Top Ten with Gospel Great Denise Tichenor-Davis

by ANN C. Editor-in-Chief

Denise Tichenor-Davis is a celebrated gospel singer & businesswoman who has captivated audiences with her soulful voice and unwavering faith. Born with an innate talent for singing, Denise began her musical journey at a young age and quickly made a name for herself in the gospel music industry. Her passion for spreading the message of hope and redemption through music is evident in her powerful performances and heartfelt lyrics. Denise's unique ability to connect with listeners on a deep emotional level has earned her a devoted fan base and numerous accolades. She has been Lead Singer with BET’s Bobby Jones Gospel Hour for 17 years & sings with the Kurt Carr Singers. With her remarkable talent and unwavering dedication to her craft,

Denise continues to shine bright and bring glory to the Kingdom of God.

1. You are a legend in Gospel Music when did you come into your gift? Wow, Thank you! I actually started singing in high school. Before then, I didn't know that I could sing. My older sister told me that she had a dream and God told her that I would be a singer. I was 12 years old when she told me the dream. I laughed however, a year later, I started singing in the freshman high school choir and the music teacher started asking me to lead songs and star in musicals and from there my dad, Albert Tichenor, our Pastor, asked me to sing in church. From there, I started singing in churches in the Indianapolis area with a choir I created called, Sounds of Deliverance. Tyscot Records got wind of us and signed me to a solo record deal. I ended up being the first female artist on Tyscot Records. I was only 18 at the time.

2. How has Covid changed the music industry?

Covid definitely was a game changer for the music industry. It forced everyone to become more creative and innovative their approach to their audiences including churches. Many started utilize social media platforms more often and become more astute with marketing and even producing revenue through the social media platforms.

3. How has the gospel music industry changed overall?

The gospel music industry has changed quite a bit. As you can probably see, most artist are back on the road and not depending on cd sells or even digital sells because the do not equate to the revenue that they were used to. However, the in-person venues in many cases, cannot offer the same pay due to their endeavors to recover from the covid onslaught.

4. Digital Marketing and Social Media is here to stay. How have you adapted to this new way of promoting music? Very true. I have tried to remain open to new marketing ideas and new approaches to an open and changing market.

5. Is a great voice still required to make it in gospel music or do you need more?

A good voice is still required in my opinion. Audiences still need to enjoy and receive what they are hearing. It is one thing to mask a voice on a record but in the gospel industry, you had better show up with what is airing on the record or better!

6. Should an artist seek out a Label or go independent and why?

This is totally up to the artist and what they are looking to achieve. Each artist has their own set of goals. Some artists may desire the backing of label and not look for recouping revenue right away whereas other artists may desire to remain independent because they have a solid plan in place for recoupment.

7. Are Groups doing better in the gospel music industry or solo acts and why?

It appears that groups are on the rise again and that is awesome however, solo artists are still gonna have a top tier spot in any music genre, in my opinion.

8. RevNation is the company you founded.What is it all about?

I have been in the music industry for almost 40 years as a both signed and unsigned artist. I paid attention. Made a lot of mistakes and then learned from them. RevNation was founded to help Independent Artists discover their sound and build out real, practical and reachable goals and then we help them execute those goals. It's absolutely amazing to be called to do what we do at RevNation.

9. Upcoming events you are doing? We are ALWAYS busy. lol We he theatre productions going on and pushing our artists events. We will be in Atlanta, Ga. on 7/1 with our Motown show and then in Fountain, Inn, SC with our Motown Show on 9/16. We are few surprises that we are also working on for 2024!

10. How can a person interested in working with you contact you? www.revnationmusic.com or via email-revnation2001@gmail.com or 803-570-2675.

Spike Davis

Comedian Host Actor Writer

Comedian Spike Davis, born and raised in Louisville, KY but now resides in Atlanta for the past 12 years. Over the past 30 years, Spike has toured the country with some of the hottest names in the comedy business. Most notably, he appeared with Steve Harvey, Jamie Foxx, and Ced The Entertainer just to name a few. Also, Spike has made several national television appearances on HBO, Showtime, Comedy Central, and BET. He has been rocking comedy club stages from coast to coast and now sea to shining sea. Over the past 6 years, Spike has elevated to himself one of the most requested comedians on the high seas. Working cruise lines and performing to sold-out rooms nightly. With his intelligent and witty comedic style coupled with the ability to work off the crowd, he leaves the audiences with a lot to laugh about and tons to think. His well thought out sets include humor mixed with poignant messages of hope, inspiration, healing, and inclusion all with a silly twist.