If there is anything Dr. LouDella Evans Reid wants you to remember, its this: as long as there is a church, there will be a place for Sunday morning choir music. Reid, a founding member and four decades plus music minister of Chicago’s historic Fellowship Baptist Church celebrated the pre-release of Count It All Joy, a new collection of songs from her Traditional Gospel Choir during the 90/85 birthday celebration festivities that honored both her and her brother, the Reverend Clay Evans.
He Touched Me, a lively remake of the Thurston Frazier composition serves as the radio single and is garnering praise along with rave reviews from around the country. Dr. LouDella Evans Reid and the Traditional Gospel Choir were a highlight of the National Baptist Convention Christian Education Conference in June and will make an appearance at GMWA during July.
You cannot mention Chicago Gospel without a mention of the Godfather of Gospel Preaching, the Rev. Clay Evans. For some 5 decades, the What A Fellowship Hour reached thousands of home weekly via radio and television and featured the preaching of Evans and the melodic sounds of the 200 voice Fellowship Baptist Church Choir. We were on hand for his 85th birthday (check out the photos here), and this weekend everyone is all excited as friends from across the country gather to celebrate the 90th.
Producer/Singer/Songwriter and Fountain of Life Records CEO Pharis Evans Jr. (who features his famous uncle on his new single All My Help) shared these sentiments, “Reverend Clay Evans is a religious icon”, says master producer/songwriter and Fountain of Life Records CEO (and nephew) Pharis Evans, Jr. “He is an inspiration to so many. A man of great wisdom, candor and great humor, he motivates us to keep moving and trust God with everything. At 90, he can go into any church, anywhere on the planet on any given Sunday and simply say, “My, My, My” or “Can I get a witness” and the church will go in. ”
Fountain of Life is preparing for the reissue of some early recordings of Rev. Evans and the choir as well as a previously unreleased track. In the meantime, catch the spirit of Fellowship in the following throwback clip.
Award winning songwriter and Inspired People recording artist Pastor Charles Jenkins’ new single War has been effective in sounding the alarm to rally the church to action. “War is a victory anthem, fight song, and an inspirational prayer,” says Jenkins. “I believe everyone is fighting for victory in one way or another every day. Sometimes life is like a boxing ring and Satan brings new and often multiple opponents into our lives. This song is a reminder of who you are, whose you are, and calls on your faith, strength, and hope in God. It is a reminder not to settle for defeat when victory is an option.”
War is the first single from Any Given Sunday, the follow up disc to Best of Both Worlds that yielded the hit Awesome. The new CD features Jenkins and Fellowship Chicago Choir with guest appearances from Rev. Clay Evans, John P. Kee, Beverly Crawford, Byron Cage, Jonathan McReynolds, Sean Hodo, Kevin Vasser, Tanesha Jefferson and the new Inspired People recording artist Donishisa Ballard. The CD hits stores and digital outlets March 17th.
The year was 1999 when Pharis Evans, Jr. and Saints With a Vision (SWV) burst on the scene with their debut project Calling All Saints. The disc produced a wave of great choir music including Oh, How He Loves Me, Great Things and the unforgettable If Nothing Else, Thank You, which led to top placement on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart, a Stellar Award nomination and a Chicago Music Award.
Fast forward to 2014 and prepare yourself as the Saints get ready for another go round with the release of the Deeds of the Lord, the new single from their soon to be released Saints Alive CD. The group will celebrate their 16th Anniversary with a concert kick off to their multi city promotional tour.
The city of Chicago can make its boast in that it is the birthplace of Gospel Music and the host city of the largest free outdoor Gospel Music festival in the world. Chicago was the starting point for many Gospel Greats including Rev. James Cleveland, Albertina Walker, Inez Andrews and Reverend Milton Brunson’s Thompson Community Singers. Today, Ricky Dillard, Smokie Norful, Donald Lawrence, Jonathan McReynolds and Anita Wilson all call Chicago home. The Gospel Community will honor its very own on Friday, July 13th with the first annual Chicago Gospel Music Awards. The event will honor local Chicago gospel artists as well as pay tribute to legends Reverend Clay Evans, the late Dr. Charles G. Hayes and The Barrett Sisters.
Celebrating the positive impact that Black men are making domestically and across the globe, BET and ICON MANN joined forces to launch 28 Men of Change. As part of the month long celebration, BET Networks will honor pastor, singer, songwriter, life coach and businessman Charles Jenkins as one of the ’28 Men of Change’ with an exclusive interview highlighting his success at combining his passions with his purpose.
The interview will air on BET, Centric, BET.com and Centric.com throughout the day on February 11th. “I am very humbled to be among the youngest on the list of true Icons who are painting positive pictures for what young black men can become,” says Jenkins.
His follow up single, “Real Love” drops today on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and Spotify. The video for the single will premiere on Wednesday, February 12th on BET’s “106 and Park.”
Opera star Lawrence Brownlee and celebrated pianist/composer/conductor Damien Sneed will celebrate African American spirituals and church music as they present music from their CD Spiritual Sketches (LeChateau Earl Records) on Wednesday January 29th. The concert is part of Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series. Brownlee made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2013 and was a featured performer at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo Italy while Sneed toured the country conducting Wynton Marsalis’ Abysinian Mass with the Jazz at Lincoln Center orchestra and his Chorale LeChateau. Sneed also participated in the BMI tribute to Richard Smallwood during this year’s Stellar Award weekend.
Spiritual Sketches continues to receive critical acclaim from audiences across the country. Octogenarian and celebrated preacher Reverend Clay Evans was moved to tears upon hearing the duo’s performance of All Night, All Day. “Angels Watching Over Me just so happens to be one of my favorites”, said Rev. Evans, founding pastor of Chicago’s Fellowship Baptist Church, “but Lawrence adds something to it when he sings it”. “The only thing missing from the song is me bidding everybody a good evening, go on home, go to bed, pull the covers up all around you, go on to sleep knowing that the Angels will be there and when you get up in the morning, everything is gonna be alright”. Spiritual Sketches is available digitally via iTunes, Amazon and CD Baby.
It should be duly noted that this author is a firm believer that nothing beats an original. Let the record reflect there are some exceptions. Rubenstein McClure and The J.C. White singers introduced us to Lord Touch Somebody via their 1977 release Reflections of Divine Love in 1976. THEN THERE WAS REVEREND CLAY EVANS AND THE FELLOWSHIP BAPTIST CHURCH CHOIR of CHICAGO. In a few words, it was joy to partake in their musical expression via their weekly What a Fellowship Hour telecast and broadcast. With Karen Hull on lead, Royal Mickey Warren on the organ, Reginald McCracken directing and the majestic glory of the 200 voice choir this was the essence of Sunday night church service; the results of which can be heard in this recording.
Grammy, Dove And Stellar Award Winner Lady Tramaine Hawkins backed by a 500 voice choir will salute the legendary Reverend Clay Evans and Dr. Lou Della Evans Reid on Monday, July 12th at Chicago’s Christ Universal Temple on the celebration of their 85th and 80th birthdays. Reverend Evans is the founder of Chicago’s historic Fellowship Baptist Church. His sister Lou Della (one of the founding members of the church) served as minister of music for over 50 years and led the choir through many successful recordings. Various tributes will be offered from members of Chicago’s religious and civic community.
us music minister of Chicago’s historic Fellowship Baptist Church celebrated the pre-release of Count It All Joy, a new collection of songs from her Traditional Gospel Choir during the 90/85 birthday celebration festivities that honored both her and her brother, the Reverend Clay Evans.
can make its boast in that it is the birthplace of Gospel Music and the host city of the largest free outdoor Gospel Music festival in the world. Chicago was the starting point for many Gospel Greats including Rev. James Cleveland, Albertina Walker, Inez Andrews and Reverend Milton Brunson’s Thompson Community Singers. Today, Ricky Dillard, Smokie Norful, Donald Lawrence, Jonathan McReynolds and Anita Wilson all call Chicago home. The Gospel Community will honor its very own on Friday, July 13th with the first annual Chicago Gospel Music Awards. The event will honor local Chicago gospel artists as well as pay tribute to legends Reverend Clay Evans, the late Dr. Charles G. Hayes and The Barrett Sisters.
