“On the Other Side of Through” – Prez Blackmon
“On the Other Side of Through” Prez Blackmon www.cdbaby.com/cd/prezblackmon5 Over a churchy flourish of warbling organ, Prez Blackmon, of the Stellar-nominated duo Renee Spearman & Prez, traverses up and down the treble scale as he waxes melismatic on the theme, “there’s a blessing on the other side of through.” Background [...]
Evelyn Starks Hardy Dies; Member of the Original Gospel Harmonettes
Photo Credit: Al.com By Bob Marovich Anthony Heilbut informed JGM this morning that Evelyn Starks Hardy, an original member of the Gospel Harmonettes, has died. Hardy, along with Mildred Madison Howard and Odessa Edwards, students at Birmingham's Parker High School, formed the Gospel Harmonettes in 1940. They were [...]
Evangelist Valerie Griffin, New G Member, Dies
J. Matthew Cobb of HiFi Magazine reported the loss of Evangelist Valerie Griffin, a former member and lead singer of gospel choir Ricky Dillard & New G. More details will be available as they are forthcoming.
Mississippi Mass Choir – Declaration of Dependence
Mississippi Mass Choir Declaration of Dependence Malaco Records (2014) www.malaco.com By Bob Marovich Halfway through Declaration of Dependence, the Mississippi Mass Choir’s latest album, I realized that the choir has inherited the mantle once worn by the celebrated Thompson Community Singers. Just as music ministers could not wait for the [...]
Cleveland Cole Dies; Father-in-Law of Dorinda Clark Cole
Marcel West of Detroit reported to the Journal of Gospel Music that Mr. Cleveland Cole, father-in-law of Dorinda Clark Cole and a musician in his own right, passed away Sunday morning. Marcel adds that Cole was the president of the famous Southwest Michigan State Choir of the Church of God [...]
Delores “Honey” Sykes – Another Soldier Gone Home
The Duncanaires: Honey Sykes top row, second from left. I was so dismayed to hear that Delores "Honey" Sykes of the Duncanaires and Thompson Community Singers, has passed away. I spoke with her sometime last month and although she had been on dialysis for some time, there wasn't [...]
Documentary of Detroit Choir Resounds with Hallelujahs
By Bob Marovich, Journal of Gospel Music “Good things can still come out of Detroit.” This comment, from Let’s Have Some Church Detroit Style, might as well serve as the documentary’s subtitle. Directed by Michigan filmmaker Andrew Sacks, Let’s Have Some Church Detroit Style tells the story of Dr. E. [...]
JGM Pick of the Week: March 10, 2015
“I Got Better Coming” LaVarnga Hubbard Utopia Music Group (2015) On her new single, Lady LaVarnga Hubbard of Chicago has “got better coming,” and she’s not afraid to shout down the church rafters to let you know. Church shouting is what the “Duchess of Gospel Music” does. She rollicks along [...]
JGM Pick of the Week: March 3, 2015
“He Delivered Me” Pastor Marlon Lock From the CD Good Seed Project www.pastormarlonlock.com Pastor Marlon Lock’s testimonial “He Delivered Me” has all the flavor of a quartet song, complete with the up-tempo southern-fried backbeat, the congregational song lyric, the call and response between male background vocalists, and the extended vamp. It [...]
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