(Jackson, MS) – The Canton Spirituals full length album Keep Knocking makes its debut in the Top 10 at #7 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart; concurrently, The single & title track, “Keep Knocking” clawed its way into the Top 30 on the Mediabase Gospel Songs chart. “Keep Knocking” continues The Canton Spirituals signature sound with its foot stomping, bass thumping, knee slapping, down home infectious groove that is resonating with Gospel music lovers from coast to coast.
“In a marketplace filled with Contemporary and Mainstream giants such as Tamela Mann, Marvin Sapp, Lecrae and blockbuster Inspirational movie soundtracks while in theaters, we are very pleased to chart The Canton Spirituals album, Keep Knocking amongst these titles and represent for the Traditional Gospel & Quartet genre of Gospel Music, states, D.A. Johnson, Executive Director – Gospel Division, Malaco Music Group.”
The Canton Spirituals has an unique sound like no other in the history of Quartet Gospel music. With their smooth but powerful harmonies, this quartet pioneered an urban sound that mixed R&B style with Traditional Gospel, Imported From Mississippi. Founded in the mid 1940’s by Harvey Watkins, Sr, this quartet, now led by Harvey Watkins, Jr is still considered the undisputed Kings of Quartet Gospel music today. Their recording career is highly decorated with two Grammy Nominations, nine Stellar Awards Nominations, four Dove Nominations, Soul Train Awards Nominations and Gold Records.
Produced by award winning songwriter / producer Stan Jones, writer of “He Has His Hands On You” for eight time Grammy nominee Marvin Sapp, writer and producer of Brian Courtney Wilson’s “All I Need” that spent 92 weeks on the Billboard Hot Gospel Song charts breaking the all-time record for the longest running current single ever in the history of the Billboard Gospel charts, and who was also the producer of The Canton Spirituals successful previous release on RCA Inspiration (formerly Verity), Driven, Keep Knocking promises to be their most successful release to date.
100's of Gospel & Urban radio stations that program Gospel around the country have already begun to spin the single, "Keep Knocking" and have received over 17,000 views in just 4 weeks on youtube. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EknbouVhsrY)