Southern Gospel News SGNScoops Digital

Sunset Gallery Music Reaches Agreement With Noted Songwriter, Donna King

Pictured l-r: Joel Lindsey (Sunset Gallery Music President), Donna King, & Wayne Hahn (Sunset Gallery Music Creative Director)

Joshua Tree, CA – One of Christian music’s most talented songwriters, Donna King, has reached an exclusive agreement with noted publishing company, Sunset Gallery Music. Effective immediately, Sunset Gallery Music will partner with King to begin producing musical collaborations for many of Christian music’s most popular recording artists from multiple genres.

About Sunset Gallery Music

Sunset Gallery Music (BMI) – KeTone Songs (ASCAP) – Imperial Palms Music (SESAC)

StowTown Records amassed a record-setting 9 nominations for Dove Awards

Ernie Haase and Signature Sound of Stowtown Records

August 11, 2016 (Nashville, TN)… In just its fifth year of existence, StowTown Records amassed a record-setting 9 nominations during the Gospel Music Association’s 2016 Dove Awards Nominee Press Conference held Wednesday morning on the campus of Lipscomb University.

The 47th Annual GMA Dove Awards are scheduled to take place Tuesday, October 11 at Lipscomb’s Allen Arena.

StowTown co-founder Wayne Haun once again was named as a nominee for the prestigious Producer of the Year award. One of Southern Gospel’s most popular and well-known performers, producers, songwriters, and arrangers, Haun is a multiple Dove Award winner.

Collingsworth Family

Ernie Haase & Signature Sound’s recent popular album, Happy People, and The Collingsworth Family’s fan-favorite project, That Day Is Coming, were each announced as a finalist for Southern Gospel Album of the Year.

Meanwhile, StowTown’s Ernie Haase & Signature Sound along with The Perrys were each named nominees for Southern Gospel Artist of the Year.

Wayne Haun

“Jesus Changed Everything”, the popular radio single by Ernie Haase & Signature Sound written by Haase, Haun, and Joel Lindsey as well as “Keep On”, the 2016 powerhouse hit by The Perrys written by Haun and Lindsey were both listed as finalists for Southern Gospel Recorded Song of the Year.

For Country Recorded Song of the Year, “Love Covered My Sin” by Doug Anderson, written by Haun, Randall Garland, and Val Dacus was named as a 2016 nominee.

Doug Anderson

In the Special Event Album of the Year category, Blessed Assurance: The New Hymns of Fanny Crosby with producers Bobby Blazier and John Hartley earned a spot among the top nominations.

All winners will be announced at the awards show Tuesday, October 11th. The GMA Dove Awards, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. CT, will air globally on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) on Sunday, October 16.

ABOUT STOWTOWN RECORDS:
Founded in 2011 and expanded in 2014, StowTown Records reflects the musical vision of Ernie Haase and Wayne Haun, in partnership with Landon Beene and Nate Goble. The independent label is the creative home for top artists including Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, The Perrys, The Collingsworth Family, Doug Anderson, Devin McGlamery, The Taylors, Cana’s Voice, The Browns, The Little Roy & Lizzy Show, Triumphant, TaRanda Greene, The Erwins, Trey Ivey, Jody McBrayer, Rambo McGuire, Charles Billingsley and selected classic music from The Cathedrals, their legendary bass singer, George Younce, and The Cathedrals Family Reunion. Distributed worldwide through Provident/Sony Distribution, StowTown Records has quickly garnered industry attention with multiple GMA Dove Awards and chart-topping releases from their highly respected artist roster.

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StowTown Records honored at 45th Annual GMA Dove Awards

Producer Wayne Haun and Doug Anderson accept the Dove Award for Country Album Of The Year

(Nashville, TN)  To say the least, the 45th Annual GMA Dove Awards was good to StowTown Records. The fast-rising label, which attained a total of 16 nominations in 2014, brought home several Dove Awards Tuesday evening at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena.

Allison Speer Releases New Single

Allison Speer

Allison Speer has released a new single entitled “She’s Better Now.” Co-written with Dove award winner, Joel Lindsey, the song honors Allison’s grandmother, Alice Powell, and Joel’s mother, Reba Lindsey, both in now Heaven. Allison has been singing for 26 years and is a regular artist on the Gaither Homecoming videos and concerts.

Allison says, “Joel and I got together to write in 2013 at an office in Nashville. He was fondly speaking about his mother and how she had been gone seven years and how he missed her. He said he had recently seen a friend who had asked about her, and the first thing that came out of his mouth as an answer was, ‘she’s better now.’ I gasped when he said that. I did not beg him to let me co-write the idea but it came pretty close. We spoke for most of the afternoon about his mom and my grandmother, and this song was born in that writing session.”
“She’s Better Now” was featured in the 2013 Gaither video release, “Women Of Homecoming.” Allison has released a video of the song that can be viewed at www.allisonspeer.com. For more information, contact Brian Speer at 615.331.0900 or at brian@allisonspeer.com

Songwriter’s Forum With Joel Lindsey

Nashville, TN (February 10, 2014) Multi- Award winning songwriter, Joel Lindsey will present “Songwriter’s Forum With Joel Lindsey” on February 22, 2014 in North Augusta, South Carolina. With over 20 number one songs and more than 800 songs recorded, plus 13 Dove Awards, 4 Platinum records, 7 Gold records, and 11 Platinum videos to his credit, Lindsey will share songwriting wisdom and experience with new and veteran songwriters. In addition to learning songwriting skills, attendees will benefit from one constructive songwriting critique.  One person will also be given the opportunity to co-write a song with Joel Lindsey.

“I love spending time with other songwriters talking about the ins and outs of what makes some songs connect with people more than others,” Lindsey stated.  “I’ve been doing this for 25 years now and it’s a never-ending pursuit of trying to figure out how to communicate a song idea effectively.  So for me, to have the chance to get in a room with other songwriters and to be able explore and examine all of that is a great opportunity.  I have learned some tricks of the trade that I love to share, for sure, but I also find that every time I do something like this I learn great lessons as well. Songwriting is a great passion of mine but also, as a cancer survivor, raising money for cancer research is a great passion as well.  So, doing forums like this gives me a chance to combine two great interests of mine in one day.”

The “Songwriter’s Forum With Joel Lindsey” will be held at the First Baptist Church of North Augusta, 625 Georgia Avenue, North August, South Carolina and will last from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for Cancer Research.  For registration costs and more information, visit http://joellindseymusic.com

DEVIN MCGLAMERY, ERNIE HAASE & SIGNATURE SOUND, AND STOWTOWN RECORDS ENJOY DOVE AWARDS EVENING

(NASHVILLE, TN) – The evening of Tuesday, October 15, 2013 was quite exciting for Devin McGlamery, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound and StowTown Records! During a special ceremony at the 44th Annual GMA Dove Awards, “From My Rags, To His Riches” was awarded “Country Song of The Year.” The song, performed by Devin McGlamery with Bluegrass powerhouse duo Dailey and Vincent, from the StowTown Records release, Love Is A Verb, has resonated with audiences across the country with the theme of forgiveness and grace. Songwriters Ernie Haase, Wayne Haun and Joel Lindsey also received awards for composing the song.

To say I am beyond excited is an understatement,” exclaimed Devin McGlamery. “All I’ve ever wanted to do was sing Gospel music. To be honored by my peers with a Dove Award is extremely humbling. I praise Jesus Christ, my Savior, for all His blessings!”

Ernie Haase commented: “I met Devin McGlamery as a young teenager who wanted to do this more than anything! I knew then that one day, he would achieve great things. I am very proud of him.”

“It was an honor for our group to pay tribute to one of my personal mentors and friends,” shared Ernie Haase. “For years Bill Gaither has invested into the lives of others and it was a very special moment to be able to pay a small tribute to the man who has done so much for Gospel music and the kingdom. We love Bill Gaither!”

The 44th Annual GMA Dove Awards will be televised exclusively on the UP! Television Network tonight, Monday, October 21 at 8:00 PM ET.

Connect with ERNIE HAASE & SIGNATURE SOUND
www.facebook.com/ErnieHaaseAndSignatureSound
www.twitter.com/ErnieHaase
www.ErnieHaase.com

New Music From Collingsworth Family

P&KC MUSIC – NEW RICHMOND, OH Now into their third year with StowTown Records, The Collingsworth Family release their second full-scale mainline gospel recording on this label.  THE LORD IS GOOD contains all of the elements that have become mainstream “Collingsworth” in their 14 yr career in the Gospel Music Industry. Great material, outstanding writers, superb vocal arrangements, pristine orchestrations, and world class Nashville/New York recording technology.  One again collaborating with their award winning producer of 8 years, Michael Wayne Haun, with vocal arrangements by Kim Collingsworth, this project brings material to the table from great writers such as Rachel McCutcheon, Darryl Williams, Kirk Talley, Joel Lindsey, Wayne Haun, Jeff Bumgardner, Diane Wilkinson, Rebecca Peck, John W Peterson, Linda Allred, and what has become an expected Collingsworth standard: a renewed classic from their favorite writer: Gloria Gaither.  THE LORD IS GOOD contains it all: big Broadway style orchestrated productions, power ballads, fast upbeat tunes, lilting melodies, warm toned family harmonies, and their unmistakably clear message of the Gospel. 

Gerald Crabb Receives BMI Award

June 24, 2013 {Ripley Mississippi}   Broadcast Music, Inc. awarded this past year’s top played songs on Christian radio at the 2013 BMI Christian Awards Ceremony. Multi-Award winning songwriter, Gerald Crabb received the prestigious BMI honor, Southern Gospel Performance Award for “Sometimes I Cry,” performed by Jason Crabb, published by Christian Taylor Music, Gerald Crabb Songs. The Awards Ceremony, held June 18, 2013 at the BMI Nashville headquarters, recognized  the songwriters and publishers of the past year’s most performed Christian music on US radio including: Christian rock, contemporary Christian, inspirational, southern gospel and urban gospel songs.

This year’s accolade is the 8^th BMI Performance Award Crabb has received. In 2002, he was also awarded as the BMI Songwriter of the Year and Publisher of the Year. “It’s always an honor to win an award of any kind, especially a BMI Performance Award,” Crabb stated. “These awards are not voted on; they are given based on how many times the song was played in that period. I am very grateful to Jason for recording ‘Sometimes I Cry.’ He put his heart and soul into singing it. I am also grateful to all of the people who bought it and requested it. Most of all, I thank the Lord for giving me a song that speaks to ministry. I am a blessed man.”

Many other songwriter peers and friends of Gerald Crabb were honored during the ceremony including Carroll McGruder, Songwriter of the Year as well as Joel Lindsey and Wayne Haun for “Love Came Calling.”  For a complete listing of this year’s recipients, visit: http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/bmi_honors_christian_musics_best_at_2013_bmi_christian_awards.

About Gerald Crabb:

Born in Rosine, Kentucky, Gerald Crabb was singing by age 5, playing guitar by age 11 and preaching by age 16. During Gerald’s career, he has written over 400 songs with 22 of those claiming the number one spot nationally.  From Jan. 1998-Dec. 2006, one or more of his songs held the number one position on the national southern gospel chart for 37 months out of a 107-month period.

This singer, songwriter, and preacher has appeared on the Gaither Videos, TBN, The 700 Club, the INSP, CMT & GAC.  He has also performed at Carnegie Hall, The Grand Ole Opry, The Ryman Auditorium, Red Rocks Colorado, and The Brooklyn Tabernacle.  Crabb has also received numerous accolades, awards, honors and awards during his career span including multiple Songwriter of the Year awards as well as the 2011 Dove Award for Songwriter of the Year and Song of the Year for “Sometimes I Cry.”

Crabb is known for numerous hit songs performed by The Crabb Family including, “Through the Fire” and has also had many artists and groups to record his music including Randy Travis, Marie Osmond, Marty Raybon, Larry Sparks, Jason Crabb, The Gaither Vocal Band, The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Donny McClurkin, Karen Peck, The Talley Trio, The Hoppers, and many others.

Crabb performs and ministers at concerts, events, camp meetings and revivals throughout the year and he also offers songwriting workshops, music business classes and record production services.  For more information on Gerald Crabb, visit http://www.geraldcrabb.net/.  Connect with Gerald on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/geraldcrabbmusic?fref=ts.

For more information about BMI, visit: http://www.bmi.com/.

Plans Continue for “Write About Jesus” Songwriter’s Workshop Oct 11-13

More than 100 people have already signed up for this year’s “Write About Jesus” songwriters workshop.  The conference will be held October 11-13 in St. Louis, Missouri. Attendees will learn from songwriting experts such as Jennie Lee Riddle, Michael Farren, Joel Lindsey, Belinda Smith, and Tony Wood.  Topics will include “Qualities and Habits of Successful Writers,” “Co-writing Strategies and Etiquette,” Where Great Ideas Hide,” Rewriting: When, Why, and Most Of All How?,” Getting Your Foot In The Door: How To Get From Here To There” plus more.

A line up of worship leaders that will be helping at each group session: has been announced.  On Thursday evening James Tealy, David Myers, and Phil Mehrens. On Friday morning, Michael Farren and Jennie Riddle. On Friday evening, Gina Boe and Lee Black. On Saturday morning, Carl Cartee and Allie Lapointe.

Plans continue as well for the songwriting competition. Sue C. Smith shares, “I’ve also paired off our clinicians for the competition groups. We’ll be dividing entries by genre and have groups (as needed) for the following categories: worship, CCM, southern gospel, country, print and choral, kids, novelty and special occasion. Be sure to read the rules and guidelines for the competition on the Write About Jesus web site. They will be very helpful as you decide what song you’re going to enter.”

Two New Faces Coming To Write About Jesus…

Write About Jesus, a workshop for Christian Songwriters, announces two new faces for this year’s conference:

Jennie Lee Riddle and Michael Farren

Jennie Lee Riddle is a passionate worship leader, team trainer, songwriter, and conference speaker. She is honored as a three-time Dove award winner, top five CCLI songwriter, and BMI award winner for top 25 radio. Jennie is best known for authoring “Revelation Song” which had a 17 week run at #1 and current radio hit, “When The Stars Burn Down.” Numerous artists have covered Jennie’s songs, including, Kari Jobe, Gateway Worship, Phillips, Craig & Dean, Selah, Newsboys, Travis Cotrell, and many others. We’re thrilled that Jennie will be coming to Write About Jesus this year!

Michael Farren is the other new face at Write About Jesus. Texas native Michael Farren was lead vocalist of the worship band Pocket Full Rocks for 16 years. He’s received Dove award nominations for Worship Album of the year, for both Song to the King and Manifesto, and for New Artist of The Year.

As a songwriter, Michael’s work has been recorded by  Michael W Smith, Jackie Velazquez, Big Daddy Weave, Phillips Craig and Dean and many others. “Let It Rain” (Michael W. Smith) and “Let the Worshipers Arise” (Phillips Craig and Dean), are used in congregations worldwide. WAJ registrants will love Michael!

Returning this year:  Belinda Smith, Tony Wood and Joel Lindsey  

Belinda Smith is a Dove Award winning songwriter who has been part of Write About Jesus since the beginning! In addition to being a successful songwriter, she owns a BMI Award winning publishing company, teaches songwriting, and is a creativity mentor.

The world famous Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Mountain Stage, and the TN Young Writer Workshop are just a few places she is proud to have been recently.

Belinda is a sought after presenter at workshops and festivals all over the country. Through Belinda Smith Creative courses, she is now able to work with the best aspiring writers from around the world and guide them to their absolute best.

Tony Wood, a 2009 Dove Award nominee for Songwriter of the Year and the writer of 22 #1 songs,  has had over 400 songs recorded in the CCM market, including singles by Francesca Battistelli (“This Is The Stuff”), Hawk Nelson (“Crazy Love”), Mandisa (“My Deliverer”), Royal Tailor (“Hold Me Together”), and the Martins (“Unredeemed”).

He is a two-time Dove Award winner for Inspirational Song of the Year: “Find Your Wings” by Mark Harris and “Joseph” by Jason Crabb. Other artists recording his songs include Selah, Michael W. Smith, Point of Grace, 4-HIM, Avalon, Phillips, Craig and Dean, Sandi Patty, Larnelle Harris, Gaither Vocal Band, Booth Brothers, and many others. Tony is a staff writer for SONY Music Publishing.

Joel Lindsey is one of Christian music’s most prolific and enduring songwriters, having over 800 songs recorded in the last 20 years by artists in nearly every genre, including over 20 #1 Songs.

A ten-time Dove Award winner, he has been nominated for Songwriter Of The Year twice. His songs have been recorded by artists such as Point of Grace, Sandi Patti, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, Ty Herndon, Avalon, Joy Williams, The Perrys, Gaither Vocal Band, Michael English and many others.

Some of his song titles include “Celebrate Me Home,” “Gather At The River,” “Orphans of God,” “Reason Enough,” “Life, Love & Other Mysteries, “Born To Climb,” and “He Made A Change.”

Early Registration:

Register before Wednesday, September 12, and receive a $25 discount.  Check the website for various other discounts.  The conference is scheduled for October 11-13 in St. Louis, Missouri. For more information and registration, visit http://www.writeaboutjesus.com/