The second week of BET’s Sunday Best continued with auditions in Detroit.  I dunno if they simply chose to edit out the incredible performances, but… I don’t think I saw much that excited me.

At the judges table, Erica & Tina Campbell (Mary Mary) joined Donnie McClurkin this week.  They were not giving any freebies, and I’m glad about it.  Just cuz you can sing doesn’t mean you can be an artist.

Tina had some GREAT one-liners… my favorite was probably, to the woman who sang ”I Know I’ve Been Changed,” Tina responded “DEFINITELY take that to the Black History Program.”

I have two favorites from the night.  One was Missy, the soft-spoken, but confidently sung young lady from the UK.  The second was Brian Smith (the last contestant).  He and I used to sing together (along with Jermaine Sellers) in Walt Whitman & The Soul Children Of Chicago.  I wonder if this means that I’ve gotta audition for Sunday Best next year…

Anyway, I’m already excited for the episodes with the finalists in New Orleans (they’re taping now and some of the guest performers include Y’Anna Crawley and J Moss).  That’s when the gettin’ gets good.

What did you think of the show?

I was in a nostalgic mood this morning and I stumbled upon this video of a classic Kirk Franklin & The Family performance…

Figured I can’t possibly be the only person for whom this song/video brings back memories!  I listen to this song and can remember being a member of the Soul Children of Chicago, riding on a bus to some performance, and hearing members of the choir singing this song in the back of the bus… freestyling like choir folks do. LOL

Here’s “Let Me Touch You (See If You Are Real)” from Kirk’s Whatcha Lookin’ 4 album.  What memories does it stir up for you?

Y’all heard the Clark Sisters’ version of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” yet?  They recorded it with Robert Randolph as part of the Oh Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration album, released by Vector Records/EMI Gospel last week.  The project also features the Soul Children of Chicago (shout-out), Mavis Staples, Al Green and Heather Headley, as well as mainstream artists like Jon Bon Jovi, Michael McDonald, Joss Stone and Queen Latifah.

Honestly, at first, I thought “here comes a trainwreck,” but it’s really not bad AT ALL!  Dorinda seemed a bit more reserved until the end, but each of the ladies held it down throughout.  I think they really put their signature “Clark Sisters sound,” with the harmonies and acrobatics, on a classic song.

Listen:

PLUS, I’m glad to see them branching out and doing more stuff in different arenas, getting some of the recognition that they deserve from the mainstream.

Now, lemme know what YOU think!

At the 106 & Gospel taping, I got to hang out with Damita Haddon.  She’s absolutely HILARIOUS and incredibly down-to-earth.

As we were talking in her dressing room, her background singers came in… one of ‘em is a childhood friend that I used to sing with in the Soul Children of Chicago over 13 years ago!  SMALL world!  Shout-out to Toni Stephens.  Great to see ya!

Damita did a great interview (for the record, who you see on TV is who she is behind closed doors, which is great to see) and she did a great performance of her single, “No Looking Back,” from her recent solo album of the same name.  I encourage you ALL to check out that album cuz it is reeeeaaaally good and ridiculously underappreciated in the industry.  In particular, check out the title track, check out “Pray,” check out “I Won’t Complain” (you’ve never heard it so mellow and so right).

Actually, watch her video for “No Looking Back” here:

What do y’all think???

MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR shout-out to Jojo Pada of Ignition PR for, among other things, inviting me to kick it with y’all.  We had a gooooooood time, as always!

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post telling you that this new series would start soon– and here’s the first installment!

Few choir soloists have left as indelible an impression on the gospel music community as Kim McFarland.  You prolly remember her from her days with Chicago’s Milton Brunson & The Thompson Community Singers.  She led HITS for days, including “I Tried Him and I Know Him,” “For the Good of Them,” and “In My Name.”

But she started waaaaaay before that with Walt Whitman & The Soul Children of Chicago, leading (and co-writing) “We Are One.”  In my opinion, she kinda helped to define what a contemporary choir soloist is gonna need to bring to the table!

And she didn’t stop there… she released two solo albums– New Life in 1994, and Amazing in 1996.  The latter album features one of my favorite cuts from her, “Intercession.”

So, Kim McFarland, where YOU been?!

Various biographical sources on the internet suggest that Kim McFarland is 39 years old, resides in Chicago, and is married to Chris Anderson, who is a producer, vocalist and session musician.  Together, they run CAKM (I’m guessing, their initials), an event and concert production company.  He also wrote several songs on both of her solo albums.

She’s apparently got two MySpace pages– the most recently updated page is private, but available by clicking here; the other, though publicly viewable, hasn’t been accessed since September of 2008.  Access that one by clicking here.

So, is she still singing?  I think so.  I’m not aware of any big guest appearances, but I do see her name as a background vocalist on various album liner notes over the past three years alone: Hezekiah Walker’s 20/85 The Experience, Marvin Sapp’s Be Exalted, Smokie Norful’s Nothing Without You, Coko’s Grateful, Dewayne Woods’ Introducing Dewayne Woods and When Singers Meet, and Joann Rosario’s Joyous Salvation.  That’s understandable because several of those albums feature tracks from Donald Lawrence, who has used her for vocals a lot lately (including on the Tri-City finale album).

But ummm… that’s about as far as I’m able to get on my own.  Anyone know somethin’ else???

YouTube pickings are slim, so you’ll just have to settle for her killing “For the Good of Them” with the Tommies back in the day:

I think Lecresia Campbell doesn’t receive the credit she’s due.  And I’m not just saying that because, when I was a member of Walt Whitman & The Soul Children of Chicago, she performed with us, like… weekly.  Admittedly, I’m biased.  But she’s also an incredible vocalist.

Wasn’t quite sure which video I’d post, but when I stumbled on this CLASSIC performance of hers… It’s a clip of the Soul Children of Chicago in an oooooold TV special (and it’s what made me audition in the first place).  Here she is, singing “Perfect Praise” (typically just called “How Excellent”):