit up there… you can see EVERYTHING.

EJ:  I know!  We all had some great seats.

GH:  And you were in front of me?

EJ:  Directly.

GH:  Oh, so y’all heard us clowning? *laughs*

EJ:  We heard EVERY BIT of y’all clowning! *laughing*

GH: *laughs* It was funny.  I can’t say exactly what we were laughing at, but I think we can all remember one thing in particular.

EJ:  Well, I can recall a couple of times, actually! *laughs* We’ll leave it alone.  Watch the tape!

GH: *laughing*

EJ:  Ok, let’s chat about your most recent project.  First, why did you title the album George Huff?

GH:  It was very difficult coming out of [American Idol] to really express myself the way that I wanted to.  It was very difficult to say “no” to a lot of things, so with the first CD, I basically let people tell me what they thought would be the best move, music-wise and vocally.  And I went along with that.

This time, I said “I just wanna sing.  I wanna sing and be myself, and not be controlled by anything or anybody.”  I really wanted to do it the way God gave it to me.  And I think that this particular CD, not just vocally, but lyrically, is more forward.  I’m really operating in who God has called me to be.

EJ:  Amen.

GH:  So, whatever the last CD was (which was an awesome CD), you got that… but this is George Huff.  Like KiKi [Sheard] says “this is me in my entirety.”

EJ:  *laughs*

GH:  There’s nothing sugar-coated, nothing that somebody else said for me.  It’s how God gave it to George Huff.  I had my hand in the whole decision-making process– the producers who’d be involved, the lyrics, the vocal arrangement… I feel like this is me, and nothing else.

EJ:  That’s great, man.  Your first project was on Word Entertainment… did you get that after Idol?

GH:  It came down to Word and another prestigious label.  I went with Word because… the offer was better! *laughs*

But I didn’t know, and no one ever knows, the issues that the label is going through when you sign.  I signed the contract and the whole regime changed.  The president and everyone else in his camp changed.  Word is known for more Christian and CCM artists, and they agreed to do things for me in a certain way.

But when the regime changed, the people who we knew could work our project were no longer there.  So, I had this mainstream CD that no one knew how to work– it wasn’t really gospel, wasn’t really CCM…

EJ:  Right, it was more inspirational.

GH:  Exactly.  One thing I’ve learned is that you have to be either hot or cold– can’t be in-between.  I was in-between.  It wasn’t gospel, and they wouldn’t play it on CCM radio.  So, I had no home.

But thank God for [the single] “Brighter Day.”  It was my saving grace– it kept me alive at gospel radio and people loved it.

EJ:  Oh, absolutely.  That was a popular track.

GH:  So, this time around, I was spent with everything I had gone through with Word and a bunch of other stuff.  I said “if this is what the industry is about, I’m ready to go back to a nine-to-five.”

I waited a while before I signed with my new label and I thought “if I do it, it’s gonna be something that I’m really going to enjoy and other people will enjoy.”

EJ:  Wow.

GH:  And you know, I would go to a church and not be able to sing anything on my CD.  Because the mood of the church– everyone was in worship mode.  So I had to come off my CD a lot.

This time, I wanted to make sure that the album was well-balanced.  I wanted to do what God was telling me to do, and what you’re hearing now is how God gave it to me.

EJ:  Well, we’re loving what God gave you, dude!  Your project features production from Aaron Lindsey, who’s brilliant, and a relative newcomer– Jamiene “J-Skills” Thompson.  Who is J-Skills and how did you hook up with him?

GH:  Well, I prayed that God would send somebody, connect me with somebody with whom I could create wonderful music.  And J-Skills saw me at a musical… you know, sometimes people just come up and say “hey, man, I wanna work with you!”  I gave him my number and said “yeah, yeah… call me!”

EJ: *laughing*

GH:  And I never saved his number, so when he called, he would leave a message and I was like “who is J-Skills?!”  One day, I went to another musical and saw him there and he said “man, I’ve been trying to CALL you!”

And I never want to be that type of person that doesn’t listen to people, won’t sit down and talk to people, so I sat there and I said “let’s hook up.”

At the same time, I was praying because I was looking for producers for the project.  There was one prominent producer that wanted to work with me, but I wanted to do something DIFFERENT… something fresh and new.

EJ:  Yeah.

GH:  So, J-Skills and I set up a time to meet up.  First, when I walked in the studio, I thought “where IS the studio?!”  I didn’t see the equipment– there was a computer, a small mixing board, a keyboard, a closet… but I was like “where’s the studio?!”.  And I thought “I KNOW this ain’t gonna work.” *laughs*

EJ: *laughing*

GH:  But he pulled a program up on his computer… basically, it’s not about how much equipment you’ve got– there are programs that house all of these huge mixing boards that you see on TV.  All of that can be housed in one program.

He turned the speakers on and the first track he played was “Grateful.”  I said “WHAT?!  WHAT IS THAT?!”

EJ:  Amazing! *laughing*

GH:  My face fell off, EJ.  I couldn’t believe the QUALITY of what I was hearing.  And, right there, I said “Lord, please forgive me for going by what I see and not believing in the things that I’ve been hoping for– quality, somebody to bond with on a personal level…”

And sure enough, when I heard that, I said “I’ve got to have it.”  The odds were against him because the label was like “we don’t know who this is…”

EJ:  Sure.

GH:  So, we just recorded the songs.  And I said “we are working with this dude, right here.”  I was already working with a tight budget, so I said “J-Skills is your best bet.  He HAS to do half of the CD because he’s awesome and I wanna work with him.”

They saw that I wasn’t bending.  And thank God for Aaron Lindsey for what he did on this project.  He saw something in me that I knew was there, but because of the people around me, I couldn’t get it out.  And he was dedicated to making sure that what he produced for me was a great representation of who I am.

EJ:  Envision with me what your life might be like if you had won American Idol– you probably would have had to debut with an R&B album, right?

GH:  Yes, I sure would’ve.

EJ:  Looking back, would you have felt fulfilled by that?

GH:  You know what?  I would have.  Only because I know that it would have been God’s Will concerning me– the Bible says that all things work together for good to them that love the Lord and who are the called according to His purpose.

Before I auditioned, I sought God.  I was struggling to pay for school, you know, and I didn’t know what I was going to do.  God put American Idol in my view and I thought “well, I don’t know how that’s gonna work, because it’s not ‘sanctified,’” you know?

EJ:  Mm-hmm.

GH:  I was so “spiritually minded” that I couldn’t see that God was going to use that platform– He will use whatever He wants to use– to get me to the desired place in Him.

So, in the end, the outcome was successful because it was something that God told me to do.  If I had won the competition, I would have done an R&B album– it wouldn’t have been degrading or anything– because that’s what God would have had me to do.

EJ:  Coming out of American Idol and into the gospel industry, were you well-received by the other artists?  Did they embrace you as one of their own, or did some of them treat you like you weren’t quite on their level?

GH:  People don’t know that I’m a church boy.  And I love choirs– name any choir song and I can sing the entire tenor part.  I can tell you who used to stand on the front row in the Thompson Community Singers.  I can tell you who stands where in Ricky Dillard & New G, and tell you what they looked like on the DVDs. [Editor's Note: At this point, George rattles off skin complexions, hair colors and facial expressions of about half of New G's soprano section! LOL]

EJ:  Wowwww. *laughs*

GH:  That’s how much of a church boy I am.  But, having been on American Idol, people saw me as THAT.  Some of the industry folks didn’t accept me right away because they wanted to know that I was ”real” before they would embrace me as one of their own.

EJ:  That’s gotta be rough.

GH:  Yeah.  And I talk to Shirley Murdock a lot.  I call her my “auntie.” *laughs* She said that it happened to her, too, and that it was kinda heartbreaking.  She said “the people that I thought would embrace me just shoved me away.”  And I’m talking about other artists.

EJ:  That’s just so ridiculous to me.  And I’ve heard stories about that, too.

GH:  They think “oh, here’s another secular artist trying to come to gospel now.”  But that’s not the truth because I could be living in L.A. right now, singing everything under the sun and they’ll love me.  Makin’ MONEY.

But my heart is with the Lord because I owe Him this.  He’s worthy of it.  When you can be healed in your body, when your needs are supplied… I owe Him my LIFE.  Because nobody else did for me what He did for me.

EJ:  Yeah.

GH:  When I was struggling in school, or living in New Orleans with my four siblings.  We had to carry buckets of water down the street… it was 2:00 in the morning because we didn’t want anybody to see that we had to carry jugs of water because our water was off.  Come on, now.

I’m not doing this “just because,” like I’m trying to prove something to someone, or because I needed something to fall back on.  This is where my HEART is.

EJ:  Wow, man.  That’s for real.

GH:  But we’ve had to prove ourselves to other artists.  They say “where is he coming from, and why is he trying to get some of our money?”

EJ:  And I’ve heard stuff like that about other artists who sang R&B, but never “left” the church, like Coko, Kelly Price or Dave Hollister.  They were attending service every week, they were tithing, they were donating anonymously… doing more for the Body than some of the “churchy” folks.

And consumers and industry folks get so skeptical of them doing gospel music, but I’m so glad that Jesus doesn’t look at us with doubt when we come to Him.  I’m glad that He always gives the benefit of the doubt, even knowing us better than anyone else.

GH:  That’s right.  It’s very unfortunate.  And we have this thing going on with us, thinking that just because we’ve been in church forever, we have a right to be so judgmental.  We make people not wanna be a part of it.

EJ:  You’re right.  Lemme ask you– I think you strike everyone as a guy who’s always gonna give a smile and a good “God bless ya.”  Every interview, every appearance, you’re just a happy guy.  Don’t you ever just feel like rolling your eyes or sucking your teeth at someone?

GH:  Yes, I do.

EJ:  *laughing*

GH:  And lemme tell you this– and I DO. *laughs*

I really do.  I think American Idol kinda set it up where I was this “smiley” guy, so coming from that, everyone was like “oh yeah, that little goofy guy.”  The image that people had of me– and yes, I try to find joy in everything– but they didn’t see a real person.

So, no, I’m not always smiling.  My family can tell you that.  I’m the same person, but when it comes to certain things, I’ve gotten a backbone.

EJ:  Amen.  And that’s necessary.  Okay, gimme some quick getting-to-know you info.

GH:  Okay.

EJ:  Fill in the blanks.  George Huff is afraid of ________________.

GH:  Oh Lord.  George Huff is afraid of… there’s one movie in particular that I will NEVER watch again because I’ve seen this particular thing happen in real life… at a church member’s house…

EJ:  You’re talking about The Exorcist!

GH:  YES!  Yes, yes, yes… *sighs*

EJ:  *laughing*  Okay.  One artist that George would love to record with is _____________.

GH:  That would’ve been Ella Fitzgerald or Luther Vandross, but… I love this lady and we’ve talked about it on many occasions… that artist would be Kim Burrell.

EJ:  Oh, that would be insane!  And I need it to happen.  When I first heard the single, “Don’t Let Go,” it reminded me SO much of the production quality and vocal agility of something from her Everlasting Life album, I thought “now, I need to hear the two of them together!”

GH:  Oh, my Lord.  Thank you so much!  That is my dream.  I’m not forcing it, but I want it to happen.

EJ:  Ok, tell me this one: If he’s not singing someplace, you’ll probably find George ___________________.

GH:  You’ll probably find me at home, sitting on the couch, watching old episodes of Good Times.  I love watching Martin… throwback sitcoms. 

EJ:  That’s cool, man.  Let me tell ya, I appreciate you so much.  Thanks for chatting with me.

GH:  Oh, I appreciate YOU for this opportunity, Brother EJ.  We love what you’re doing– giving gospel artists a place to exist, allowing people to hear our voice.  We’re always on your site, me and my little sister, like… white on rice.

EJ: *laughing*  I appreciate it, man.  And keep in touch, alright?

GH:  Alright.

EJ:  Okay.  Bye-bye.

*     *     *

That’s all, folks!  If you don’t have the project yet, GET IT.  I promise you’re gonna love it.  Check it out at Amazon.com, where you can listen to snippets of each track.

In the meantime, PLEASE do yourself a favor and listen to this track– it’s “Destiny” featuring Coko and Tasha Collins.  Mind-blowing!

And uhhhhhh… whatd’ya think of the interview?