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Earnest Pugh is gospel music’s new leading man. His fourth CD
“Earnestly Yours” debuts at #1 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart this week.
It’s also the first #1 CD debut in Houston-based Black Smoke Music World Wide’s
sixteen-year history. “I am truly humbled by this new milestone in our
history,” says CEO Kerry Douglas whose New Deal University marketing concepts
have propelled artists such as James Fortune & FIYA to gospel rock star
status with #1 radio hits like “I Trust You” and “I Believe.”
“What was once a dream has
now become a reality,” Pugh adds. “Kerry Douglas and the Black Smoke Music
Worldwide team made this possible with their incredible marketing and
distribution network. I never dreamed of having a #1 single on iTunes nor a #1
CD on Billboard. This moment is so surreal and I am humbled and I feel so
unworthy. For anyone who has ever been shut out, put out, overlooked or
rejected, I dedicate this CD to you in hopes of encouraging you to hold on to
your dreams and turn them into reality.”
Douglas
is turning Pugh’s dreams into reality. Last year, Billboard named Pugh the #4
gospel radio airplay artist of 2010 and Black Smoke was named the #1
independent gospel label of the year. “Earnest is gospel music’s new leading
man,” Douglas says. “He will be one of the biggest artists of the next decade.”
Facts are on his side too. Pugh’s latest radio single “I Need Your Glory” is
#10 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart and it’s one of the fastest-selling
gospel digital downloads this year.
A Memphis native who got his start singing with
O’Landa Draper & the Associates back in the 1990s, Pugh released his first
solo CD in 2006 and showed off his five-octave vocals on the radio hit “Wrapped
Up, Tied Up, Tangled Up.” After years of making respectable forays into gospel,
Pugh finally hit it big in 2009 with his #1 smash “Rain On Us.” Visit www.EarnestPugh.com or www.mrkerrydouglas.com for more
information on this exciting artist.
CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL ARTIST THERESA PINKNEY MAKES A BOLD MUSICAL STATEMENT WITH NEW CD, ME AGAINST THE WORLD, WITH CD RELEASE EVENT ON JULY 9, 2011
Theresa Pinkney is a woman on a mission. The protégé of popular gospel singer Yolanda
Wyns and former vocalist for Christian group Just Breathe has made it her goal
in life to proclaim her love for God through the vehicle of music. The former student of the Duke Ellington
School for the Arts now steps to the mic as a solo artist making her official
foray into the gospel music industry. The
D.C. area native and singer and songwriter is prepping the release of her
contemporary gospel debut entitled Me Against The World. Flowing easily from pop-oriented tunes to
urban-tinged tracks, Pinkney provides a strong dose of inspiration from one song
to the next. Her official release event
will be taking place on Saturday, July 9, 2011 at Calvary Gospel Church located
at 11150 Berry Road in Waldorf, Maryland.
Theresa will be singing songs from the new release and fans will be able
to purchase signed copies of Me Against The World that evening. Doors will open at 6:00PM and the event will
feature the additional talents of Site 937, G. Wright, Indigo & JGU,
Tiffany K and Unity. Christian Comedian
E-Boogie has been tapped as the host and admission is free. Attendees should
RSVP to info@gotsmusic.org or
call 1.888.545.8403.
Me
Against The World is a 15-track project filled with a mixture of urban,
R&B, pop and dance styles, yet is fully gospel. The title tune and
inspirational cut finds the artist singing about her dogged determination to
stick with the Lord, no matter what.
It’s clear that this singer will make sure that nothing will ever stop
her praise. Other memorable tracks are the beautiful and sweet “Never Alone”
and the mellow and ethereal-sounding “You Are”.
“Silent Praise” is another jewel that doesn’t fall short in the area of
inspiration. Those who have ever felt
that they “didn’t have enough tongues to praise Him” will easily be able to
relate to the moving track. There are
many uplifting songs on this impressive debut.
Although Pinkney loves each and every track on her new release, one
holds a special place in her heart, “Promise”.
One
of Theresa’s closest friends and mentors loved the song, “Promise”. A constant source of encouragement to
Theresa, she helped her understand the importance of using her gift to the
glory of God. Unfortunately, her friend
was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer and played the song regularly for
inspiration, even until the day that she passed. Because of the impact she had on Theresa’s
life, Theresa is donating a portion of the proceeds of the CD to Relay For Life, part of The American Cancer
Society, in memory of her friend. Relay For Life is an overnight event designed to
celebrate survivorship and raise money for research and programs of the
American Cancer Society. During the event, teams of people gather at schools,
fairgrounds, or parks and take turns walking or running laps. The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is
a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a
chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved
ones lost, and fight back against the disease.
Theresa
wants to leave listeners of Me Against The World with one message:
boldness. “I want people who listen to
my project to learn to walk in boldness and not in fear. I want people to shine their light as bright
as they can; don’t ever let anyone dim your light. Don’t conform to the world; let the world
conform to you.” For more information
about Theresa Pinkney, log on to www.TheresaPinkney.com.
THE PROPHETIC SUMMIT
MARVIN & VEDA MCCOY MINISTRIES PRESENTS THE PROPHETIC SUMMIT 2011: LET THE PROPHETIC RIVERS FLOWS FROM JULY 21-23, 2011
Well-known pastors and music ministers Marvin and Veda McCoy are preparing to present The Prophetic Summit 2011: Let The Prophetic Rivers Flow. Taking place starting Thursday, July 21st through Saturday, July 23rd at Hunter Memorial AME Church (4719 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, MD) and The Camelot by Martin’s (13905 Central Avenue, Upper Marlboro, MD), the 2011 Prophetic Summit and Annual Prophetic Prayer Breakfast is the place to be for God’s prophets in the Washington, D.C. area. For several years, every summer people travel from all over to witness and experience this powerful move of God at the Annual Prophetic Prayer Breakfast. This annual event stirs up the gift and power of prayer in the lives of attendees and reignites their passion for on-going, intimate fellowship with God. It is also a time of strategic intercession and spiritual warfare, positioning those present to encounter God through repentance, breakthrough, and deliverance. This year, at the direction of God, the vision has expanded to include a Prophetic Encounter Worship Service on Thursday, and a Prophetic Training Institute on Friday, and the highly-anointed Prophetic Prayer Breakfast on Saturday.
The purpose of this event is three-fold: 1) to offer prophetic training, ministry and worship in a scripturally authentic atmosphere; 2) to facilitate an environment for collaboration and growth for those endowed to operate in the “CHRIO” power anointing; 3) to promote the functioning of prophetic ministry in successful and effective partnership with the local church and astor. The theme for 2011 is "Let the Prophetic Waters Flow”. The Summit will also present Well Spring Prophetic Institute, a training center for prophets, prophetic people, and pastor. The four-tier WellSpring curriculum covers a wide-range of prophetic giftings, including the emerging, intermediary, and advanced prophets. “We have been in heightened excitement since September 2010, praying, planning and preparing for the dynamic season of a powerful move of God,” says Co-Pastor Veda McCoy. “The presenters, topics, and every single detail have been planned with you in mind. This will be a historic time in your life and ministry.” For more information, log on to www.thepropheticsummit.com.
MINISTER
ISAIAH D. THOMAS AND GLOBAL GOSPEL MUSIC INK DEAL WITH BRONX BRIDGE ENTERTAINMENT,
INC. AND F. HAMMOND FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT
Minister Isaiah D. Thomas is back with
his renewed single entitled, "I Dare You" and with the
full album to be released nationwide this Fall under Bronx Bridge
Entertainment, Inc. and F. Hammond Family Entertainment. Thomas' "I
Dare You" which earned rankings within the top 25 on the Gospel
Music Radio Charts is now available on iTunes and through other internet
sources.
Thomas
comments "2010 is behind me . . . the music which God has given me to
share throughout the nation has been revitalized and will now be for all to
hear."
Santiago
Cook-Brown, President of Bronx Bridge Entertainment, Inc. says "For the
first time, "I Dare You" is finally ready to be
released across the country full speed ahead."
Minister
Thomas' attorney Chris Brown of Brown & Rosen LLC is excited to have
negotiated the deal and feels that the partnership between Fred Hammond and
Minister Thomas will push this project and Thomas' career to another
level. Brown states, "The praise and worship songs on this
album will move masses."
Isaiah
is a wonderful artist and great songwriter" says Fred Hammond. "I
look forward to working with him, Bronx Bridge, and Global Gospel
Music." Isaiah is going to heat up the charts this Summer and the album
will be ready to move this Fall." Antonio
Murchinson, President of Global Gospel says, "This is exactly the team and
support we needed for this project". It's Isaiah's time to shine
while still recognizing that God gets ALL the glory."
Minister Thomas is so grateful to God
for all of the great things He has done and is yet to do. He is also
thankful for all of the love shown by and through supporters, radio announcers,
and promoters who continuously push him and request his music.
CHRISTIAN JUKEBOX RADIO
RICHARD
SMALLWOOD’S 15th CD, PROMISES, IN STORES JULY 19, 2011
After four
decades as one of the most popular Gospel artists in the genre, Richard
Smallwood remains a vital and vibrant fixture in Gospel music. With the
July 19th release of his 15th CD PROMISES, Smallwood
showcases his timeless gifts as songwriter and pianist and delivers a body of
work that is at once refreshing and reflective.
Recorded live
in a small studio setting, PROMISES is Smallwood’s first CD since the
2005 passing of his beloved Mother, who was the artist’s biggest fan and
motivator. “I had not written a song since my mom died,” he says, “I
thought the gift had dried up. I would try to write and nothing would
come.
A wellspring
of inspiration hit in 2009, and PROMISES – what may very well be
Smallwood’s most personal and intimate album yet – was born. “I was
watching CNN and was overwhelmed by the negativity I saw,” Smallwood
says. “I began to think that regardless of what the media says, we as
God’s children are heirs to the Kingdom and He has made us certain
promises…then all of these songs began to come to me as dreams, sometimes four
or five at a time and I could barely keep up with them. I knew that God
was saying something that we all needed to hear.”
“Trust Me,”
the majestic first single, is currently available at iTunes. Smallwood
says “it is a song to encourage those who have experienced loss. It’s
telling them that what they are feeling shall pass, if they only trust
God.” The message perpetuates the album’s theme of divine promises, with
a lyric that states “I’ll fight your battles/if you will only trust me.”
PROMISES also features
“Is There Any Way?” The song was originally recorded on the late Bishop Walter
Hawkins’ LOVE ALIVE III, and Smallwood reworked it in tribute to Hawkins, who
was his mentor and friend. “The first time I heard `Is There Any Way?’ I
felt like he wrote it just for me,” says Smallwood. “I’ve been there in those
times when you feel like you want to give up and then you remember God’s
promise that He’ll be with you through the storm and through the rain.”
In the LOVE ALIVE V performance video, Smallwood is seen standing in the
audience, with his arms outstretched in praise, as ‘Is There Any Way?’ is
performed. He reworks the song for his own CD with a reverence and
passion that will strike a familiar, praise-inducing chord.
Donald
Lawrence collaborates with Smallwood on “Facts Are, Truth Is;” and Lalah
Hathaway (daughter of his ‘60s Howard University classmate Donny Hathaway)
appears on “Praying for Peace.” “I
was going through some of the songs I had written in the ‘70s and many had the
same theme as this song,” Smallwood recalls. “Back then it was the Vietnam War,
so we’re going through the very same thing because there’s always been
fighting, there’s always been war. But now racism has reared its ugly head in a
way that I haven’t seen since I was a little boy. I wanted to write something
that everyone could identify with globally, which is that we need peace.”
Also heard throughout PROMISES
is Vision, Smallwood’s trusty ensemble of singers. The CD was produced by
longtime collaborator Steven Ford. PROMISES
will be in-stores July 19, 2011.
INDIE GOSPEL ALLIANCE
COMING ON TUESDAY, JULY 19TH!
UPCOMING FEATURES:
• Interview with John "Bucky" Tillery
• Interview with Richard Smallwood
• Much more!
THE DCGOSPELNEWSUPDATE.COM E-ZINE
Welcome To The D.C. Gospel News Update. Distributed by Tehillah Enterprises, LLC, the D.C. Gospel News Update is a regular source of information for the local Gospel & CCM industry in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore, Md. area.
Included in this e- zine are local happenings in Christian music in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area - live recordings, gospel concerts, gospel plays, seminar or conference information, church news, interviews, and information about what's happening with popular artists based in the area.
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