Make sure you tune in to BET’s Bobby Jones Gospel this Sunday, January 24th at 9am ET, to catch the legendary Rance Allen Group, The Whispers and The Brown Sisters.

You can bet on Rance Allen showin’ out and I’m kinda interested in seeing The Whispers perform a gospel cut.  The Brown Sisters have been getting a lot of indie buzz since their debut project, Live In Chicago, was released last year… it’ll be good for the nation to see them in action.

Admittedly, I’m not EAGER for this episode, but I am curious.  Who’s tuning in???

I will admit that I was skeptical– if you remember last year’s Celebration Of Gospel, there were just a bunch of moments that left us wondering… “WHY?!”

But this year, for its 10th anniversary, BET seems to have taken time and done things well and with purpose.  I honestly thought it was a GREAT show.

My quick comments about each song, in order:

Fred Hammond featuring Kelly Price and Shirley Caesar - “Awesome God”
I loved the album version of this song (and wondered if it should’ve been the single) for months now. For me, the addition of Kelly Price to the performance made this song a great opener.

Yolanda Adams - “Victory”
It’s a great song, and Yolanda always gives an incredible live performance, but I didn’t necessarily NEED it. Just seemed a bit random.

Anthony & Tarsha’ Hamilton - “Better Is One Day”
One of the best performances of the night for me. It was an awesome arrangement of a CCM favorite, it was heartfelt and simple. And Tarsha’ can SING! Geeeeeeez.

Bobby Jones & The Nashville Super Choir featuring Y’Anna Crawley - “The Lord Will Make A Way Somehow”
Dunno what was up with Dr. Jones’ costume in the beginning (it was creative, but the bubble wrap thing threw me for a loop), but by the time the singing started, I was all in. Y’Anna sounded & looked great, the Nashville Super Choir went hard, and it was a solid performance.

Kelly Price & Ledisi - “How Great Thou Art”
From what I hear, BET edited some of the best parts of this performance from the TV broadcast. No matter… even as an edited shadow of itself, the performance was one of the night’s best. These are two of the most gifted female vocalists in the music biz right now. Loved it.

BeBe & CeCe Winans - “Close To You”/”Grace”
I sent a tweet last night that, though I love them, BeBe & CeCe could’ve done a throwback tune for me and I would’ve been thrilled. From a business standpoint, I get it (and they still did a great job)… I’m just even more eager for that reunion tour!

City Of Refuge P.S.A.L.M.S. Choir - “Shout”
I’m not a huge fan of the choir, but they did a great cover of this classic Milton Brunson tune. Lots of energy and a clean look make them stand out. Nice job.

Shirley Caesar - “Celebration”
The First Lady of Gospel always delivers a solid performance. Performing her newest single, she remained consistent and demonstrated that traditional vocals will NEVER go out of style.

James Fortune & FIYA - “I Trust You”
A bit underwhelmed by the use of background vocal tracks instead of live bgv’s until the vamp, but the song is powerful and so was the performance. This group is solidifying itself as a mainstay in the gospel landscape.

Fred Hammond - “They That Wait”
Actually, I wasn’t as interested in this song without John P. Kee being there. Makes me wonder if, in the end, it wasn’t the collabo that made the song so popular. I didn’t necessarily need to see this performance, especially given that he did the opener…

Fantasia & Diane Barrino - “He’s Done Enough”
From the moment she hit the stage, Fantasia’s shoes were off and she was jumpin’. It’s how she does gospel and I LOVE it. I also loved seeing her mama lookin’ like an artist herself… they performed together at the 2009 Chicago GospelFest and on Bobby Jones last season– I could get used to this!

Rance Allen Group - “Something About The Name Jesus”
Watching Rance Allen perform is always an adventure– you never know where the riffs & squalls are gonna come from, but you know they’re coming! It was great to hear him sing this classic tune, but I’m beginning to see less of a need for the “Group.”

Tye Tribbett & G.A. - “So Amazing”
It’s been said that this is the last we’ll see of G.A., as Tye is reportedly disbanding the group (per in-the-know journalist Jawn Murray, who attended a “farewell concert” on New Year’s Eve). If so, this was a nice performance to end their run. The song is good, the energy was what we’ve come to expect… cool deal.

Donnie McClurkin - “We Fall Down”
Donnie continues to demonstrate why there is no substitute for a good song and a solid vocal performance. No frills or gimmicks– just a 10-year-old tune and a vocalist who never really misses. Excellent.

Marvin Sapp - “The Best In Me”
This song was a hit from the moment he sang the first note at his live recording. And you all have been listening to it here for a while now, and lovin’ it. Another dynamic performance from an incredibly gifted singer. Chalk up another one for Marvin Sapp.

Donald Lawrence - “Back II Eden”/”The Best Is Yet To Come”
An awesome finale performance, with the incredible Floyd Wilkinson on the vamp, from the man with the Midas touch. The only thing missing for me was Donald’s group of singers, but I’m just spoiled.

All in all, this show was really great. The tribute to Steve Harvey was heartfelt and touching. And I’ll say this– if some of the greatest ministers of music in our industry come together annually, and interact with non-believers, we’re SUPPOSED to see a change in people. What that says for other annual televised gospel programs, I’m not sure… but it’s encouraging to see what God’s been doing in Steve’s life through Celebration Of Gospel.

Now… WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE SHOW?!

In the gospel music industry, collaborations are BIG.  You wanna create a crazy buzz about your project before it hits the stores?  Tell folks you’ve got an exciting collabo on it.  You wanna kick up your television performance a notch?  Perform a collabo.

This year was a great year for collaborative work.  But I’ve decided to narrow the list down to my 5 favorite collabos.  In order, they are:

5.  “You Bring Out The Best In Me” - Vanessa Bell Armstrong feat. Rance Allen (from Vanessa Bell Armstrong’s The Experience)

When Vanessa Bell Armstrong decided to remake her own 80’s hit on her latest album, she prolly could’ve just done it herself and knocked it out of the ballpark.  But she’s a kind and gracious woman, apparently, because she gave us the gift of some classic Rance Allen moaning and groaning that took this live performance to a whole… ‘notha… level.  Their two voices grooving over some Donald Lawrence-produced background vocals– you kinda don’t want the track to end.

4.  “The Joy Of The Lord” - Coko feat. Israel Houghton (from Coko’s The Winner In Me)

Coko is a masterful collaborator in gospel.  It’s like she reads our minds and gives the mic to the VERY folks we’re aching to hear.  On her debut album, she featured everyone from Faith Evans to her mama (Lady Tibba).  This time around, she kept her mama, plus grabbed Kelly Price and Canton Jones.  My fave collabo on the album, though (and, thus, one of my faves of the entire year), was with Israel.  It’s a feel-good track with great vocal performances from both of ‘em… a true treat.

3.  “Available To You” - Melinda Watts feat. J Moss (from Melinda Watts’ People Get Ready)

After a much buzzed-about debut album, Melinda Watts entered the gospel scene with a project that had a little something for everyone.  Perhaps one of her strongest tracks was this duet with J Moss.  Kudos for taking a song that is performed too much at midnight musicals and making it fresh for us again, and double kudos for enlisting the vocal assistance (not that Melinda was at all in need) of one of the best male vocalists in the game.

2.  ”Every Prayer” - Israel Houghton feat. Mary Mary (from Israel Houghton’s The Power Of One)

When I saw that the Marys did a song with Israel, the last thing I thought I’d hear was a jazzy contemporary gospel track.  But they mastered the performance like the pros that they are and it quickly became one of my favorite songs on his album, if not of the entire year.  And there’s a GRAMMY nod to show for it.

1.  “Wait On The Lord” Donnie McClurkin feat. Karen Clark Sheard (from Donnie McClurkin’s We All Are One)

I hear that Karen Clark Sheard wasn’t actually the original choice for this song– it was gonna be Tramaine Hawkins.  That, too, would’ve been an incredible performance, but God does all things well and He knew that this duet was gonna dominate the charts and our iPods.  On this song, Donnie stays true to his strengths– his a classic vocalist who can render a soaring ballad like few others– while Karen gives, arguably, one of her greatest performances in years.

Which collabos were among YOUR faves this year???

BET has announced its roster for its annual gospel performance program, Celebration Of Gospel.  The show, which will be hosted by Steve Harvey, will take place in Los Angeles on December 12th and will air on Sunday, January 10, 2010.

If you’ll be in the L.A. area and wanna ATTEND the show, email BET at BETRSVP@bet.net or call ‘em at (202) 608-2617 for tickets.

As usual, the list is intended to represent a diverse group of singers– some tried-and-true gospel artists with some mainstream artists with a lil’ church on ‘em.  Did they succeed?  You be the judge…

Donnie McClurkin
Fred Hammond
BeBe & CeCe Winans
Shirley Caesar
Marvin Sapp
James Fortune & FIYA
Tye Tribbett & G.A.
The Rance Allen Group
Y’Anna Crawley
Dr. Bobby Jones & The Nashville Super Choir
P.S.A.L.M. Choir (from City of Refuge Church)
Deborah Cox, Kelly Price & Tamia (group members of the upcoming R&B album “The Queen Project”)
Fantasia Barrino and her mother, Diane Barrino Barber
Anthony Hamilton and his wife, Tarsha Hamilton

So, that’s that.  Now, who’s missing from the list for my taste?  Donald Lawrence, Israel Houghton, and J Moss.

Coko is a perfect example of an artist that should be on the roster– great gospel album(s) with mainstream appeal.  That’s just a no-brainer.

Also, Myron Butler & Levi have a new album coming out in 2010 and, though someone might say “they’re not as known among the BET audience,” I would disagree.  They are, in essence, the reincarnation of God’s Property, who put out one of the most successful gospel albums in history.  And that didn’t happen because of gospel consumers– it was the mainstream folks.  So, if BET’s audience doesn’t know who Myron Butler & Levi are, it’s because BET has failed to tell them.  But I bet they have the God’s Property album and I bet they’d care.

And what’s the deal with Kierra Sheard?  She can’t GET a booking in this industry.  BET snoozes on her repeatedly and it’s ridiculous.

I think, all in all, it’s gonna be one of those shows where I’ll be eager to watch one segment, then feel just fine missing the next segment to do something more exciting, like pour orange juice or balance my checkbook.

What do you good people think about the list?

I have to admit that I was never a big Rance Allen fan growing up.  He’s absolutely a legendary male vocalist in gospel (and beyond) who shaped the way many fellas sing these days.  It’s really just that I was ignorant to most of the stuff he recorded in his prime.  Kinda like how my appreciation of Aretha Franklin was limited until I actually listened for myself to what she was doing, vocally, on each track.  Now that I’ve started to do that with him, I wanna share these Goodies with the masses.

Now, I reeeaaaally wanted to post a link of Rance Allen singing “Lying On the Truth” at the WattStax music festival in the 70s, but it was removed from YouTube since I last saw it.  I suffer, you suffer.

No worries, though, cuz he STILL delivers on any occasion.  Here, he’s singing his tail off in “That Will Be Good Enough For Me”:

The newest project from Vanessa Bell Armstrong is due in stores tomorrow and this time around, the formula seemed destined for success– take one of the cornerstone voices of contemporary gospel music and let one of the most gifted producers in the game work the record.  On The Experience, Armstrong reminds us why she’s a legend and Donald Lawrence again demonstrates that he has the midas touch in this industry.

Musically, this 13-track project moves well– from the jazz-laced traditional tunes to worshipful ballads with the rousing vamps that Armstrong is known for riffing and roaring through.  Lyrically, the songs encourage and reassure– something that the Body seems to need in this season.

For VBA fans, the purchase of this album is a no-brainer– it’s a salute to her signature style and you won’t be disappointed.  For folks who’ve merely heard of her (or perhaps, only know that they’re supposed to appreciate her), check out this project– it provides a nice snapshot of her abilities by way of relevant and timely songs with masterful production.

Stand-out tracks for me: a modernized version of her 1980’s hit, “You Bring Out The Best In Me,” featuring a staggering vocal duet with Rance Allen and background vocals so sweet that you don’t want them to end; “Greater,” an ever-building declaration about the power of God that rests in each of us; “Hand Of The Lord,” a grand track with Donald Lawrence’s signature sound all over it (think of swelling background vocals and a beautiful, yet simple, melody); and “The Greatest Power” an encouraging testament to God’s omnipotence and our the peace that comes from trusting in Him.  Of course, I’m also still enjoying her single, “Good News.”

A part of me wanted to see her venture out more, perhaps to be challenged (musically) by blending her signature style with some new styles of gospel music (maybe a track with a Caribbean twist or something).  At the same time, however, it means more to me that Armstrong has rendered an album that showcases her classic sound without musical missteps.  She stayed in her lane and the project is really good because of it.

Vanessa Bell Armstrong has successfully captured a more-than-impressive live set.  In sum, The Experience is just that… even more, it’s a musical journey worth a purchase.

For your convenience, you can pre-order the project now by clicking here.

Word has it that Vanessa Bell Armstrong’s live recording, which took place in Chicago last night, was OFF THE HOOK.

I’m still waiting for some details, but I hear that Donald Lawrence’s production skills did NOT disappoint, and at least one guest appearance came from Rance Allen, who we KNOW had to have done his thing.

More info comin’…

Wanted to toss some Goodies your way real quick.  This was one of my favorite performances from this year’s BET Celebration of Gospel.

It’s Kirk Franklin’s “Little Boy” featuring Lowell Pye, Isaac Carree and Rance Allen.  ALL FOUR of ‘em are giving it to us, for real.

Enjoy:

After watching, I had a thought: what’s the difference between the showmanship of Rance Allen as compared to some of the urban gospel artists who dance and entertain, as well, in their performances?  How come gospel consumers seem more willing to accept HIS entertaining than the entertaining of younger artists (i.e., G.I., 21:03 or V3)?

Anyone wanna weigh in???

Who caught it on Sunday?

It featured performances from Rance Allen and ‘em, Shirley Caesar and Spensha Baker.

Rance Allen brought it, as always.  I enjoy his showmanship cuz he really gives everything he’s got to each performance.  He sings his face off, then he’ll throw a hip this way and an arm that way…

Shirley Caesar, also, did her thing.  She sang “He’ll Do It Again” and “Sweeping Through The City,” both of which are favorites of mine… but why the older material?  I think her new stuff is great, too, so I would’ve enjoyed hearing some of the recent stuff.  No biggie, though.

AND Spensha Baker… now THIS young lady impresses me more each time I see her.  To be only 15 years old, she’s got tremendous stage presence and some real vocal skills to boot!  She sang her single, “Hallelujah,” (a youthful Clark Sisters re-make) and did a grreeeat job.  Lemme find out…

What did y’all think of the show?

Earlier this week, Byron Cage took a minute to chat with me to discuss his upcoming LIVE recording in Detroit on March 13th!

We had a great convo about what folks can expect from this new album, how he’s developed as an artist, and I even got a couple of tidbits of random trivia about him.  He’s a personable and friendly guy… I rather enjoyed him.  I hope you enjoy the interview…. Here’s Byron Cage.

*     *     *

EJ:  How are you?

BC:  I’m good,  how about you?

EJ:  I’m great.  Thanks for taking the time to talk to me.  I really appreciate it.

BC:  Oh yeah, thank you.

EJ:  I wanna jump right in and talk about this upcoming recording that’s got everybody buzzing.  I wanna know what you’ve got planned for the people!  You’re going to Detroit, March 13th…

BC:  Yes!  March 13th.

EJ:  Talk to me about returning back there.

BC:  Oh man, you know, that’s my hometown.  I was born in Grand Rapids, but Detroit is where I consider home.  I was there for junior high school, high school, college… and I grew up in Detroit during the “golden era” of gospel music.  You had people like Donald Vails, Thomas Whitfield… I sang background for Thomas Whitfield.  Donald Vails was the minister of music at my church, Fred Hammond played the bass guitar there, I directed the choir.  Then, you have the Clark Sisters, the Winans, Rudolph Stanfield, Esther Smith, so many incredible artists… Rance Allen.  The concerts used to be amazing!

EJ:  I can only imagine!

BC:  Yeah, I grew up in that.  And even once I started in the industry… a lot of people don’t know that I sang background vocals on one of Commissioned’s albums, Will You Be Ready?

So, I look at the history of all of that, you know, the whole Detroit connection… and now I’m going back home to do my 6th recording.  I’m just so thankful that I’ve lasted in this time and people still wanna hear the ministry.

EJ:  What’s the direction of this album?

BC:  It’s a hard-hitting, praise and worship, Sunday morning, Wednesday night Bible Study, revival, on the treadmill, in your car… it’s all of that.

EJ:  I love it!

BC:  Yeah, it’s gonna be one of those CDs that you’re going to want to just get your groove on, get your worship on… there’s just such a wide variety of music on this one.

EJ:  Awesome.  Do you have any guest artists coming?

BC:  I do, indeed.  One, I can’t name yet.  We were trying to work out Pastor Marvin Sapp, but it didn’t work out for this one.  But, thank God, Pastor Marvin Winans is doing a song with me, my boy Tye Tribbett is coming to do a song I wrote called “In The Midst” with me… it’s gonna be a great time.

It’s being produced by the 2009 Stellar Award Producer of the Year, Aaron Lindsey.

EJ:  Well, we KNOW that’s gonna be hot.

BC:  Yeah, and we’ve got some great writers.  And the songs are just phenomenal.  I believe it’s gonna touch the lives of people in a special way.

EJ:  Nice, do you have background singers already lined-up?

BC:  Yeah, I’m using 3 of my background singers and I’m pulling 9 singers from Detroit.  You know, they say “it’s in the water in Detroit,” *laughs* so if I’m going home, there’s no sense in me bringing a whole aggregation of singers with me, ’cause there are so many great singers there in Detroit.

It’s gonna be like a big homecoming there, you know?  On March 13th, all roads are leading to Second Ebenezer Baptist Church and we’re just  looking forward to the Lord doing something magnificent through the praise and worship that evening.

EJ:  You have a title yet?

BC:  You know, we’re teeter-tottering.  I was thinking about calling it ”In The Midst,” but then I wrote this song with Aaron Lindsey… I just wanna do cartwheels when I hear that song!  So, I don’t know.

EJ: *laughs*

BC: *laughing*  I’m just grateful that it’s on MY record, you know what I’m saying?   Because if I heard it on someone else’s record, I’d be like “maaan…” *laughs*

EJ: Right!

BC:  But, I’m really looking forward to it.

EJ:  That’s great, man.  Tell me: how do you feel that you have evolved as an artist?  What, if anything, is different about you on this album, musically or ministry-wise?

BC:  Well, you know, I started out in the industry pretty much as a very creative artist.  I produced my first two records and I thank God for them because they kind of established me as an artist.  Both projects were nominated for Stellars, though neither of them won.  But when I got to GospoCentric, Vicki Mack Lataillade wanted to move me out of the “Byron Cage & Purpose” era and she just wanted to sign me as a solo artist, a praise and worship leader.  I said, “I don’t know if the church is ready for praise and worship,” and she was like “are you kidding me?  Did you see what happened when you did ‘Shabach’ with Full Gospel Baptist?  All the Baptist churches had praise teams the next year!”

EJ: *laughing*

BC:  So, the next song I wrote was “Yet Praise Him,” and she signed me.  We were having creative battles at first because I wanted to stay in that group setting and she didn’t want that.  She brought in Kurt Carr, a phenomenal writer and great producer, and he wrote “The Presence of the Lord Is Here” for me and the rest is history.

The next record had “I Will Bless The Lord” and, though that record was wonderful and it was a blessing, it was somewhat hurtful to me as well.  Brother Isaiah Thomas, who is a very talented writer, his original form of that song had different words.  I wrote all the words over because I wanted to add more scripture to it.  And when it won “Song of the Year,” of course I didn’t get any accolade as being co-writer of the song.  But the Lord showed me something, as I evolved in the music business of what we do, and I understood that there are just certain things that you don’t do.  If you wanna change the words to a song, you gotta let people know, you gotta sign agreements… so that was something that I learned from it.

With The Proclamation, I wrote the majority of the songs on that one and I’ve just watched this whole musical ministry go from writing for a group to praise and worship… For this upcoming album, I wrote a song called “Goodbye,” which just deals with relationships and people and strongholds that have tried to hinder you… I’m saying ”Goodbye” to them in 2009.  And that’s a growth for me, because I’ve never written a song like that.

EJ:  Wow.  That’s awesome.  You’ve also managed to feature a bunch of incredible guest artists on your albums.  Who have you NOT yet worked with that you are dying to have on one of your albums?

BC:  Hmmm… Man, I have so many favorites.  Of course, Karen Clark-Sheard has been one of my favorites of all time.

EJ:  Absolutely!

BC:  I love her ministry.  I think if there was someone I would have loved to have on this upcoming record, it would have been… like, Vanessa Bell Armstrong.  Some of these up-and-coming singers are really incredible, too, like Nikki Ross.  Oh, and I would love to get up there and go toe-to-toe, although I couldn’t, with Kierra Sheard! *laughs*

EJ:  Oh, she’s ridiculous.  I just saw her on the BMI Trailblazers thing and I just had to stare at the screen, like “this is unreal.”

BC:  Yeah, and she did a hard song.  I think she did “Jesus Is A Love Song,” right?

EJ:  Yeah, man.  It was incredible.

BC:  Oh, she ABSOLUTELY tore it up.

EJ:  Most definitely.  After your break-out hit, “The Presence of the Lord Is Here,” you were practically swept up into a whirlwind of success– tons of performance spots, a bunch of awards.  On the more personal side, how do you stay grounded?  Are you the same “Byron”?

BC:  You know what?  I stay grounded because I’m a minister of music of a church.  I’ve been here at Ebenezer AME, in Fort Washington, Maryland, for 11 years and these jokers know how to keep me grounded!

EJ: *laughs* It’s like THAT?!

BC:  *laughing*  They don’t consider me “The Prince of Praise,” or “Byron Cage the Artist.”  Some visitors come to church and they want to take pictures or get autographs, but for the most part, like… I’m at church now and getting ready to go to choir rehearsal in a few hours.

EJ:  Really?

BC:  Yeah, my Male Chorus rehearsal is tonight and those brothers, they don’t even consider me an artist.  They just consider me “Byron” and we have a blast.  So, I think that having pastors and a church where I can stay grounded, work, and be connected while serving God’s people, it all helps me to be appreciative when I can go out and do concerts and meet people.

That’s what keeps me humble.  And to know… first of all, I didn’t record “The Presence of the Lord Is Here” until I was 41.

EJ:  What?!

BC:  Yeah, man.  So to know that the Lord can bring you to a place, after holding you back in a certain area… when it was His time to really bring me forth, it took no time at all.

EJ:  That’s the truth.

BC:  And you sit there and it becomes surreal.  You just say “God, thank you so much because I don’t know that I could have handled it in my twenties.”

EJ:  That’s incredible.  I had no idea that you were 41 when that song took off.  That means you’ve been doing this for a while now.

BC:  Absolutely.  People don’t understand that I was a background singer first.  I was in Michael Matthews’ first play back in 1984, I was in Tyler Perry’s very first play, “I Know I’ve Been Changed.”

EJ:  No way!

BC:  Yeah, man.  It was starring me, Shun Pace and Ann Nesby.

EJ:  You know, it’s funny that you mention stuff from back in the day cuz I VIVIDLY remember a certain episode of The Cosby Show…

BC: *laughing*  Yep!

EJ:  And I’ve got proof of it on my DVD box set, where you were singing in a choir behind good ol’ Claire Huxtable!

BC:  You know what’s so funny about that, man?  It took us all day to film that scene and they originally had me in the last row to the right.  They dismissed everyone but the choir because they wanted to do the song over again, I was the only person they moved and they moved me right behind Phylicia Rashad!  I just think that was the favor of the Lord because even back then, and that was back in 1986 *screams*, but I think “God, Almighty!”

The journey that I have had to go has not always been easy.  But I am so thankful to God that I stayed and I didn’t lose heart when everybody else counted me out and said “he’s not this, he’s not that,” and… just know that if you’re faithful to the Lord, He will make you the ruler over many so that no one else can take credit for what God does.

EJ:  That’s great stuff, man.  I’m trying to be mindful of your time… do we have time for some quick getting-to-know-you questions?

BC:  Yeah, sure!

EJ:  Okay, fill in the blanks.  Many folks would be surprised to learn that Byron Cage loves __________________.

BC:  to ride my motorcycle.

EJ:  Seriously?

BC:  Yeah, I’ve got a Harley Davidson Soft Tail Classic.

EJ: Ok, that’s dangerous…

BC:  *laughing*

EJ:  What’s with the Detroit people and motorcycles?  You, Fred Hammond…

BC:  Yeah, but he’s got more than I have.  I’ve just got that one big hog.  He’s got like four or five.

EJ:  Okay, next one.  Byron Cage is at the airport, on his way to his dream vacation.  He’s on a direct flight to __________________.

BC:  Whoooooo!  TAHITI!

EJ:  *laughs*  Yeah?

BC:  Mmm-hmmm!  Never been.

EJ:  Ok.  When the dessert menu comes around, Byron Cage hopes it’ll have __________________ on it.

BC: *quickly* ICE WATER cuz I don’t need the carbs, or the sugar, or the fat grams!

EJ:  What?!  No.  That’s not dessert!

BC:  *laughing*  I am just not a “sweets” person anymore.  Sweets don’t agree with me– they cut off the blood circulation to my belly button when I put my belt on, so I had to let it go.  If it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas, I might do some red velvet cake or peach cobbler.  But for the most part, I’m not a “sweet” person.

EJ:  I hear you.  I wish more gospel artists would preach THAT!

BC:  Right, exactly.

EJ:  Ok, last one.  Let Byron Cage loose in a shopping mall and the first place he’ll be is __________________.

BC:  Oooh.  The first place I’ll be in a shopping mall will be Neiman Marcus.

EJ:  They’re kinda expensive aren’t they?  Their catalog has, like… cars for $50,000 in it.

BC:  I know, they’re crazy but you can catch them on some good days, too.  Catch the “20 or 30 percent off” sales.  I paid full price for a couple of Paul Smith jackets that were kind of expensive, but for the most part… yeah, man… I’m a sales king.  I don’t like payin’ full price!

EJ:  I ain’t mad at that.  One last question, on a more serious note, what is your message as an artist?  At the end of the concert, or when the last track on the iPod is over, what do you hope people will know about you as it relates to your ministry?

BC:  I pray that, when it’s over, people will know that I am a man of God who loves to worship the Lord, and my heart’s desire is that whatever has been given to me, I want to be a blessing to God’s people.  Whether that’s through salvation, healing, encouragement, I want people to leave with the authentic feeling that God has spoken to them right where they need it.  And they’re encouraged to go on in the journey.

EJ:  Sounds good to me.  Man, I’m excited for this album.  I think it’s going to be good and I hope the recording goes well.

BC:  I appreciate it, EJ.  And I appreciate you for doing this for me.

EJ:  It was my pleasure and, hopefully, we’ll talk soon.

BC:  Okay.

EJ:  Take care.

BC:  Alright, bye-bye.

*     *     *

Click here for more information about Byron’s upcoming recording.

Sooooooo?  You liiiiiike????

Lemme know your thoughts!