It's been a long journey but Malaco is now offering ringtones for your cellphone. Visit www.malaco.com and click on the Ringtones tab at the top to browse what is currently available. New songs are added daily so keep checking back. If you don't see what you want, there is a button on the ringtone page to send a request for a ringtone. When we receive the request, we will get it up as soon as possible. Check to make sure that your phone is on the list of supported devices before downloading.
We are also continuing to make improvements to the layout of the site. Enjoy!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
BeBe & CeCe Winans
BeBe & CeCe Winans debut single “Close To You” Manufactured, Distributed, Marketed & Promoted by The Malaco Music Group was not only the # 1 most added song at Gospel radio and # 3 song added at Urban AC radio a week ago, in one week after “Going For Adds,” “Close To You” has debut on both the Billboard / R&R Gospel radio Chart at # 29 and the Urban AC radio chart @ # 39.
Dallas Based Record Label CKB Entertainment is Ready to Put On For It's City
Dallas, TX (PRWEB) May 19, 2009 -- With the release of B-Hamp's debut album 'B Dash' on May 19, 2009, CKB is quietly becoming part of the skyline for Dallas.
Strength, resilience and determination are three words that best describe CKB Entertainment. Founder Rickey Booker named his company after his beloved younger sister Cassandra Kaye Booker was tragically killed in the Oklahoma Bombing on April 19th, 1995. Overcoming adversity turned out to be Rickey's strong suit as his journey into the music industry has been a rocky one.
In early 1994, Rickey, Maurice Barber, Tony Briggs and Roy Mims would start Wino Records, an independent label in Dallas but disbanded within a year after an unsuccessful run and each partner went their separate ways. During this time Rickey was also supporting the career of his younger cousin Tony Thomson, the lead singer of the hot R&B group Hi-Five and would experience the industry from the artist's point of view as well. Wanting to continue with music, Rickey found himself gaining the responsibility of assisting his own Mother in caring for his sister Cassandra's four children and his ambitions were put on hold.
Never losing his passion for music, Rickey dedicated his time to creating another situation for himself and partner Tony Briggs and CKB Records was formed in 1995. Their artist roster included Leticia Love, Baby Boo, Aqua Mann, 40oz Clique, Michael McIntosh and T-Spoon as well as in house producers Spoonfed Musik and Sounds of Life. Unable to gain the proper funding, the decision was made to shop 40oz Clique for a deal to Jive Records, Tommy Boy and 2000 Watts in which they landed a demo deal with 2000 Watts. Unfortunately 2000 Watts stuck a deal with Elektra Records and 40oz Clique's project was dropped.
Not to be defeated Rickey Booker once again focused on building a label only to be tried with another tragedy with the passing of his Mother in 2002 and was left to care for his sister's children as well as his own three children with his wife. Overcome with the need to focus on family, Rickey would depart once again from the music scene.
Several years would pass and Rickey could not give up on his dream and he ventured out one last time to start his own independent label, this time naming it CKB Entertainment in 2008. As fate would have it a young Dallas native by the name of Brandon Hampton would change everything for Rickey Booker and CKB Entertainment. Brandon also known as B-Hamp would write the now smash hit, 'Do The Ricky Bobby', bring the single to Rickey, who signed B-Hamp within days to the label. The single and accompanying dance would catapult B-Hamp and CKB Entertainment to the top of the music industry at lightning speed. Rickey Booker also secured a distribution deal for B-Hamp's debut album and CKB with Malaco Music Group headed by industry heavyweight Lionel Ridenour.
Surrounding himself with the top talent in the industry to head up marketing, public relations and booking, Rickey Booker knows he has the dream team, finally. "It has been a struggle to get my company to where it is now, but I have learned that with every defeat comes a bigger triumph and I have been blessed with the right people at the right time in the right situation", says CEO Rickey Booker.
Now making their mark with B-Hamp's album B Dash due for release on May 19th, 2009, CKB Entertainment is gearing up for a National and European tour for B-Hamp to support the album. CKB Entertainment is also signing new acts to the label to be groomed and developed into the stars of tomorrow. ~PRWeb
Strength, resilience and determination are three words that best describe CKB Entertainment. Founder Rickey Booker named his company after his beloved younger sister Cassandra Kaye Booker was tragically killed in the Oklahoma Bombing on April 19th, 1995. Overcoming adversity turned out to be Rickey's strong suit as his journey into the music industry has been a rocky one.
In early 1994, Rickey, Maurice Barber, Tony Briggs and Roy Mims would start Wino Records, an independent label in Dallas but disbanded within a year after an unsuccessful run and each partner went their separate ways. During this time Rickey was also supporting the career of his younger cousin Tony Thomson, the lead singer of the hot R&B group Hi-Five and would experience the industry from the artist's point of view as well. Wanting to continue with music, Rickey found himself gaining the responsibility of assisting his own Mother in caring for his sister Cassandra's four children and his ambitions were put on hold.
Never losing his passion for music, Rickey dedicated his time to creating another situation for himself and partner Tony Briggs and CKB Records was formed in 1995. Their artist roster included Leticia Love, Baby Boo, Aqua Mann, 40oz Clique, Michael McIntosh and T-Spoon as well as in house producers Spoonfed Musik and Sounds of Life. Unable to gain the proper funding, the decision was made to shop 40oz Clique for a deal to Jive Records, Tommy Boy and 2000 Watts in which they landed a demo deal with 2000 Watts. Unfortunately 2000 Watts stuck a deal with Elektra Records and 40oz Clique's project was dropped.
Not to be defeated Rickey Booker once again focused on building a label only to be tried with another tragedy with the passing of his Mother in 2002 and was left to care for his sister's children as well as his own three children with his wife. Overcome with the need to focus on family, Rickey would depart once again from the music scene.
Several years would pass and Rickey could not give up on his dream and he ventured out one last time to start his own independent label, this time naming it CKB Entertainment in 2008. As fate would have it a young Dallas native by the name of Brandon Hampton would change everything for Rickey Booker and CKB Entertainment. Brandon also known as B-Hamp would write the now smash hit, 'Do The Ricky Bobby', bring the single to Rickey, who signed B-Hamp within days to the label. The single and accompanying dance would catapult B-Hamp and CKB Entertainment to the top of the music industry at lightning speed. Rickey Booker also secured a distribution deal for B-Hamp's debut album and CKB with Malaco Music Group headed by industry heavyweight Lionel Ridenour.
Surrounding himself with the top talent in the industry to head up marketing, public relations and booking, Rickey Booker knows he has the dream team, finally. "It has been a struggle to get my company to where it is now, but I have learned that with every defeat comes a bigger triumph and I have been blessed with the right people at the right time in the right situation", says CEO Rickey Booker.
Now making their mark with B-Hamp's album B Dash due for release on May 19th, 2009, CKB Entertainment is gearing up for a National and European tour for B-Hamp to support the album. CKB Entertainment is also signing new acts to the label to be groomed and developed into the stars of tomorrow. ~PRWeb
Friday, May 15, 2009
True Believers
Break Through
Malaco Records 2008
www.malaco.com
Here’s another young quartet with an old soul.
Earlier in the decade, McComb, Mississippi’s True Believers recorded for the Blackberry label under the guidance of the Williams Brothers, then signed with Malaco, releasing their first project for the imprint in 2007. The group unveiled Break Through, its second Malaco project, in the winter of 2008.
While the first few songs on Break Through are fairly standard quartet fare, when the group charges into “Here Comes your Breakthrough” (track five), it’s as if someone pushed the Turbo button. From here to the end of the CD, True Believers packs punch after punch of muscular traditional gospel quartet singing with just enough contemporary flavor to broaden its appeal.
“Here Comes Your Breakthrough” is a supercharged, high-energy quartet performance and a song destined to become the group’s signature. Other “drive” songs on the CD include the kick-beat, hip-slapping “I Know (Somebody Touched Me)” and “When I Rise.” The quartet gets bluesy on a variation of a quartet favorite, “Get Right Church,” known here by the title “Jesus is Coming.”
Break Through closes with the classic hymn “At the Cross,” which features high harmonies a la the Violinaires. The lead singer embroiders the song with Sam Cooke-style yodels, which sound good but make even more sense as the group moves into Cooke’s Soul Stirrers outing, “Build a Fence Around Me.” It's an appropriate conclusion to a project that, like the Stirrers of Cooke's era, combines youthful energy with timeless male quartet harmony.
Four of Five Stars
Posted by Bob Marovich
The Black Gospel Blog
Thursday, May 14, 2009
FINALLY!!! - MEN OF STANDARD “GREATEST HITS” IN STORES JUNE 2
Men of Standard, one of this generation’s undisputed leaders in urban/contemporary gospel music, was composed of four talented artists, Lowell Pye, Isaac Carree, Bryan Pierce and Michael Bacon. The dynamic Men of Standard were a keystone in launching the Muscle Shoals Sound Gospel label with their eponymously titled debut in 1996, and went on to create four hit gospel albums for the label, a subsidiary of the Malaco Music Group.
An instant smash, Men of Standard earned the group the prestigious 1997 Gospel Music Workshop of America (GMWA) Vision Award for New Artist of the Year as well as the 1997 GMWA Excellence Award for Contemporary Group of the Year. The radio single “Winter” topped Billboard’s radio gospel charts and became a mainstream urban crossover hit. Gospel Insights voted Men of Standard one of the top 10 records of 1996 and the group garnered five Stellar Award nominations their first year out: Producer of the Year, Song of the Year for “Winter”, Contemporary Group/Duo of the Year, Group/Duo of the Year, and New Artist of the Year.
Men Of Standard also headlined on the Power ’98 Tour with the legendary Williams Brothers, Fred Hammond, Hezekiah Walker, Dottie Peoples and Vickie Winans. Following the tour their sophomore release, Feels Like Rain (1999), jumped on Billboard’s Gospel charts, staying for over thirty weeks and earning MOS two Stellar Awards: Contemporary Group of the Year and Male Group of the Year. They also won the 2000 GMWA Contemporary Group of the Year award and the 2000 Stellar Award for Group/Duo of the Year. The single “In Your Will” appeared on the platinum selling WOW gospel project for that year.
In 2002, Men Of Standard headlined with Tonex, Trin-i-tee 5:7 and Ray Bady on the Gospel Evolution Tour. They also released their third project, simply titled Volume III, which hit the #14 spot on the Billboard charts within two weeks and earned MOS another Stellar Award nomination for Contemporary Group/Duo of the Year.
In 2004, It’s A New Day, although marking the final release for Men Of Standard on the MSSG label, earned the group even more Stellar Award nominations. On their way to becoming legends in their own right, this collection of hits is long past due for these talented singers, writers, and producers who have set new standards for making gospel music.
What makes Men Of Standard Greatest Hits a collectors item is not only does it contain the biggest songs of their careers, but it also contains 2 brand new never released recorded selections penned by two of the most prolific songwriters of our time, “When your life Was Low” by Joe Sample and “Always Remember” by Andre Crouch.
Be sure to stay tuned to your favorite local radio station to be amongst the firsts to hear “When Your Life Was Low” and “When Your Life Was Low” / “Always Remember” medley; Both songs are superbly performed in the unique rich signature harmonious style that is Men Of Standard.
Performance from the Mississippi Mass Choir at Frank Melton Memorial
A steady stream of mourners - from everyday citizens to the state's top leaders - paid their respects Monday to Mayor Frank Melton, whose flag-draped casket lay in repose at City Hall for much of the afternoon.
"Today is a sad day," said former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, who paid his respects with his wife, Melody. "Frank had a heart for young people. He loved Jackson. He loved Mississippi. That just always came through. I think that his spirit of caring for and trying to help people will be what will endure."
Musgrove appointed Melton to head the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics in 2002. Melton was let go by Gov. Haley Barbour when he took over.
More memories will be shared today during a memorial service at Thalia Mara Hall. The program will feature a homily by Rep. Jim Evans, an invocation and benediction by Rev. Charles Polk and musical performances from the Mississippi Mass Choir, Jackson Southernaires, Jesse Primer III and the Williams Brothers.
Melton died Thursday at St. Dominic Hospital, having been rushed there by ambulance Tuesday just minutes after the polls closed in the Democratic primary. He had been running for a second term in office but came in third among 10 Democrats.
Melton had chronic heart problems but in recent weeks had indicated he was healthy enough to serve another term. He was 60.
In addition to Musgrove, Barbour and former Mayor Dale Danks also were at City Hall.
"I think it is very fitting for the city of Jackson and citizens to express their condolences and pay their respects," Danks said. "I sure will miss him, I'll tell you that."
Danks served as Melton's adviser and personal attorney through two criminal trials and a civil trial during Melton's tumultuous term as mayor. He said he and Melton disagreed at times, but he always considered him a friend.
Dozens of mourners lined the sidewalk outside City Hall before the doors opened.
Retired teacher Lorece Beddingfield was in line. She first met Melton in 1995, when he spoke at a career day at Yazoo City Middle School.
"He was just a nice man to admire. He was for the young folks, the senior citizens, the poor," she said. "He was just that type of man."
George Jones, owner of the private technical school Healthcare Institute, said he knew the mayor a little and admired his style.
"He was just full throttle all the way until his death," he said. "He was all in, all the time."
Inside, Melton's casket was placed under a portrait of the mayor and flanked by a Jackson Police Department honor guard.
City officials and photographers lined the twin staircases at the west end of the room as people filed by, sometimes pausing to snap a photo with their cell phone cameras.
One of the first through the doors at 11 a.m. was Marcus Wright, one of Melton's former police bodyguards.
Wright was indicted with Melton and fellow former bodyguard Michael Recio in July on federal civil rights charges related to a warrantless raid on a Ridgeway Street duplex in 2006.
Wright pleaded guilty in October to a reduced charge and testified against Melton and Recio in a February trial that ended in a mistrial when a jury failed to reach a verdict.
Wright said last week that Melton called him about a week before his death to check on him and tell him that he loved him.
Since Melton's death, City Council President Leslie Burl McLemore was chosen acting mayor.
Former Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. and Councilman Marshand Crisler will meet in a mayoral primary runoff on May 19. The winner will face five more candidates - four independents and one Republican - in the June 2 general election.
To comment on this story, call Chris Joyner at (601) 360-4619.
Clarion Ledger
"Today is a sad day," said former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, who paid his respects with his wife, Melody. "Frank had a heart for young people. He loved Jackson. He loved Mississippi. That just always came through. I think that his spirit of caring for and trying to help people will be what will endure."
Musgrove appointed Melton to head the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics in 2002. Melton was let go by Gov. Haley Barbour when he took over.
More memories will be shared today during a memorial service at Thalia Mara Hall. The program will feature a homily by Rep. Jim Evans, an invocation and benediction by Rev. Charles Polk and musical performances from the Mississippi Mass Choir, Jackson Southernaires, Jesse Primer III and the Williams Brothers.
Melton died Thursday at St. Dominic Hospital, having been rushed there by ambulance Tuesday just minutes after the polls closed in the Democratic primary. He had been running for a second term in office but came in third among 10 Democrats.
Melton had chronic heart problems but in recent weeks had indicated he was healthy enough to serve another term. He was 60.
In addition to Musgrove, Barbour and former Mayor Dale Danks also were at City Hall.
"I think it is very fitting for the city of Jackson and citizens to express their condolences and pay their respects," Danks said. "I sure will miss him, I'll tell you that."
Danks served as Melton's adviser and personal attorney through two criminal trials and a civil trial during Melton's tumultuous term as mayor. He said he and Melton disagreed at times, but he always considered him a friend.
Dozens of mourners lined the sidewalk outside City Hall before the doors opened.
Retired teacher Lorece Beddingfield was in line. She first met Melton in 1995, when he spoke at a career day at Yazoo City Middle School.
"He was just a nice man to admire. He was for the young folks, the senior citizens, the poor," she said. "He was just that type of man."
George Jones, owner of the private technical school Healthcare Institute, said he knew the mayor a little and admired his style.
"He was just full throttle all the way until his death," he said. "He was all in, all the time."
Inside, Melton's casket was placed under a portrait of the mayor and flanked by a Jackson Police Department honor guard.
City officials and photographers lined the twin staircases at the west end of the room as people filed by, sometimes pausing to snap a photo with their cell phone cameras.
One of the first through the doors at 11 a.m. was Marcus Wright, one of Melton's former police bodyguards.
Wright was indicted with Melton and fellow former bodyguard Michael Recio in July on federal civil rights charges related to a warrantless raid on a Ridgeway Street duplex in 2006.
Wright pleaded guilty in October to a reduced charge and testified against Melton and Recio in a February trial that ended in a mistrial when a jury failed to reach a verdict.
Wright said last week that Melton called him about a week before his death to check on him and tell him that he loved him.
Since Melton's death, City Council President Leslie Burl McLemore was chosen acting mayor.
Former Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. and Councilman Marshand Crisler will meet in a mayoral primary runoff on May 19. The winner will face five more candidates - four independents and one Republican - in the June 2 general election.
To comment on this story, call Chris Joyner at (601) 360-4619.
Clarion Ledger
Friday, May 8, 2009
B-Hamp to appear on BET Today!!!!
Tune in and watch B-Hamp "Do the Ricky Bobby" this Friday, May 8th @ 6pm on BET's 106 & Park!!!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The Supreme Angels Reloaded
When legendary quartet leader Rev. Howard "Slim" Hunt of Slim and the Supreme Angels made his transition from labor to reward in 2007, the inevitable question was: what will happen to the Supreme Angels? Hunt was the heart and soul of a group that was active for more than a half-century.
Hunt solved that problem in advance by grooming his son, Quincy King, to be his vocal successor. On the quartet's latest project, the appropriately titled Reloaded, King -- nicknamed Slim, Jr. -- is in the mix along with stalwart members Robert "Sugar" Hightower (remember him as the sassy-confident child lead of the Hightower Brothers?), Maurice Robinson and Michael Kimpson.
King gives the Supreme Angels a more youthful vocal sound, and the retro soul seventies feel the musicians cultivate throughout Reloaded is, if not timeless, still very much in vogue. The songs (save one) are new but lyrically they traverse quartet holy ground: shelter in a time of storm, thanksgiving for blessings, holding on against all odds, surviving in a tough world with lots of questionable choices, Mother, and the need for spiritual healing.
The CD opens and (almost) closes with quartet handclappers. "Wicked Land," a take on "My Lord's Gonna Move this Wicked Race;" and "What's the Matter with Jesus" are 100 percent pure Supreme Angels fare. "How Long" showcases superb lead vocals and a music riff reminiscent of English pub band Ace's opening salvo in its seventies hit of the same name, but it is not the same song. "Hold On and Never Give Up" is bouncy and bright Northern Soul. In the receeding seconds of "Your Touch is All We Need," the quartet beseeches the Lord to watch over and protect a litany of their quartet bretheren, such as the Canton Spirituals.
Listen for Sugar's biting guitar solo on "Don't Let the Devil Steal your Joy" and the Supreme Angels' performance of the reverential hymn, "I Need Thee Every Hour," which closes out the project.
Slim Hunt may be gone, but his legacy lives on in the Supreme Angels.
Four of Five Stars ~ The Black Gospel Blog
In Memory Of Rev. Timothy Wright
Rev. Milton Biggham best described him during his introduction on the Grammy-nominated Been There, Done That project in 1995. It was probably the first time Rev. Timothy Wright was ever called on a publicly as the "Godfather of Gospel," but the description and momentous honor fit him perfectly. For over forty years, Rev. Wright had created a sound all together his own - chiseled into a mold designed after the Brooklyn sound along with the urban dynamics of George Clinton’s funk and the soulful, raw energies of James Cleveland’s gospel. With gospel forefathers Rev. Isaac Douglas, Bishop F.D. Washington and the legendary Institutional Radio Choir providing the soundtrack for his upbringing, Rev. Wright began his musical career by establishing the Timothy Wright Concert Choir in 1976. The move afforded Wright the opportunity to record for a host of music labels including Tomato and Atlanta International Records in the 1980s. By this time, Wright had already developed a strong following for his workshop-friendly and melodic-driven selections along with his exuberant passion during his moments of ministry.
Wright would go on to record several projects for AIR before his groundbreaking career move to Savoy in 1988. His Savoy debut, Who’s On the Lord’s Side, along with his Myrna Summers collaboration (We’re Going to Make It) exposed Wright’s craft and musical abilities to an even larger audience and also earned him his first Grammy nomination and a Stellar Award. The next set of albums felt as if Wright was on an international tour staged with mammoth live recordings. Using a footnote from the handbook of Rev. James Cleveland, Wright brought together some of the world’s best choirs and singers to join with him on his newborn compositions. From Cincinnati’s B/J Mass Choir on the Grammy-nominated Been There Done That album to the Chicago Interdenominational Mass Choir (I’m Glad About It) to the London Fellowship Choir (Live in London) who also shared the stage with gospel luminaries Bruce Parham and LaShun Pace, Rev. Wright was sure to make an impact on the world by using some of the best trained and unexposed emerging groups to hit the gospel scene. But none of his past discoveries could match the greatness of his most prized achievement: the New York Fellowship Mass Choir.
After gaining inspiration in Indianapolis, Indiana after attending the 1993 Gospel Music Workshop of America, Rev. Wright sat down with Savoy Records’ president Rev. Milton Biggham to see if he could duplicate the same spirit of unity and brotherhood exemplified in 1,000+ voice choir of the 25,000 member convention using the community and professional choirs of New York. The task was sure to be tedious, especially since the city of New York had not quite experienced a large conglomerate of singers in gospel music. But Rev. Wright made it all possible with his breathtaking 1994 Savoy recording Come Thou Almighty King. The album, recorded at featuring a stellar set of choirs and groups that included Hezekiah Walker’s Love Fellowship (Crusade) Choir, Donnie McClurkin’s New York Restoration Choir, Albert Jamison’s Triboro Mass Choir, Robert Lowe’s Queens Community Choir, James Hall’s Worship and Praise and groups led by David Bratton, Eric McDaniel, Jae Nixon and Roger Hambrick. The spirit of unity floated like a butterfly through song selections like “Come Thou Almighty King,” the energetic “We Bless Your Name,” the heartfelt ballad “When We Reach That Wonderful Place” and David Bratton’s magnum opus “Revelations I.” What felt like a one-time event shocked the gospel community once again as the choir, larger than ever, united for a ten-year anniversary in 2004. This time, the album was flooding with superstar talent including Keith "Wonderboy" Johnson, Dottie Peoples, Hezekiah Walker, Valerie Boyd, James Hall, Kervy Brown, Danny Eason and Maurette Brown-Clark. The choir was even featured on Wright’s last two recordings: Let’s Celebrate (He Is Risen) and Jesus Jesus Jesus.
The song "Who's On the Lord's Side" also remains a benchmark in Rev. Wright's forty-year music career. In 1992, it was covered by CCM rock band Petra on their Grammy-award winning and best-selling Unseen Power album. R&B/soul legend Patti LaBelle also revived the song twice: on her PBS' Going Home to Gospel special in 1991 and on her MCA live recording, Live! One Night Only in 1998.
While traveling home after a church convention in July 2008, tragedy struck when Rev. Wright was involved in a fatal car accident caused by a drunk wrong-way driver. The accident silenced the lives of his wife, Betty, and his 14-year old grandson, D.J. Wright was injured and survived the devastating wreck. Rumors of his death began to plague the message boards, but were quickly diminished when Wright began the fight of his life while going through a number of surgeries and entering rehabilitation at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA. Due to failing health caused by the accident’s injuries, Rev. Wright, the beloved gospel singer, pastor and songwriter, succumbed to this life on April 23, 2009. He was 61.
~ Prayzehymnonline.com
Wright would go on to record several projects for AIR before his groundbreaking career move to Savoy in 1988. His Savoy debut, Who’s On the Lord’s Side, along with his Myrna Summers collaboration (We’re Going to Make It) exposed Wright’s craft and musical abilities to an even larger audience and also earned him his first Grammy nomination and a Stellar Award. The next set of albums felt as if Wright was on an international tour staged with mammoth live recordings. Using a footnote from the handbook of Rev. James Cleveland, Wright brought together some of the world’s best choirs and singers to join with him on his newborn compositions. From Cincinnati’s B/J Mass Choir on the Grammy-nominated Been There Done That album to the Chicago Interdenominational Mass Choir (I’m Glad About It) to the London Fellowship Choir (Live in London) who also shared the stage with gospel luminaries Bruce Parham and LaShun Pace, Rev. Wright was sure to make an impact on the world by using some of the best trained and unexposed emerging groups to hit the gospel scene. But none of his past discoveries could match the greatness of his most prized achievement: the New York Fellowship Mass Choir.
After gaining inspiration in Indianapolis, Indiana after attending the 1993 Gospel Music Workshop of America, Rev. Wright sat down with Savoy Records’ president Rev. Milton Biggham to see if he could duplicate the same spirit of unity and brotherhood exemplified in 1,000+ voice choir of the 25,000 member convention using the community and professional choirs of New York. The task was sure to be tedious, especially since the city of New York had not quite experienced a large conglomerate of singers in gospel music. But Rev. Wright made it all possible with his breathtaking 1994 Savoy recording Come Thou Almighty King. The album, recorded at featuring a stellar set of choirs and groups that included Hezekiah Walker’s Love Fellowship (Crusade) Choir, Donnie McClurkin’s New York Restoration Choir, Albert Jamison’s Triboro Mass Choir, Robert Lowe’s Queens Community Choir, James Hall’s Worship and Praise and groups led by David Bratton, Eric McDaniel, Jae Nixon and Roger Hambrick. The spirit of unity floated like a butterfly through song selections like “Come Thou Almighty King,” the energetic “We Bless Your Name,” the heartfelt ballad “When We Reach That Wonderful Place” and David Bratton’s magnum opus “Revelations I.” What felt like a one-time event shocked the gospel community once again as the choir, larger than ever, united for a ten-year anniversary in 2004. This time, the album was flooding with superstar talent including Keith "Wonderboy" Johnson, Dottie Peoples, Hezekiah Walker, Valerie Boyd, James Hall, Kervy Brown, Danny Eason and Maurette Brown-Clark. The choir was even featured on Wright’s last two recordings: Let’s Celebrate (He Is Risen) and Jesus Jesus Jesus.
The song "Who's On the Lord's Side" also remains a benchmark in Rev. Wright's forty-year music career. In 1992, it was covered by CCM rock band Petra on their Grammy-award winning and best-selling Unseen Power album. R&B/soul legend Patti LaBelle also revived the song twice: on her PBS' Going Home to Gospel special in 1991 and on her MCA live recording, Live! One Night Only in 1998.
While traveling home after a church convention in July 2008, tragedy struck when Rev. Wright was involved in a fatal car accident caused by a drunk wrong-way driver. The accident silenced the lives of his wife, Betty, and his 14-year old grandson, D.J. Wright was injured and survived the devastating wreck. Rumors of his death began to plague the message boards, but were quickly diminished when Wright began the fight of his life while going through a number of surgeries and entering rehabilitation at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA. Due to failing health caused by the accident’s injuries, Rev. Wright, the beloved gospel singer, pastor and songwriter, succumbed to this life on April 23, 2009. He was 61.
~ Prayzehymnonline.com
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