"You still have to live the life,"
said Grammy Award nominated Rev. Luther Barnes about the content of his newest album release featuring his Restoration Worship
Center Choir titled "The Favor of God." "Be thankful...God has been good...try to give it back to him (in praise)." Worship and Praise is what Rev. Barnes' new project is all about. The first single "God's Grace"
reached Billboard Gospel's Top 20 Charts proof that positive and inspiring content is in demand. Barnes, the son of Bishop
F. C. Barnes who wrote the Gospel standard "Rough Side of the Mountain," answered the "call" to music
ministry at a young age as a member of his father's church. He has accumulated 28 album releases since then and garnered a
Grammy Award nomination and Stellar, Vision and ...Read the full September 16, 2016 column...>
_______________________________
The Los Angeles 2016 Merge Summit
Takes Over The Millennium Biltmore Hotel
Los Angeles and the Millennium Biltmore Hotel literally pulled out the red carpet for
the 2016 Merge Summit held recently to inspire synergy and provide priceless bits of information, experiences and advice from
some of the entertainment and faith based industry leaders. "Be brave enough to pull out the
weeds," advised legendary artist manager Suzanne De Passe credited for the success of The Jackson Five at Motown. I came especially for her "Conversation" session because our paths had cross a couple times
in her career and...Read the full September 16, 2016 column...>
The Disciples 'How Deep Is Your Love' with Calvin Harris
wins MTV Video Music Award
(Los Angeles,
CA) - "How Deep Is Your Love," last summer's smash-hit from Calvin
Harris and the Disciples, can add a MTV Video Music Award to its already outstanding list of accomplishments. The music video
took home the VMA in the ‘Best Electronic Video' category, beating out fellow nominees The Chainsmokers, 99 Souls, Mike
Posner and Afrojack. The British trio, Disciples, comprises of Nathan
Duvall, Luke Mac and Gavin Kool. They have been spreading their Gospel all over the world. with their electronic
sound.
'Love Jones' the Musical Stageplay tours with
Chrisette Michelle, Musiq Soulchild, Dave Hollister, Marsha Ambrosius, Raheem Devaughn and MCLyte
(New York, NY) - Love Jones The Musical, a stage adaptation
of the critically acclaimed 1997 Love Jones film, is scheduled to tour nationally this Fall/ Winter. The stage production
will boast an all-star cast of R&B music's biggest names including Chrisette Michelle, Musiq Soulchild, Marsha Ambrosius,
MC Lyte, Raheem Devaughn and Dave Hollister who were all carefully selected to star in the must see musical event of the year.
Love Jones The Musical will debut in Oklahoma City on September 9, 2016.
"Uplifting Minds II" Enter. Conference Sat October 22, 2016 in Hollywood - (562)-424-3836
VIDEO CLIPS OF
THE WEEK
Multi-Stella
Award winner Kim Burrell is legendary for her Jazz flavored Gospel style of singing. She is also founder and "Senior
Eldress/Overseer-Bishop" at The Love & Liberty Fellowship Pentecostal Overcoming Holy Church. Born August 26th Kim's
record laberl is Shanachie Entertainment. Watch her live performance of "I Look to You" here!
(Los Angeles, CA) -Grammy
Award and third season American Idol winner Fantasia releases her fifth studio album, "The Definition Of..." via
19 Entertainment/RCA Records. "The Definition Of..." is the follow
up to Fantasia's 2013 LP, "Side Effects Of You," which debuted at #1 on the Billboard R&B Albums Chart and #2
on the Billboard Top 200, marking her second consecutive positions on these charts. "The Definition Of..." will
feature collaborations with acclaimed soulstress Stacy Barthe and gospel great Tye Tribbett, as well as chart-topping producers
Ron Fair, R. Kelly, Brian Kennedy, Neff-U, and Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon.
In 2004, the High Point, North Carolina native became the season three winner of Fox's American Idol.
Later that year, Fantasia released her platinum-selling debut album "Free Yourself" and became the first artist
in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart to debut at #1 with her first single, "I Believe." Fantasia's second
single, "Truth Is," spent 14 weeks at #1, making her the first singer to simultaneously have two of the top three
songs on the Billboard chart. Fantasia's 2006 eponymous second album featured the #1 R&B single, "When I See U,"
and reached gold status. In 2010, Fantasia released the critically acclaimed Back To Me, which featured the hit single "Bittersweet"
that earned her first ever Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding
Song. Back To Me debuted at #1 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart, #2 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart, and not only
marked Fantasia's first #1 R&B album but also her highest Billboard Top 200 chart ranking. In 2013, Fantasia released
her fourth studio album, Side Effects of You which debuted at #1 on the Billboard R&B Albums Chart and #2 on the Billboard
Top 200, marking her second consecutive positions on these charts.
In
addition to being a mainstay in music, Fantasia adds author and actress to her growing list of accomplishments. In 2006, she
released her New York Times bestselling memoir, "Life Is Not a Fairytale," and starred as herself in the
Lifetime movie of the same name. In 2007, Fantasia landed the coveted role of Celie in Broadway's The Color Purple for which
she won a Theater World Award. Fantasia returned to Broadway in 2013 as the first celebrity engagement in After Midnight,
a dance-focused musical that celebrated Harlem's iconic Cotton Club during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920's and 1930's.
After receiving rave reviews, Fantasia joined the cast of After Midnight for a second run in May 2014.
(Los Angeles, CA) -