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Dove Award Winning Recording Artist, TaRanda Greene, Releases Deluxe Edition Christmas Recording

Dove Award Winning Recording Artist, TaRanda Greene, Releases Deluxe Edition Christmas Recording

Nashville, TN  – Just in time for the holiday season, StowTown Records announces that Spirit of Christmas Deluxe Version, from one of Christian music’s most iconic voices, TaRanda Greene, is now available in stores and at online retail outlets worldwide. This project from the GMA Dove Award winner was released to digital outlets in 2019.

“Christmas is such a special time of year, and I am excited that this Christmas recording is now available in stores,” TaRanda says with a big smile.

Spirit of Christmas Deluxe Version features several Christmas classics, including “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” “Jingle Bells,” “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” and “Silver Bells,” just to name a few. Also included are show stoppers such as, “O Holy Night,” “I Wonder As I Wander” and sure-to-become-classics, “Give Love On Christmas Day” and the title cut “Spirit of Christmas.” The remake of the Whitney Houston classic “Who Would Imagine A King?” is another welcome addition to this stellar recording.

“This recording is very special to me,” TaRanda explains. “People always ask for classic Christmas songs, so that is what we wanted to do. With five of the songs having a three-piece band, we wanted to take the listener back to a time when life was much more simple; when kids popped popcorn, strung it around the Christmas tree, and the family snuggled around the fireplace and reflected on the true reason for the season, the birth of the Christ child. This project was so much fun to record, and I hope the listener enjoys the finished product as much as I enjoyed recording it.”

For years, TaRanda has been inspiring listeners worldwide with her authenticity, energy and unmatched vocal ability. This latest recording effort will no doubt offer listeners even more inspiration. Spirit of Christmas Deluxe Version promises to offer much listening enjoyment throughout the 2020 holiday season and quite possibly for many years to come.

Spirit of Christmas Deluxe Version is distributed by Provident/Sony and is available worldwide wherever fine Christian music is sold.

Spirit of Christmas Deluxe Track List:

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
Still, Still, Still / O Holy Night
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Jingle Bells
Give Love On Christmas Day
Cool Yule with Up On The Housetop
Who Would Imagine A King?
Silver Bells
Jesus, What A Wonderful Child with I’m His Child
I Wonder As I Wander
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
That Spirit of Christmas
Auld Lang Syne

Dove Award Winning Recording Artist, TaRanda Greene, Releases New Christmas Recording

Dove Award Winning Recording Artist, TaRanda Greene, Releases New Christmas Recording

Nashville, TN  – Just in time for the Holiday Season, StowTown Records announces the digital release of a new Christmas recording from one of Christian music’s most iconic voices, TaRanda Greene. Spirit of Christmas is reintroduced as a “Deluxe Version” featuring 5 new songs! This project marks the first of its kind from the 2019 GMA Dove Award winner for Inspirational Song of the Year. “Christmas is such a special time of the year and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to produce the deluxe version of this Christmas recording,” TaRanda says with a big smile.

Spirit of Christmas Deluxe features several Christmas classics, including “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” “Jingle Bells,” “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” and “Silver Bells,”  just to name a few. Also included are show stoppers like “O Holy Night,” “I Wonder As I Wander” and sure-to-become-classics like “Give Love On Christmas Day” and the title cut, “Spirit of Christmas.” The remake of the Whitney Houston classic “Who Would Imagine A King?” is another welcome addition to this stellar recording.

“This recording is very special to me,” TaRanda explains. “People always ask for classic Christmas songs, so that is what we wanted to do. With five of the songs having a three-piece band, we wanted to take the listener back to a time when life was much more simple; when kids popped popcorn, strung it around the Christmas tree, and the family snuggled around the fireplace and reflected on the true Reason for the Season, the birth of the Christ Child. This recording was so much fun to record, and I hope the listener enjoys the finished product as much as I enjoyed recording it.”

For years, TaRanda has been inspiring listeners worldwide with her authenticity, energy and unmatched vocal ability. This latest recording effort will no doubt offer listeners even more inspiration. Spirit of Christmas Deluxe promises to offer much listening enjoyment throughout the 2019 Holiday Season and quite possibly for many years to come.

Spirit of Christmas Deluxe is distributed by Sony/Provident Distribution and is available worldwide on all digital music platforms.

TaRanda: Spirit of Christmas Deluxe Track List:
Still, Still, Still/O Holy Night
Give Love On Christmas Day
Cool Yule w/Up On The Housetop
Who Would Imagine A King?
Jesus, What A Wonderful Child w/I’m His Child
I Wonder As I Wander
That Spirit of Christmas
Auld Lang Syne
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
Jingle Bells
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Silver Bells

Cana’s Voice Releases Sophomore Project: Don’t Wanna Miss This

Nashville, TN — With countless live appearances behind them and the success of their chart-topping project, This Changes Everything, StowTown Records artist Cana’s Voice is thrilled about the release of their highly-anticipated sophomore recording project, Don’t Wanna Miss This, which is now available at all digital and retail platforms worldwide.

Drawing on the strengths of three of today’s top, award-winning producers, Wayne Haun, Jim Hammerly and Jerard Woods, Cana’s Voice couldn’t be more excited about the production and arrangments on this project. But as amazing as this project sounds, it would be meaningless without the message of the carefully-selected songs they chose. Penned by an extremely talented group of songwriters including Don Koch, Andraé Crouch, Wayne Haun, Joel Lindsey, Jeff Bumgardner, Fred Hammond and Brian White, Don’t Wanna Miss This is a collection of songs designed to offer hope to the hopeless. Fans will enjoy the fresh new sounds of songs like the upbeat title cut, “You Don’t Wanna Miss This” and worshipful “Center Of It All,” but they will also enjoy the Cana’s Voice treatment of well-known CCM hit “There Is A Love” and Traditional Gospel song “Where Jesus Is.”

While they want to send the message of God’s love and redeeming grace to as many people as possible, they are particularly concerned for those who are on the edge of giving up on God, Christianity and the church. Jody McBrayer shares, “When we got together, the whole point of this group was to be something unique, genuine and real, and to be a part of something done with excellence. We didn’t want to get in the studio and throw some songs together to have a project to sell. No, we’ve chosen to work diligently for these last 3 years to bring our listeners something that changes people.”

With each of the three group members (Doug Anderson, TaRanda Greene and Jody McBrayer) having successful solo careers, Cana’s Voice comes together for special events and 30-40 concert dates each year. They look forward to sharing Don’t Wanna Miss This at the Brooklyn Tabernacle this Sunday as a launch to their 2019-2020 touring season.
Don’t Wanna Miss This is distributed by Sony/Provident Distribution.

TRACK LISTING:
1. Where Jesus Is
2. You Don’t Wanna Miss This
3. There Is A Love
4. Orphans of God
5. I Don’t Have To Know
6. Again & Again
7. We’re Blessed
8. I Stand Redeemed
9. Center Of It All
10. Hope
11. What Are You Waiting For
12. At Midnight

Cana’s Voice

ABOUT CANA’S VOICE:
Cana’s Voice has combined the multi-genre talents of Jody McBrayer, TaRanda Greene and Doug Anderson to create a unified message of hope for the hurting. Their awe-inspiring harmony, coupled with the beautiful ability to deliver their personal testimonies, has propelled the vocal group into the music industry spotlight. In addition to each member having well-established solo careers, Cana’s Voice comes together 30 to 40 times a year for special events, as well as exciting concert tours with such artists as acclaimed tenor David Phelps and multi-Grammy award winner CeCe Winans. Among their many concerts over the last three years, they have performed at Brooklyn Tabernacle, Bellevue Baptist Church and Shadow Mountain Community Church. They have also been a part of the National Day of Prayer events in Washington, DC, been featured at the Southern Baptist Metro One Worship Conferences and have made regular appearances at Turning Point rallies. In 2020, they will be expanding their tour into Norway, Sweden, and Australia.

LINKS:
http://www.canasvoice.com/
https://www.facebook.com/canasvoice/

https://www.instagram.com/canasvoice/

https://twitter.com/canasvoice
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE1RQJI1NhGMofwJ0huCIrw

ABOUT STOWTOWN RECORDS:
StowTown Records was founded in 2011 by Ernie Haase and Wayne Haun and then expanded in 2014 with the addition of partners Landon Beene and Nate Goble. With each person bringing their individual expertise, StowTown has become a powerhouse independent Gospel Music label. As the creative home for many of today’s top artists, the StowTown family of artists includes Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, Doug Anderson, Charles Billingsley, The Browns, Cana’s Voice, Tiffany Coburn, The Collingsworth Family, The Erwins, TaRanda Greene, The Guardians, Trey Ivey, The Little Roy & Lizzy Show, Tim Lovelace, Jody McBrayer, Devin McGlamery, The Perrys, Southern Raised, The Taylors and Triumphant Quartet. Distributed worldwide through Provident/Sony Distribution, StowTown Records has garnered industry attention with multiple GMA Dove Awards and chart-topping releases from their highly respected roster of artists.

LINK: HERE

For more Gospel music features, read the latest SGNScoops Magazine HERE.

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Happy Monday….

“For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.” -Psalm 91:11-12

God offers His pure and selfless love through the use of His angels. According to the psalmist, God commands many angels to guard us. God commands those faithful spirits who are nearest to Him, who come from Him and are marked by Him to guard us in all our ways. God’s promise through the psalmist to Jesus applies to us as well.

Here is a song that talks about Angels watching over us by TaRanda…

Happy Monday!

TaRanda Greene Kicks Off Busy Christmas Tour Season at Lipscomb’s Lighting of the Green, hosted by Amy Grant

TaRanda Greene Kicks Off Busy Christmas Tour Season at Lipscomb’s Lighting of the Green, hosted by Amy Grant

Nashville, TN – TaRanda Greene’s powerhouse vocals filled the air during Lipscomb University’s Lighting of The Green, hosted by superstar, Amy Grant. TaRanda performed “Cool Yule,” along with “O Holy Night,” which resulted in a standing ovation of thunderous applause from the capacity crowd. 2018 marked the 14th year for the event and is one of Nashville’s most cherished holiday traditions.

“’I can think of no better way to kick off Christmas than to be a part of Lipscomb University’s Lighting of the Green,” said TaRanda. “Thank you, Amy Grant and Lipscomb University, for the honor of allowing me the wonderful opportunity to welcome in the Christmas season with you. It truly was a magical night.”

Upon the conclusion of TaRanda’s performance of “O Holy Night,” Grant commented “I’m going home tonight and buying every single TaRanda Greene project available! Her heart and smile is as big as her voice!”

For more than a decade the Lipscomb University community has celebrated the start of the holiday season with beloved Nashville entertainer Amy Grant and friends at the annual Lighting of the Green concert.

Greene has recorded seven studio albums including her latest, The Healing, released earlier this year. She has been a featured guest soloist with the famed Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and has performed throughout the world from Europe to Carnegie Hall. Greene performs both as a soloist and a member of the award-winning Christian Music group, Cana’s Voice.

From the Lipscomb University event, TaRanda went full-speed ahead into the Christmas touring season. She’s headlining a string of tour dates by herself, as well as a Christmas tour with Charles Billingsley and concludes the holiday season as a featured vocalist during the Brooklyn Tabernacle’s Christmas production in New York, NY.

Memories of Tony Greene on his induction to the SGMA Hall of Fame by Stephen Widener

Tony Greene and The Greenes. Photo by Lois Quinn Clardy

I got the call a few weeks ago that Tony Greene was going to be inducted into the SGMA Hall of Fame posthumously on September 26.

The Greenes. John Jeffrey, Tony Greene, TaRanda Greene and Jeff Snyder

One year at the Greenes’ Jubilee outdoor singing, he decided to take up an offering to help build a church in Panama.

We first met The Greenes in ’95. I knew of them and had heard them perform in concerts with my Aunt and Uncle. I first heard Tony sing when he was ten and he stole the show then.

In 1995, my brother Jonathan and I started singing and we were going faster than we could keep up. It wasn’t long until we were going from North Carolina into Tennessee and Virginia and other states to sing. We were glad but overwhelmed. People wanted us to record, so after much prayer and searching, I went to talk to Tim Greene and met all three of the Greenes. (Pictured: Jonathan Widener, George Younce, Stephen Widener).

Tony seemed to know me all my life, but that’s how he was. He didn’t know a stranger.

Jonathan got to meet the Greenes as well and started to going to Westview, the church they attended, on Wednesday nights. My brother told me about the meetings at Westview, and how he and Tony had become fast friends. In ’98, I changed jobs, and soon began going with Jonathan to Westview where we became part of the congregation. We still love Westview even though we don’t attend quite as much.

Jeff Snyder and Tony Greene

It was there where we became friends with Tony and Tim, and many others. Tony and Jonathan and I became best friends, and our stories are too numerous to tell. In the many adventures from the Greenes’ autobiography “Hold On”, my brother and I were there as well, living out several of those stories. The memories we have will live in our hearts and minds forever.

I’m glad Tony could talk personally with me, even before I became a preacher. We were close and I ended up helping him with his concerts and promotional efforts, so that’s how a lot of people came to know me. I always called Tony’s mother, Carolyn, “Mama” and still do.

My first funny story was the first time I was at their church on Wednesday night. Tony didn’t go out on the road until Thursday. Tony and his cousin, Gina, came in wearing false ‘Bubba’ teeth. No one knew he was wearing the teeth until the fourth song. Toward the end of the song, Tony was grinning like a ‘mule eating sawbriars’ and the whole church was rolling in laughter. Then Gina turned and was wearing them too. Six months later he did it again, but this time he was wearing vampire teeth with fake blood.

We would go out to eat and Tony would sing ‘Elvira’ driving up the road at a modest 90mph, and slow down to sing Conway Twitty’s ‘Linda on My Mind’.

The Greenes. Jeff Snyder, Tony Greene, TaRanda Greene, John Jeffrey

When TaRanda first joined the Greenes, she and Tony fought like cats and dogs. We wouldn’t have known they would end up married at the time, except Tim and Carolyn somehow knew.

Tony had gotten out of a relationship that was difficult for him, but he hid it well. There were other girls he was interested in, but once TaRanda or ‘Daisy’ started taking a liking to ‘Buck’ (Tony), she would buy him Mountain Dew and mark her territory.

Tony was a great undertaker, he helped with my Grandma’s funeral, and the Greenes were there when she passed.

I remember when we were at Kirk Talley’s house and Kirk threw a great birthday party for himself. Tony saw a tie of Kirk’s he liked and nagged Kirk to death until Kirk finally let him have it. That was just Tony.

No one was safe from Tony’s humor. When Nic Holland first took Tim’s place, they sang at Providence Baptist outside Hickory. Poor Nic went up onto the platform first in front of Tony and TaRanda and tripped onto the stage. Tony and Taranda laughed so hard that the whole church was in laughter too.

One of the biggest nights in Tony’s life was the night he proposed to Daisy at the National Quartet Convention. My brother Jonathan and I were there. We knew about the proposal from Greg Crowe because he was carrying the ring and daisies. Greg was wearing a suit and he never wears a suit, so we knew that this would be the night. Tony was scared to death!

Tony came to me beforehand and asked me, “Stephen, what if she says no?” I told him not to worry; he could trip like Nic, fall flat on his face, make a total fool of himself, and she would still say yes. They had tried to hide the relationship, but we knew they were an item for five months. (Pictured: Front – Tony and TaRanda (Kiser) Greene, NQC on ‘The Proposal Night’. Back – (unseen) Stephen Widener, James Kiser (Taranda’s father). )

One of Tony’s best-known stories is the tale of “Jingle Bells”. I know it’s true because I encouraged him to tell it. We went out to eat after church one evening and he related what had happened that day at a funeral. Tony said, “I just gotta tell ‘youinzis’ (that’s a word, really. That’s mountain for Y’all, which is southern) this story…”

“I got into work today, this lady asked me to sing at her husband’s funeral. I said, ‘Why, yes, anything I can do for you. What would you like for me to sing?’

“She answered, ‘He requested that you sing, Amazing Grace, Beulah Land, and Jingle Bells.” Tony’s eyes were as big as 50-cent pieces when he said that. “’Jingle Bells?’ She said, ‘Why yes Tony, you just got to sing it.’ So I said ‘Yes, ma’am, whatever you need, I’ll do.”

Tracy Stuffle and Tony Greene. 2010. Photo by Libbi Perry Stuffle

That’s was one thing about Tony, he would go out of his way to help someone, if there was a way for him to do it. His heart was twelve times bigger than most people’s.

“So, at the start of the memorial service, Tony sang, ‘Amazing Grace’ and sat down. The preacher said a few words, a prayer, and Tony got up and sang Squire Parsons’ song ‘Beulah Land’. He sat down and waited for the next preacher to say a few words and pray.

Then, as reverent as he can, Tony stood and bellowed out “Jing-le Bells, Jing-le Bells, Jing-le all the way…”. A song that usually takes two and a half minutes to sing went for 5 minutes, and Tony said, “You should have seen the looks on their faces! Their jaws dropped so fast and so far, you would have thought..” Here he paused to laugh and then continued, “…I’d have cussed someone in church or something…” By now Tony is laughing and we’re all in tears. “ And then I sat down,” said Tony.

Tony Greene. Photo by Elaine Reyes Harcourt. 2010

“After the funeral, I went up to her and said, “I hope everything went the way you wanted it to.’ She said, ‘Tony, it was wonderful. You did a great job. But, I don’t know what I was thinking!’ I said, “What?” and my jaw dropped open. She said, ‘You see Tony, with so many people coming by and bringing food and staying all night, I haven’t slept in three days. I’m so tired, I don’t know why I said that you should sing ‘Jingle Bells’. What I meant to say was, ‘When They Ring Those Golden Bells for You and Me’.”

The thing is, Tony loved people. He wanted to see the lost saved, and he wanted to put a smile on someone’s face wherever he went. Now he’s in heaven and people somewhere are laughing at one of his stories.

My prayers are always with the family. I love them very much. I hope Tony’s girls will one day be able to see how great a dad they have and know that they were the apple of his eye.

Editor’s Notes: Tony Greene passed away September 28, 2010 at the age of 41 from Renal Disease. He is survived by his wife TaRanda Greene and their two daughters, Isabella and Jocelyn, as well as many other family members. For more on Tony and his music ministry, click on to http://www.thegreenesgospel.com/

The author of this feature, Stephen Widener, is an ordained Pastor, Southern Gospel Singer, Musician, and Youth basketball Coach from North Carolina. A fan of Southern Gospel, he has been in and around the industry for several years, as well as having relatives within the industry. Stephen can be found in many places on the web including Facebook and Twitter, but you can reach him personally at snwidener2000@yahoo.com.

SGNScoops salutes the family and friends of Tony Greene as he is inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Association’s Hall of Fame today, September 26, 2017.

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Cana’s Voice: Once Broken, Now Restored

Cana’s Voice

“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘They have no more wine.’…Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, ‘Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.’ They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine…What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.” (John 2:1-3, 7-9, 11 NIV)

For this first recorded miracle, Jesus made what some may consider an interesting choice in the vessel that He used to perform the wonder. The jars often go unnoticed in the story of The Wedding at Cana. But they play an important role in the miracle. They are used by the Master to reveal His glory.

SGNScoops cover for June 2016. Cana’s Voice

The significance of the vessels has not gone unnoticed by TaRanda Greene, Jody McBrayer, and Doug Anderson. All three powerhouse singers have sung before thousands and thousands of Christian music fans. And all three have had moments before an Audience of One when it seemed as if their broken pieces wouldn’t hold any more miracles. But Jesus looked past the brokenness and saw three voices that He would use to restore hearts, to heal wounds, and to change lives.

He saw Cana’s Voice.

Cana’s Voice

TaRanda Greene’s excellent vocal ability and powerful delivery has wowed listeners for years. She has been a regular vocalist on Grammy award-winning Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir projects, and has also been invited to sing at the United Nations, as well as in the largest churches across the world. She has been a regular on the In Touch Network, Gaither Homecoming Series, and Turning Point Ministries.

Jody McBrayer traveled 12 years with the highly acclaimed and multi-award winning Christian pop group, Avalon. His vocal abilities helped garner 21 number-one songs, three Grammy nominations, over four million records sold and three Dove Awards for the group. In 2003, Avalon earned the American Music Award for Best Contemporary Inspirational Artist.

Doug Anderson was a founding member of Signature Sound. As a member of this highly successful Southern Gospel quartet, Doug has traveled the globe, appearing in countless sold-out venues. He has earned a Grammy nomination and 13 Dove Awards as both a soloist and as a member of Signature Sound. During his time with the group, they had three videos and one CD attain Gold status in Billboard sales.

So how did these three extremely talented singers find themselves singing as one voice, Cana’s Voice? Doug explains, “Landon Beene, President of IMC/StowTown Records (and TaRanda Greene’s husband), TaRanda and I, along with our families, have vacationed together for years and have always joked and dreamed about putting something together where we could still keep our solo careers going, but be a part of something bigger. When I decided to leave Signature Sound the search was on, since we were searching for a third person to make this dream a reality. Landon contacted Jody whom we had all followed over the years, to see if he would be interested. We met at Wayne Haun’s house, another StowTown Records executive and our producer, and just got around a piano and just did what singers do. I was all in within the first two minutes. I knew there was something special here and I wanted to be a part of it. And so Cana’s Voice was born!”

Read more »

TaRanda Greene On Gospel Music Today

TaRanda Greene On Gospel Music Today

TaRanda Greene is the guest on Gospel Music Today for the week of May 15. Ken and Jean Grady host southern gospel news and concert updates. The Feature Group is The Pathfinders, and Jean reviews new recordings by Dave Mumford and Alan Kendall. An article from SGN Scoops magazine is the subject of this week’s News Notes. The show features a music video by The Browders, exclusive concert video of The Clearvision Quartet, recorded by Gospel Music Today’s cameras in Pigeon Forge, TN, and a visit to the Gospel Music Today Archives for an exclusive concert video of The New Plainsmen, recorded in Broken Arrow, OK.

Tweet of the Day!

Way to go Grace!

Tweet of the day….

This 16 year old girl had a dream to host @tarandagreene and she did it! I'm so proud of you @gracedavis24 #stronger pic.twitter.com/pQPAOiDbuP

— Landon Beene (@landonbeene) April 25, 2016

Twitter News of the Day!

Landon Beene has the Tweet of the Day… He actually posted it 13 hrs ago but Wow , just Wow! Hands down, Tweet of the day and having church wins!

We had CHURCH tonight in TN! Shackles! @tarandagreene @ClevelandFBC @tylerbrinson pic.twitter.com/6ZyIInejv0

— Landon Beene (@landonbeene) April 11, 2016