Free Republic

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Three members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), the immediate past chair, Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) and Rep. Albert R. Wynn (D-Md.), have asked Sirius Satellite Radio (Sirius) executives not to cancel The Word Network, a five-year-old mainstream media broadcaster for African-American ministries and gospel music. On behalf of their constituents, the members of Congress urged Mel Karmazin, Sirius' CEO, to continue broadcasting The Word Network's family values programming. The letters from the CBC members cited the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) original intent for satellite radio: to serve the public...

Contemporary gospel artists Smokie Norful, Donnie McClurkin and Erica and Tina Campbell of Mary Mary were special guests at the East Room of the White House this Monday as President Bush celebrated Black Music Month. Each artist performed two songs while the president and the first lady clapped and nodded along. “Let history record you had me jumpin’ in my seat,” said President Bush to Donnie McClurkin after the artist’s performance of “Our God Is An Awesome God.” “It was an honor singing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the White House before the President, his wife and staff. Proverbs...

Freeper Kjam22 has released a CD. The CD title is "Country Gospel Favorites". Kjam22 is currently recording in a group called "Grafted In". The CD was released 3 weeks ago. CD's are available at Amazon.com. Simply do a music search for "Grafted In". No country gospel collection is complete without this one! :) Thanks for this vanity announcement. Now we return you to your regular programing.....

JAKARTA - A 24-year-old woman who sings in a church is the first Indonesian Idol, winning the hit reality television show in the world's most populous Muslim country. 'Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for all who have helped me,' said a tearful Ms Joy Tobing after winning the title on Saturday. 'We were nothing before this and now people know us. They have given us so much love,' she said minutes before the announcement of her win went out. The news brought deafening applause from tens of thousands of people, including Indonesia's top politicians, who packed the country's...

Gospel singer Donnie McClurkin - who'll perform Thursday night at the Republican Convention before President Bush's acceptance speech - is ex-gay and proud. Actually, the 44-year-old McClurkin calls himself a "reformed bisexual." "I was involved at one time in bisexuality, but it was God that delivered me from that," McClurkin told Lowdown. "There is a way out, there is change, there is another way," added the Grammy-winning artist, who's the father of a young son as well as the pastor of the Perfecting Faith nondenominational church in Freeport, N.Y. "Those that want help, I am here to help. There may...

NEW YORK (AP) -- The images captured in "VH1 News Presents: Soundtrack To War" combine the use of music by America's soldiers and the unsettling pictures of war. A group of soldiers stand on a rooftop, singing gospel music. Suddenly, bombs explode. Nearby, black smoke rises. A tank crew cranks up a heavy metal song to gear up for combat. Using personal testimonies, the one-hour documentary examines the soldiers' use of music for inspiration, motivation and mourning. The result: a unique look at youth in war. "Soundtrack To War," airing 9 p.m. EDT Wednesday, follows soldiers of the Army's 1st...

G.O.P. Plans Spectacle to Jazz Up ConventionBy MICHAEL SLACKMANPublished: August 10, 2004 hen the curtain goes up on the Republican National Convention on Aug. 30, the supporting cast will include gospel- and country-music performers, elaborate videos, and celebrities doing what they can to help market President Bush's ideas and vision for America, one of the convention's organizers said yesterday.But the convention will present not only politicians and celebrities on each of its four days. People from around the country have been invited to offer an invocation or benediction or to make some other short statement, said Frank Breeden, the convention's...

DALLAS - Christian teens are stealing Christian music through Internet downloads and CD burnings at the same rate non-Christians are stealing secular music, according to a new study. Christian pollster George Barna completed a study on teens and piracy for the Gospel Music Association. The study, which has not been made public, showed only 10 percent of Christian teens considered music piracy to be morally wrong, The Dallas Morning News reported. Of those, 64 percent have engaged in downloading or CD burning. That's virtually the same percentage as non-Christians. Last year, sales of Christian albums dropped 5.2 percent, to just...

Friday, March 12, 2004 Author says start singing - and diversify the church By Valerie Christopher Enquirer contributor FINNEYTOWN - When it comes to diversifying the Catholic Church, America needs to start singing. Specifically, black spirituals. That's what Father Joseph Brown, a Jesuit author and head of the Black American Studies Program at Southern Illinois University, told an audience of about 85 people during a speech titled, "To Sit at the Welcome Table: Black Catholics and the Future of the Church," Tuesday night at St. Xavier High School. "If you want to diversify your community, hire yourself a black choir...

<p>ANDERSON, IND. -- Sandi Patty has made it big in music. Now she hopes to start small in politics.</p> <p>The gospel singer filed papers Thursday expressing intent to run for a seat on the Anderson Community Schools board. In the May 4 election, the 47-year-old will challenge Brian K. Kohles and incumbent Keith Millikan.</p>

DALLAS - A suburb accused of violating senior citizens' religious rights has agreed to pay 16 plaintiffs damages and revoke a ban on gospel music, preaching and blessings at a city-owned community center, according to court documents filed today. Attorneys for the plaintiffs and the city of Balch Springs filed the agreed judgment in U.S. District Court in Dallas. A judge still must approve the judgment, which would pay each plaintiff $150 in damages -- a total of $2,400. The plaintiffs also would receive $813.42 to cover other costs. The question of whether the plaintiffs are entitled to recover at...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Gospel music veteran Jake Hess died early Sunday, Jan. 4, at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, Ala. He was 76. During his 60-plus years in the business, Hess achieved legendary status for his unmistakable voice, captivating stage presence and innovative music. He won three Grammy Awards for solo recordings and one Dove Award. The youngest of 12 children, Hess was born in Mt. Pisgah, Ala., on Christmas Eve 1927. According to the jakehess.com website, he began singing with his family at the age of 5 and left home at 16 to join the John Daniel Quartet. In...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)-Bill Gaither wasn't good enough for gospel music. At least, that's what he was told. So, with his dream of singing Southern gospel music seemingly out of reach, Gaither went home and began writing. More than 500 songs and dozens of popular videos later, Gaither and his wife, Gloria, were named Christian Songwriters of the Century in 2000. "I became a teacher because I was not good enough to do gospel music," said Gaither, who taught high school English in his hometown of Alexandria, Ind. "There were piano players and singers better than me. So I started writing...

CELEBRATION, Fla. (BP)-Vestal Goodman, known as the "Queen of Gospel Music," died Dec. 27 in Celebration, Fla., near Orlando while visiting family members during the Christmas holidays. "She had been ill with the flu and turned worse last evening," the Southern Gospel News reported Dec. 28. She was 74. Goodman's career in gospel music began as part of the popular Happy Goodman Family in the 1940s and, in recent years, she had become a fixture in the Bill Gaither "Homecoming" concerts and videos. The winner of numerous Grammy and Dove awards also was known for her trademark beehive hairdo, full-length...

(AgapePress) - A Texas city is the target of a government investigation after senior citizens at a public center were forbidden to exercise their religious freedom. In August, officials of the city of Balch Springs near Dallas, Texas, told residents who gathered daily at the local senior citizens center that they could not pray over their meals, sing gospel music, or have inspirational messages there because the center is a public building. Liberty Legal Institute, a public-interest legal group that fights to protect religious freedoms and First Amendment rights for individuals, groups, and churches, sued the city of Balch Springs...

Public generosity saves gospel choir By SUSAN PAYNTER SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER COLUMNIST The student singers in Garfield High School's gospel choir, their director, principal and assistant principal were all "bouncing off the walls" with jubilation last Friday afternoon. "It feels like the end of 'It's a Wonderful Life'! The program is not only saved but launched! This renews my faith in humanity," e-mailed choir director Carol Burton. Hallelujah! Word had just arrived that the racially integrated, uplifting, high-energy choir, which had been doomed to disband due to lack of money, had been saved. A few calls came early that morning to...

BALCH SPRINGS, Texas — For years, senior citizens gathered at the Balch Springs Community Center on Monday mornings to enjoy a gray-haired gospel band known as "Silver Threads" and hear an inspirational message from the Rev. J.B. Barton. Until a few weeks ago, nobody seemed to mind. But then three residents said they were offended by religious activity at the city-owned center. So, officials in the Dallas suburb put a stop to it. "The bottom line and the central issue was the fact that the city operates a public-funded community center, not a church," said David Berman, attorney for Balch...

There's a moment in one of the popular Bill Gaither Homecoming videos where all the greats of gospel music are onstage at Carnegie Hall in New York. Sandi Patty is belting out the song "I've Just Seen Jesus" with her old friend and sometime singing partner Larnelle Harris. They are performing in that glorious, over-the-top style that Sandi brought to church music two decades ago. The orchestra builds to a crescendo as Sandi sings the refrain, "All I've ever done before won't matter anymore." It is a powerful declaration of the healing and redemption found in an encounter with Christ....

After three members of the center complained, city officials told the seniors they could no longer conduct group prayers over their meals, sing gospel music or hold weekly inspirationals given by one of their members -- a preacher.

A group of senior citizens told not to pray or sing gospel songs at a Balch Springs senior center gave the city a week to reverse its policy Monday or face a federal lawsuit. A month ago, city officials ordered them to stop group prayers over meals and gospel songs after three people from the center complained about religious activity in the public facility, said Barney Clark, 77, a 10-year member of the center. Clark said Mayor James Kelsey told seniors they could pray individually off to the side. Balch Springs is in southeast Dallas County. "Me and my wife...