The Best Thing Under the Gospel Radar
Members of Shekinah Glory at a recent festival performance
By Lisa Collins, senior music editor, GospelMusicChannel.com
They are one of gospel’s best-selling acts and just as clearly, one of the industry’s best-kept secrets. With the platinum certification of their latest DVD last month, Shekinah Glory Ministry LIVE – The Praise & Worship Video Experience DVD, the 60-voice, Chicago-based ensemble’s under-the-radar success is beginning to get high-profile play.
Their latest milestone comes on the heels of the gold certification of their sophomore release, Shekinah Glory Live in May. Meanwhile, Praise Is What I Do, the project that started it all – was certified gold. And at its current rate of sales, their current single, "Jesus" is – according to Kingdom Records senior vice president Bernie McLean – "doing better than both. At the rate it's going, Universal Music (their distributor) expects it to be gold in eight months."
Debuting at number two on Billboard's top gospel albums chart, the CD has not dropped below number six in the 52 weeks since its release, peaking at number one and currently weighing in at number four.
"Everything we put out has been a hit," states McLean of the act that was borne out of Valley Kingdom Ministries International, a 10,000-member church just outside of Chicago. "Because of that, people know the songs more than the artist. While that could be a PR issue, it's traditionally easier to identify with people rather than ensembles. But over the last 25 years, there have only been two Chicago-based gospel artists with back-to-back gold: Smokie Norful and Shekinah Glory Ministries. We have definitely set a map and a model for praise and worship."
What started out as vision of Valley Kingdom Ministries’ founder Apostle H. Daniel Wilson has grown into a thriving recording enterprise, with the church's own recording label, Kingdom Records, at its center.
"When you start something from a vision, you hope that it blesses people. You don't have numbers in mind," McLean reflects."But every Sunday, there are people coming to the church because of the CD, so not only has the church grown, but what happens on our DVDs is what you see in our church every Sunday. In that sense, it has expanded our worship to the world, from South Africa to London.” (The platinum-selling, 180-minute double disc set includes teachings by Apostle Wilson).
"But," adds McLean, "a vision has to be fed.”
To that end, the label is expanding both its roster, which now consists of four artists – Shekinah Glory praise and worship leader Phil Tarver, neo-soul singer Cynthia Jones, Tanya Baker, and new signee, Darian Horn – and its reach.
"Praise and worship is where we hang our hat, but we realize there are a lot of young people we need to reach, so we are going to set up an urban division to get to that."
Gospel Stars Celebrate Vanessa Bell Armstrong
A “who’s who” in gospel will be on hand in Dallas October 13 to celebrate the life and music of legendary gospel artist Vanessa Bell Armstrong on her 42nd anniversary as a gospel artist. The ceremony will serve as a closing to the Texas State Missionary Baptist Convention. Armstrong will be feted by her singing friends such as Smokie Norful, Vickie Winans, Tramaine Hawkins, Bryan Wilson, Rance Allen, Lil Mo, Coko, Kervy Brown, Margaret Bell and Daryl Coley.
It was in 1983 that Armstrong took the gospel world by storm with her first radio hit, the Thomas Whitfield version of James Cleveland’s “Peace Be Still.” Since recovering from an illness that caused her to become partially paralyzed and briefly lose her singing ability, Armstrong – known for such songs as “You Bring Out the Best in Me,” “Something on the Inside” and “Pressing On” is signed to EMI Gospel and working on a new CD with GRAMMY-winning producer Donald Lawrence at the helm.
In other gospel news, a standing-room-only crowd packed out the Straight Gate Church in Detroit late last month (September 26) for the live recording of Donnie McClurkin’s much-anticipated forthcoming release. The session was scheduled to feature special guest Tramaine Hawkins, but when Hawkins injured her foot, Karen Clark-Sheard stepped in and will be performing with McClurkin on the CD that is tentatively scheduled for release in December.
Controversial gospel recording artist Tonex shifted creative gears with his acting debut in the San Diego Musical Theatre’s production of Dreamgirls, which ran last month. The GRAMMY-nominated, Stellar and Dove-Award winning artist, songwriter, and producer portrayed the troubled James "Thunder" Early.
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About the Writer
Lisa Collins, a Los Angeles native and resident, is a syndicated columnist, writer, publisher and former Billboard Magazine columnist. Her career in gospel began in 1988 with her creation of “Inside Gospel,” a daily/weekly syndicated radio series that provided news, profiles and product updates relative to the gospel music community. For the next eight years, she would also serve as executive producer of the show that was broadcast in more than 100 markets nationwide. Collins has also served as a segment producer for BET and authored well over 300 articles on a variety of issues for a number of national publications from Essence to Upscale. Her background in the field of entertainment reporting is extensive, featuring cover stories and interviews with the likes of Richard Pryor, Michael Jackson and Prince.
