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JGM Pick of the Week – June 10, 2026
Dawne Cole is from Chicago and her Windy City chops come out loud and clear on “I Called On Jesus,” a traditional-style selection about the power of prayer.
“That’s the Way God Planned It” a Celebratory but Clear-Eyed Portrait of R&R Hall of Famer Billy Preston
The documentary That’s the Way God Planned It is a vividly candid and elegiac portrayal of the life of music sensation Billy Preston.
Museum Exhibit Celebrating Chicago Gospel Singer and Actress Sylvia Fedrick Runs Through June 1
The Chicago Defender reported in February on an exhibit at the Illinois State Museum in Springfield that celebrates "the remarkable artistic journey of Sylvia Fedrick, a Chicago-born recording artist and actress whose creative story reflects resilience, faith, and hometown pride."
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Recent Posts
JGM Pick of the Week – June 10, 2026
Dawne Cole is from Chicago and her Windy City chops come out loud and clear on “I Called On Jesus,” a traditional-style selection about the power of prayer.
“That’s the Way God Planned It” a Celebratory but Clear-Eyed Portrait of R&R Hall of Famer Billy Preston
The documentary That’s the Way God Planned It is a vividly candid and elegiac portrayal of the life of music sensation Billy Preston.
Museum Exhibit Celebrating Chicago Gospel Singer and Actress Sylvia Fedrick Runs Through June 1
The Chicago Defender reported in February on an exhibit at the Illinois State Museum in Springfield that celebrates "the remarkable artistic journey of Sylvia Fedrick, a Chicago-born recording artist and actress whose creative story reflects resilience, faith, and hometown pride."
Sponsored Post:
The Greater St. Stephen Reunion Choir, featuring Bishop Paul S. Morton, will celebrate 40 years with a live recording, Monday, July 7, at 6:00 p.m. at Greater St. Stephen in New Orleans.
BMI celebrated the best in Christian music June 17 at the 2025 BMI Christian Awards held at its Nashville office on Music Row.
Gospel artist Micah Lee has made headlines as the first independent male artist to secure four Stellar Award nominations, more than any other independent male artist in the history of the show
Central City Productions proudly announces the nominees for the 40th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards presented by Procter and Gamble, across 36 categories, honoring the year’s best and brightest in gospel music.
“Bless Your Name” is a straightforward worship song based on the opening verses of Psalm 34, but where some worship leaders would play it straight, Tonya Baker juggles the melodic line like a jazz chanteuse.
LATEST 5 STAR REVIEWS
hot pics Roseanne CastilloCharles Jenkins & Fellowship Chicago The Best of Both Worlds EMI Gospel/Inspired People (2012) www.emigospel.com By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog. It could not have been easy for Charles Jenkins to succeed the iconic Rev. Dr. Clay Evans as Pastor of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago. Evans, a Civil [...]
Reverend John Wilkins You Can’t Hurry God Fat Possum Records/Big Legal Mess (2010) http://www.biglegalmessrecords.com/ Talk about old school. On You Can’t Hurry God, Reverend John Wilkins takes us way back into the North Mississippi Hill Country for sacred music, guitar evangelist style. The result is an album with the simple authenticity of an Alan Lomax [...]
Frontlynaz Game Over Frontlynaz, Inc. 2008 www.frontlynaz.com Say what you will about Holy Hip Hop, but the Stellar-nominated HHH group Frontlynaz spits rhymes and drops beats with the power and urgency of a brakeless freight train. Their Game Over grabbed my attention and held it with clenched fists from beginning to end. Captivating and compelling, [...]
LATEST PICK OF THE WEEK – SINGLES
“One Step Closer” DiVine of Annapolis From the CD One Step Closer (release date: September 20, 2022)
“He’ll Make It Alright” Julius Pearson & the Gospel Chorale of Chicago Enchanted Media Group
“All Things Are Working” Joe Pace feat. Callie Day Pace Music Group (release date: November 18, 2022)
“Favor” Danielle Stephens DRS Music (release date: July 1, 2022)
“Great God” Demetrius West and Jesus Promoters feat. Lisa Carter-Cork From the Blacksmoke Music Worldwide album Old Fellowship Hour (release date: November 4, 2022)
By Robert Marovich
In A City Called Heaven, gospel announcer and music historian Robert Marovich shines a light on the humble origins of a majestic genre and its indispensable bond to the city where it found its voice: Chicago.
By Robert Marovich
In A City Called Heaven, gospel announcer and music historian Robert Marovich shines a light on the humble origins of a majestic genre and its indispensable bond to the city where it found its voice: Chicago.
Dr. Feranda Williamson By Bob Marovich Its fifteenth album, Live XV, is still impacting gospel radio, but the Chicago Mass Choir is preparing for the future by re-signing with its former label home, New Haven Records. “We were with New Haven before,” Chicago Mass Choir President and CEO Dr. Feranda Williamson told the [...]
By Bob Marovich In some ways, it was like attending a gospel music hall of fame event wrapped inside a live recording session. The Clark Sisters were seated in the front row. Richard Smallwood sat behind them. Rows of gospel announcers, gospel music producers, and popular singers were to their left and right. Chicago’s House [...]
By Bob Marovich for the Journal of Gospel Music If Richard Smallwood had his druthers, the autobiography he is writing would have been released simultaneously with his new album, the two-CD Anthology Live. The album, recorded with his group, Vision, is essentially the "musical soundtrack" to his autobiography. But the music came first, and Anthology [...]
Kenneth Woods Jr. transitioned from labor to reward this morning, August 2, 2023. He was 94.
By Robert M. Marovich JGM is saddened to learn of the passing of Carnell Murrell. Here is a short bio we contributed to the Malaco Music Group website some years ago: Born in Detroit on June 25, 1962, gospel songwriter, group leader, musician and singer Carnell Murrell spent his early life plagued by one difficulty [...]
