Do You Think You Can Sing? Vicki Mack Lataillade Wants to Know

At the Gospel Music Workshop of America in Nashville last week, Vicki Mack Lataillade, founder of GospoCentric Records (later sold to Zomba) and known as the most powerful woman in gospel music, announced that she is officially launching the “Lilly Mack Sing-A-Long Series” in October 2008.

An interactive multi-media music production, the Lilly Mack Sing-A-Long Series is, in Lataillade’s own words, “ministry where you are no longer a spectator.” The series boasts relationships with more than 100 professional gospel composers – top-shelf writers such as Kurt Carr and Myron Butler – who are penning songs that churches can learn easily. The songs will be available on Sing-A-Long Series CDs, complete with the music, lyrics and soundtrack so soloists, groups, choirs and congregations can sing along.

“Sunday Afternoon” DVDs, produced by Lataillade and Brother Steve Harris of Los Angeles, will take the participatory concept one step further by providing videos of gospel artists performing the songs, bouncing ball lyrics appearing on the screen so viewers can sing along.

Among the first seven contributions to the project are Detroiter Carnell Murrell’s worship ballad “You Are God” and Carr’s “In the Sanctuary.” Lataillade welcomes choir directors to provide feedback and work with the series to ensure that the programs and songs continue to meet the needs of music ministers and congregations.

In addition to the CDs and DVDs, Lataillade is partnering with the Word Network to produce a television program featuring the Sing-A-Long Series performed by an ensemble called the Lilly Mack Singers. The Word Network is in 60 million U.S. households and 200 countries. Lataillade’s program, said Word Network executive Steve Antoniotti, is part of the network’s commitment to “increase the amount and quality of its gospel music programming.”

Viewers can audition to become one of the Lilly Mack Singers on the Word Network program or join a local Lilly Mack Singers group that will provide affordable gospel programs for smaller churches and organizations. Lataillade explained that this is based on the franchise concept. Indeed, popular dance band recording groups such as Jean Goldkette’s Orchestra in the 1920s deputized smaller groups of the same name to represent the main band in several key markets at once.

In establishing the Sing-A-Long Series, Lataillade is bringing new technology to bear on gospel music’s basic principle, one going back to Profs. Dorsey and Frye’s first gospel chorus: to give the average person a chance to sing and participate in music ministry. That it was presented at GMWA whose tagline is “Where Everybody is Somebody” is no coincidence.

Lataillade announced that she is also working on a television comedy series called “So Laughable,” based on her own family experiences.

And the series name? It’s a tribute to Lataillade’s late grandmother, Lilly Mack.

You will soon be able to learn more about the Lilly Mack Sing-A-Long Series, and even audition online to become a Lilly Mack Singer, at http://www.lillymacksingalongseries.com/. The site is slated to go live shortly.