To celebrate, this site will… well, there’s going to be a conference on… wait, no… an awards show will honor…
Nevermind. September is Gospel Music Heritage Month and, every year, very little is done to celebrate it. I’m chiefly guilty of it– I think I may have attempted to begin thinking about doing something a couple of years back.
A bit of background… the country has been celebrating Gospel Music Heritage Month since 2008, after Congress passed legislation acknowledging September as the month to honor gospel music. The initiative was spearheaded by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) and the National Recording Academy for Arts & Sciences, Gospel Music Channel (now known as gmc) and the Gospel Music Association.
But did you even know it was Heritage Month? Do you support or celebrate it?
I bet you’re not among the 864 people who “like” its official Facebook fan page, nor are you among the 37 people who follow its official Twitter profile (don’t feel bad, I just learned of it as I wrote this). And I know you don’t visit the GospelMusicHeritage.com website, which now simply redirects to the homepage of gmc, the organization that hosted the web address as the movement grew.
Ok, it’s not completely as desolate as I’m making it seem.
At the top of this month, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts hosted its 3rd annual “Evolution of Gospel” celebration in honor of Heritage Month. With a “Kennedy Center Honors…” type of vibe, the night honored the contributions of Dr. Bobby Jones, Cathy Hughes and First Lady Michelle Obama, who was unable to attend. The evening featured performances by Kirk Franklin, Richard Smallwood, Marvin Sapp and more.
And Heritage Month’s social media properties are hinting at some OFFICIAL event taking place in Houston, TX this month, though they haven’t announced a date or location.
My thought is that, because the gospel music community does not have an official, unified trade organization representing it, there is no group charged with really celebrating anything in it, including Heritage Month. Plenty of organizations– from SAGMA to GMWA, GMA to BMI, NARAS to various acronyms in between– have done their part to honor the music and culture, but these groups are often overworked and understaffed, with other primary corporate objectives. Their celebrations are splintered across the country and across the calendar year. Who can plan a month’s worth of unified gospel music activities?!
Again, this is not a knock against anyone– GospelPundit.com hasn’t exactly been the hub of Heritage Month features, trivia and giveaways. I tend to tell myself “ahhh, next year!”
But my observations do raise the question– we don’t really celebrate Gospel Music Heritage Month, do we?
If you agree, fine. If you disagree, tell me where the party is and let’s have at it.
The Nevels Sisters have announced a campaign to have their Facebook fans select the album cover for their new project, It’s My Time, due in stores this Summer.
The high-energy sister act is probably best known for their single, “Company,” for which the four ladies received a standing ovation at this year’s Stellar Awards.
When you vote, you’ll also be entered to win one of twenty-five $25 American Express giftcards. The contest runs from now until next Friday, June 24, 2011!
Visit the Nevels Sisters’ Facebook fan page www.facebook.com/TheNevelsSisters to view the cover options and post a comment with your choice. I’m banking on Album Cover #5.
Today, Mary Mary announced the “Do Something Big” campaign, a 6-week initiative where fans are asked to “do something big” for others. Each week, Mary Mary will challenge us to focus on a different group of those in need.
This week, it’s the elderly… next week, they’re asking people to do something big for the homeless.
Aside from supporting the cause, participants will be entered to win prizes like autographed CDs, a pair of Sony headphones (I want some!), and more.
According to the sister duo, the “Do Something Big” campaign is the heartbeat of their upcoming album, Something Big (in stores March 29th, but available for pre-order now).
Melonie Daniels posted it on her Facebook page a couple of weeks ago and I said “well, I’m just gonna have to post it, too.” Nearly forgot until one of my recent YouTube surfing sessions, but GAWDT!
The video features organist Aaron Shields playing “We’ve Come This Far By Faith.” I love it!
Word has it that Pastor Marvin Sapp is in search of an organist to play at his church, Lighthouse Full Life Center Church, in Grand Rapids, MI.
According to a Facebook post from Sapp, the church is looking for an organist– male or female– that is saved and skillful on the organ. You’ve gotta be able to play in every key.
Interested candidates should send their resumes, info and/or video link to joyamgmt@gmail.com.
Full disclosure– I love tons of new artists, but rarely get excited about ‘em.
It’s just that the concept of “longevity” in the gospel music industry is becoming increasingly foreign (maybe I’ll do a blog post about that later), so I rarely put my eggs of excitement into any new artist’s basket.
Immediately after listening to track 3 of More Than I Ever Had, the new album from developing group Rashad McPherson & Divine Purpose, I chucked away a few worshipful tears and immediately went to call Rashad McPherson’s team. My sentiments: I am more passionate about this group’s raw ability and potential than ANY new artist I have seen in gospel music in a while.
Why? A couple of reasons.
The artist format– frontman with an ensemble behind him– is familiar, but fresh because each of the singers with him can sing the walls DOWN (I’ve already got a personal fave from among them!). The music is beautiful. Just downright beautiful– lyrically, melodically, instrumentally. McPherson has captured the sound of authentic “gospel,” and gives just enough to stir up nostalgic nuances of Kirk Franklin, Donald Lawrence or Hezekiah Walker, while still taking us on a musical journey into new terrain.
Rashad McPherson is a Berklee College of Music grad, as evident in the superb musicality you’ll hear in the tunes. Standout tracks for me are “Everything You Are,” “The Promise,” “You’re My Reason For Breathing,” “I Would Be Lost Without You,” “He Made Me Well” and “More Than I Ever Had.”
I kid you not, nor do I intend to deceive and waste your money– if you adore contemporary gospel music by ensembles, you will not be disappointed by this project. I endorse it wholeheartedly. Big time.
To prove my point, I convinced Rashad McPherson to let me stream three tracks (I’m too excited) for you guys to listen to!
CLICK HERE to launch the PunditPlayer and Check ‘Em Out on the tracks ”Everything You Are,” “I Would Be Lost Without You” and “More Than I Ever Had.” Geez… I also kinda wanna add “The Promise,” but I’ll wait… I believe you’ll still get a dose of what this phenomenal group has to offer.
I was totally overwhelmed by the responses to the first post of The Prayer List, the new weekly series in which we lift up in prayer one person in the gospel music industry for the entire week.
I’m grateful that you guys got behind this vision, praying on the blog, at your homes, re-tweeting on Twitter, sharing on Facebook… You guys rock. We’re keeping it moving with what God says to do– this is soooo much fun to me!
This week, we’re praying for JJ Hairston. Not only is he the cool, gentle-spirited choirmaster of one of the hottest contemporary choirs in gospel music, Youthful Praise, he’s also a dope husband and father with a big heart. So, let’s do it!
Lord, thank You for the man that You’ve created JJ to be. Thank You for sculpting him a long time ago, to fulfill a specific purpose in this world. Thank You for the gift of music that You’ve given him, but thank You, also, for the gifts You’ve imparted that the world has yet to experience.
I pray for his continued growth and maturity as a man, as a husband, as a father, as a recording artist. I pray that You would guide JJ in every area of his life. I pray that You would give him the wisdom and clarity to make decisions that would impact Youthful Praise, the choir he leads, and the family over which You have made him the head. I pray for his continued success, not for his own glory, but for yours.
I pray that You would bless his humble heart and meek manner. God, as he gives himself fully to Your calling and destiny for his life, it’s my prayer that You would fill in the gaps– whatever they may be. You are the masterful equipper of every work we’ll do, and I trust You for complete preparation and provision for JJ Hairston. And I pray that He would find rest in your ability to the Creator of Heaven and Earth. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Okay, folks… let’s start this week right and keep it goin’ all week as we lift up our brother, JJ Hairston.
I caught up with Brian Courtney Wilson the other day. Aside from being an absolutely great dude with a great voice, his album sales have been consistently good, proving that he’s gonna have some staying power in this industry. I love that.
With the exception of this week, his debut album, Just Love, has stayed within the top 15 at Billboard since its release last JUNE, when it debuted at #2 on the chart!
Brian was recently nominated for two Dove Awards and I wanted to catch up with him to see how he’s taking everything in, how things have been, and what he’s got planned for the near future. I even touch a lil’ bit on how he felt after being passed up for nods at the Stellar Awards.
It’s just a quick chat, but I think you’ll enjoy it! Here’s Brian Courtney Wilson…
* * *
EJ: Hey man!
BCW: Hey, EJ! What’s going on, man?
EJ: All’s well. How are you?
BCW: I’m doing good.
EJ: Good, man. Well let’s get to it– what’s going on?!
BCW: Aww, man. The record’s been doing well– it’s been in the top 15 since we got started and I’m happy about it. It’s just what was in my heart. When I recorded it, I wasn’t sure that anybody was gonna receive it, you know? But people have been receiving it and that’s been really gratifying to see.
EJ: That’s awesome, man. You’ve had great success at radio and great sales. I’ve not seen you far from the top of the charts since you started and there are people who’ve been in the game for years that still can’t get there, so you’ve definitely made an impression on people.
BCW: Thank you, man.
EJ: I need to ask you– you’re signed to Music World, which is Mathew Knowles’ company. This is just a question that I’ve gotta ask… you know, we’ll deal with it and move on. Do you ever get to hang with Beyonce?
BCW: *laughing* Man, the last time was probably two years ago and I would call that an “interaction.” It was more like she flew in, said hello and flew out. She’s doing her thing.
EJ: Nah, that’s cool. *laughs* It’s something I think the people have needed to know, so I figured I’d ask… like, “how often does he interact with Beyonce, or with Mathew.”
BCW: Well, I just met up with Mathew yesterday. We sat down and talked for a long time about the direction of the album and my career– where we’re going next. And Solange, Beyonce’s sister, she reached out to me the other day, just wishing me well. But, you know, I didn’t get into this to hang around them. It’s cool that they’re there, but I’m hard after God.
EJ: I love it. Lemme ask you– you’ve got two Dove nominations, one for New Artist Of The Year and another for Urban Recorded Song Of The Year for “Just Love.” What does THAT feel like?
BCW: Man, it feels extremely gratifying. For real. Especially… you know, because we got missed for the Stellars.
EJ: Oh yeah, well I’m coming to that in a minute. *laughs*
BCW: *laughing* I KNOW you are! But for the Dove Awards to come out and acknowledge what I’m doing– and we don’t have any Christian radio airplay to speak of, that I know about– so, for them to reach out and say that we’re doing something worth acknowledging, that really means a lot.
EJ: Sure.
BCW: And it means a lot for our supporters because they have the opportunity to vote for Best New Artist… To be able to tell the supporters “hey, they’re thinking about giving us an award for what you’ve been listening to, for what’s been enriching your life…” It means a lot to them as well.
EJ: Absolutely. Now, for my clarification– did you say you were “missed” by the Stellars or “dissed” by the Stellars?
BCW: I said “missed!” It’s hard to diss me, man. I try to stay as humble as possible, so I just figured that they knew what they were doing and knew who they wanted to nominate.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed with how it went down, but it wasn’t devastatingly disappointing. It would have been nice to get that, because you’re only Best New Artist once.
EJ: Right.
BCW: And I knew that we had done a lot of good work, and we put up a lot of good numbers. But beyond the numbers, I’m talking to the people everywhere we go, listening to their stories, and I’m getting messages on Facebook that what we’re doing is enriching lives. It seemed stellar to me.
EJ: Yeah, and I remember the day of the press conference, as I’m sending out my tweets, kinda being surprised. Not to rehash any of that drama, but by the time I got home, a lot of people were blowing up Twitter and my blog about YOU not being on the list, in particular.
BCW: Really? Is that right?
EJ: Oh yeah, they were about to cuss over you and J Moss, but J will be eligible on this year’s ballot. Was there not a moment where you kicked somethin’?
BCW: Nah, man. Absolutely not. The reason being– a year before that album came out, I wasn’t even sure if it would come out at all. I wasn’t even sure if I’d made the right to decision to step out on faith and do music.
By the time the nominations came around, we had already gotten so much love from radio and from the supporters… that was already a reward in and of itself.
I was a little disallusioned by the process, but I just figured that maybe I didn’t have a full understanding of what was going on and what we needed to do to make sure that we were acknowledged by the Stellars.
EJ: Yeah, I don’t think anyone did.
BCW: And I remember the blogs you did. My wife and I both were like “man, this is so insightful.”
EJ: Thanks, man.
BCW: But the other thing that I have to remember, as an artist, is that I wasn’t the only one who felt that he was passed over or missed. So it wasn’t just about me. If there are things that need to be done or corrected– and I’m not saying that there are… you know, Don Jackson has been doing this a long time and I think he knows how to run his company. But if there are things that need to be corrected, I pray that they are because the Stellars are important.
EJ: That’s a great response and outlook to have, man. What would you say has been one of the greatest challenges you’ve faced, breaking into the gospel industry? I ask from the standpoint of you being a new artist and not necessarily having a bunch of established artists endorsing you out the gate. You know? There wasn’t a whole church or Bishop T.D. Jakes’ endorsement, or some GMWA feature and guest solos for years… what has been the greatest challenge coming in as a virtual newcomer?
BCW: I think the challenge was before everything broke. It was the waiting and believing that what you’re waiting on is actually worth waiting on. Because like you said, no one like T.D. Jakes was callin’ me to say “man, your music… we need to have it out there.”
Now, I have people in my life that were doing that– great people, but you may or may not have heard of them. They showed me love and respected what I was doing. But that was the challenge– waiting. And not aborting what God was doing before the people got to hear it and experience it for themselves.
EJ: And I’m glad you endured. How often are you traveling? What is your gig-load like each month?
BCW: I probably get 40-50% of the month. I’d like to do more. It’s been picking up, but I want to get to 60-70% of the month.
EJ: So, what is next for you– are you back in the studio soon, are you riding this album out for a while?
BCW: Well, we’re gonna do a couple more singles and we’ll look at putting out a new album next year.
EJ: Sounds great, man. I know it’ll be great. Umm… I think that’s all I’ve got for ya– just wanted to touch base and see what’s up with you.
BCW: You do a great job, man. I follow what you say and it always makes great sense to me, so I appreciate that.
EJ: Well, I appreciate you for that, man. I’ll talk to you soon.
BCW: Alright, man.
EJ: Alright, bye.
* * *
And there you have it!
I’m very proud of Brian– he’s such an incredibly humble dude with no frills or pretenses… what you see is what you get. And that’s refreshing.
It doesn’t hurt that his voice is dope, either. LOL
Peep this video of him singing one of my favorites from him– “Already Here”…
Do you guys have his album? If not, click here to listen/make a purchase. If so, what do you think of it?
All In One, the newest album from the legendary Karen Clark Sheard, is available for pre-order starting today. I have an advanced copy and I’m telling you now– the BIZNESS. Click here to pre-order NOW!
You’re gonna want this album– it’s one of her best yet, in my opinion, and I’m not just saying that because she’s one of my favorite vocalists to ever walk planet Earth.
Yesterday, Jason Nelson posted a video to his Facebook page– he was rehearsing a song called “Power In His Name” in preparation for his upcoming live recording (April 23rd in Baltimore, MD… click here for info).
I asked him to HURRY and add it to his YouTube profile so I could post it for you good folks… and guess what I got???
He’s workin’ the camera and singing, so you won’t see him, but MY GOD, you’ll hear him! Check it out:
This week, it’s the elderly… next week, they’re asking people to do something big for the homeless.
Immediately after listening to track 3 of More Than I Ever Had, the new album from developing group Rashad McPherson & Divine Purpose, I chucked away a few worshipful tears and immediately went to call Rashad McPherson’s team. My sentiments: 
Lord, thank You for the man that You’ve created JJ to be. Thank You for sculpting him a long time ago, to fulfill a specific purpose in this world. Thank You for the gift of music that You’ve given him, but thank You, also, for the gifts You’ve imparted that the world has yet to experience.
EJ: Hey man!
EJ: Sure.
EJ: And I’m glad you endured. How often are you traveling? What is your gig-load like each month?
to listen/make a purchase. If so, what do you think of it?
