(New York, New York) – Verity Gospel Music Group will now be known as RCA Inspiration it was announced today. As previously stated, RCA Inspiration will now be headed up by GM Geo Bivins. Bivins retains the title of SVP, Urban Promotion, RCA Records. In addition, Stanley Brown is promoted to Head of A&R and Cheryl Marks is promoted to VP of Marketing. All will remain in the company’s New York headquarters.
Bivins comments: “I am very excited to be working with so many great Gospel artists. RCA Inspiration will continue the tradition held by Verity Gospel Music Group as the leader in inspirational music. In addition to great music I am equally excited to work with the best A&R, promotion and marketing team in the business.”
While Bivins now runs the day to day operations of RCA Inspiration, he will continue his position as SVP, Urban Promotion, RCA Records, a position he has held since 2007. Bivins came to RCA from Capitol Records, where he was Senior Vice President, Urban Promotion and spearheaded a succession of chart-topping hits for the label. Prior to Capitol, he held leadership positions at Loud Records and Jive Records as well as ran his own promotions company. Throughout his career, Bivins was responsible for the promotion of some of the chart-topping hits for Snoop, Chingy, R. Kelly, Busta Rhymes, Notorious BIG and many others.
Stanley Brown was most recently Senior Director of A&R at Verity, where he facilitated the signing of artists Deon Kipping, Jason Nelson and Latice Crawford. Brown is an accomplished musician, producer and label executive with over 20 years experience in the music business. Before joining Verity in 2010, he was music director for BET’s hit Gospel singing competition SUNDAY BEST and served under the leadership of Reverend Floyd H. Flake as music director of Greater Allen Cathedral of New York. Brown’s label executive experience includes Vice President of A&R, Island Black Music, where he signed and oversaw projects by Karen Clark Sheard, Donald Lawrence, T.D. Jakes and others.
Cheryl Marks was most recently Senior Director of Marketing at Verity, and has spearheaded award-winning campaigns for Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp, Fred Hammond, Hezekiah Walker, the WOW Gospel series and more. Marks began her career at Jive Records, where she worked in marketing for 10 years. Before joining Verity, she held marketing positions at imprints of Interscope and Motown Records and served as Vice President of Marketing at TVT Records.
RCA Inspiration kicked off the year with the eighth release from Kurt Carr entitled Bless This House, on January 22nd. Other projects set for this year include Fred Hammond’s new album United Tenors, for which he is teaming up with fellow R&B and Gospel tenors Dave Hollister, Brian Courtney Wilson and Eric Roberson; a debut album from BET’s Sunday Best audience favorite Latice Crawford; and the next installment from the gold and platinum selling WOW Gospel Series.
Written by : Bob Marovich
Bob Marovich is a gospel music historian, author, and radio host. Founder of Journal of Gospel Music blog (formally The Black Gospel Blog) and producer of the Gospel Memories Radio Show.
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