SGN Scoops Digital

IMC Management Announces Planc For 2013 Christmas Jubilee Tour

Johnson City, TN – IMC Management has announced plans for the 2013 Christmas Jubilee Tour. The Jubilee Tour features three of Southern Gospel Music’s most recognized artists, The Booth Brothers, Greater Vision and Legacy Five. The 2013 Christmas Jubilee Tour will begin on November 29 and continue through December 15, and will feature stops in the US, as well as Canada. The Jubilee Christmas Tour, for the first time, will include stops on the West Coast with concerts in Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and British Columbia, Canada. The Tour will also make stops in the Midwest, as well as in the East with stops in Indiana, Michigan and Kentucky

TV Alert The Collingsworth Family On TBN

The Trinity Broadcasting Network has announced it will feature The Collingsworth Family’s new StowTown Records Video Release FEELS LIKE CHRISTMAS as a Television Special next week at 3 different times. Broadcast schedule is as follows :

TUES 12/18 : 12:30 PM Eastern / 9:30 AM Pacific

THUR 12/20 : 3:30 AM Eastern / 12:30 AM Pacific

SAT 12/22 : 12:30 AM Eastern / which translates as FRI 12/21 : 9:30 PM Pacific

“Simply Charlotte” (Feature Story on Charlotte Ritchie)

“Simply Charlotte”

Published in 2012 August Edition’

by Jennifer Campbell

Some people are born with an innate love of music.  Others are blessed with the talent to be able to share their musical talent with thousands of people.  A select few have the gift of being able to also balance the responsibilities of being a wife and mother, all the while maintaining a busy schedule of traveling across the country.  This artist is no stranger to Southern Gospel Music, having traveled with the Nelons for five years and then Jeff and Sheri Easter for 12 years.  Now, she enjoys her third year traveling as a soloist.  This special individual is none other than Charlotte Ritchie.

Charlotte says of her solo career, “I’m really enjoying the solo thing.  It is different, but I am enjoying it!”  She said you don’t really realize how much planning goes into everything, since you are the only one planning your set, talking on stage, and seeming as if you have done all of this for years.  She said, “It’s a LOT!  You can’t turn to anyone else for help; you just have to do it.”

Even so, she has definitely risen to the challenge.  People are embracing her with open arms and she is grateful for their support.  “It’s really been amazing because even though I’ve been in the industry for a long time, when you start something new, you’re starting over,” said Charlotte.  “People have been so kind.   We have just been busy since day one and that’s a huge blessing!  We’ve been very thankful for that.”

If you ever have the opportunity to sit down and chat with Charlotte, you’ll find out that her heart is as a big as the state of Texas.  Not only that, but her love for God is greater still.  She gives God all of the credit concerning her solo ministry.  “God has opened a lot of doors for us,” Charlotte stated.  “That has been our prayer from the beginning.  God, You open the doors for us and we will go!  And He has, so that’s what we’re doing.”  Read more »

Mercy’s Well To Be Featured Artist On The Gospel Greats CHRISTMAS EDITION This Weekend

Nashville, TN (Dec. 6th, 2012) – Powerful trio, Mercy’s Well, will be the featured artist on this weekend’s edition of The Gospel Greats with Paul Heil.  The award-winning syndicated featured program will air at various times on radio stations throughout the country, and on Sirius/Xm’s Enlighten, the weekend of Dec. 8-9, 2012.

Songs from their brand new CHRISTMAS recording, BETHLEHEM SKY, produced by Donna King, will be featured.  There will also be special interview segments with Brad, Greg, and Kyle, of Mercy’s Well.  The new recording includes Christmas classics and brand new, original Christmas music.

You won’t want to miss this special time with Paul Heil’s The Gospel Greats and Mercy’s Well.

For more information about this show, including other artists included on this special Christmas edition, visit http://www.thegospelgreats.com/next.htm.  To find a station airing The Gospel Greats near you, click on the station finder located on The Gospel Greats website.

To learn more about Mercy’s Well or to schedule them for your music event, visit www.mercyswell.com.  You can find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mercyswellonline and on Twitter @Mercys_Well. You can purchase the new CD, BETHLEHEM SKY, as well as many other recordings from the trio, on their website, from Springside, and on iTunes.

“In the Heat of the Night” marks 20th Anniversary of “Christmas Time’s A Comin’”

It was just over 20 years ago that the stars of one of the hottest dramas on television stepped into the recording studio to raise their voices to assist charities that focused on drug abuse prevention.
Show stars Alan Autry, “Bubba Skinner,” and Randall Franks, “Officer Randy Goode,” organized the effort under Autry-Franks Productions bringing together the cast and numerous stars of country, bluegrass and gospel music to assist.
To mark the anniversary, the “Christmas Time’s A Comin’” CD is available again in association with original partner Sonlite Records, but this time exclusively available through the non-profit Share America Foundation, Inc. continuing the original purpose denoted by the cast and music stars.
“This project was a labor of love for us back then. Alan and I discussed earlier this year that we needed to share it once again with the millions of Heat fans who still watch us everyday and may have missed it the first time around,” Franks said.
Franks was the studio producer on the eight-month long production that included over 60 performers, visited seven studios in four states, included 12 recording engineers and took over 175 studio hours to complete.
“Christmas is a time for family and as we look back now, we notice that there are a few vacant chairs left by our Heat family and those entertainers that supported this project, so it makes us cherish these recordings even that much more,” Franks said. “Christmas music is timeless and I know these recordings will touch hearts this Christmas and for many decades to come.”
The CD was originally released in association with Sonlite Records, Crimson Records and MGM Worldwide Television Group and debuted officially from the stage of the Grand Ole Opry with a special appearance by Franks, Autry and show co-star David Hart.
Autry and Franks joined other cast members including the late Carroll O’Connor, the late Howard Rollins, Anne-Marie Johnson, Hart, Geoffrey Thorne, and Crystal Fox to perform a favorite Christmas song. Other cast members
including Wilbur Fitzgerald, Bob Penny and Sharon Pratt joined in on group performances of “Jingle Bells” and “Christmas Time’s A Comin’.”
Franks and Autry brought together several music stars that donated their performances. Among them Country Music Hall of Fame members Jimmy Dickens, Hargus “Pig” Robbins, the late Kitty Wells, the late Pee Wee King, and the late Grant Turner.
Other stars included Jesse McReynolds, the late Jim McReynolds, Jerry Douglas, the Whites, Mac Wiseman, the Marksmen Quartet, Ralph Stanley, the Lewis Family, the late Doug Dillard, the late Chubby Wise, Mose Davis, Bobby Wright, the late Johnnie Wright, the late Josh Graves, the late Jimmy Martin, Buddy Spicher, Jim Hoke, Abe Manuel, Jr., Ken Holloway, John Farley, Bill Everett, the late Gene Daniell and Wayne Lewis.
The project includes the sounds of bluegrass, jazz, rhythm and blues, Cajun, country and pop.
“One of my fondest memories of the project was bringing together the cast of a hit TV drama and my musical heroes – the legends of bluegrass on a recording for the first time in history,” Franks said. “Never before had all those bluegrass stars entered the studio to appear on the same song. Carroll loved it so much, he chose it as the title cut.”
Franks said one unique opportunity this time around is fans can also see never-before-seen original cast interviews about the project as special Internet features added at Randall Franks TV on YouTube between now and Christmas.
It is also available online at www.shareamericafoundation.org or via mail for a donation of $20, inside the U.S. ,and $25, outside the U.S., to the Share America Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 42, Tunnel Hill, Ga. 30755.
Autry and Franks continue acting. Autry’s latest film is “Forgiven” and Franks’s latest film is “Lukewarm.”
For more information about Alan Autry, visit autryentertainmentgroup.com or Randall Franks, visit randallfranks.com.

THE HAGEES CHRISTMAS AVAILABLE NOW! Difference Media Presents First Christmas Album From The Hagees

(Nashville, Tenn.) November 8nd, 2012 — Proud to present its first-ever Christmas project for The Hagees and Difference Media,The Hagees Christmas is a project that has something for everyone this holiday season. Produced by Michael Sykes, with additional production by Aaron Crabb, the project includes 13 tracks made up of traditional Christmas hymns like “Silent Night,” and “O Holy Night,” while also featuring classic treasures such as “The Christmas Song,” “Silver Bells,” and “White Christmas,” among others. Matthew Hagee and Aaron Wilburn collaborated to write an original tune on the project, “Glory To God,” while a beautiful rendition of “A Baby Changes Everything” is sure to be a standout and will be at radio during the Christmas season.

The Hagees have filmed a Christmas special, which will air at the end of November, and are currently in preparation for their 2013 release.

TRACK LISTING:

Let It Snow
O Holy Night
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Blue Christmas
Glory To God
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Winter Wonderland
Silver Bells
Silent Night
White Christmas
I’ll Be Home For Christmas
The Christmas Song
A Baby Changes Everything
For more information on Difference Media, visit these sites: www.DifferenceMedia.org, www.FB.com/DifferenceMediaGroup, and Twitter @DifferenceMedia.

Stay up to date with The Hagees and all of Difference Media by signing up for the e-mail newsletter at www.DifferenceMedia.org

Christmas is available online at www.jhm.org, iTunes, Amazon, everywhere music is sold or via phone at 1-800-854-9899.

THE ANNIE MOSES BAND CELEBRATES THE SEASON WITH LATEST MULTI-MEDIA PROJECT, ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS COLLECTION AVAILABLE NOVEMBER 27

 Los Angeles, Calif. (Oct.30, 2012)— The Annie Moses Band celebrates the season with its latest multi-media project, Ultimate Christmas Collection. Releasing nationwide on November 27, the collection fuses timeless carols with new original arrangements. The five-disc package is comprised of an instrumental project, the band’s chart topping studio album and the record breaking PBS CD/DVD special, providing fans with the complete Annie Moses Band holiday experience.

The album highlights three classic holiday projects from the Annie Moses Band that include, Christmas Bright & Beautiful, This Glorious Christmas and Christmas with the Annie Moses Band live CD/DVD. The project also features a brand new digital release of the band’s latest seasonal album, Christmas Comes Softly - an instrumental album comprised of original arrangements of holiday favorites. Some of the traditional songs include “Ave Maria,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “Joy to the World,” and “Lo! How A Rose ‘Ere Blooming.”

Christmas Bright & Beautiful (2008), expertly crafted by Annie Moses Band’s jazz pianist and arranger, Bill Wolaver, is an instrumental album that features a collection of beautiful Christmas carols that range from gentle impressionism to avant-garde excitement. Performed by the classically-trained musicians of the band, the arrangements reflect the acoustic Annie Moses style of string quartet, harp, guitar, piano and mandolin.

This Glorious Christmas (2008) is the Top 10 Classical Crossover project that introduced the style and sound of Annie Moses Band to the world. This album features studio recordings of fan favorites like “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “When the Christmas Baby Cries.”

Christmas with Annie Moses Band live CD/DVD (2011) allows fans to enjoy the record-breaking PBS Special in the comfort of their own home. The band’s live performances showcase classical and jazzy arrangements of carols alongside breathtaking original songs.

To coincide with the release of the Ultimate Christmas Collection, Annie Moses Band will perform an array of songs from the new project on its holiday tour.  Opening on November 29 in Belleville, Ill., the band will tour in a total of 17 performances throughout the season in markets such as Nashville, Tenn., Ft. Worth, Texas and New Orleans, La. The Christmas tour will be sponsored by Holt International, a non-profit organization that supports special needs children in countries overseas who are awaiting adoption.

After Thanksgiving, PBS will re-air the critically acclaimed Holiday Special that attracted audiences nationwide in 2009. To date, Annie Moses Band has garnered the highest debut for any new artist on the network.  Check your local listings, or call your PBS station for airtimes.

For more information on the Annie Moses Band Ultimate Christmas Collection, please go to www.anniemosesband.com.

ACM Award Winner Gordon Mote Celebrates The Season With THE STAR STILL SHINES

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (October 5, 2012) - New Haven Records and RSI Music Group have announced that Academy of Country Music award-winner Gordon Mote’s new Christmas project,The Star Still Shines, will hit store shelves October 16. The holiday CD combines Southern Gospel, inspirational, and country music-flavored renditions of new and traditional Christmas songs and carols, including Michael W. Smith’s classic “Emmanuel” and Steven Curtis Chapman’s “Christmas Is All In the Heart.”

In addition to 10 tracks on The Star Still Shines featuring Mote’s warm, engaging vocals, the musician’s award-winning keyboard prowess is spotlighted on the instrumental interludes “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” “Away In A Manger,” and “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” The first single from the project, an exhilarating vocal/keyboard arrangement of “Go Tell It On the Mountain,” releases to radio in November.

“I remember the first Christmas with my wife, Kimberly. We had a little 700-square foot apartment in Nashville and a scrawny little ‘Charlie Brown’ Christmas tree. We crammed our friends and family into that tiny living room, dimmed the lights and sang Christmas carols. What sweet days those were … simple, yet so full,” Mote reflects. “Now that we have children of our own, we are blessed with new memories. It is our prayer that as you listen to these songs, you, too, will sit back and think of all you have to be thankful for this Christmas.”

“From poignant to powerful, this CD celebrates the ‘Christ’ in Christmas in the fresh, creative, and heartfelt manner that has made Gordon one of the brightest emerging artists in music today,” says Ken Harding, president of New Haven Records. “It’s the kind of fun, yet meaningful, music you want playing while you decorate the tree or sit down for Christmas dinner. We are thrilled to bring the world another extraordinary project from this amazing artist.”

The Star Still Shines is New Haven’s second Gordon Mote release in 2012, following Songs I Grew Up Singing, an inspiring musical diary of landmark songs that not only shaped his music and ministry, but also inspired a generation of Gospel music lovers. Singles from that project include Mote’s renditions of the Hinson’s hit “Call Me Gone” and the Gaither classic, “This Is the Time I Must Sing.”

Photo caption, top: Gordon Mote’s The Star Still Shines will be released October 16 by New Haven Records. (New Haven Records photo)

Photo caption, bottom: Gordon Mote is a New Haven Records recording artist. (New Haven Records photo)

About Gordon Mote:
Mote, who recently was voted “Top Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year” at the 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, began playing piano at the age of 3 and toured with his family’s singing group until his undeniable talent made him an award-winning Nashville sessions player (Brad Paisley, Alan Jackson, Rascal Flatts, Lionel Richie, Alison Krauss). Mote recently wrapped up a six-year stint singing and playing for the popular Gaither Homecoming concerts and recordings so that he could devote more time to his family and expanding solo career.

The vocalist and keyboardist extraordinaire has been blind since birth, but his words and music reach beyond the ears to the heart. More than his undeniable talent, Mote’s fans appreciate his ability to communicate the love of Christ to a world in need of hope.

Mote’s fans can read more about the keyboardist in the October 2012 issue of Singing News where he will be featured as the cover story.

About New Haven Records:
New Haven Records is a Nashville-based music corporation that includes label, publishing, and film companies. For more than two decades, they have focused on the uniquely American genres of Black Gospel, Southern Gospel, and Country & Bluegrass Gospel. New Haven’s product is distributed to the mainstream through Sony and to the Christian marketplace through Provident Music Distribution. For additional information, go to www.newhavenrecords.com.

Exclusive Christmas Concert Review: The Ball Brothers

The Community of Chickamauga, Georgia received a Christmas treat from the Ball Brothers on December 2, 2011. Liberty Baptist Church, home-church of The Ball Brothers, opened their campus  for a fun afternoon of Christmas music. Fans packed out the gymnasium to enjoy the sounds of the season.

The church choir opened with a couple of anthems. The Ball Brothers then joined the choir for a joyous, “Jesus What A Wonderful Child.” Following the choir numbers, the Pastor of the church welcomed the crowd and couldn’t have been more proud to officially introduce his four sons as “The Ball Brothers.”

The young men got the concert started with a beautiful arrangement of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” followed by “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas.” The guys had set the Christmas tone and then moved into a lively version of “Let It Snow!” That song is always well received in North Georgia simply because the area doesn’t see much snow during the entire winter and rarely on Christmas. No snow? No problem. At least not for the Ball Brothers!  As they sang, snowflakes (the artificial kind) whirled and twirled on stage! Everyone loved the snowy touch- especially the children!

Following an introduction of each group member, they continued to stir the Christmas spirit with an energetic version of Jingle Bells- a real crowd pleaser!  Everyone seemed to enjoy it and clapped along. The Ball Brothers then showcased their talent and family harmony with “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” It seemed as if notes were literally stacked on top of each other as new chords were invented. Their harmony was tighter than tight.  It was truly an over-the-top performance! The guys continued their impressive set with none other than a Beach Boys Christmas tune! The song started with the Beach Boys on the track recording for a few measures, then the Ball Brothers took charge! “Little Saint Nick” was a great selection and certainly kept the atmosphere filled with Christmas fun in good taste.

Pianist, Cody McVey took his turn in the spotlight and dazzled the audience in spite of sore fingertips. McVey recently had recently handled a light bulb and was still feeling the effects on his fingertips, but that didn’t seem to be an issue as he tickled the ivories. He played an arrangement of “Deck The Halls” and “Feliz Navidad” complete with an orchestrated track and made several impressive key changes. The crowd responded to his performance enthusiastically.

The Ball Brothers returned with “O Come All Ye Faithful” with an acepella introduction. The arrangement was beautiful and the delivery was flawless with gorgeous harmony and perfect timing. Laughter quickly returned as the Ball Brothers showed a video clip of “The Christmas Carol” with ONLY the information you NEED to know!  It was hilarious. In fact, Daniel himself has an amazing sense of humor and certainly is a master at keeping everyone smiling with his story-telling. Trying to regain composure, but still laughing, the guys moved along to “The Christmas Song” also known as “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.”

The next song was another crowd pleaser for sure! The Ball Brothers sang “Go Tell It On The Mountain” as Daniel mingled through the audience offering his microphone for folks to sing along. Daniel seemed to have the crowd in the palm of his hand as he continued to interact as he had everyone to snap along to “Mary Was The First One To Carry The Gospel.”  The guys clearly had a great time with this song as they milked each vocal “dip” and “slur” for all it was worth!  And… the crowd loved it!

Daniel  brought a more serious tone back by talking about their father and how he couldn’t remember a Christmas that he hadn’t opened the Bible and shared the Christmas story. The guys sang “Holy Is Thy Name” and hands begin to lift all over the gymnasium.  As the song ended, a few people let out a few shouts and many stood to their feet.

Following a brief intermission and a couple more songs, the Ball Brothers had everyone laughing again- this time at their friends’ expense! They called a few young men to the stage and had them to sing “Blue Christmas.” The Ball Brothers sang the back-ground harmony as the friends split up the lines of the verses. “You need to keep your day jobs and give up the Elvis aspirations,” Daniel joked and they agreed. They were good sports and received Ball Brothers CDs for their participation. The guys then sang an acapella version of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” with a harmony so blended it sounded as if their voices had melted together. Amazing!

The Ball Brothers created a touching moment as Daniel shared their mission trip experiences and how fortunate we are in the United States to enjoy religious freedom.  The next song was dedicated to our troops in the US Military. The lights dimmed and they began to sing “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” as a slide show of their close military friends played on the screen.  It was truly a patriotic and tender moment. The audience was then reminded to send cards, letters and care packages to let our troops know they are loved and appreciated.

Daniel expressed appreciation to his father and Liberty Baptist Church for hosting the concert and thanked everyone for being there. The Ball Brothers had given 100% and provided a fun afternoon of Christmas music.

Before all was said and done, Daniel wrapped everything up by explaining the true meaning of Christmas by saying, “The reason we celebrate is  not about gift exchanges and parties. We enjoy all those things, but it has so much more meaning.  It’s not a date on a calendar that comes once a year.  It’s a story of a loving God that loved this world so much that He gave His only Son. Jesus lived a sinless, perfect life and became sin’s sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. He shed His life’s blood to pay for my sin, yours and the sin of all mankind.”

He went on to explain how salvation is a free gift that we can’t earn, but one that is offered and not forced.  He also explained that salvation isn’t about the church you attend, but it’s really about the cross. The Ball Brothers then sang the power-ballad, “It’s All About The Cross.”  The audience responded with lifted hands and a standing ovation. The concert concluded with one last fun number, “Glory To God in the Highest” complete with one last blizzard of snow!

The afternoon was a combination of good, clean family entertainment along with praise and worship for a home-town crowd. The town of Chickamauga loved every minute of it!  Find out more about the Ball Brothers  on their website at: http://www.theballbrothers.com/home.cfm

Concert Review by: Rhonda Frye

Jim Sheldon Celebrates the Holiday Season with the Release of First Ever Christmas Recording

DANVILLE, Ky. – (December 6, 2011) – Homeland Inspiration Group recording artist Jim Sheldon is ringing in the holiday season with his first ever Christmas recording. The aptly-titled Christmas released last month on Mont Eagle Records and features Jim’s down home charm and Country flair. Christmas was produced by the award-winning Nick Bruno (Booth Brothers, Kingsmen) and industry leader Scott Godsey (Toney Brothers, Heirline). The album features many traditional favorites such as “Away In a Manger,” “Joy to the World,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” and “O Holy Night” in addition to newer favorites like “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem,” “Come On Ring Those Bells,” and “Thank God For Kids.” “I am just so honored to have had the year that I’ve had,” mentioned Jim Sheldon. “God has opened so many doors for me this year. Getting to end my year with a brand new Christmas album is definitely one of the highlights!” Christmas was featured on the annual and popular Christmas Music Guide on the industry’s leading news site AbsolutelyGospel.com. The article had this to say about the recording:  “Jim Sheldon is a new name on the Gospel music landscape – but his debut Christmas recording has a lot of country based classic holiday songs to make any fan of Christmas music happy. Jim covered some great tunes like ‘Come On Ring Those Bells,’ ‘Beautiful Star of Bethlehem,’ and the recent hit ‘Thank God For Kids.’ Don’t forget to check out this great new release!” Jim will celebrate the release of this new album at an upcoming concert in the Nashville, Tennessee area this coming weekend, December 11, 2011. The concert will also feature industry favorites the Booth Brothers. For more information on that concert, visit www.jimsheldonmusic.com . Jim recently released his debut recording for Homeland Inspirational Group’s Christian country label Mont Eagle Records. The album – I Belong to Jesus – released this past September during the National Quartet Convention in Louisville, Kentucky.  For more information about Jim, visit his website at www.jimsheldonmusic.com  . About Jim SheldonJim is based out of Danville, Kentucky where he spearheads his personal ministry – Putting God First Ministries. Jim was most recently seen traveling and singing baritone for the The Keetons. Jim recently signed a recording contract with Homeland Inspiration Group’s Mont Eagle Records. His debut album with Mont Eagle Records – I Belong to Jesus – is now available!