Gospel Dream: Second Round Highlights
Contestant John McKoy, Jr. in makeup
By Deborah Evans Price, Senior Music Editor, GospelMusicChannel.com
The excitement continued to build on the latest installment of Gospel Dream. By the end of the first episode, the field of 16 contestants had been narrowed to 12. Those dozen then nervously took the stage one by one, singing their hearts out and hoping for the best as the show aired on Sunday night.
Bernard Williams kicked off an evening of great music with “Lord I Lift Your Name on High” and found an enthusiastic supporter in judge Martha Munizzi. “I love you! I smiled the whole time,” she said in assessing Bernard’s performance.
Next up was self-proclaimed diva Latasha Nash who drew cheers from the crowd. Anita Levels followed with an energetic performance that led judge J. Moss to exclaim “You rocked that song!”
Melinda Watts proved to be a favorite with the audience and judges as she performed a cover of Nichole Nordeman’s “Brave.” “I agree with Martha,” said J. Moss, “You are the one to beat!”
Melinda was followed by blonde and bubbly Sunshine Matthews, who the judges all agree lived up to her name with her sunny stage persona. John McKoy, Jr. was next up and proved to be a strong contender as he earned a standing ovation, and Big Jim praised his confidence on stage.
The evening continued with solid performances by Kayla Brooks and Jeff Hawes. Christina Perrin got the audience out of their seats and on their feet worshipping with her heartfelt performance. Martha praised her as “anointed,” and Big Jim said “You took control, and that’s what a recording artist does!”
Kymm Lowery was up next and though the other contestants gave her a standing ovation for her performance, Martha commented that it was “good, but it wasn’t fabulous.” The evening’s last contestant was James Scott, who had the audience on its feet and left the judges smiling.
Matthew West kept the crowd engaged as the judges left to begin their deliberations. Needless to say, the contestants were a bundle of nerves awaiting the results, but win or lose, most agree it was an experience to cherish. “I can’t pick just one thing I learned; there are too many things,” contestant Cameron Noel told GMC.com. “Everyone has become just great friends. It’s been an amazing experience. There’s nothing like this.”
As the evening drew to a close, West announced the contestants who would be moving on to the next round. They were: Bernard Williams, Melinda Watts, Anita Levels, Kayla Brooks, John McKoy, Sunshine Matthews, Christina Perrin, Kymm Lowery and James Scott.
