We’re still rolling with our weekly series– The Prayer List– in which we pray for one member of the gospel community each week.

This week, I’m adding Gerard Bonner to The Prayer List.

As one of the co-founders of GospelFlava.com, you’ve probably read dozens of Gerard’s articles and reviews, as well as benefitted from his photography skills for a decade. But, for nearly a year now, the gospel community has also been blessed BIG time by his innovative internet radio show– Bonnerfide Radio.

Gerard Bonner has gained the recognition and support of artists, labels and consumers alike. He was nominated for Internet Radio Show of the Year at the 2010 Stellar Awards and was recently awarded Internet Radio Station of the Year at GMWA’s Crystal Mic Media Awards.

But the enemy is mad. In January during Stellar Awards weekend, after throwing a landmark launch party that is STILL being talked about, Gerard and two associates were in a collision with an 18-wheeler, totaling the car he was in.  They all walked away bruised, but alright. Then, this past week, his tire blew out on the highway en route to Bobby Jones Gospel tapings– again, safe and spared from a MAJOR accident that happened just a mile ahead of him, around the time he would have arrived there, had his tire not blown out.

All that to say– we’ve gotta lift up our brother.

Father, thank You for the life, gifts and calling of Gerard Bonner.  Thank You for orchestrating so many aspects of his life– the good and the bad– to be for his ultimate well-being, and Your ultimate glory.  Thank You for being faithful to him, even in times when it felt like You were missing in action.  Thank You for having more plans for Gerard than he could have dreamt for himself.

Lord, I pray for protection for Gerard.  I pray for physical protection, but also for spiritual protection and emotional protection.  I pray that all of the things You’ve placed in him would be guarded for Your glory.  I pray that he would dive deeper into relationship with You, pursuing You more, craving time with You more.  And I pray that when he comes to You, that You would hide him in the safety of Your wings.  God, please cover him.

God, thank You for Gerard’s humility and his passion for the gospel music industry.  Thank You for his heart of servanthood.  I pray that it would grow even larger.  I  pray that Your Kingdom would be blessed by this one man, that testimonies will continue to be told of Your goodness and Your grace, and how his trusting in You was rewarded openly.

Father, expand the reach of Gerard Bonner.  Let his faithful devotion to You be announced and noticed.  Let opportunities open up for him and shut doors that he ought not enter.  Surround him with people who are good for him, not opportunists looking to latch on to his calling.  Help him to have brothers and sisters in Christ who will challenge, edify and hold him accountable.

Finally, Lord, bless his daughter and bless him as father, to model the fathering that You do for Your children every day.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Okay, fam… let’s hear what you’re asking God for as it relates to our brother, Gerard Bonner.  Post your prayers in the comment section!

Word has it that GMWA will be streaming live this week, from July 25-30, 2010.

For just $24.99 (I feel like an infomercial), you’ll receive unlimited access to classes, workshops and training sessions from the comfort of your own home, for your entire week.

Visit http://www.lifestream.tv/eb/sightandsound/sands_web_audio.html for more info and to register.

Who’s gonna pay $25 to be a part of the action?

Word has it that the Gospel Music Workshop of America is putting on some great finishing touches for this year’s annual convention, taking place in Cincinnati, OH from July 24-30, 2010.

In addition to all of the musical festivities, there’s the GMWA Serves day of community service event, which was REALLY successful last year and promises to be so again. On Friday, July 23rd at 2pm, in the Duke Energy Center, the GMWA Board will announce its selected service project for the city this year.

At GMWA, there are classes, worship sessions and musicals GALORE, until all hours of the night. Last year, I vividly remember having to take a nap at around 9pm each night JUST to make it through the midnight concerts.

Peep the video below–

Who’s planning to attend any or all of the GMWA events???

I thoroughly enjoyed talking with Ted Winn.  In addition to being a gifted vocalist and songwriter, he’s intelligent, which always makes for fun conversation.  At a certain point, I wanted to just keep chattin’, but he’s a busy guy and had to step back into the studio where he was working.

You’ve seen Ted Winn in every form of artistry possible in our industry– from choir (Kevin Davidson & The Voices of Binghamton) to ensemble (Richard Smallwood & Vision) to duo (Ted & Sheri).  With the recent release of his anticipated solo project, Ted seems well-positioned for a long and successful career in the industry.

In our chat, Ted talks about his new project, his musical experiences and influences, his passion for empowering aspiring artists and educating current ones, and his thriving publishing venture, Veracity Entertainment.  He even weighs in on why he chose to cut off his signature locs.

I think you’ll enjoy it… here’s my talk with the impressive Ted Winn.

*     *     *

EJ:  Hey man, how are you?

TW:  I’m doing well, thank you.

EJ:  Great.  Well, thanks for taking a quick moment to chat with me.

TW:  No problem.

EJ:  Let’s get right to it.  Your debut solo project, Balance, was released in September, but it seems like rumblings about it were going on for years.

TW:  *laughing*

EJ:  Did it take some time to finish it and get it out there?

TW:  Now, that is funny.  *laughing*  You know, the first single, “God Believes In You,” I recorded it at the end of ’07 and I went on a tour in ’08, so I was performing it around that time.  But, it was a while… probably took a year and a half to finish the project.

EJ:  Well, regardless of when it came out, I’m glad it did.  I think it’s a really great piece of work.

TW:  Thank you.

EJ:  No problem.  Now, it’s been released on Shanachie, which is not necessarily a “gospel” label, but they’ve done three major gospel releases this year alone– yours, Vicki Yohe’s and Kim Burrell’s.  How did that relationship come about?

TW:  It came about through my publicist, Bill Carpenter, and through my radio promotions guys at that time, Kendall Duffie.  Each of them had relationships with Randall Grass, over at Shanachie, and they talked to him.  He heard the music and he said that he thought it was good, that there was a novelty about what I did… we started conversations and that’s where I ended up doing the deal.

EJ:  Cool.  Now, lemme ask you about the direction of Balance, because there’s something about the style that surprised me a bit.  I was expecting a studio joint, with some background vocals and that would just be it.  But you really kinda have a live praise & worship vibe on this project, with the band and singers being just as vital as your lead on many of the songs.  Why did you choose that route for this album?

TW:  Honestly, that is… well, most people who know me in a professional sense know me from Ted & Sheri.  That’s how they heard me, which is a duet and, obviously, the focal point was the duet.

But my background, my history, my PASSION, has always been choir music.  I started directing choirs when I was 13 and I grew up listening to Hawkins, Whitfield… the Thompson Community Singers is my favorite choir.  My influences are Ed[win] & Walter Hawkins, Andraé Crouch, Richard [Smallwood] and Donald Lawrence.  Those 5 people helped to shape my musical tastes.

EJ:  Yeah.

TW:  So,  I think that the BGV part being so intricate– and it’s great that you paid attention to that, because that was intentional– I kinda wanted a group, but was told “don’t do that.” *laughing*

EJ:  *laughs*

TW:  But I always wanted a choir or group– I love that whole thing… sharing the stage or the choir stand with another group of singers.  I think it makes for a great opportunity to share in ministry with somebody else.  So, that’s why I went in that direction and this project, sonically and stylistically, is really who “Ted Winn” is.

EJ:  And do you think you’ll ever go that route?  You know, with a group of singers that are set as the people who sing with Ted Winn and kinda have that vibe?

TW:  You know, I definitely won’t rule it out.  It’s something I’ve thought about and would love to be able to create that sort of platform, not just for me, but for other people.

I think there are so many singers out there who are great, but need mentoring.  They need someone to help them develop in terms of their talent and in terms of the focus of ministry, what’s important, how you nuance what you do and say as you move through this industry.  I would love to be a conduit for that for people, so it’s definitely a possibility.

EJ:  Sure.  I wanna ask you– and I hope you understand it and that the readers understand it– I’ll ask the question, then expound.  The question is “how did you make it out of Memphis?”

TW:  *laughs*

EJ:  *laughing* And when I say that, I mean that there are some AMAZING singers in Memphis.  I’ve been over there a few times in the past couple of months and my wife, who’s originally from there, will point out people that she used to sing with years ago.  And these people can SING.  Almost everyone.

But it’s becoming clear to me that, unfortunately, not everyone gets to “get out.”  So, I’m curious to know how people like you, like Sheri, people like Kevin Davidson or Darrel Petties, how you managed to not get caught up in what seems like a cycle there… how did you manage to stand out among all of the great talent there?

TW:  I’ll answer that in two ways.  One– probably the main thing was the push that Sheri and I, in particular, had from O’landa Draper.  Because he was the first breakout artist in gospel to really do what he did, it inspired us (and we aspired) to do something bigger than what we saw.  It was stuff like going to GMWA at that time, maybe mid to late-90′s, and singing.  He introduced us to Donald Lawrence, we started meeting people.  And as we started to travel outside of the city, we started to realize “wow… there’s a whole world of people out here and things to do.”

Unfortunately, and I want to say this in a way that’s not offensive, but there seems to be a mentality in Memphis that is pervasive, and it’s one that causes people, in some instances, to not maximize their potential.

EJ:  Yeah.  And I’ve heard that from people there.

TW:  And I think it has all to do with exposure.  It’s the headquarters of the Church Of God In Christ, it’s a very churched city.  Church is everything.  EVERYBODY goes to church.  And I think that it becomes some people’s microcosm– that’s it.  They don’t go outside of that.

And so I think that, for those of us who were able to make it to a larger stage, or have a larger platform, it had all to do with people outside of Memphis who saw something in us and pushed us to the next place.

Like I said, with Richard Smallwood.  I was in Memphis and O’landa Draper introduced me to Richard.  I moved to DC after I left Morehouse College, he started asking me to sing with Vision, and it went on from there.  Donald met Sheri, heard Sheri sing, asked her to start singing with Tri-City.

So, it really was people and players outside of the city that gave us the platform.

EJ:  Right.

TW:  Now, Memphis has some amazing talent.  And I endeavor to do some things there.  I was talking to some people recently about doing some type of symposium because I want to go back and do some things that give people an opportunity.

EJ:  That would be awesome.

TW:  You know, O’landa Draper used to have a music lover’s conference.  And he would bring in people– that’s where we FIRST heard Melonie Daniels, that’s where I met Richard Smallwood.  He would bring all these people in– Kim Burrell– and they would pour into those of us in the city.  And it would be great if we could get that to happen again.  There’s a talent there, but it needs to be nurtured and corraled.

EJ:  Absolutely.  It’s funny– you and Sheri aren’t recording together right now, but both of you created albums that speak life to, and encourage, your listeners.  Is that a personal passion of yours, or do you just feel that the gospel industry is in that season right now?

TW:  It’s definitely a personal passion of mine.  I have always aspired to push people into a better place.  My friends tell me that I always try to fix everybody. *laughing*

And I think that there’s an anointing that I have that lends itself to healing and to restoration, to give people hope and, hopefully, change their perspective about themselves.  That has a lot to do with why the content of my record is what it is, and moves people to what I feel is a more balanced position.

EJ:  Right.

TW:  And it’s not always easy to do that.  Sometimes you have your own days, you know, where you’re not feeling it.  You get bogged down dealing with the dynamics of the industry– radio, retail and awards shows and all that’s going on.  And you have to stop, take a reprieve, and say “okay, Lord, I need you to refuel me because it’s getting a little crazy.”

But, it’s definitely a passion of mine to see people have peace.  So I want to do whatever I can to help facilitate that.

EJ:  Amen.  That’s a good segue to my next question… what would you say has been the hardest part of launching your solo artistry?  And I don’t mean logistically, I mean at a deeper level.  Was there fear in striking out on your own, or has there been judgment and criticism that you’ve had to rise above… things like that?  What’s been tough for Ted to do?

TW:  It definitely was, first and foremost, the phobia of going it alone.  And it took me a year to even decide to do a solo project.  And it was after I felt like God gave me the title, Balance, and I started writing songs that I halfway liked, after trashing many many songs. *laughing*

EJ: *laughs*

TW:  That was when I said “ok, this is what I’m supposed to do.”  So, it was dealing with that.  And, of course, dealing with the obvious… some of the Ted & Sheri fans’ immediate response was “umm… we want a Ted & Sheri record.”  So, you’re also thinking about how people are going to receive solo projects when they liked what they had with the group.

EJ:  Absolutely.

TW:  So, that was definitely the biggest challenge to overcome– to even get to the place to decide if I wanted to do one.

EJ:  While I have you, I wanna know about Ted, the businessman.  We’ve got several mutual friends and they all sing your praises as an astute businessman.  What do you do, business-wise, in the industry and how do you juggle between that work and your artistry?

TW:  Wow.  Well, I have a company called Veracity Entertainment.  And it’s a publishing administration company that I started almost 3 1/2 years ago.  I started out with one client– Patrick Love, a songwriter.  We represent songwriters, we collect their money, we do their licenses, we argue their splits, the whole nine.

And it was through me having some bad situations in the past that I, basically, became a student of the business.  I started to pick the brains of my attorneys and going to lunch with them.  I had a lot of conversations with Donald Lawrence and with another record executive, Jimmy Maynes, who was at Jive [Records] at the time.  They all were saying “this is something that you can do.”

So, it started with Patrick Love, then, by word of mouth, went to two writers, then three to four to five, and now I’m at about 30.

EJ:  WOW.

TW:  And I represent writers on T-Pain’s latest album– one of my writers did 11 songs on the last T-Pain record… Akon, Ciara, two of my writers just collaborated on the new Toni Braxton single, “Yesterday.”  I was representing Elvin Ross, who scored Madea’s Family Reunion and did the cues for House of Payne… the list goes on and on.  It’s been an amazing run as it relates to that piece.

It’s a very interesting situation and God blessed me to do some amazing things… I was even able to do my deal with David Balfour, who did the T-Pain tracks, in such a way that I now own publishing on those T-Pain records.

EJ:  Wow, Ted!

TW:  And that’s part of the reason that I was able to do my own record and pay for it.  I do believe that the wealth of the world– I don’t say “wicked,” but people can say it how they want to…

EJ:  *laughing*

TW:  The wealth of the world, or of the world system, is laid up for the just.  And I think that means, at least to me, that there’s a system out there in place– we don’t live on it, we live on a Kingdom system– but we definitely can, if we learn it and are able to walk through it, we can definitely benefit from it.  I believe that God wants us to have influence in EVERY area of the world, so that we can influence things in a better direction.

So, it’s great for me to be able to have conversations with the top executives in the music business.  Sometimes I’m sitting talking to these people and I’m like “man, here I am, the dude from Memphis with nobody musical in my family– nobody sings, nobody plays, nothing.”  And to go from that, to Voices of Binghamton, to Ted & Sheri, to Vision, then to be sitting in the office across from people who orchestrate the careers of people who sell MILLIONS of records… it’s phenomenal.

EJ:  It absolutely is.  Absolutely.

TW:  I didn’t mean to give you such a long answer. *laughing*  But that’s Veracity, man.  That’s my baby, that’s my passion right there.  And I love what I do.

EJ:  I’m glad that you have something else because one thing that bugs me– and it’s probably because I love this industry and the artists in it– I hate to see when artists get older and have to struggle.  Here we are, singing your songs at the midnight musicals, and they’re on the compilation albums, and we call it one of the greatest songs of the decade, but the writers and artists can’t pay their medical bills when they have an issue, or what have you.

TW:  Right.

EJ:  So, it’s great to see artists who are not so wrapped up in the music of it that they don’t take time to understand the business of it.

TW:  Yeah.  And I feel it incumbent upon people like myself to not only get this money to help Ted Winn, but also to equip other people.  There have been instances where I’ve found money for Richard Smallwood, for Kim Burrell, Edwin Hawkins… I just found some money for the Clark Sisters and talked to Karen last week about it.

It is my mission to help empower our people and to spread the knowledge and information.  We have so much value in the gospel music industry, we just have to get the information to learn how to make it lucrative for us.

EJ:  Absolutely.

TW:  It’s part of my frustration when I go to different conferences… we have seminars on how to lead worship and 10 ways to grow your praise team… I think that’s fine.  But I really wish I could go to some of these conferences and teach people about handling their songs and their publishing.

EJ:  Sure.

TW:  And, I mean, I never even get invited to them.

EJ:  *laughing*

TW:  But here I am representing people who sell millions of albums.  *laughing*  Maybe people don’t know that I do it, or whatever.  But I’m not asking people to pay me or anything– I just want to be able to go in and empower the Kingdom with this information because I think that they really need it.

EJ:  I’m with you.  Absolutely.  Okay, last question.  I know tons of folks who have, or had, locs.  And they tend to get annoyed when people ask “when are you gonna cut them,” or, after they’ve done so, “why did you cut them,” but please indulge me cuz I think it’s the type of thing I’m supposed to ask in an interview.

TW: *laughing*

EJ:  What made you cut off your locs and what has the response been from folks?

TW:  Well, I grew my locs because I wanted to make a statement– that we can appreciate the natural texture of our hair, as people of color, the way that it grows.  When it came time to do the music, there were no other mainstream gospel artists that had locs.  There was no Stephen Hurd, Tye Tribbett, whoever else has them right now.  No one was doing it.

And I remember I was at [the] AIM [conference] with Sheri.  And we did “Come Ye Disconsolate” and the audience response was lukewarm.  And I’ll never forget it… I talked to Donnie McClurkin about it afterwards and he told me “you know, it’s gonna take people about a year to get used to your HAIR.”

EJ:  Really?

TW:  He said “after they get used to that, and realize that you can still be effective, they’ll be cool.”  And he was about right.  And I think that it kinda broke the stereotype of what people thought it was going to be.

One time, Sheri and I sang at a church and the pastor said “I’m gonna be honest, when you guys got up, I saw you with your hair and I thought ‘are they going to rap’?”  He thought I was going to rap and she was going to sing.  But he said “instead, you got up and you sang.  And not only did you sing, you sang a hymn.”  You cannot base that type of thing on aesthetics.

EJ:  Right.

TW:  So, I grew my locs and I cut them in June of this year.  It was 10 years– a decade, or an era– and I felt like, transitioning into a solo artist, and in this next phase of my life, even as a business person, I just felt like it was time for the next phase for me.

So, I ended it.  And it was a lot.  It took me a year to get prepped to cut my locs.  And the day I cut ‘em, I cried. *chuckles*

EJ:  Aww…

TW:  I did.  I had a moment… definitely had a moment because there were so many experiences I had with that hair, so many places I went around the world.  It had become a part of my I.D.  People knew me as the guy with the locs.

But, that’s why I cut them.  I’m appreciative of that time I had with them and I feel like, as I’ve heard from emails, I encouraged other people to loc their hair, you know?  People said that they can appreciate it because it made them not feel like an outcast or a misfit for having a similar type of expression.  But yeah, that phase is over for me now.

EJ:  That’s a lot deeper than I thought it was gonna be… I thought you might just say “it was hot” or something. *laughing*

TW: *laughs* Nah… it is for some people, but not for me.  I usually don’t do anything on a superficial level.  I’m too psychoanalytical of a person.

EJ:  I hear you, man.  Well, that’s about it from me.  I really appreciate you for chatting with me.

TW:  Thank you, man.  I really enjoyed the interview.

EJ:  No doubt.  And I’ll talk with you soon.

TW:  Okay.

EJ:  Bye.

*     *     *

And that was my chat with Ted.  He’s a really cool dude and he seems to mean what he says.  He’s passionate about the people of God.

AND, it helps that his album is REALLY REALLY good.  If you didn’t see my review of it, click here to check it out.

In the meantime, lemme know what you thought of the interview!

Chatted with MY DUDE, JJ Hairston.  Not only does he lead the dynamic choir, Youthful Praise, he’s a man who simply adores God and wants to serve Him through his gifts and calling.

Although I kinda wanted to cut up with him during the interview, we managed to keep it professional.  The result is a great interview in which JJ shares his heart for this current album, talks about how Youthful Praise has evolved, and tells us what’s next for him.

Without further delay, here’s JJ Hairston…

*     *     *

EJ:  Hey!

JJ:  What’s up, dude?!

EJ:  *laughs* How are you?

JJ:  I’m good.  How are you doing?

EJ:  Good, good, good.  Let’s jump to it– you’ve got your fifth album coming out on September 1st, entitled Resting On His Promise.  Tell me about the vision of this particular project.

JJ:  Well, we usually praise and worship the Lord, which is what we’re called to do.  But for this album, we wanted to do something a little different– not only did we want to worship God, but we wanted to encourage His people.  So, we used some more thematic songs… songs that kind of speak for the day.  Normally, we sing all of our songs UP… this time, we’re singing to the people, encouraging them that, even in these times, God is still able to take them through anything.

EJ:  That’s needed, man.  Do you have a favorite track on the project?

JJ:  Umm… “Close To You” is my favorite track.  It’s a worship track, it’s intimate.  Everyone knows that I just love to worship Him– that’s just me.  I’m not saying it’s gonna be everybody’s favorite, but that’s mine.

EJ:  Talk to me about some of the collaborations you’ve got on this album–guest spots from Shirley Caesar, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Deon Kipping, Myron Butler, Bishop McDaniel…  how did those come about?

JJ:  Well, the first one I knew I was doing was with Dorinda.  That was just something… I knew, for this record, I wanted to get my favorite female vocalist and she is still, by far, my favorite.  So that was something I knew I was doing.

Everything else kinda happened in the process.  Pastor Shirley Caesar, of course, is on the label.  That was something I really wanted to do.  The song was kinda traditional to me and I wanted to the “queen”of traditional gospel to sing it.

EJ:  That’s wise.

JJ:  Myron, that was something that James Robinson [of Evidence Gospel] and I were just talking through… it was like, “which one of your friends would you love to do a song with?”  Me and Myron are so cool, but we never really got to work together in that aspect, so we did that and it turned out great.

We actually weren’t in the same room– he was in a studio in Dallas, I was in a studio here, but we kinda compliment each other very well.

EJ:  Wow.  You’d never have known it.

JJ:  Yeah.  William Murphy was supposed to sing the song “Lord, You’re Mighty.”  The night before the recording, he wasn’t able to make it because of some vocal issues.  I called Deon [Kipping] and said “look, I need you to sing this song tomorrow!”  He was like “are you serious?” *laughs*

EJ:  For real?  Did he know it before that, or did he just learn it?

JJ:  No, we rehearsed it the night before, and then an hour before the recording.  And that song, we actually sang on the stage together.  It worked out very well.  Bishop McDaniel– he’s just a great singer and I just feel like he delivers a song so well, so I wanted to include him.  That’s pretty much how it all happened.

EJ:  That’s great stuff.  Talk with me about how Youthful Praise has evolved over the years.  You all started out a long time ago as a youth choir and, as you got older, your sound was similar to other New York-area choirs at the time– a heavy vibrato (like on “Awesome God,” for example) and a killer band.

You’ve still got a killer band, but less vibrato.  And the style of music is a bit different.  Why the shift?

JJ:  I think that as I changed, and as the music I was drawn to changed, the music I wrote changed as well.

EJ:  Yeah.

JJ:  When we did Thank You For The Change, everybody doesn’t know it, but Shawn Brown and I were both directing during that record.  But in the midst of production on that record, Shawn went on to pastor.  So, though I’m the only one on the cover, we did that record together.

Live… The Praise, The Worship was the first record that I had done by myself and it was what was in my heart as opposed to being two different aspects of music.

EJ:  Definitely.

JJ:  Of course, Shawn and I are both church choir dudes and we were doing that type of music, but when it came time for me to do my own type of record, I had to do what was closest and dearest to my heart.  And that’s why that change kinda happened.

Now, because we grew up singing that way, we still have the vibrato.  It’s not as heavily accented by the style of song, but it’s still there.  I heard one guy say that we worship with a squall. *laughing*

EJ:  *laughs* I think that’s accurate!

JJ:  Yeah!  But that’s how it evolved.  Then, the Exalted record really went ALL the way worship.  So what I did with this album, Resting On His Promise, was tried to bring it back to the middle where the live praise and worship was, where everyone that likes church choirs will be able to enjoy it, but people who like praise & worship will also be able to enjoy it.

EJ:  Sure.  And I think you did that well– it’s got variety, but it’s clearly ONE project.  While we’re talking about choirs, I’ve got a more philosophical question for you.

JJ:  Okay.

EJ:  It seems like fewer choirs are getting recognition these days in the gospel industry… almost as if there aren’t as many mainstay choirs.  Do you feel like the choir scene in gospel is changing?  If so, how are you working to remain relevant?

JJ:  Wow.  I think the choir scene has changed because the industry has changed.  And I don’t mean “industry” as far as what people want, I mean “industry” as far as money.  Just to keep it real.

EJ:  Mm-hmm.

JJ:  It’s harder to move a choir because you can only move up to a certain number of people.  So, if you have a concert, you can have someone like J Moss– you have his honorarium, plus one ticket for him and travel for his background singers.  Or, you can bring in Ricky Dillard, who has 50 people.  Even though the honorarium may be different, the cost to move the group is just so much higher.

EJ:  Wow.

JJ:  So, what has happened now is that people are scaling down everywhere they can.  One of those areas is travel.  And choirs are taking the brunt of that because we have the most people.

What I’ve been doing to compensate for that is that I travel with less people, but still maintain the choir sound.  So as opposed to carrying 20 to 30 people, we travel with between 9 and 12 singers and a band.  We still give you the choir sound that you’re accustomed to from us, but you won’t have to pay as much for travel.  Still, 9 to 12 is a lot sometimes, but we move as many as we can.  It’s just a strain financially.

EJ:  Absolutely.  Just getting to the gig.

JJ:  Yeah.  I remember hearing that one choir took a bus all the way from California to New York.  People aren’t doing that anymore.  So, it’s just different, financially, in this industry than it was 15 years ago.

EJ:  Sure.  You mention traveling with fewer members, but you have a large choir.  How do you choose who’s going where and how do you deal with choir members who say “Well, he didn’t pick ME to go, why should I still do it?”

JJ:  Even to this day, we still have the same issue.   There’s a certain sound that has to be produced, regardless of how many people we bring.  And what we try to do is rotate as much as possible because I’ve been blessed with a large group of singers that can really represent the choir well.

Of course, at the same time, we have certain lead singers that people look for when we go places and I can’t leave them home.

EJ:  Right.

JJ:  So, it’s always a hard balance, but we try to move them around as much as we can.  You know, I explain to the choir what the issues are and they seem to understand.  We just try to be as fair as possible when we move people around.

EJ:  That’s a good approach.  You mentioned some of those lead singers we expect to see and I’ve gotta tell you– at GMWA, I nearly lost my mind about David McClure.  I think everybody was like “who?!  WHAT?!” *laughs*

JJ:  *laughing*  You know, honestly, I’ve been blessed over the last year or year and a half with some GREAT lead singers– of course, David McClure… we have a lead singer from New Jersey named Melissa Bell, and another singer named Jennifer Johnson out of New Haven, CT.  I didn’t go out to search for singers, we just happened to go places and we ministered with them there.

David is actually a member of our church and it just felt so right at that point… the timing was right for him to start traveling with us.  He’s great and he’s really a humble guy.  It’s just been a blessing.

EJ:  That’s great to hear.  Now, you’re a husband, a father, an artist.  How do you manage it all?  We hear stories about artists falling prey to different situations– how are balancing your commitment to family and your commitment to ministry?

JJ:  Well, one of the blessings is that my wife sings in the group, so where the choir goes, she goes.  But even if I’m doing a workshop or make certain appearances by myself, I take her with me.  Not because I think I’m going to go out and make a mess if I’m not with her, but because there are so many things that happen today– I wanna make sure I’m covered and SHE covers me.

And with our kids, we try to be there for them as much as we can.  When we’re home, we are HOME.  And when time allows, we do bring them on the road with us, so we’re not away from them every weekend.  Otherwise, we’d never seem them on weekends.

EJ:  Right.

JJ:  It’s worked out well so far.  I was just looking at the schedule for the rest of the year and it’s crazy.  When we go to Italy, I’m taking my kids with me.

EJ:  Are you?

JJ:  I told the promoter, if you want us, you’ve gotta bring my kids.  It’s Christmas and they’re coming with me.

EJ:  You’re a good dad.  So, what’s next for you?  Of course, you’re about to be working this album, but down the line, what do you have in mind?

JJ:  Well, one thing that’s been a blessing is that some people have heard the record and they’ve started asking me to help them with their records.  So what I’m trying to do is– my musical director and I– we’re looking into starting to produce a little bit.

EJ:  That’s awesome, man!

JJ:  We praise God that people enjoy our sound and we wanna be able to place that sound in some other places, maybe even where it’s not a choir– groups and soloists… I’ve gotten a lot of flack from people who say “you turned the choir into a praise & worship group.”  Well, that’s what I enjoy.  But now, I may be able to deal with other groups and soloists that are geared more toward praise and worship, and help to accentuate that sound for them.

EJ:  Very good.  I think that’ll be hot and, of course, I’m looking forward to it! I really appreciate you for taking a minute to chat, man.

JJ:  This is so funny… you’re sounding so professional!

EJ:  *laughs* I’m trying to put on my professional voice!  It’s all I can do to be like “Hi there, JJ Hairston, how are you?”

JJ:  *laughing*  Well, I’ll be professional and say “thank you very much.”

EJ:  Yes. You do that! *laughing*  And may God continue to bless your many ministry endeavors. *laughs*

JJ:  *laughs* Alright, thanks man.

EJ:  Bye man.

*     *     *

That’s it, folks!  What did you think???

One thing that stood out to me is that, no matter how large or successful, the issues that are real for smaller choirs are the same issues that are real for major choirs.

Don’t forget that Resting On His Promise, the new album, is due in stores THIS TUESDAY.  Click here to read my review of the album.

And lemme know what you think!

 

Y’all remember me talking about how dope Bubby Fann & Praise Beyond were at one of the GMWA musicals a couple of weeks ago?

Found a video of that very performance on YouTube.  Warning: the quality is NOT the greatest, and there are a lot of shots of the band, but I NEEEEEEED you to listen to how awesome the song is and pay special attention to the soloist, who is a throwback to Vanessa Bell Armstrong ALL DAY LONG. Watch the whole thing… you shan’t be disappointed!

What do you think???

Lots going on In The Twitterhood, as usual.  A quick recap…

Antonio Neal (@antonioneal) has a new studio for those who want to record without a lot of cash.  Email him at ansharforeverstudios@gmail.com for more info.
 
BeBe & CeCe Winans (@bebeandcece) taped an episode of Bobby Jones Gospel and are putting the finishing touches on their album this week!
 
Deitrick Haddon (@deitrickhaddon) wrote a movie that he’ll be filming in 2 weeks.  He’s apparently in the studio now for the soundtrack.

Kim Burrell (@kimburrelllove) says to check her out on WLIB 1190 in New York from 10am to 2pm Monday through Friday.  You can listen online at http://wlib.com/pages/3889969.php.
 
Mary Mary (@therealmarymary) is on tour with R&B singer Maxwell.

And last but not least, Donald Lawrence (@DonaldLawrence) gave public props to GospelPundit.com, saying  ”I sooo appreciate the way u run your site. Professional and integral but still news! Kingdom-style!!!”  WOW. Me so happy.

Okay, that’s it for this week.  You’re followin’ me, aren’t ya? http://www.twitter.com/gospelpundit.

Yesterday at GMWA began beautifully– slow and without any obligations or commitments.  I sat with my wife and some buddies in the hotel’s restaurant for breakfast.  Byron Cage, Dorothy Norwood, Albertina Walker and JJ Hairston were just a few of the artists milling around the area.

Shortly after my meal, I got a text message asking if I could sit on a panel discussing internet radio before an audience of radio announcers, aspiring artists and industry execs.  I agreed and, at the panel, was able to share my knowledge about what I do in new media and the need for a stronger internet radio presence among gospel announcers.  I didn’t get booed off the panel, so I guess I sounded pretty knowledgeable. Shout-out to Donna Creer for thinking of me.  I had a blast.

I only had an hour to eat before the long-anticipated Gospel Festival, co-sponsored by Macy’s.  I grabbed a bite before getting ready for the concert, hosted by Yolanda Adams, featuring Karen Clark-Sheard, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Byron Cage, Smokie Norful, Dottie Peoples, Jonathan Nelson & Purpose, Karima Kibble, Ami Rushes, Kurt Carr & The Kurt Carr Singers, Dorothy Norwood, JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise, the GMWA Mass Choir and MORE.

The concert lasted for nearly 5 hours, but it was good.  The sound system was a bit rough (it was in a convention center… y’know, with the cement walls and high ceilings), so sounds kinda bounced back and forth.

Highlights of the show:  Yolanda Adams’ impromptu performance of “The Battle Is The Lord’s” with the GMWA Mass Choir– she proved that she’s STILL at the top of her game; Karen Clark-Sheard opened her set with the throwback “Balm In Gilead” before launching into two new tracks, both of which she DEMOLISHED on vocals; Dorinda Clark-Cole was in GREAT voice as she sang “Take It Back”; Byron Cage’s new single, “Faithful To Believe,” is awesome and sure to be a favorite; JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise are doing a great job with their new single, “Resting On His Promise,” but they also do a GREAT job revisiting their hit song “Incredible God, Incredible Praise” (tenor David McClure ad libs on the vamp like you’d NEVER believe… he had one of the greatest voices of the entire night… no exaggeration); GMWA Mass Choir was directed by Chicago choirleader/artist Malcolm Williams and they performed a near PERFECT medley of classic throwback choir songs.

All in all, the concert was AWESOME.  Afterwards, I went for dessert with some buddies and chatted until I could barely keep my eyes open.  Ahhhhh, it was a fun week!

During the concert, Bishop Jamison announced that GMWA would RETURN to Cincinnati next year, which will be kinda cool… it was a very welcoming city.  If you wanna attend next year, start planning and saving now.

Word has it that Karen Clark-Sheard will release a new solo project in January of 2010.

During her set last night at the GMWA Gospel Festival concert, she praised God that she’s now “an entreprenuer.”  The first album on the newly formed Karew Records will be the Clark Family Christmas album, due in October, followed by her own album due at the top of the new year.

I’m WAIIIITIIIIIING!!!

Wednesday at GMWA was a slower day, not cuz there wasn’t plenty to do, but because people were kinda dragging and showing their fatigue… folks were skippin’ events and what not. LOL

I got a chance to chat with Floyd Wilkinson, who leads the hit Donald Lawrence & Co. single, “Back II Eden.”  To be one of the singin’-est dudes you’ll find in the game, he is incredible kind, humble and down to earth.  And he’s hilarious.  Gotta love that.

I stopped by the “Tribute To The King” concert, which was being hosted by Kurt Carr.  I didn’t stay for the whole tribute, but I noticed some of his singers, so I’m sure they ministered their faces off.  I also got a chance to see Dottie Peoples and Chrystal Rucker backstage.  The attendance at the tribute was rather low, but they were goin’ in on some classic James Cleveland tracks before I had to leave.

Took a quick break for dinner at some Korean bistro (it was pretty good) before heading to the Youth & Young Adult showcase, which featured a bunch of great aspiring/new artists.

When I arrived, Isaac Cates & Ordained were on stage and sounded GREAT.  Not long after, Sunday Best finalist Zebulon Ellis got on the piano to play and sing the classic Milton Brunson tune “For The Good Of Them.”  I’ll say this– we, the Sunday Best viewing audience, were cheated out of experiencing how awesome his vocal ability is.  Dude can blow, FOR REAL.

A bit later, Melinda Watts performed “There Will Come A Day” from her new album, followed by a organ-accompanied “When We All Get To Heaven” and “When I See Jesus” medley.  It was HOT.

After her, JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise took the stage and performed their hit song “Incredible God, Incredible Praise.”  Lemme tell ya– incredible PERFORMANCE, too.  They ended their set with their new single, “Resting On His Promise,” and had Bishop Eric McDaniel join them for the vamp (as he does on the recorded version).  They had great energy and an even better sound.

I ducked out before the end, lest I fell out from fatigue– this week will wear you OUT if you don’t get your rest!  Geeeeez.

That’s it for now.  ‘Til later!