Juanita Bynum is Starting Over

Prophetess Juanita Bynum is starting over.

She has a new record deal and a series of projects coming out. Her book, No More Sheets: The Truth About Sex, was just re-released as No More Sheets: Starting Over. She will be hosting a conference next month based on the book.

Most importantly, those who have followed Dr. Bynum’s life and career know she has had her share of significant challenges and personal difficulties over the past three years. Her goal is to share her journey not just in a book but via a multi-platform strategy.

The artist who grew up on Chicago’s west side, attending St. Luke COGIC under Pastor Austin, Sr., spoke with TBGB by telephone last week.

“When I looked up the word ‘trouble’ in the dictionary,” Bynum reflected, “there were many definitions, but one in particular caught my attention: ‘an indication that something in your life is out of order.’” The definition resonated with her. In short, she felt God was giving her a second chance, an opportunity to put her life back in order. She felt the pull to chronicle her journey, too, like an diary, so others could benefit from her experiences.

“I knew it couldn’t be just a CD or one recording, because I wanted it to speak to millions of people around the world,” Bynum said. “I wanted to present this as a healing mechanism, not just another record.”

Having signed recently with Matthew Knowles’ new Music World Gospel imprint, Bynum and Knowles fashioned what she refers to as “a new concept for gospel music:” a trilogy of albums that follow her life over the past three years as she moved from pain to purpose.

The trilogy opens with the June 22, 2010 Music World Gospel release of an EP: The Diary of Juanita Bynum: “Soul Cry (Oh, Oh, Oh).” This first leg of the project allows Bynum to expunge the pain she suffered during “one of the hardest times of my life.”

Among the versions of “Soul Cry” on the EP is an instrumental with recitation. “Matthew [Knowles] told me to not forget the power of my voice, to give people what I hear God saying,” Bynum noted.

Initially, the EP will be sold at Walmart for one month, Christian retail outlets and J&R Music World in New York City, followed by a wide release at major retail stores across the country. The EP will also be available at all digital outlets.

Thus cleansed, Bynum will use the second CD to express her humility before God. The three-tiered project will culminate in a combination CD and DVD, The Diary of Juanita Bynum II, scheduled for release next January. This final leg will unveil Juanita Bynum redux: “when I took on the strength of God and found my life and purpose was worth fighting for.”

Wait…Juanita Bynum II? It means “Juanita Bynum for the second time around,” she explained.

To get things rolling, Bynum released a revised edition of her 2000 book, No More Sheets: The Truth about Sex. It is now titled No More Sheets: Starting Over, and includes a whole chapter on “Starting Over.” She has also announced the establishment of the No More Sheets Conference, to be held July 21 – 23 at New Birth Baptist Church Cathedral of Faith International, 2300 NW 135th Street, in Miami, Florida.

“I can’t tell you how many people have stopped me in malls and restaurants and said, ‘Dr. Bynum, we believe in you.’ They grabbed me in this transition when I wanted to quit. That’s why I’m doing what I’m doing for the people of God. They are my inspiration.”

For more information, go to www.juanitabynum.com.