Your Source For The Latest In Black Gospel News

test
(Washington, D.C.) - July 16, 2010 - Dynamic Gospel Singer Earnest Pugh is thrilled about this week’s success on the gospel charts. His breakout hit, “Rain On Us” continues its roll in the Top 10 on the BDS/Billboard chart. Peaking at the #1 spot, the power ballad takes its seat this week at number 7. As of July 28, 2010, the song will have celebrated its 52nd week on the chart. Pugh’s follow up to one of the year’s most popular gospel songs is “The Great I Am”. An up-tempo cut, “The Great I Am” is currently at the #17 position, giving the artist two songs in the Top 20.

Both tracks are from the EPM/Black Smoke Music release Earnest Pugh Live: Rain On Us. Co-produced by Michael Bereal and Earnest Pugh, the critically-acclaimed CD features the talents of gospel greats Vanessa Bell Armstrong and Richard Smallwood. The CD is available in stores across the country where music is sold or online at iTunes and Amazon.com.

The powerhouse vocalist is prepping for the release of another single, “Perfect Peace”, a stunning remake of the Keith Pringle classic. The track is featured on the forthcoming project, Kerry Douglas Presents: Gospel Mix IV hitting stores September 2010.

1: Here I Am, Marvin Sapp
2: WOW Gospel 2010, Various Artists
3: Between Two Worlds, Trip Lee
4: Love Unstoppable, Fred Hammond
5: Get Ready, forever Jones
6: Just Love, Brian Courtney Wilson
7: Souled Out, Hezekiah Walker & LFC
8: Still, BeBe & CeCe Winans
9: My Life’s Lyric, DeWayne Woods & When Singers Meet
10: More Passion, Juanita Bynum
11: Playlist: The Very Best Of Donnie McClurkin, Donnie McClurkin
12: Blessed & Cursed (Soundtrack), Deitrick Haddon Presents Voices Of Unity
13: Songs Of Emotional Healing (EP), CeCe Winans
14: Champion, Darwin Hobbs
15: The Master Plan, Tamela Mann
16: The Gospel Music Celebration Pt. 1: Tribute To Bishop G.E. Patterson, Various Artists
17: Place Of Worship, Phil Tarver
18: As We Worship: Live, William McDowell
19: Encore, James Fortune & FIYA
20: All In One, Karen Clark-Sheard
21: The Law Of Confession, Part I, Donald Lawrence & Co.
22: LIVE: Rain On Us, Earnest Pugh
23: WOW Gospel 2009, Various Artists
24: Playlist: The Very Best Of Fred Hammond, Fred Hammond
25: The Power Of One, Israel Houghton

Walter Hawkins, a Grammy Award-winning gospel singer, composer and pastor from Oakland, died Sunday. He was 61.

Hawkins, who was battling pancreatic cancer, passed away at his home in Ripon, Calif., his older brother Edwin Hawkins said.

“Today, I lost my brother, my pastor, and my best friend,” said Edwin Hawkins. “Bishop Hawkins suffered bravely but now he will suffer no more and he will be greatly missed.”

Born in Oakland, Hawkins studied for his divinity degree at the University of California, Berkeley.

While at the university, he recorded his first album titled “Do Your Best” in 1972.

The next year, Hawkins became a pastor and founded the Love Center Church in Oakland, where he also formed a choir.

In the 1980s, Hawkins recorded a number of albums and earned nine Grammy Award nominations, according to friend and family representative, Bill Carpenter.

His “The Lord’s Prayer” won a Grammy in 1980 and he also performed on the televised Grammy Awards ceremony that year.

In 1990, Hawkins released “Love Alive III” which spent 34 weeks at the top on the Billboard gospel album sales chart, while going on to sell more than a million copies, according to Carpenter.

In 1993 his next album, “Love Alive IV,” also hit the top spot on the album sales chart. Between work on the two albums, Hawkins was ordained a bishop in October 1992.

At the time of his death, Hawkins was planning a new “Love Alive” CD concert recording for this fall.

Besides his brother Walter, Hawkins is survived by two children, two grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews.

Funeral arrangements were pending.

1: Between Two Worlds, Trip Lee
2: Here I Am, Marvin Sapp
3: My Life’s Lyric, DeWayne Woods & When Singers Meet
4: WOW Gospel 2010, Various Artists
5: Get Ready, forever Jones
6: Champion, Darwin Hobbs
7: Souled Out, Hezekiah Walker & LFC
8: Still, BeBe & CeCe Winans
9: Love Unstoppable, Fred Hammond
10: More Passion, Juanita Bynum
11: Just Love, Brian Courtney Wilson
12: Songs Of Emotional Healing (EP), CeCe Winans
13: The Master Plan, Tamela Mann
14: Playlist: The Very Best Of Donnie McClurkin, Donnie McClurkin
15: The Gospel Music Celebration Pt. 1: Tribute To Bishop G.E. Patterson, Various Artists
16: The Power Of One, Israel Houghton
17: All In One, Karen Clark-Sheard
18: LIVE: Rain On Us, Earnest Pugh
19: WOW Gospel 2009, Various Artists
20: Blessed, Broken & Given, Lucinda Moore
21: Life, Beckah Shae
22: Encore, James Fortune & FIYA
23: As We Worship: Live, William McDowell
24: Declare Your Name: Live Worship, The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
25: The Law Of Confession, Part I, Donald Lawrence & Co.

1: Here I Am, Marvin Sapp
2: WOW Gospel 2010, Various Artists
3: Get Ready, forever Jones
4: Souled Out, Hezekiah Walker & LFC
5: Still, BeBe & CeCe Winans
6: Love Unstoppable, Fred Hammond
7: The Transformation, James Fortune & FIYA
8: Just Love, Brian Courtney Wilson
9: Songs Of Emotional Healing (EP), CeCe Winans
10: More Passion, Juanita Bynum
11: The Power Of One, Israel Houghton
12: The Master Plan, Tamela Mann
13: All In One, Karen Clark-Sheard
14: Playlist: The Very Best Of Donnie McClurkin, Donnie McClurkin
15: The Gospel Music Celebration Pt. 1: Tribute To Bishop G.E. Patterson, Various Artists
16: Encore, James Fortune & FIYA
17: Life, Beckah Shae
18: LIVE: Rain On Us, Earnest Pugh
19: Live, Darrell Hines
20: The Gospel According To Jazz Chapter III, Kirk Whalum
21: Won’t It Be Wonderful, James Hall Presents Voices Of Citadel
22: Memorable Moments With Bishop Paul S. Morton, Bishop Paul S. Morton
23: As We Worship: Live, William McDowell
24: The Law Of Confession, Part I, Donald Lawrence & Co.
25: Troop Nation, Joshua’s Troop