The latest project in the Gotta Have Gospel series– this one, featuring Choirs– will be in stores on July 27th.  There will also be an accompanying DVD released on the same day.

Check out the track listing–

1. Lift Him Up -Hezekiah Walker
2. Victory (Live) -Tye Tribbett & G.A.
3. Zion Rejoice (featuring Erica Campbell of Mary Mary) -Faithful Central Church
4. Let The Praise Begin -Fred Hammond & Radical For Christ
5. You Are Good -Lakewood Church
6. High And Lifted Up -Joe Pace
7. God Is Featuring The Tri-City Singers -Dewayne Woods
8. Imagine Me -Kirk Franklin
9. I Speak Life -Donald Lawrence featuring Donnie McClurkin
10. Total Praise -Richard Smallwood With Vision
11. God Great God -Kurt Carr
12. Holy Is The Lord -The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
13. Show Up! -The New Life Community Choir Featuring John P. Kee
14. The Lord Will Make A Way Somehow -Bobby Jones & New Life with The Nashville Super Choir
15. Stand! -VIP Mass Choir featuring John P. Kee
16. Give Thanks- T.D. Jakes

For anyone who doesn’t already have the individual projects that first featured these songs, this is a pretty decent line-up.  I am, however, givin’ the side-eye to the notion that Kirk Franklin’s “Imagine Me” should be listed as a choir song…

Again, it’s in stores next Tuesday, but you can pre-order now by clicking here.

Anyone thinking of grabbin’ it?  Do you guys typically buy compilation projects like this???

Is it just me, or don’t we need a major tribute to Walter Hawkins at the Stellar Awards in January 2011?

I’m talkin’ MAAAAJOR… like, get the folks together and start preppin’ and rehearsin’ TOMORRUH.

*shrugs*

My ideal tribute would include Richard Smallwood, Donald Lawrence, Donnie McClurkin, Kevin Bond, The Hawkins Singers… and a few others.

Anyone?  Who would your ideal tribute feature???

Bishop Walter Hawkins, one of the greatest contributors to gospel music to ever live, has passed into his next life in Heaven.

At the age of 61, Bishop Hawkins passed yesterday at his home in Ripon, CA, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Hawkins, the pastor of Love Center Church, leaves two children to celebrate him– Walter Hawkins, Jr. (aka Jamie Hawkins) and Trystan Hawkins.  His older brother, Edwin Hawkins, shared: “I lost my brother, my pastor, and my best friend. Bishop Hawkins suffered bravely but now he will suffer no more, and he will be greatly missed.”

With an impeccable songwriting ability and a gift to arrange vocals like few others can, the Grammy and Stellar-award winning Hawkins still stands strong as a giant in gospel music. Known for such classic songs as “Changed,” “Be Grateful,” “Goin’ Up Yonder,” “I’m Not the Same,” “Holy One,” and “Jesus Christ Is the Way,” he left an indelible mark on the sound and style of contemporary gospel music.  And introducing us to voices like that of his sister, Lynette Hawkins-Stephens, and his former wife, the incomparable Tramaine Hawkins, Walter Hawkins’ contribution to gospel music is multi-faceted.

He informed us, decades ago, of what an ensemble should sound like. And we now hear it today in the vocal arrangements and styles of gospel greats Donald Lawrence and Richard Smallwood.

He showed us, decades ago, how a man’s voice can soar limitlessly into the stratosphere, and we hear it today in the range, approach and ability of Donnie McClurkin.

Hawkins demonstrated for us, decades ago, how a church choir can record music for the Kingdom, and still be as relevant more than 30 years later. And we see it in the representation of the albums Love Alive I, Love Alive II, Love Alive III, Love Alive IV and Love Alive V. And we would have seen it in Love Alive VI, which was to be recorded live later this year.

I didn’t say anything about it yesterday, not here on the blog, nor on Twitter or Facebook, where comments and questions ran rampant. I guess I couldn’t quite bring myself to confirm it. I wanted so badly for all of us, even those who were with him at the time of his passing, to just be wrong. I wanted the message I got about it to have been a typo, or that the person who told me was simply misinformed, or perhaps joking.

But I knew that it was true. I knew it.

I grew up on the gospel music of two families in my household– the Winans family and the Hawkins family. No one has informed my understanding of gospel music more than Walter Hawkins. No one can be credited with sparking my passion for the gospel industry more than Walter Hawkins. No one’s music is as classic, as memorable, as timeless in my own life as the music of Walter Hawkins.

How can a man that I’ve spoken with only once have been used by God to contribute so greatly to the course and direction of my life? I know where he is, and that it’s better than being around here. I, admit, though, that I selfishly want him here. I want more– more music from him, and more community with him.

And then, I have to remind myself that the music will be even better later. Fellowship and community with him will be infinitely greater, later. And so, I’ll wait.

In the meantime, I’ll miss him here. I’ll miss impomptu performances by him at various musical events across the country. I’ll miss knowing he’s just over in Oakland whenever someone sings a Hawkins tune (because forever, they will be sung). I’ll miss looking forward to his next album.

All week, I’ll be posting videos of Walter Hawkins, perhaps some random thoughts and facts about him and/or the songs that he wrote. I don’t know how I’ll decide what to post– so much of what he did meant so much to me. But stick around here, if you want, and celebrate his incredible life and legacy with me.

Troy Lilly, one of your favorite writers at GospelPundit.com, had a little chat that he wanted to share with you folks… I’ll let him tell you aaallll about it… Take it away, Troy!

~ ~ ~

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure to spend an afternoon with a new friend. Many of you know her by face and name. Even more of you know her by voice. She’s been featured in a couple recent Goodies posts right here on GospelPundit.com.

I’m talking about the one and only San Franklin.

She was in the Washington, D.C.-area as a guest vocalist, and we talked about friends, music, and ministry for quite a while. In reality, though, “the interview” lasted only a few minutes.  We spent the majority of the time catching up and clowning, as if we were old friends.

I came away from our meeting energized, having experienced a person who is both a dynamic singer and anointed minister with a contagious warm spirit. Some of her words will jump right off the screen.

*     *     *

Troy: It’s great to get to talk with you. I know you’re very busy, but I’m thankful you took a few moments of your time to talk with me today – I really appreciate that.

San: I appreciate you having me…I’m not that busy (laughs)

It’s great to even be considered to sit down and talk to the audience, talk to you. It’s an honor and privilege.

Troy: So, what brings you to the Maryland/DC area?

San: I was here for Mount Pleasant Church and Ministries. Bishop Johnson in Baltimore, Maryland had a family and friends week – it was all week long and yesterday was the outdoor festival with Vanessa Bell-Armstrong, Lisa Page Brooks, Angela Spivey, myself, Bernard Harris…a lot of people.

Troy: The greats (laughs). Cool. I saw you tweeting because I do follow you on Twitter…

San: (Laughs)

Troy: And I know there are a few people who weren’t here. Tell me about some of your other friends, people that you’re close to in the area, who you didn’t get to see.

San: Oh, I didn’t get to see Jason Nelson, Pastor Nelson; I was supposed to go by his church this morning – he’s a very dear friend of mine…

Troy: Wow, love him!

San: Holla Walla, I didn’t get to see him. Who else? Well…Richard Smallwood (laughs) is a good friend of mine. He actually was in my hometown, Chicago, Ill., at the Edwin Hawkins Love Fellowship Conference.

I’m actually a native of that conference and of that church. You know, I spent 12 years with Bishop Hawkins and that whole movement, and I didn’t get to go to the conference this year because I’m in this area working, so…it’s been great, though, even though I didn’t get to see my friends here, the ministry opportunity was absolutely phenomenal.

Troy: Speaking of ministry, just talking with you earlier, that was something I actually got to hear more about – your opinions and your knowledge. So share a little bit more about what you know and your experiences in ministry versus just singing.

San: Well, something that probably most people don’t know is I’m an evangelist. I’ve been preaching for almost 20 years.

Troy: Wow!

San: Of course I started singing first.

Troy: Right.

San: And most people who minister or pastor, you start with the singing or the musicianship, and then you move on. But, I have found a way – thanks be unto God – to combine both. So when I sing I’m ministering Word, and when I’m ministering Word I end up singing, so they’re one in the same to me.

Whereas, you have some people who separate them – singing ministry and preaching ministry – they’re just one in the same for me, and it’s just ministry, period. So I try to make it an everyday part of who I am and not just when I get before the people or before an audience, but just a part of who I am everyday.

Troy: As it relates to the industry, with you having a ministering background, and with you blending the two pretty easily, what do you think of the state of the gospel music industry and do you feel everyone is able to do that as effectively as you are?

San: I believe in this season we are slowly but surely gearing the industry back to ministry, because I think we had taken the focus off of ministry. We were so focused on our look and so focused on our sound, and our riffs and runs, and the talent moreso than what’s behind the person who’s singing.

Troy: Yeah.

San: We have so many people who are behind the scenes, who are on the underground side of the industry that are really ministering to God’s people, you know, and they’re not always the ones who are elevated or celebrated necessarily.

Troy: Right.

San: There are people on the underground circuit that are laying hands and people are being healed and they’re ministering to people’s mental states and their emotional states and restoring people spiritually, but they don’t get the visibility that some “in the industry” get.

And so I think God is having to switch us back to ministry-minded people because we focus too much on talent which doesn’t destroy any yokes, it doesn’t break any bondages, you know what I’m saying, which doesn’t bring us to a state of wholeness, which is where I believe God wants his people.

Troy: Wow, yeah.

San: I think God has to shift us back to that because we’re losing…we’re…what do we say out on the Internet, “epic failing” (laughs)…

Troy: (Laughs) Yeah, that’s a Twitter thing!

San: When it comes to ministry, you know what I’m saying, we #EPICFAIL (laughs)

Troy: (Laughs)

San: So I think God is trying to get us back to a place in ministry where we’re effective and relevant.

Troy: What’s going on at home for you, back in Nashville?

San:  Back in Nashville I’m Minister of Music at a church called Perfecting Faith Ministries with Pastor Dale Jones. It’s a great church.  In this season it’s a great place for me to call home. It’s always good to have somewhere you can come and be settled.

Other than that…I’m working on my project. Everyone says, “when is your project coming out, when is your project coming out?”

Troy: Yes, we want to know.

San: And I want it out just as much as everybody else does. I told God years and years ago, if I cannot produce a project where someone puts it on and is instantaneously healed of a disease, or a worry or broken relationship, then I don’t wanna record. Everybody’s making music…everybody’s putting out a cd…I want to be able to minister and make a difference in somebody’s life.

God spoke to me and said that “every song on your project will speak to you” relating to somewhere I’ve been in my life. Like the single “Arise”… I was listening to that song after coming out of a divorce, thinking I had failed…I remember the words of the song ministering to me: “Today is the day of a new horizon, there’s new life.”

Troy: Yes.

San: For my project, for me, I want to meet the needs of God’s people. I want to be relative and transparent. People are looking for someone to say “I’ve been where you are and I understand, I feel your pain, and I can get down there with you.” Because that’s what I want to do, it’s taking me a little longer produce than I would like.

Troy:  Well, it sounds like it will be worth the wait.

San: I hope so.

Troy: We appreciate that. Sometimes with people coming out with stuff back to back, we question the consistency…

San: Yes, yes (laughs).

Troy:  We appreciate you letting it be a slow, churning process for the better end result.

San: I think it’s like ice cream…

Troy: (LAUGHS)

San: (Laughs) You know what I’m saying – I love sweets! But I say that because you can get ice cream, but if you know anything about homemade ice cream, old time, down South…

Troy: Grandma’s ice cream (laughs) mmmm.

San: Grandma’s ice cream where you have to put it down in the bucket and put the salt on the ice, and you have to churn that thing, and sometimes your arm gets tired from turning, but when it comes out it’s the best thing you’ve ever tasted in your life.

Troy: I can’t think of a better analogy than that. Last thing.

What advice would you give to someone who’s trying to nurture their ministry and let that lead, and avoid being persuaded by the pressure of the industry to just put something out?

San: To anyone in the industry…that’s been in the industry for years waiting on God to move, or just came in the industry waiting on God to move (laughs), it goes back to the old formula. Seek you first the kingdom of God and [all] of his righteousness, and everything else will be added unto you.

Troy: That’s right!

San: And I think transparency is the key. Being true first to yourself. As long as you remain transparent to yourself, it’s easy for you to be transparent to others. I think transparency brings about GREAT ministry.

Troy: With that I’ll say I was blessed to be in your presence for this short period of time…

San: Aww. Thank you.

Troy: I want to thank you again for sitting and talking with me candidly and openly.

San: Aww, thank you for having me.

*     *     *

I really enjoyed that interview!  Shout-out to Troy for makin’ it happen and for doing an impeccable job on it!

Were you familiar with San’s ministry? (you should be– I featured her last month!)

Here, I’ll help… peep this video–

Talk to me! What do you think?!

This morning, I woke up humming “Holy Spirit” from Richard Smallwood & Vision’s Healing: Live In Detroit album.  Of course, I went to iTunes to immerse myself in his music, landing finally at his latest project, Journey: Live In New York.

Now, we all know that Richard Smallwood & Vision are prepping for a new album.  And I’m more than excited for it.  But a part of me is like “go’n and take your time, Richard! You’ve given us PLENTY to hang on to until you get good and ready!”

So, real quick, before folks start talking about new music, let’s just shower this page with our FAVORITE Richard Smallwood songs.  I’m simply curious to know which ones you love the most.

If you can’t name just one (who can?!), gimme two or four or twenty.  I just wanna know!  In fact, post one now, go eat lunch and think about it for a while, come back and post three more… whatever!

I’m startin’, but I’m skipping over the classics like “Total Praise” and “Center Of My Joy” cuz those are just givens– beyond them, my favorites are ”He Won’t Leave You,” “You Did It All,” ”Angels,” “Thank You”… okay, I gotta think of more later.

What about you??? Let’s hear ‘em!!!

The hottest choir competition in the nation, Verizon Wireless’ How Sweet the Sound, is just about ready to begin its nationwide tour dates, hosted by Donald Lawrence and featuring performances from some of the sangin’-est choirs in the country and some of the top gospel artists in the game.

I attended one of the sold-out events last year and it was INCREDIBLE. I strongly urge you to attend one in your area, if you’re at all able to do so.  Tickets for the events go on sale on July 10th.

Details on dates, cities and performers are as follows:

Houston, TX
September 9, 2010
Featuring CeCe Winans, Byron Cage

Jacksonville, FL
September 11, 2010
Featuring CeCe Winans, James Fortune

Memphis, TN
September 14, 2010
Featuring CeCe Winans, Dorinda Clark Cole

Philadelphia, PA
September 17, 2010
Featuring CeCe Winans, Lonnie Hunter

Washington, DC
September 18, 2010
Featuring CeCe Winans, Richard Smallwood, Maurette Brown Clark

Newark, NJ
September 22, 2010
Featuring CeCe Winans, Kurt Carr

Cleveland, OH
September 24, 2010
Featuring CeCe Winans, James Fortune

Detroit, MI
September 25, 2010
Featuring CeCe Winans, Kurt Carr

Chicago, IL
September 27, 2010
Featuring CeCe Winans, Dorinda Clark Cole

Charlotte, NC
September 30, 2010
Featuring CeCe Winans, John P. Kee

Atlanta, GA
October 2, 2010
Featuring CeCe Winans, Israel Houghton, Tamela Mann

St. Louis, MO
October 5, 2010
Featuring CeCe Winans, Dwight Stone

Oakland, CA
October 9, 2010
Featuring CeCe Winans, Byron Cage

Los Angeles, CA
October 11, 2010
Featuring CeCe Winans

Visit http://www.howsweetthesound.com for more updates and info.

Who’s attending???

If you are ANYWHERE REMOTELY CLOSE to Chicago on Saturday, June 5th and/or Sunday, June 6th, you already know (hopefully) where you need to be– it’s the annual Chicago Gospel Music Festival in Millennium Park.

The two-day weekend gospel celebration features a mainstage with non-stop concert performances from some of the biggest names in gospel each year.  This year, attendees include Ricky Dillard & New G, Kathy Taylor, Byron Cage, Hezekiah Walker & LFC,  The Caravans, Richard Smallwood & Vision, and Fred Hammond.  Plus, there are two smaller stages with performances from great Chicagoland talent throughout each day.

In addition to the performances, you’ll find food, vendors, gospel radio booths and more.  The event goes down from 11am to 9pm each day and you oughta be there, if ya can.  For full details, visit www.chicagogospelmusicfestival.us.

Lemme know if you’re going!

We had a great time praying for Kierra Sheard all last week. I wanna encourage you guys to remain steadfast and intentional in prayer.  I don’t want us to be legalistic, but I do want us to challenge ourselves to be disciplined in this.  If you want a reminder of why we’re doing what we’re doing, click here.

Ok, this week, we’re shifting gears a bit in that we’re not praying for a recording artist– we’re praying for an industry executive.  He’s actually one of my favorite folks in this business– Benjamin Jeffrey Grant Clark (Jeff Grant).

Jeff Grant is the Vice President of Radio Promotions & Artist Relations at Verity Gospel Music Group.  Aside from being at the helm of chart-topping radio successes like “Never Would Have Made It,” he’s been at Verity for quite a while, helping to guide the recording careers of Donnie McClurkin, Fred Hammond, Richard Smallwood, Hezekiah Walker, Dorinda Clark-Cole and more.

One of my favorite pieces of trivia about Jeff Grant is that he wrote Hezekiah Walker’s “The Lord Will Make A Way Somehow” yeeeeears ago (yes, the one that Kim Burrell covered and the one we’re still going bananas over.  He’s a gifted musician and wise business man, but he’s also a great husband (like, one of those that you’d wanna watch to learn from), father and grandfather.  So let’s go!

Father, thank You for the life of Jeff Grant.  Thank You for his gifts and his abilities.  Thank You for all of the opportunities You’ve given him– they allow him to be a capable, grounded and effective vehicle for ministry in this world.  Thank You for investing time and love into him.

God, I pray that You would continue to be attentive to Jeff Grant.  I pray that You will continue to remind him of the great responsibility on his life and I pray that he is perpetually aware of his unique purpose here.  Cover him– physically, spiritually, emotionally– by the blood of Your Son, Jesus.  Bless his marriage, his role as a father and as a grandfather.  Allow him to be God-led in each of those roles and guide him to be an example of Christ’s love for us.

For Your glory’s sake, allow his labor in this industry, and in the Kingdom at large, to be fruitful.  Give him wisdom and discernment.  Allow his decisions to be sound and full of compassion.  Please continue to reign on the throne of his heart, so that You will forever be his focus and his God.  I pray this in the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Okay, folks… let’s hear ‘em!  Post your prayers for Jeff Grant in the comment section.  Thanks!

It’s rare that I pass on doing a CD review, then fall so helplessly in love with a project that I change my mind.  The Anointed Pace Sisters’ latest project, Access Granted, was one such CD and this, the debut album of Smokie Norful’s Victory Cathedral Choir, is another.

The album, Smokie Norful Presents Victory Cathedral Choir (EMI Gospel), was released this Tuesday and, in a nutshell, I’m loving it.  BIG TIME.  Song after song, this project delivers classic choir music that will fit well into the 11am service at anybody’s church.  From choir vocals, to lead vocals, to songwriting and production, the project is a must-have that does not disappoint.

While Smokie Norful is responsible for “presenting” his church choir, I’m glad that it doesn’t feel at all like a Smokie Norful album.  In fact, you’ll only remember that he’s involved with it two times– on the two songs he leads.  Everything else screams “Chicago old school choir” like Milton Brunson & The Tommies or something.

The album opens with the invitational chant “Rejoice” before moving to the band-banging “Come Too Far,” led by Norful.  The vibe slows a bit with “Your Latter,” with a lead vocalist slightly reminiscent of Kim McFarland.

Up next is the shout-ready single, “The Greatest Name,” followed by “You’re All I Need,” a beautiful choral piece that almost sounds like it could have been recorded by Richard Smallwood & Vision.  The worship ballad “You Are Holy” comes next, set delicately to a beautiful piano with an equally beautiful lead vocal over it.  From there, the cohesive project continues to moves seamlessly, from Smokie Norful’s lead on the downright churchy “I’m Still Here,” to “Refuge” and “Just Knowing Jesus.”

The project ends with what might be my favorite track on the album (and which, in my humble opinion, might have been a better single), “I Made It.”  The precise syncopation of the band, choir and lead vocalist on this classic churchy, hand-clapping tune… it’s Sunday morning in all of the right ways.

I think what I like most about this project is that it’s an ode to the true church choir.  It reminds of the days when choir soloists were content to sing their song on Sunday and go back to their 9-to-5 during the week.  The fact that they could sing the walls down at church didn’t make them want to be national recording artists– they were content to serve in their local body.  And serve WELL.

That rant will be for another post, but in the meantime– click here to purchase this project!

I added the single, “The Greatest Name,” to the PunditPlayer several weeks ago (click here to listen again).

Anybody else have this incredible album yet?  Anybody gonna check it out???

Word has it that Richard Smallwood & Vision will be recording a new album later this year.

The upcoming project is tentatively titled Promises and may feature both live and studio tracks.

I’m SUPER excited for this.  They had their first rehearsal a few days ago and I hear the music is as moving and powerful as we’ve come to expect from Richard Smallwood… thank God for that guy.  His music is a big part of the soundtrack of what we know as “contemporary gospel music.”  And Vision… the vocals are downright heavenly.

Anybody else love ‘em like I do???