Category Archives: Gospel Music

Posted on

McDonald’s ICGT & RCAI Name Winner in Atlanta Weekend Featuring Donald Lawrence, Kierra Sheard, Sir the Baptist and More (PHOTOS)!

Tour host and media personality Lonnie Hunter engages grand prize winner Aarion Rhodes (L-R)on stage prior to her showstopping audition at the first-ever Golden Voice Talent Showcase. The showcase is offered in select markets of the 13th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour and is in partnership with RCA Inspiration.

Hello World,

This past weekend, McDonald’s USA brought the first-ever Golden Voice Talent Showcase and in-depth Master Class to Atlanta as part of the 13th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour.

This is the first time the Golden Arches has offered a two-day empowering and educational experience as part of its free nationwide tour. The tour is an extension of McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden campaign, an initiative that shines a brilliant light on Black excellence through the areas of empowerment, education and entrepreneurship. The Golden Voice Talent Showcase and Master Class were produced in partnership with RCA Inspiration.

GOLDEN VOICE TALENT SHOWCASE: The power-packed experience kicked off with the Golden Voice Talent Showcase Friday night at the Riverside Epicenter. Twenty-four hopefuls from as near as metro Atlanta to as far as Rochester, NY, auditioned before a crowd of gospel music fans and judges, including musical powerhouses Donald Lawrence, Kierra Sheard and Sir the Baptist. RCA Inspiration Vice President of Marketing Damon Williams joined the judging panel, giving aspiring singers feedback on their performances. In the end, Atlanta-native Aarion Rhodes, blew away the judges and onlookers with a traditional gospel hymn. She took home the grand prize, which included opening for the McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour concert the following day in her hometown.

MASTER CLASS: The following morning, the showcase judges joined tour host Lonnie Hunter for an in-depth Master Class, held at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. The panelists gave an intimate crowd an inside look into the music business.

CONCERT:The exciting weekend culminated with a much-anticipated, explosive concert featuring performances by Donald Lawrence, Kierra Sheard, Sir the Baptist, Tye Tribbett, Keke Wyatt and DJ Standout. The event was hosted by Lonnie Hunter and drew approximately 6,000 attendees to New Birth.

Atlanta-native Aarion Rhodes took home the grand prize at the first-ever Golden Voice Talent Showcase. As part of the prize, Rhodes got to open the Atlanta concert of the 13th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour on June 22. The showcase is offered in select tour markets and is in partnership with RCA Inspiration.

DJ Standout, Kierra Sheard, Donald Lawrence and Sir the Baptist (L-R) join grand prize winner Aarion Rhodes (Center) on stage after the first-ever Golden Voice Talent Showcase. The showcase is offered in select markets of the 13th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour and is in partnership with RCA Inspiration.

Twenty-four contestants eagerly await the announcement of the night’s top performers at the first-ever Golden Voice Talent Showcase. The showcase is offered in select markets of the 13th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour and is in partnership with RCA Inspiration.

DJ Standout spins during the 13th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour pre-show in Atlanta. The tour is an extension of McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden campaign, which celebrates Black excellence through education, empowerment and entrepreneurship.

Hip-hop gospel artist Sir the Baptist performs during the 13th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour concert in Atlanta. The tour is an extension of McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden campaign, which celebrates Black excellence through education, empowerment and entrepreneurship.

Famed gospel vocalist Kierra Sheard performs during the 13th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour concert in Atlanta. The tour is an extension of McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden campaign, which celebrates Black excellence through education, empowerment and entrepreneurship.

Vocal powerhouse Keke Wyatt performs during the 13th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour concert in Atlanta. The tour is an extension of McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden campaign, which celebrates Black excellence through education, empowerment and entrepreneurship.

Legendary music director and producer Donald Lawrence performs during the 13th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour concert in Atlanta. The tour is an extension of McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden campaign, which celebrates Black excellence through education, empowerment and entrepreneurship.

Gospel music vocalist Tye Tribbett performs during the 13th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour concert in Atlanta. The tour is an extension of McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden campaign, which celebrates Black excellence through education, empowerment and entrepreneurship.

Atlanta-area McDonald’s Owner/Operator John Hurt delivers remarks during the 13th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour concert in Atlanta. The tour is an extension of McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden campaign, which celebrates Black excellence through education, empowerment and entrepreneurship.

Any thoughts?

Posted on

BET Announces Top 20 Contestants of ‘Sunday Best’ – Premieres Sun. June 30th at 8/7c!

Hello World,

Returning from its four-year hiatus, America’s most inspirational singing competition, “Sunday Best,” makes its triumphant return to BET on Sunday, June 30that 8/7c with two brand-new back-to-back episodes. The well-established gospel show welcomes back Grammy Award®-winning music legend Kirk Franklin as host, gospel songstress and host of “Get Up Mornings,” Erica Campbell as a judge; and added two Grammy-Award® nominated artists Kelly Price and Jonathan McReynolds as new additions to the panel. With a brand-new stage and exciting themed challenges, this season has narrowed down the competition to 20 finalists.

The new season kicks off for the first time ever with in-person auditions in front of the judges, with no audience.  The contestants have to show their true talent, with no smoke and mirrors, by performing acapella with no band support, as they narrow the field from 20 to the top 10.  For the first time the contestants were able to use an online submissions process, after which the team lead a global search for this year’s contestants, leading up to the much-anticipated live auditions in Dallas, TX, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, GA, and Detroit, MI, Lagos, Nigeria and for the first time-ever London, England and Johannesburg, South Africa, which were open to select international contestants. The top 20 contestants are:

  • Antonio Santora, 31, Durham, North Carolina
  • Ashley Barnes, 24, Memphis, Tennessee
  • Brielle Frage, 21, Avenel, New Jersey
  • Cornelius Edwards, 33, West Palm Beach, Florida
  • Chelsey Barnes, 22, Memphis, TN
  • Emorja Roberson, 27, South Bend, Indiana
  • Jamal Roberts, 22, Meridian, Mississippi
  • James Thompson, 23, Derby UK
  • Jason Warrior, 23, Chicago, IL
  • Joshua Copeland, 37, Salisbury, Maryland
  • Kayva Offord, 27, Orange, Texas
  • Keyla Richardson, 22, Pensacola, Florida
  • Lakeesha Rice, 36, Greensboro, North Carolina
  • Linda Williams, 52, University Heights, OH
  • Melvin Crispell III, 21, Charlotte, North Carolina
  • Opal Staples, 38, Chicago, IL
  • Roy Moye, 26, Wichita, Kansas
  • Tiffany Andrews, 35, Newark, New Jersey
  • Tiffany Moore, 35, Augusta, Georgia
  • Yoonjung Park, 32, South Korea

Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment (BET Awards, The New Edition Story), serves as executive producer of season nine of Sunday Best along with showrunner Josh Greenberg (The Sing-Off, Lip Sync Battle).  Dionne Harmon (The Bobby Brown Story, Hip Hop Squares) and Jeannae Rouzan–Clay (Dear Mama, Black Girls Rock!) and are co-executive producers.

For updates and more information about “SUNDAY BEST”, please visit BET.com/SundayBest. Join the conversation on social media by logging on to our social media platforms using the hashtag: #BETSundayBest.

Any thoughts?

 

Posted on

AUDITION FRIDAY for McDonald’s Inspiration Gospel Tour!

RCA Inspiration & McDonald's Black & Positively Golden Join Forces to Kick Off 1st-Ever Talent Showcases + Master Classes During 13th Annual Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour...

Hello World,

RCA Inspiration (RCAI) joins forces with the 13th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour and Dr Pepper® this year to spotlight undiscovered talent and empower local communities with celebratory Golden Voice Talent Showcases and in-depth Master Classes in select cities. Local talent in each city will audition for a chance to perform at Golden Voice Talent Showcases in Atlanta and Tallahassee, where they will have the opportunity to win the night’s top prize. The Master Classes will be two-hour sessions delivering an inside look of the music industry from McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour talent, with classes being held in Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and Tallahassee. The Golden Voice Talent Showcases, Master Classes, and McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour are an extension of the McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden campaign, an initiative that shines a brilliant light on Black excellence through the areas of empowerment, education and entrepreneurship.

The undeniable influence of Gospel music will continue to be celebrated and uplift communities when McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour arrives in Atlanta, home to a vast array of musical talent. Running June 21-22, the full slate of daytime and evening activities in Atlanta include a Golden Voice Pop-Up Talent Showcase, Master Class, and the Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour concert. The beloved, long-running Gospel music tour is free to the public, with tickets available for download now at http://blackandpositivelygolden.com.

Golden Voice Talent Showcase Pop-Up Event

Holding the first-ever Golden Voice Talent Showcase Pop-Up in Atlanta, aspiring, undiscovered talent will have the opportunity to rock the stage in front of a live audience and gospel music industry vets Friday, June 21 at 7 p.m. at the Riverside EpiCenter (135 Riverside Parkway, Austell, GA).

Contestants will face a judging panel featuring McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour talent and musical trailblazers, Donald Lawrence, Kierra Sheard, and Sir the Baptist, who will narrow down the finalists and crown the top three winners of the Atlanta showcase.

Competitors will perform for the chance to win the Black & Positively Golden grand prize – which includes an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform at the McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour concert pre-show in Atlanta on June 22 and $1,000 cash prize, among other items. Second Place and Third Place winners will also take home special prizes.

Registration is now open and spots are limited. Those ages 18 and over in Metro Atlanta are encouraged to sign up to audition at http://blackandpositivelygolden.com.

“Up-and-coming singers, we want to see your talent,” said gospel music powerhouse Kierra Sheard. “We want to spotlight your excellence and empower you to use your gift to uplift your community, which is what the Black & Positively Golden campaign is all about. On behalf of all the judges, we encourage you to take a chance on yourself. Warm up your vocal chords and register to audition for the talent showcase now!”

McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour Master Classes

Donald Lawrence, Kierra Sheard, Sir the Baptist and an RCAI executive will share their vast career knowledge with those who aspire to break into the music industry, during a free Master Class, moderated by tour host and media personality Lonnie Hunter. The Atlanta session will take place on Saturday, June 22 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church (6400 Woodrow Rd, Lithonia, GA). To sign up for the Master Class, visithttp://blackandpositivelygolden.com.

The next Master Class will be held in Washington, D.C. on July 27, and the Tallahassee Golden Voice Talent Showcase and Master Class will take place October 4-5.

These additions to the Inspiration Celebration Gospel tour are just some of the ways McDonald’s continues to change for the better and demonstrates its ongoing commitment to the community. For more information on the tour and the Black & Positively Golden ongoing movement, follow @WeAreGolden on Instagram.

You can also celebrate the journey by following @RCAInspiration on Instagram and tag hashtags #wearegolden #blackmusicmonth #blackculture #blackmusic.

Any thoughts?