If you’ve ever attended the Stellar Awards weekend or GMA week, you’ve probably noticed (and perhaps attended) the highly popular performance event, Urban Soul Cafe.

Quickly becoming one of the largest and most successful grassroots performance opps in the industry, the event features performances from major and indie artists at reasonable prices in an intimate setting.

This year, Urban Soul Cafe presents its Stellar Awards weekend event, “Access Granted,” and it promises to be just as good as past events, with performances expected from J Moss, Melinda Watts, 21:03, Adrianne Archie and many more urban gospel artists.

There will be two events– one on Thursday, January 14th and one following the Stellars taping on Saturday, January 16th– and will be hosted by DeWayne Woods, Canton Jones, Lexi and Sheilah Belle.

Click here to view the full flyers for the event and to purchase tickets!

Soooo, if you were followin’ my tweets, you got up-to-the-minute results of the nominees.  My fingers HURT from typing so quickly on that BlackBerry!

For those of you who missed it, click here for a full list of nominees.

I’m disappointed that Sheri Jones-Moffett, Coko, 21:03, Melinda Watts, Damita Haddon and Kevin LeVar’s names are not anywhere among the nominees.  Each had great projects and should have been recognized.  Majorly not okay.

I’m very happy, though, for artists like Donald Lawrence (one of my faves this year), Kierra Sheard, Mary Mary, Hezekiah Walker, Israel Houghton, Daniel Weatherspoon, Da’ T.R.U.T.H., Bishop Paul Morton…

Geez.  I just dunno.  Some of the names on there…

What do you guys think of the nominees?

If you missed the hit show Praise The Lord on TBN last night, I’m begging you to watch it online today.

This is not to be sensational, nor am I merely writing something so that I can have blog content.  My wife and I just watched the episode on DVR, overcome with emotion and tears THROUGHOUT the one-on-one chat between Pastor Donnie McClurkin and Steve Harvey.  My heart rejoices over Steve Harvey’s life– ALL of it– and I am left speechless by what we witnessed on our television set.  I have never seen anything like it.

I had intended to recap and summarize what Steve said, but I fear that doing so will minimize the value and impact of his words.

I just need you to watch it.  PLEASE watch it.

Click here to view in low video quality, click here for medium video quality, and click here for high quality.

Or, you can visit the TBN archives page at http://tbn.org/watch-us/archives.

I was very blessed to have an open, honest convo with the staggeringly gifted J Moss.

His newest project, Just James, is due in stores this coming Tuesday (the 25th).  It’s his most transparent to date, I think (click here to read my full review) and I urge you guys to buy it when it hits stores.

In this interview, I didn’t hold back and neither did he… he’s a great guy whose sincerity doesn’t end with his music.  No need for intros… here’s the one and only J Moss.

*     *     *

EJ:  Hello!

JM: EJ!

EJ:  *laughs* How’s it going, man?

JM:  Man, I’m absolutely wonderful!

EJ:  That’s a good way to be.  I really appreciate you for taking a minute to chat with me.

JM:  No doubt.

EJ:  Well, let’s jump right to it by talking about this new album, Just James.  I think it’s incredible.

JM:  Do you, man? C’mon EJ!  C’mon, man.  Go’n and be real with your boy!  Let’s have a real session.

EJ:  For real!  I’m tellin’ you… and I said it in my review.  I’m pretty sure that I love it more than any other album you’ve done.  You have a way of taking pretty familiar ideas and just makin’ them completely different, completely fresh and completely relevant.

I mean… it made the car.  And when we put a CD in the car, that means it’s something special.

JM:  You sound like me. *laughs* Yeah!  If it can make the car, it works.  So, okay, I’m talking to real folk right now.  Ok, I’m good! *laughs*

EJ:  *laughs* Talk to me about this project– what does it mean for you?

JM:  Awww, man… God’s heart.  If I can put it in two words– it’s God’s heart.  The first record, I was hungry, I was a rookie.  I just wanted to be out there.  I had a great machine behind me with Vicki Mack & GospoCentric, and PAJAM.  And it took off.  And I thank God for them because it was really the truth.

EJ:  Sure.

JM:  But then the next record, V2, was coming off of the success of V1.  So, now I’m feelin’ myself.  I’m calling all my friends–  I got Steve Harvey, Anthony Hamilton, the list goes on.  Great record– live strings, live band, all kinds of stuff.  But that was MY record.

THIS record, V3, is God’s record.  It’s the heart of God.  It was probably the record I was supposed to do first.  But, it didn’t happen that way.  And I can really say that I’ve moved J outta the way, PDA [Paul "PDA" Allen] was able to move himself out of the way, and we just allowed God to quarterback and drive the whole thing.

EJ:  Yeah.

JM:  And every song, every chorus, every lyric, every stanza was just straight from the heart of God and I’m just glad I was able to nail it with His help.

EJ:  Most definitely.  Do you have a favorite track on this album?

JM:  Man… so many at so many different times.  Most of my life right now is dedicated to “Restored,” y’know?  It’s portrayed through that song on many facets– financial has been restored, strength has been restored, personal issues at the crib and stuff, that’s restored.

And then, spiritually, when we fall off, God can restore you back to His good graces, so I think “Restored” says the most to me.

EJ:  Quick question, outta curiousity: did you write “Anointing” for the Clark Sisters?

JM:  No.  No, actually I didn’t.

EJ:  It sounds soooo much like them to me, especially at the end, when you close it out with “the anointing.”  It sounds just like something Twinkie [Clark] would do.

JM:  Oh, dude!  It was definitely in TRIBUTE to Twinkie.

EJ:  *laughs*

JM:  I love Nat King Cole and I’ve always wanted to do a loungy, big band, big ballad kinda joint.  And I said “I wanna kinda take a little bit of Twinkie’s vibe,” which is in me anyway because of the bloodline, “and mix it with a ‘We Must Praise’, Nat King Cole kinda thing and see what we come up with,” and there it was, you know?  But it was not written for the girls, it was actually written for me.

EJ:  I love it.  Listen, I want to, respectfully, talk about what’s happened over the past year or so for you, because it seems to provide a strong basis for really understanding your album.  And I think that if people get that, then the healing that is in this album is more apparent and potent.

JM:  Absolutely.

EJ:  By now, many people know that there was an extramarital affair that took place, and that a child was conceived from that.  When I reported what was happening, I wanted to preempt the rumors and kinda stop people from condemnation.  And I said, “guys, don’t knock him, just cover him and his family in prayer because that’s the best thing we can do right now.”

JM:  Right.

EJ:  But one thing that I said at the time is that your music talked about, or kinda foreshadowed, these struggles and these temptations… like on “Livin’ 4″ and “Florida,” your lyrics talked about how rough it is.  Were those songs real for you?

JM:  Not at the moment.  They were just me being a great writer.  A lot of that stuff wasn’t necessarily where I was, it was just me being able to paint the picture.  God has given me that gift.

EJ:  Absolutely.

JM:  But when it actually happened, you get the Just James project.  You can feel the heart.  It’s not just a story going forth– it’s you.  So, I think that when I went through that affliction, it beefed up everything.

I think the writings, at the time, were more prophetic than anything else.  With “Livin’ 4,” I was just coming into the game.  But after I went through it… And a lot of what I went through, EJ, was my OWN doing.  This wasn’t peer pressure, it wasn’t industry pressure… it wasn’t groupies flocking around.  This was just J Moss feelin’ himself.

EJ:  Wow.

JM:  PERIOD.  This was simply coming off of “We Must Praise,” being a big dawg, V2 over 100,000 [units]… this was just J being “the man.”  Being told he was fine every day, being told he was sexy every single day, being told that people wanted him to be their baby’s daddy… you know?  EVERY DAY.  You think the R&B people have it hard?  The gospel people do too.

EJ:  I know it.

JM:  So, I began to move further and further away from Christ, and got further and further involved with those temptations.  And it led to that situation.  And I have to tell you– when I get up now to talk about it, a lot of people say “J, you’re talking too much, we’ve moved on, we’re good.”  And I say “nah, man.  There are people out here DYING from this stuff.”

EJ:  Absolutely.

JM:  The Bible says that the wages of sin is death, but I gotta get up and tell people that the wages of sin almost KILLED me, in terms of suicidal thoughts.  I was plotting it out, thinking it out… all kinds of depression.  I was going through the scrutiny in the media, the blogosphere, everywhere… that stuff was rough!

And when we sin, we chip away at salvation.  Every time, we KILL something– we kill faith, we kill credibility, we kill relationships, we kill families… every time, we kill a piece of something.

I realized that people who are not going to Bible class, or to church on Sunday morning, will listen to me at a concert because they love me or they love my voice.  So, NOW is my chance to say “you know what?  Now that I’ve got your attention, let me tell you what’s really real.  Let me stop making you feel good all the time, and let me tell you what’s real.”

EJ:  Amen.

JM:  It’s been a great ride.  I know that’s sort of a paradox, but it’s been a great ride.  Very painful, but it’s been gratifying to know that my ministry has been propelled to a different level.

EJ:  I hear that.  Someone told me, recently, that conflict is just an opportunity, if we can embrace it as such.  There’s something to learn from everything.

JM:  Yeah.

EJ:  Lemme ask you– would you have talked about what you went through had it not been publicized?  For you, we saw newspaper reports where a woman was coming forward, charges were being filed in courts… but there are other artists in gospel who are doing the same dirt.  They just haven’t been exposed in that way.

JM:  Yep.

EJ:  Would you have embraced this reality?  Would you have talked about it, had it not been publicized?

JM:  Well, I’ma be real with you.  I tell my wife every day, I say “babe, had it not made the paper, I would’ve never said a word.”  You know?

EJ:  Wow.  That’s real.

JM:  For one, I didn’t want to leave that lifestyle because it felt good.  And, you know, people say “affair” and they think it was some long-term thing.  This wasn’t that.  It was something that I got caught up in.  But I wasn’t afflicted until it became public.

So, I feel like it was GOOD that it came out like it did because had it not, I wouldn’t have been able to learn His statutes even better.  I don’t think I would’ve stopped because I was enjoying what I had.

EJ:  Yeah.

JM:  But being broken from that– when God broke the chains and broke me from it, I see the importance of making sure I stay on top of it and remain verbal about it.  And to say it over and over again.

EJ:  Absolutely.  How much of this album had you finished before all of this broke… I mean, the album is transparent and reflective, but what direction were you going in?  How much of this album had you done before and what did it sound like?

JM:  None really.  With the exception of a few choruses or some unfinished stuff that we had, I think “God Happens” maybe, but other than that, nothing.

Everything about this project– it’s not dedicated to that situation, but it’s just a celebration of actually being down in the valley, down in the slums, and being able to somehow claw your way out of it and get back to being a person again, back to being a vessel again.

EJ:  That’s powerful.

JM:  Yeah.  Because I gotta tell you– when I was down there, I felt like “why bother?”  And that’s why I wanted to kill myself– it was like “ok, all is lost… all is over, I can’t recover from THIS.”  And there’s so many people out there going through the same stuff.  And that’s what God showed me in that affliction– He said “what you’re feeling right now is who I need you to speak to.  I’m going to put you back on your platform, back on the market, to now tell people who won’t listen to anyone else.”

EJ:  How are you maintaining this newfound perspective or this clarity?  Do you have accountability partners in place?  How do you prevent a “V2 mindset” from happening again?

JM:  It’s effortless, man.  Effortless.  Once you go through a deliverance process like I did, the taste I had in my mouth for certain things is just simply gone… where I am, how I greet people now… I’m just very cautious about my anointing, who I hang with, who I walk with.  Having to almost have LOST it all, it gives me that much more drive to do this right.

I’m a lover a righteousness and I’m trying to stay on this horse and do it right.

EJ:  That’s great, man.  One more question on this topic before we move on– we talked earlier about other artists going through similar stuff.  It’s not just “the talented J Moss” who fell prey to something… it’s more common than that, where other artists are finding themselves in the same situations.  RECENTLY.  It’s just not in the newspapers yet.  And maybe it won’t be.

But having gone through that, how would you now petition OTHER gospel artists to govern themselves?  What is your word to the wise?

JM:  Learn from me.  I always say this– my brother, 3 years older than me, went through so much stuff that it actually shaped me into a better dude.  I knew what not to do because I wanted to avoid those consequences.

So, hopefully, I can be that beacon for them.  I’d tell people “you may be in something, it may feel good, but God sees and knows all.  When He’s fed up, He’s gonna come and get you.”

EJ:  Wow.

JM:  So my prayer is that you can use your big brother, your little brother, whoever might be reading… and use me as an example.  You can even call my name if it helps you– “I don’t want to be another J Moss.”  And you DON’T.

You don’t ever wanna go through what I had to go through with my wife… telling her and seeing her reaction.  You don’t ever wanna have to go through what I read daily on the internet screens, y’know, after giving so much to people.  You don’t ever want to have to go through people looking down their noses at you as much as I had to.  And you don’t ever want to fall out of grace with God.

So, if you can, use your boy’s life as an example and get out.  Walk away.  It’s not worth it.  You’re hurting way too many people and it’s not a good feeling.  But thank God for victory.

EJ:  Dude.  Amen to that.  Good stuff.  Hey, you’re on Twitter now.  You enjoying it?

JM:  Yeah!  I’m afraid of the internet– and I know that God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear– but the human side of me is very leery and hesitant about the internet because of what I went through.  I can’t even Google a movie without feeling like I might see my name pop up and see something negative.  That’s how much I was scarred.

EJ:  Aww, man.

JM:  But on the other hand, it’s been good.  I can honestly say that people have really shown love– people like you and other sites, pastors, well-wishers… everyone has just embraced me and said “we’re good.”  It’s still a bit of a struggle, but it feels great to be back.

EJ:  Well, we’re glad you’re back, man.  Any tour plans in the works for this album?

JM:  We’ve got a promotional run that’s on the website at InsideJMoss.com, we’re closing up the tour I did with CeCe [Winans] with McDonald’s– we’ve got one more date for that in DC, and that’s just been crazy, man.

EJ:  Yeah?

JM:  Every night– sharing my testimony with people.  And GUYS… lemme tell you, EJ.  It was prophesied to me that the trajectory of my ministry would now be at the hearts of MEN– strong men.  And that’s who I’ve seen coming up to me after each show or writing in… saying that they’ve been delivered or that they feel better about where they are because of my situation.

So, I just thank God.  I’m sitting on top of the world right now.  And I don’t say that with arrogance… I’m saying it in a spiritual sense.  God has me on something else and I absolutely love it.

EJ:  That’s great.  I’m so glad to hear that, man.  What else?  You did Gospel Dream a second time around on Gospel Music Channel… how was it for you, especially compared to last year with Melinda Watts?

JM:  Well, I think that what the producers tried to add– with the boot camp, the on-screen sessions with the professionals, the TV portion– all of that was great.  I think they really stepped up the show.

EJ:  Sure.

JM:  Talent-wise, I think it’s just like [American] Idol or Sunday Best.  You’re gonna have some years where the talent is through the roof, and you’ll have some years where you have to go with what you’ve got and maybe the talent is not as good as the previous year.  I think everyone on the first year that I did it– they were just phenomenal.

And that’s not to slight any of the contestants from this year– they were all good in their own right.  I think the winner this year was actually the real winner.

EJ:  Yeah, I like him… Tony LeBron.

JM:  But I enjoyed it– just to be apart of something like that.  Especially in the midst of what I was going through at the time, for them to still back me and say “we’re still gonna use J… we heard he’s accountable and doing what he’s supposed to do, he’s gotten right with his church, his pastor still endorses him” (because I did what I was supposed to do by my church and the Church Of God In Christ).  I just thank God that He sustained my TV contracts and my tour contracts, my record contracts… man, it couldn’t be any better.

EJ:  That’s a beautiful thing.  Man, I am honored that you took the time to speak with me.  And thank you for your honesty and your candor.  I really believe lives will be set free through your album and your ministry.

It really speaks to the scriptures that say that the steps of a good man are ordered by God, and that all things work together for good… I bet that if someone told you back in October that all of this would work systematically for God’s glory, you probably wouldn’t have believed it.

JM:  Right!  Yeah! *laughs*

EJ:  But, I thank God that He’s all about glorifying Himself through all things.

JM:  And you know, man, I’m just assignment driven.  I wanna say to your readers– well, to you first of all– thank you.  You have been more than helpful in supporting me and letting the public know “hey, we’ve got J’s back, we’ve got PAJAM’s back.”  Words cannot express enough how much I appreciate that, man.

Plus, one of the things that helped smooth out the rough edges for me– I have GREAT people around me.  I can’t say enough about the PAJAM crew who did not justify what I did, didn’t condone what I did… PDA and Walter [Kearney] are my big brothers, they’re older than me, so I had to take my beatings from them.  But at the same time, they covered me.

EJ:  Good!

JM:  They kept my spirits up because they saw me fall into that state where I wanted to take myself out.  People like that, and then my siblings… and my LOVELY wife who, I mean… the interview wouldn’t be appropriate if I didn’t mention that SHE is the one who, ultimately, helped me out of depression.

She is the one who came to me and said “hey, I’m gonna stay with you, honey, even if it’s against my own carnal better judgment… the Lord told me to stay with you because I see where your ministry is going to go.  God has spoken to me.”  She spoke with my pastor, we prayed together…

EJ:  That’s encouraging to hear.

JM:  We just have a wonderful, lovely marriage, man.  My children love me… and I don’t talk about that much because I don’t want people to go and take that the wrong way, but I just thank those who are responsible for encouraging me and keeping me uplifted.

EJ:  That’s real.  God is a restoring God, for sure.

JM:  Yeah.

EJ:  Well, definitely keep in touch, man.

JM:  You got it.  Thanks, man.  Now can I get up on the TwitterRoll?  Can I get up on the TwitterRoll, dawg?! *laughing*

EJ:  *laughs* You’re on the TwitterRoll, no?!  I’ma make sure you’re on it.  And I’ll tell some folks to follow you today, cuz I know you just got on.

JM:  Yeah, I just got on it.

EJ:  Alright.

JM:  Ok, cool.  Thanks man.

EJ:  No doubt.

JM:  I’ll holla at you.

EJ:  Cool.

*     *     *

So how about that?!  I’m tellin’ you– bump what you heard… good guy, for real.  He’s not perfect, but he definitely ain’t claiming to be.  And I think he’s in a good place.  PRAY FOR HIM and his family, ok?

And make sure you stay connected with him at http://www.InsideJMoss.com and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/InsideJMoss.

And uhhh… what did you guys think of the interview?

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!

Well, well, well… I’m not one to say “I told ya so,” but… I did tell ya so.

Tony LeBron was selected as the winner of the 2009 Gospel Dream competition on Gospel Music Channel.  Judges Mitchell Solarek, Michelle Williams and J Moss chose the 34 year-old singer from among thousands of hopefuls.

Unfortunately, I didn’t see the finale because I’m in Cincinnati for GMWA.  I recorded it on my DVR and I’ll check it out when I get home.  In the meantime, here’s what I need from you guys… I need YOU to give ME the recap this time around.

How was Tony’s performance?  How were the performances from NeVar Massey and Robert Mauti?  Do you think Tony deserved to win this one?  Were the judges as hilarious as usual?  How was the performance from last year’s winner, Melinda Watts?  Did you like the song?  How’d she look?  GIMME ALL OF THAT!

Talk to me!

Oh wowwwwwwww.  Yesterday was insanely busy, but soooo much fun.

The Gospel Announcer’s Guild (GAG) held its annual luncheon and showcase at the Duke Energy Center.  The event, co-hosted by David Mann, featured a BUNCH of artists with new music either available now or coming soon.  Among them– Sheri Jones-Moffett, Melinda Watts, Tamela Mann, Bishop Paul Morton, New Direction, Philip Carter, Karima Kibble…

And let me say this real quick… that Bishop Paul Morton is a preaching and singin’ somebody.  I NEVER get tired of hearing him sing.  By the way, it’s his BIRTHDAY week, so there’s much celebrating going around.  In any case, he sang his new single, “Don’t Do It Without Me” (with son, PJ Morton on keys), and got the entire GAG Luncheon crowd HYPED.  I’ll do some feature stuff soon.  In the meantime, some pics are at the bottom of this post.

Donald Lawrence, Dorothy Norwood and Vashawn Mitchell were among several artists in the house to support… and a BUNCH of industry vets and execs were milling around including Jojo Pada, Neily Dickerson (The ND Co.), Torrence Glenn (BET.com), Vicki Mack-Lataillade (LillyMack/Central South/CCLI/etc.), Larry Blackwell (EMI), Mitchell Solarek (Maximum Artist), Tammy Taylor (One EnTiTy), Sheilah Belle (The Belle Report), Lisa Collins (Gospel Industry Round-Up), Kia Jarmon (Light Records) and soooo many more.

I tried to take a quick nap, but I didn’t quite make it.  My wife and I were invited to an intimate little dinner celebrating the release of Melinda Watts’ debut project, People Get Ready.  Special shout-out to her incredible team, with whom my wife and I have kinda fallen in love!

No rest for the weary… I had about 45 minutes to freshen up for the highly anticipated Donald Lawrence concert, sponsored in part by Verizon Wireless & How Sweet The Sound.

IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!  Maaaaan… he’s like… becoming one of my absolute faves.  He and his singers ministered with songs from his latest project, The Law Of Confession Part 1, including the title track, “Let The Word Do The Work,” “The Blessing Is On You,” and the hit single “Back II Eden.”  He also dipped back a bit and performed “Healed,” “Giants,” ”The Blessing Of Abraham,” and brought Sheri Jones-Moffett to the stage to take us STRAIGHT in on “Encourage Yourself.”  It was better than I could ever recap.  GEEZ.

Sheri also performed her rising single, “Renewed,” from her debut solo album of the same name, due on August 11th.  Such a sweet spirit (and her family is THE BEST).

The whole shebang ended at about 2am and I was knocked OUT shortly thereafter.  Where’s my coffee?!

More recaps later!

Yesterday was the first full day of action-packed GMWA stuff.

I was bouncin’ around between the hotel lobby, the press office (shout out to Jojo Pada of IgnitionPR), the airport to pick up folks, and back to the convention center.

Last night, we went to the Youth & Young Adult Forum at the Hyatt in Downtown Cincinnati.  By the end of the week, I’ll be annoyed cuz the musicals start so LATE at night, but for now, I’m napping when I can and making it through!

There are so many events happening simultaneously, I can’t go to all of ‘em.  But at the Youth thingy, there were some GREAT performances from new and developing artists across the nation.  Special shout-out to Algernon, Bubby Fann and his group, and Melinda Watts, each of whom did a GREAT job.  It was an awesome time… I even got to catch-up with manager extraordinaire (and Gospel Dream judge) Mitchell Solarek.  SUPER cool guy.

Random sightings included Dorothy Norwood, Donald Lawrence, Albertina Walker, Vashawn Mitchell, Stephen Hurd, Kervy Brown, Earnest Pugh, Bishop Eric McDaniel… TONS of folks are here and more are continuously arriving.

I didn’t get to bed until around 3:00am (what in the WORLD?!), then back up at 6:30am to do it all again.  Whateva!  I’ll sleep next week.

More recaps tomorrow… and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for ongoing ramblings about stuff.

I took a minute to chat with Melinda Watts, the 2008 Gospel Dream winner who’s quickly become a rising star to watch.

Her highly anticipated debut project, People Get Ready, is in stores TOMORROW (you’ll recall my full review of it last week– click here if you missed it).

In this one-on-one interview, Melinda shares who she is, how she feels about her first album, what her process has been like, and lots more.

Here’s Melinda…

*     *     *

EJ:  Melinda!!!

MW:  Hi!!

EJ:  Thanks for taking a minute to chat with me.  I know you’re busy EVERYWHERE these days.

MW:  Not a problem.  I couldn’t wait to do it!

EJ:  Ok, well let’s do this.  Your debut album, People Get Ready, is in stores on Tuesday, the 28th.  You excited?

MW:  I am SO excited.  I’m a little nervous, but I’m more excited than nervous.

EJ:  Why nervous?

MW:  I think I’m nervous because, you know… everything has happened so fast.  And I think it’s just a big undertaking.  You never know what to expect, with so many projections.  I just wonder if people will be blessed by the record.  So, I’m a little nervous to be an official “artist.”

EJ:  I understand that.  Well, I’ve heard the project, of course, and it’s a favorite in my household already.  I mean, you’ve even made the cut for the car.  And you know… if we take a CD to the car… cuz everybody can’t go.  That’s all I’m sayin’.

MW:  Oh wow! *laughs*

EJ:  *laughing*  But to me, it’s an album that builds bridges because it has something for both the gospel consumers AND the CCM marketplace.  Was that your focus?

MW:  It was.  I’m definitely a  CCM lover, a gospel music lover, and a country music lover.  And those are all things that make me up as an artist, or psalmist.  So, I didn’t wanna pigeon-hole myself, even though I was advised by so many people that I had to choose.

And that’s the beauty of working with the team that I have.  They really let me express myself the way I’ve wanted to.  And that’s what I felt, so I really hope people enjoy it.

EJ:  Excellent.  What’s your favorite track on the album?

MW:  It varies from week to week, but overall, my favorite song is “Faith.”

EJ:  Why?

MW:  Because I think that song ministers to me on different levels.  It keeps me focused on where I believe God wants me to go.  And so I love that song because it makes me believe, regardless of how things are going.

You know how the industry can be– up and down, unsure, ever-changing.  That song keeps me focused on the main thing, which is Christ.

EJ:  That’s a great perspective.  And it’s great when the music blesses the artist first.  Your single, “So Good,” is blowing up at radio and on Gospel Music Channel’s video rotation– talk to me about that song.

MW:  I wrote that song and Freddy Washington, Jr. produced it.  He and I collaborated in writing it.  It was my testimony about being able to have my daughter.  The doctor said that I would not be able to have children and when I found out that I was pregnant, that’s the song that God gave me!

And to have that song be the first song… it was like, “wow, God… I know this is You.”  It’s just a celebration of what God has done in my life.  And the fact that I wrote it was another exciting thing, too.

EJ:  What a tremendous blessing.  Your daughter is still a baby– how do you find the time?!

MW:  It’s very hard.  It’s hard being a mommy, a wife, a mentor, and now an artist.  It’s challenging to find a balance, but God is good.

EJ:  Awesome.  Now you’ve got a little of everybody working on this project.  You mentioned Freddy Washington, Jr. (out of Philly), but also Bernie Herms, Aaron Lindsey, PAJAM… how does a new artist like you get such a great team of producers on board?

MW:  *laughs* You know, I don’t know.

EJ:  *laughing*

MW:  *laughs* Honestly, I really did want to work with all of those producers.  And Gospel Music Channel is a network that strives to produce programming from all types of gospel.  So being a part of that family, having Gospel Dream and the coaches and judges, I was exposed to Bernie Herms and J Moss.  From the start, that was my heartbeat anyway, so it was a perfect match.

I was available to these people, I got to sit and chat with them and share my heart about what I wanted to do.  I developed relationships with them and I said “I want a hybrid record.”

EJ:  I like that term.  A “hybrid” record.

MW:  Yeah.  I didn’t want the status quo, I really wanted it to be what I felt God wanted it to be.  And I think I got that.  I just feel so grateful because it is not commonplace.  But God allowed my record company, Razor & Tie, to give me so much freedom… they were literally like “do your thing.”

EJ:  Awesome!  See, now a lot of gospel artists are gonna try to run to Razor & Tie. *laughing*

MW:  *laughs*  I think it may have been, like… user-specific because that’s really me.  It wasn’t like I was trying to formulate some gimmick– do CCM and gospel– no, it really is what I believe.  I believe I have an audience in CCM and it will come in time.

But I think it was God’s divine providence that I would be able to do that and that my label saw that.

EJ:  You mentioned Gospel Dream and I wanna step back for a minute– you won Gospel Dream on Gospel Music Channel last summer.  In terms of recording and releasing your album, has it been “smooth sailing” from that time until now?

MW:  Ummm… No, it has not.  One of the biggest challenges was that there was so much to do in so little time.

At the time, I didn’t have a deal even though I had won.  And I had my management team saying “let’s get it crackin’,” but it was kinda hard because of the way the industry is right now.

I had a very prominent gospel label turn me down because they didn’t believe… well, I guess they didn’t want to take risks and I was a financial risk.  Somebody like me, they didn’t think it would be… well, I don’t know what their reasons were.

But it was God’s will that I would be at a label that wasn’t a gospel label… one that did NOT have “gospel-itis.”

EJ:  LOVE IT! *laughs*

MW:  And they believed in me.  And I appreciated that.  So, it was not smooth sailing, but it was all worth it.  When God has something to say over your life, it doesn’t matter who says “no.”

And lemme just say this: recording was smooth sailing.  Putting the album together… I did the whole record in two and a half or three weeks.

EJ:  Wow.  Had you had much experience in gospel music before that?

MW:  You know, that’s the thing.  Because I didn’t come from a strong musical background in my family, I wasn’t the musical girl.  I went to school, college… I loved to sing, but I never did the music circuit like that.

So, when I did Gospel Dream, it was like a speeding bullet.  I went from just being a regular person doing praise and worship at my church, to being a person on the stage with major artists.  That was a BIG adjustment and I felt like “are you serious?!”

EJ:  So, you had to jump in, learn it and operate in it all at once.

MW:   Immediately!  And that was a BIG adjustment.  I didn’t even have time to be starstruck.  It was like “we’re doing this.”  And I had to become an artist in a hurry and that’s something that many people don’t know about me.

EJ:  That’s wild.  Melinda, what would you say to someone who’s thinking about going to one of these talent competitions– we’ve got Gospel Dream, Sunday Best, American Idol– what would you say to someone who thinks it’ll be a ticket to stardom once they win?

MW:  No… no.

EJ:  *laughing*

MW: *laughs*  I would say you have to research who’s behind everything– it’s true: money makes the world go ’round.  Whoever funds it, owns it.  And that’s something you need to know.  You’ve gotta know the business and that’s one thing, I thank God, that I had done.

I really researched what different terms meant, contract-wise.  Have a good team, good management.  Don’t just go in there thinking you’re about to be a star.  Honestly… you’re the LEAST of them.

EJ:  Yeah.

MW:  And what I mean by that is that we’re going to SERVE.  I don’t feel like a star.  I feel like… man, I’m called to serve.

I feel that so much more now than ever.  I feel like the responsibility… *voice breaking a bit*  Oh, my God, EJ, I think I’m about to cry!  Okay… I feel the responsibility, the blessing that He’s given me to serve and to use that platform for what it’s about.  It’s not about me and I know we say that a lot, but I really feel like… man, this is serious business here.

EJ:  Sure.  And you know, people go to these auditions, they sign away SO much in that little release form, and they think it’s a straight shot to the record deal, the photo shoot and all of that.  They have no idea what they’ve given away for the long term, and then, they wanna be disappointed.

MW:  And that’s why you need a good team– you need a good attorney.  In the climate of the industry, you need a good foundation and a good support system.

EJ:  Amen.  Well, I haven’t done this in a while, but I wanna do a couple of getting-to-know you questions.  Cool?

MW:  Yeah, no problem.

EJ:  Okay, fill in the blanks.  Most people wouldn’t believe it, but Melinda Watts is ____________________.

MW:  Oh wow!  This isn’t something I have to do in 5 seconds or something, is it?

EJ:  What?  No. *laughs*

MW:  Most people wouldn’t believe it, but Melinda Watts is timid.  I’m very shy.  I’ve gotten a lot better since Gospel Dream, but I’m really shy.

EJ:  Hmm… ok.  Drop off Melinda Watts in a mall, and the first place she’s headed is ___________________________.

MW:  J Crew.

EJ:  J Crew?!

MW:  Mm-hmmm.

EJ:  Not like… some shoe store?

MW:  J Crew has the best button-up shirts.

EJ:  Really.  Button-up shirts is what you love shopping for?!

MW:  That’s what I go for.  Because I’m a business person too.  And when I do business, I like to look like I’m doing business.  So, a lot of times, I go to my meetings and I don’t look like an artist.  And my manager hates that. *laughing*

EJ:  *laughs* Uhh… yeah.  I can understand that!

MW:  But I came from an educational world, not as an artist.

EJ:  If Melinda couldn’t sing, she’d spend her life as a __________________.

MW:  I’d still have been a teacher.

EJ:  I kinda knew you’d say that.  That prolly wasn’t even a good question.  Ok, last one.  Though she’s only been in the gospel music biz for a short time, she’s already learned that ___________________________.

MW:  It’s better to be small and effective than big and not effective.

EJ:  Excuuuse me!

MW:  *laughing*

EJ:  *laughs*  That’s a good word for SOMEBODY!

Listen, I pray that God really continues to open more and more doors for your ministry… I know He will.

MW:  Oh, thank you, EJ.

EJ:  No doubt.  And I appreciate you very much for chattin’ with me.

MW:  No problem.

EJ:  We’ll talk soon?

MW:  Sure!  Okay.

EJ:  Okay, bye.

*     *     *

Folks, that’s Melinda Watts.  I think she’s gonna be BIG in the industry– both CCM and gospel– and I would love it if we could all support her.  Her project is due in stores TOMORROW!

Whatd’ya think???

I’ve been a supporter of Melinda Watts since she won Gospel Dream last summer on Gospel Music Channel.  From that time, I anxiously awaited her debut album, People Get Ready.  The wait is over– I’ve got it and it’s a great album.

This ten-track project (available this coming Tuesday, the 28th) is a solid blend of music that will appeal to both gospel and CCM audiences alike.  She covers all bases with a range of production styles– from Freddy Washington, Jr. to Aaron Lindsey, from PAJAM to Bernie Herms.  At all times, though, it’s clear that she understands her calling to bridge gaps in the Christian music marketplace.  And she does that well.

The danger of creating an album like this– one intended to reach all Believers– is that by aiming at both markets, artists often hit neither of ‘em.  Melinda avoids this problem well, but there are a couple of tracks on the project that may be hard to place in gospel radio or CCM radio because they don’t have a clear market sound.  That said, I’m not bound by my “market” (neither are many of you), so listen to what you wanna!

Standout tracks for me include:  the single, “So Good,” which has been gaining radio airplay and already has a video spot on Gospel Music Channel; “Available To You” her duet with J Moss, which re-works the classic Milton Brunson choir song; “Come Boldly,” an R&B-styled song of restoration; “Happy,” a cross-cultural song that simply expresses the joy of knowing God, with co-writing from Evin Martin of 21:03; “Faith That Conquers,” a classic Vanessa Bell-Armstrong track re-made with a simple piano accompaniment before heading to a worshipful vamp; and one of my faves, “Purpose Driven Life,” a moving ballad at the end of the album, written by Smokie Norful and Myron Butler.

In sum, People Get Ready is a summertime staple.  It’s a worthy collection of heartfelt music, from an incredibly gifted vocalist.  You’ll want to add it to your list of must-have music this month.