Paul “PDA” Allen, part of the powerhouse production camp PAJAM, was recently named the Youth Pastor of Straight Gate International Church, where Bishop Andrew Merritt is pastor.

Last month, PDA and his wife, Keisha, hosted a huge youth conference in Detroit, in connection with the church’s youth ministry, G1 (God First). The event, intended to encourage and motivate youth for the upcoming school year, featured an array of artists (i.e., Lecrae, Kierra Sheard, James Fortune) and sponsors like McDonald’s and Radio One.

The Henry Ford Health System was on-hand to provide medical screenings and every student in attendance received school supplies and opportunities to speak with college recruiters.

I hear that “Minister P,” as PDA is affectionately referred to, has got more tricks up his sleeve to impact the youth. Let’s pray for him as he walks in this role, cool?

Folks, just a quick heads-up to let you know that the McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour wraps up next Saturday, September 10, 2011 in Washington, DC.  If you’re close by, I urge you to get there!

As a reminder, the Tour features Bishop Hezekiah Walker & LFC, and has visited nearly a dozen cities across the U.S. since its kick-off in Atlanta this June. This was McDonald’s fifth year presenting the concert series to the community, uplifting cities and educating them on the work being done by the Ronald McDonald House and other initiatives.

One of the best parts for you– it’s totally FREE to attend!

I attended the kick-off in Atlanta and had an awesome time (read my recap). I also got to chat with Bishop Walker about his involvement in the Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour– check that interview out right here.

So, make plans to attend the concert in DC if you can–

Saturday, September 10, 2011 – 5:30pm
The National Mall – Near the Smithsonian Institute
Washington, DC
Admission is FREE

Anyone planning to attend?

As you know, I attended the kick-off concert of the McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour this past Saturday (click here for my recap on the tour and to see why you NEED to make plans to attend it when it comes to your town).  Bishop Hezekiah Walker is headlining the 9-city tour.

Before the event, Bishop Walker took a minute to chat with me about a few things, including his involvement with McDonald’s and plans for a new album!

*****

EJ: How are you?

HW: I’m good, thanks!

EJ: Thanks for taking a quick minute to chat with me.  I’m curious about your experience with McDonald’s and this tour… what prompted you to become a part of it?

HW: Well, this is our first night, so I’m really excited about that. The experience has been great so far.  I’ve been a part of McDonald’s for quite some time, actually. Back in New York, the McDonald’s Gospel Fest is the thing that really took off my career, back in 1985!

EJ: Oh, right!

HW: So I’ve partnered with them for years now. But as far as the Inspiration Celebration tour, there’s an amazing connection there. I’m really all about community and to see McDonald’s giving back and wanting to embrace our community, and embrace what we do, I think it’s big.

EJ: Absolutely. I know you’ve been able to visit some of the Ronald McDonald Houses as well.

HW: Yes! It’s been amazing.

EJ: You’ve seen what they’re doing first-hand. How has that impacted you?

HW: It’s amazing! Growing up, you hear of the Ronald McDonald House, but you never really know what they do. A few years ago, I had the privilege of visiting St. Jude’s and I thought it was the only institution that does what they do– taking care of children and their families. But when I really got involved with the Ronald McDonald House, it blew me away.

EJ: Yeah.

HW: It brought tears to my eyes– just to see the kids there. They had smiles on their faces, they weren’t complaining, they were happy. The establishment was a very good environment– good to live in, good to eat in, to socialize in… they have really good, positive people around them.

EJ: That’s great.

HW: And the craziest thing– it’s right in my backyard! Right in New York, you know what I’m saying?

EJ: And you didn’t even know about it.

HW: Yeah. And it really made me feel good to know that there are other people, outside of all I knew (St. Jude’s), that are doing things on this level. Especially where I live, there’s a McDonald’s maybe every 10 blocks.

EJ: Absolutely.

HW: And when you see one, you think of hamburgers. *laughs*

EJ: *laughs* Right!

HW: But to see them working outside of just serving hamburgers, but really giving back… that made my heart feel glad.

EJ: Sure. And it’s a reality of that we don’t often get to see.

HW: We don’t get to see that. Not at all.

EJ: Well, that’s awesome. Congratulations, by the way, on being installed as Bishop! That’s tremendous.

HW: Thank you very much!

EJ: And are you working on a new album?

HW: Yes, working on a new album. Right now, we’re still trying to figure out which way to go. I have a big pull to do something in South Africa, so I’m debating whether to do the next album in South Africa.

But, if not, we’ll do it here in the States and we’ll wait until next year to do something in Africa.

EJ: I love it. I’m looking forward to it, for sure.

HW: Definitely!

EJ: Well, thanks for taking a quick minute to chat with me. Congrats on everything and great work on this tour!

HW: Thank you, man. Good to see you again.

EJ: Yes, sir!

*****

And there you have it, folks.

I don’t know how many more ways I can encourage you to attend one of these FREE concerts, but I think you’ll really enjoy it. Get there, if you can! Click here for more info on the McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Tour.

On Saturday, I was fortunate enough to attend the kick-off concert of this year’s McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour in Atlanta, GA.  This year, the tour features the incomparable Bishop Hezekiah Walker as the headlining act and I had a BLAST.  Lemme tell you a bit about it–

Traffic in Atlanta was BRUTAL this weekend, but the concert was well worth the trip.  I arrived at Ray of Hope Church in Decatur, GA at around 5:30pm and met with some of the great folks that organized and executed the entire tour event.  Their passion– not just for putting on an excellent concert, but also for the philanthropic work that McDonald’s does– was evident and contagious.

After chatting with the organizers for a bit, I popped into Bishop Walker’s dressing room for a quick chat (I’ll give you a recap of our conversation in another post– he talks about his work with McDonald’s and, yes– plans for a new album!).

I made my way to my seat in the practically-packed sanctuary, and not a moment too soon– gospel artist and radio personality Darlene McCoy was just about to hit the stage to MC the event!

We heard a bit about McDonald’s 365black.com initatives, as well as other ways in which the restaurant chain gives back to the local community.  Aside from the famed Ronald McDonald Houses, in which provide a “home-away-from-home” to children receiving medical treatment, and their families.  It struck me as a really profound need that is somewhat easy to overlook.

After meeting two children who benefitted from the help of the charity– India and Terry– the concert began with urban gospel artist Canton Jones.  I think we stood on our feet the ENTIRE time of his performance, which included one of his latest hit tunes (and my favorite of the evening),  ”Window.”

Up next was Hezekiah Walker with a full band and members of the Love Fellowship Choir (there were 11, but it sounded like 40!).  I’ve always said they’re my favorite choir EVER, but concerts like Saturday night just serve to confirm that all over again.  Starting his set with “Power Belongs to God,” before moving to “Clean Inside” and “I’ll Make It,” the show was full of energy and the accompaniment of an entire audience singing along.

The pace slowed down a bit as the group moved into “Grateful” and ”I Need You To Survive,” during which Bishop Walker talked about the importance of the community outreach efforts of McDonald’s.

The night closed out with the entire audience on their feet, dancing and singing to “Souled Out.”

I STRONGLY encourage you to make plans to attend one of these events, folks.  The McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour not only provides uplifting entertainment and ministry, but you’ll get an opportunity to learn more about the heartbeat of one of the world’s largest companies.  And you’ll see that it does a bit more than serve some of the best french fries on this side of Heaven.

Nearly all of the events are FREE to the public and well worth your time.  For more info on the tour, including upcoming dates, visit http://www.mcdonalds.urbanministries.com/.

In his latest video to educate us on all that McDonald’s is doing in our local communities, Bishop Hezekiah Walker chats about the importance of fathers spending quality time with their children.

Check it out!

Also…

To see his earlier video on Giving Back, click here.

To watch his video on Encouraging Children, click here.

And don’t forget to make your plans to attend the McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour, which kicked-off this past Saturday (click here to read my recap of the first concert!).

For more info on the Tour, click here!

In partnership with the McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour, Bishop Hezekiah Walker recently shared the importance of having fathers giving back in their local communities (click here to watch his first video).

Now, he’s back with a video about the need for fathers to encourage their children, and the impact that it has in a child’s life and development.

Check it out–

As a reminder, the McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour is nationwide, hitting multiple markets this summer. For a recap about the Tour, click here!

In partnership with the McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour, Bishop Hezekiah Walker recently shared the importance of giving back, especially as it relates to fathers being involved in their communities.

As a reminder, the Tour is nationwide, hitting multiple markets this summer. For a recap about the Tour, click here!

Click below to watch the video!

McDonald’s will kick off its 5th annual Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour featuring Grammy Award-winning gospel recording artist Hezekiah Walker. The tour is part of McDonald’s everyday commitment to celebrating the culture of the African-American community.

The tour will make stops at churches in 6 U.S. cities (Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and Atlanta) and will play at the Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Mississippi, as well as, summer festivals in Newark, NJ, and Washington, DC.

Tour dates and locations include:
June 11 – Atlanta, GA (Ray of Hope Christian Church)
June 14 – Jackson, MS (Jackson Convention Complex)
June 16 – Philadelphia, PA (Deliverance Evangelistic Church)
June 18 – Newark, NJ (McDonald’s Gospelfest – Prudential Center) *not a free concert
June 21 – Detroit, MI (Greater Grace Temple)
June 23 – Chicago, IL (Christ Universal Temple)
June 25 – Dallas, TX (Friendship West Baptist Church)
July 22 – Los Angeles, CA (West Angeles COGIC)
September 10 – Washington, DC (Black Family Reunion Celebration – National Mall)

The McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour concerts are FREE (except for the McDonald’s Gospelfest event in Newark, NJ), and tickets are available, while supplies last, at the host church and select local retailers.

“Gospel music gives inspiration to people and McDonald’s is known for giving to communities around the world,” said Hezekiah Walker. “I am honored to headline a tour of this nature and be able to share my music with audiences across the country to uplift and inspire them.”

Bishop Walker will be joined by all-star gospel artists 21:03 in Philadelphia, Detroit and Chicago; Canton Jones in Atlanta and Jackson, MS; Myron Butler and Anthony Evans in Dallas; and Nikki Potts in Los Angeles.

“McDonald’s is really excited to share in culture and community in a way that really connects with our consumers in a meaningful way,” expressed Rob Jackson, McDonald’s Director U.S. Marketing.  “During the community events, attendees will also have the opportunity to learn more about Ronald McDonald House Charities® and the incredible work they do to help families right in the local community.”

In previous years, the tour featured top gospel artists such as CeCe Winans, Regina Belle, Smokie Norful, J. Moss, Vanessa Bell Armstrong and Kierra “KiKi” Sheard.

For more info about the tour, visit www.365Black.com, McDonald’s portal for its 365Black® programs, celebrating the African American community throughout the year.

Who’s attending???

In addition to Regina Belle, I caught up with J Moss while at the McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Concert in Chicago this weekend. It was really great to see him– J is a humble, straight-up kinda guy and I LOVE him for it.

We chatted about how the tour has been going for him.  J shared that he loves the opportunity to partner with McDonald’s for such a great series of concerts and, even more, for the fact that a portion of proceeds benefit the Ronald McDonald House.

J’s also thrilled for the exposure to a new audience that may not know of his music– Regina Belle’s fanbase. This was a chance to minister to a new group of folks who might not have otherwise paid much attention to the gospel message as delivered by J Moss.  Praise God for enlarged territory!

Plans for a new album on the horizon???  Nope, not yet.  J’s still riding the wave of his latest release, Just James, and it’s as fresh and exciting to him as the day it was released.  His latest single, “Rebuild,” is making a significant impact on radio and on the internet, as is the incredible “REmix” of the tune (click here to listen and see why I love it so much).

The PAJAM team was in full effect in Chicago– besides J, I got to see Paul “PDA” Allen and Walter Kearney, as well as the fellas of 21:03.  Great time with one of the hottest camps in gospel music!

On Wednesday, I recapped my great trip to the McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour on its Chicago, IL tour stop.  While I was there, I caught up with songstress Regina Belle and chatted about a few things.  What initially stood out to me was how cool and down-to-earth she is (I think I may have dubbed her my auntie in my head).

Regina Belle says that the experience with McDonald’s and the Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour has been great.  Incidentally, her first job was at a McDonald’s, so she’s kinda having a full-circle moment.

We chatted briefly about the success of her radio hit, “God Is Good,” at which time she shared that it was the last song to make her debut gospel album, Love Forever Shines.  Her brother wrote the tune after hearing her full album and remarking that it didn’t have anything from their childhood, their roots, on it… and it needed to.  She had no idea how incredibly successful it would be at radio and in churches every Sunday morning!

She also shared some of a recent testimony with me– how she was diagnosed with a brain tumor last year (though it had been growing since childhood), in the midst of promoting her album.  “It was one of the most ‘alone’ moments I had ever had in my life,” she recounted.  “That’s when I had to make the things that I talk about and sing about… that’s when I had to make them work for me.  I had to exercise my own relationship with God.”  Even now, after having recovered from the grueling multiple surgeries, she is clinically deaf in her left ear.  Her joy and commitment to her calling, though, remains unfettered– she’s not stopping!

Of course, we touched on the whole “R&B turned gospel artist” issue that seems to plague anyone who records a gospel album after experiencnig even a modicum of success in mainstream music.  Belle set the record straight: “I could make waaaay more money, with no hit record– actually, with no record out at all– by continuing on in R&B.  I am here because of a calling and, trust me, I fought God tooth and nail.”  She is grateful for the road she traveled, especially because she gets to go back to areas that other church people aren’t able to go– and she takes the gospel message with her.

Before we parted, I had to prove to her that I was a bona fide Regina Belle fan from back in the day by bringing up her soundtrack work from the movies Tap and Leonard 6 (y’all don’t know nothin’ about that).  She certified me a “for real” fan.

Regina Belle is working on a new gospel album, which will incorporate musical discussions about some serious social issues facing the world today.  The project will feature assistance from J Moss, Chris Walker, her brother Bernard Bell, and Micah Stampley, among others.

And that’s about it!  Regina Belle was a delight to chat with and I’m excited for what she’s doing and for what’s to come!

How about you???