Posts Tagged 'Kirk Franklin'

Everybody Dance debuts #2 Billboard - James Roberson

No comments 01 November 2009 Under: Black Gospel News

James Roberson’s “Everybody Dance!” debuts at #2 on Billboard!
Debuting at #2 on Billboard and the #1 Most Added Song on R&R/Billboard Radio Chart, “Everybody Dance!” is the gospel dance craze single sweeping the country!
Grammy-nominated hit producer of many of today’s hottest artists including Beverly Crawford, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Norman Hutchins & President/CEO of JDI Records - the #1 fastest growing record company in the world (Billboard) - James Roberson finally steps into the spotlight with one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year - “Everybody Dance!”
“Everybody Dance” is the gospel dance craze single sweeping the country! James Roberson’s exciting debut, “Everybody Dance!”, is reminiscent of gospel revolutionary Kirk Franklin.”
Ebony Magazine
JDI/Universal Music
Available on CD, Songbook, and Sing-Along Performance Tracks

CeCe Winans Bio

No comments 14 June 2009 Under: Black Gospel News, Gospel Images
CeCe Winans Bio Image

CeCe Winans Bio Image

Priscilla Winans Love (born on October 8, 1964) and known professionally as CeCe Winans, is an American Gospel singer and winner of numerous Grammy Awards and Stellar Awards.

Early life

CeCe Winans was born in Detroit, Michigan to David and Delores (”Mom” and “Pop”) Winans. She’s the eighth of ten children, and the oldest of three girls.

BeBe & CeCe

Around time that Winans had been accepted to college, the television show “The PTL Club” (now known as “Praise the Lord”) took interest in her and her brother Benjamin (BeBe) as potential background vocalists for the show. They were accepted after going to North Carolina to audition. BeBe and CeCe moved to the PTL campus in North Carolina, and were on the show for about five years. It was during this time that CeCe met her husband, Alvin Love, Jr. who was also from Detroit. During their time on The PTL Club, BeBe & CeCe recorded Lord Lift Us Up on PTL’s label following popular demand on the show. The success yielded another effort, “Feels Like Heaven (With You)”. Eventually the success warranted another effort: a full length album.

BeBe and CeCe left PTL to pursue their singing career and recorded four more albums including Heaven, Different Lifestyles, First Christmas, and Relationships. In 1995, BeBe and CeCe split up to pursue solo careers and other interests. However CeCe Winans’ official website indicates that the two will release a reunion album in 2008. BeBe & CeCe performed their classic song “Hold Up The Light” with one of CeCe’s former background vocalists, Melinda Doolittle, on the 2007 American Idol finale. Winans co-hosted the 2008 Stellar Awards alongside Kirk Franklin and Byron Cage in January 2008.

Solo career

CeCe began her solo career with the Gold certified album Alone in His Presence. It was released in 1995 and earned her a Grammy Award and 2 Dove Awards including the Female Vocalist of the Year, an award she earned again in 1997. Winans’ next release, Everlasting Love was released in 1998. The song “On That Day” from the album was written and produced by R&B singer Lauryn Hill. Later that year, Winans released His Gift a holiday album.

In 1999, Winans started her own recording company, “PureSprings Gospel”. Her first album on the label was Alabaster Box in 1999. Some production of the disc was done by Gospel singer and musician, Fred Hammond. It included a guest appearance by Take 6. In 2000 Cece released a concert VHS titled Live At The Lambs Theater in New York. The concert contained songs from her previous albums. Winans released her next album, the self titled CeCe Winans, in 2001. The single “Anybody Wanna Pray” included a guest appearance by GRITS. The second single, “Say A Prayer” crossed over into the CCM market.

Winans took a two year break from releasing albums and returned in 2003 with Throne Room. The first 1,000 copies were issued with a bonus CD that contained exclusive interviews with the artist, the making of the CD, some touring footage, and the music video “More Than What I Wanted” (which came from the 2001 release). In 2004, the 25 city tour Throne Room featured free admission and was followed with a DVD release of the concert recorded in Tennessee near CeCe’s place of residence. Live In the Throne Room contained tracks from all of Winans’ albums. Around September 2004, Winans experienced what she thought was a flu but turned out to be a serious stomach infection and was hospitalized immediately for surgery. Due to the extended recovery time, the second half of the Throne Room Tour was postponed to early 2005.

Winans’ 7th album Purified was released in 2005. Producers on board for the project were longtime BeBe & CeCe collaborator Keith Thomas, and CeCe’s nephew Mario Winans. Winans’ son Alvin III also co-writes several songs on the album and younger sisters Angie and Debbie Winans make an appearance as well.

CeCe’s collection of Top Ten R&B radio hits include “Count on Me”, her duet with Whitney Houston, from the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack. The single was certified Gold in the U.S. and reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, #4 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #8 on the Billboard R&B Singles charts. She has also released her 8th Album Thy Kingdom Come on April 1st, to feature the single “Waging War.” The first single released from the album “Thy Will Be Done,” was released digitally on iTunes on April 1, 2008

Kirk Franklin Bio

No comments 10 June 2009 Under: Gospel Images

Kirk Franklin Bio:  A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Franklin was raised by his great aunt Gertrude, having been abandoned as a baby by his mother. Gertrude collected and resold aluminum cans to raise money for Kirk to take piano lessons from the age of 4. Kirk excelled in music, able to read and write music by ear. He received his first contract offer at the age of 7, which his aunt turned down. He joined the church choir and became music director of the Mt. Rose Baptist Church adult choir, at the age of eleven. Despite his strict religious upbringing, Franklin rebelled in his teenage years, and in an attempt to keep him out of trouble, his great aunt arranged an audition for him at a professional youth conservatory associated with a local university. He was accepted and while his life seemed to be on track for a while, the announcement of a girlfriend’s pregnancy and his eventual expulsion from school for behavioral problems proved otherwise.

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MUSIC MAVEN KIRK FRANKLIN TEAMS UP WITH AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY

No comments 10 June 2009 Under: Black Gospel News

MUSIC MAVEN KIRK FRANKLIN TEAMS UP WITH AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY: Partnership feeds fans the word of God daily

While Kirk Franklin, the biggest selling contemporary Christian artist in Soundscan history is reportedly taking a hiatus from recording, the constant innovator is channeling his creative efforts with the American Bible Society (ABS) to share the real inspiration behind his music – The Bible.

Franklin has partnered with ABS for “The Bible is My Guide,” a national program that meshes the Bible and technology to motivate young people to engage with God’s Word.

“Kirk’s music is inspiring a generation of music fans with the life changing message of the Bible,” said Lamar Vest, president and CEO of the American Bible Society.

The American Bible society said the ultimate goal is to get people in Franklin’s demographic to read the Bible more often. His enormous fan base includes Miley Cyrus who called Franklin her “favorite person to listen to in the shower” (Access Hollywood).

Franklin will encourage his fans to send him a text messages about their favorite Kirk Franklin songs during his upcoming summer concerts. He will text them back and some of the texts from the audience will appear on the screens. From the stage, Franklin will encourage fans to read the book that is the source of inspiration for his greatest hits. Said Franklin, “I’ve found the process of reading the Bible and writing a song is life-changing, and I’m always eager to share the inspiration behind my music. Being a part of the American Bible Society’s ‘Bible is My Guide’ project is a huge statement about the man I am trying to become.”

After the concert fans will continue to receive daily Bible verses sent directly to their mobile phone free of charge.

Technology has made it possible for anyone to receive Bible verses. The American Bible Society will disseminated Bible verses via email, voicemail, text message, podcast and RSS feed free of charge to anyone who subscribes at Kirk.AmericanBible.org.