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ONES TO WATCH 3. Gerard Bonner- Bonnerfide Radio has become one of the most popular radio shows on the web and their Anniversary parties are one of the most highly anticipated events of Stellar Awards weekend. Are you a BRC? 4. Sheila Belle- The Belle Report is something we all look forward to receiving in our e-mail box and continues to be “Go To” for gospel news and entertainment. 5. Torrence Glenn- “The Gospel According to Torrence” is another blog that keeps us informed. Torrence G’s infectious personality and knowledge of gospel music is necessary to the Gospel Music industry.
17 Yolanda Adams The Yolanda Adams Morning Show is still a staple on morning radio and with the show reaching 39 markets in the U.S.; she shows no signs of slowing down. However, her major power move in 2011 was not in radio, but her first love of music. The four time Grammy winner set a new pattern in gospel, often seen in other genres, when she used her celebrity to leverage a direct distribution deal exclusively with Wal-Mart, one the country’s largest movers of music. “Becoming”, her first album in four years, had no major marketing blitz and was pretty much a secret to industry insiders yet still managed to debut at #3 on the Billboard Gospel Album Charts and at press time the first single, “Be Still”, was the #4 most played gospel song in the country.
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6. Jawn Murray- This lover of gospel music ended his ever- popular segment on The Tom Joyner Morning Show as well as his segment on AOL’s Black Voices to focus on his first release, “Jawn Murray Presents Untapped”.
Don Jackson Business giant, Don Jackson has led gospel entertainment with more than 40 years of innovative television programs for African Americans. Since the founding of Central City Production, Inc. (CCP), Don Jackson has the oldest black-owned independent production company in the country. He is responsible for twenty-six years of success of the prestigious Stellar Awards and creating original African-American programs nationwide, many of which have been airing for more than 15 years. Jackson recently renewed his partnership and an exclusive 3-year deal with The Gospel Music Channel to continue airing the Stellar Awards on the cable network through 2014. In addition, Jackson’s Central City Productions spearheaded first run syndication of the GMA Dove Awards through network affiliates and independent stations nationwide, with an expected audience reach of at least 75 percent of U.S. television households. In efforts to stimulate jobs in the African American community and produce faith and family based programs, Jackson plans to launch is own network, Black Family Television, which will launch in 2012.
15 Melanie Few-Harrison In its 13th year, the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration brings NFL players and some of today’s top gospel artists together on one stage during Super Bowl Weekend. It features the NFL Players Choir, is the only inspirational concert that has aired on ESPN, and has been named by USA Today as “One of the Best Super Bowl Events to Attend.” SBG’s founder, Melanie Few- Harrison, has been very successful at bridging the gap between gospel music and the sports world and continues to bring forth “Results” as it pertains to marketing major corporations to faith based organizations. In 2011, Few- Harrison’s Marketing Agency, Results, Inc., helped bring positive television to the forefront with initiatives for BET’s latest sitcom, “Reed Between The Lines” and “Black Girls Rock”, which reached 844,000 and 1,968,000 African American households respectively. The latter even paid special tribute to Pastor Shirley Caesar, proving that “Church Girls Rock” too.
ONES TO WATCH
7. James Fortune- Upon his exit of Black Smoke Records under the helm of Kerry Douglas, Mr. Fortune formed FIYA World Music and will release his first album under his new label, entitled “Identity”, in addition to new acts.
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