Music Pioneer Kerry Douglas Launches Blacksmoke Films

With Its First Movie “CHURCH GIRL”

What do you get when Gospel Music’s hottest independent record label chief, Kerry Douglas – founder of Blacksmoke Music, Gospel Truth Magazine and The New Deal Entertainment University, teams up with the Leading Lady of Urban Theatre, Angela Barrow Dunlap?  You get the hot new DVD of the gospel stage play, “Church Girl,” that hits retail shelves everywhere on January 31, 2012.

The musical film follows the life of Emily Franklin, a preacher’s daughter who gets caught up in a fast life that takes her away from the principles she was raised with as a child.  It stars actress Robin Givens, singer A’ngela Winbush, Demetria McKinney from the sitcom “House of Payne”, Sean Blakemore, Grammy winner Karen Clark Sheard, songstress Wanda Nero-Butler and Tony Grant from the R&B group, Az Yet.

Douglas has been a leader in the Gospel Music industry for more than 15 years and is known as the new artist breaker.  Through his grass-roots marketing techniques, he has broken some of today’s top Gospel artists like James Fortune, Earnest Pugh, Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson, Jimmy Hicks and Evelyn Turrentine-Agee.

As a pioneer of Urban Theatre, Angela Barrow Dunlap has been writing and producing hit gospel stage plays for over 25 years.  “We literally had to invent this genre,” Dunlap reminisces.  “There was no training or classes for this type of theatre.  We had to invent and learn all at the same time.”  Over the years, she’s co-created hit plays such as “Why Do Good Girls Like Bad Boyz”, “If These Hips Could Talk” and “Real Men Pray”.  Her latest, “Church Girl,” toured the USA in 2011.

Recently, Douglas introduced The New Deal Entertainment University as a platform to teach the urban world his unique brand of multi-media marketing that has helped him place James Fortune and Earnest Pugh at the top of the Billboard gospel charts. “I want to teach industry professionals not just by passing on text-book and/or online courses, but I want to also practice what I preach by walking-the-walk,” Douglas states.  “It’s not just enough to promote records, but you have to cross promote in television and film. 

Teaming up with Angela Dunlap to bring `Church Girl’ to DVD and Home Theater is the perfect launch for Blacksmoke Films.”

Black Americans losing homes over property taxes: It doesn’t have to happen

Imagine one day reaching a milestone and realizing an accomplishment that so many of your brothers and sisters have failed to achieve in the past: home ownership.

For many Americans, it’s the American dream. Imagine not only buying a home and putting down a down payment with a 30-year mortgage, but actually one day owning your home free and clear.

In other words, your home is paid off; no mortgage, no bank, no finance company, no-nobody, but you. Hallelujah! Free at last, the American dream! In your heart and soul, you feel you’ve insured as well as secured yourself from the thought of ever one day becoming homeless in America. What an accomplishment!

Now imagine losing it, and not because you didn’t pay the mortgage.

Although you’ve achieved the so-called American dream, let me share with you some truths that often turn your dream into a nightmare, especially for African-Americans.

You see, in America, even though you somehow manage to pay off your mortgage, the truth is, you’ll never own your home and be free from added taxes. You might pay the mortgage off, but you never stop paying property tax on it. That’s right. And guess what? If you don’t pay your property taxes, the government has the right to take your home from you, and it’s all legal.

Every year African-Americans lose millions of dollars in real estate simply by not paying their property taxes. From farmland to commercial property to multi-family units right down to personal residences. This has got to stop.

The current recession has only added to this growing nightmare. Personally, I’ve never liked the idea of paying property taxes each and every year on your personal residence, especially after you’ve satisfied the mortgage debt and are living on a fixed income from retirement and social security. It’s really a bad deal for the homeowner. It’s not fair.

Case and point: when you buy growth stocks like Apple and hold them, as they appreciate over the years you don’t pay a dime in taxes until you sell. Same rule applies to cash value life insurance policies — no taxes, as rich people continue to stash millions of dollars in them. The same rule should apply for residential property.

Could it be that assets such as stocks, bonds and insurance get special tax treatment because African-Americans aren’t known for using and taking advantage of these wealth building investment vehicles?

Did you know that when figuring your net worth, your personal residence isn’t used in the computation? It’s your home, not an investment. It doesn’t matter if it’s paid off or not, it’s not an investment and you will never stop paying for it.

Recently, a 101-year-old, African-American woman lost her home because she failed to pay her property taxes. Sad, but it still happened. It should serve as a wake-up call to the rest of us that age doesn’t matter when you’re talking business and money.

So how can we avoid this happening to the rest of us in the future?

First, pay your taxes. If you find yourself behind for several years, and you can’t afford to pay all the years at once, pay the oldest tax bill first. This will buy you some time for at least another year. Paying the oldest bill first will keep the property taxing authority from foreclosing on you property now.

The rule is, if you’re behind one or two years paying your property taxes, they won’t foreclose. But if you manage to fall behind after the third year, you’re living on borrowed time. Investors are circling your property like vultures waiting to scoop it up after that third year.

You see, when you fail to pay your property taxes, investors pay them for you. Yes, that’s right. A complete stranger pays your tax bill. It’s called purchasing a tax certificate. Now don’t get me wrong, this investor could be an individual or a corporation. In the case of the 101-year-old woman it was a governmental agency.

The investor is in it for a profit — nothing personal. Paying other people’s property taxes (purchasing tax certificates) is a very profitable business. Tax certificates can pay anywhere from 5 percent to as much as 18 percent on the dollar.

If you think it’s shocking to hear that a 101-year-old woman lost her home due to delinquent taxes, be advised, it can happen to anyone. People lose homes not just due to property taxes, but African-Americans also lose millions of dollars worth of property each year because they simply failed to have a will or a trust drawn up before they died.

In the end, it’s all about the money. We need to be educated to do better about protecting the assets we have worked so hard for.

Gospel’s Leading Man Earnest Pugh

Climbs The Urban Adult Contemporary Radio Chart With

“I NEED YOUR GLORY”

Gospel music’s leading man, Earnest Pugh, is continuing to make big strides in his career. His recent #1 Billboard gospel radio smash “I Need Your Glory” has now crossed over to the urban adult contemporary radio charts. This week the song moves up to #23 on the Mediabase Urban AC chart and #30 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart. “It’s an honor to be embraced by Urban AC radio,” Pugh says humbly. “This milestone in my career solidifies my belief that in bad times people gravitate to The Good News and good ole hard work pays off!”

The charismatic Pugh also thrilled the sold-out Stellar Award audience at the Grand Ole Opry to a riveting medley of his #1 hits “I Need Your Glory” and “Rain On Us.” Legendary choir leader, Ricky Dillard, was in the audience and says, “Earnest was just awesome.  His performance was a highlight of the night.” The Stellar Awards will air on the GMC Cable Channel February 11, 2012 @ 7:00, 9:00 and 11:00 p.m. EST.

A Memphis native who was mentored by Grammy Award winning choir leader O’Landa Draper back in the 1990s, Pugh released his first solo CD in 2006 and showed off his five-octave vocals on the radio hit “Wrapped Up, Tied Up, Tangled Up.” After years of making respectable forays into gospel, Pugh finally hit it big in 2009 with his #1 smash “Rain On Us.” He followed-up with other radio chart smashes such as “The Great I Am” and “Perfect Peace” before hitting #1 again with “I Need Your Glory.” Visit www.earnestpugh.com for more information on this exciting artist.

The NAACP Image Award Nominations are announcer
Kirk Franklin and Sounds of Blackness Nominated in Two Categories

 Los Angeles, CA — The nominations for the 43rd NAACP Image Awards were announced Thursday, and the leader of the pack is “The Help” with eight.

That may come as a bit of a surprise, as the DreamWorks movie has drawn some controversy for its portrayals of racial attitudes in Mississippi in the early 1960s.

In addition to being nominated for best movie, Tate Taylor nabbed nominations for best director and best screenplay.

The female actresses behind “The Help” lodged the film in additional categories: Viola Davis and Emma Stone are up for best actress; Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer and Cicely Tyson are in the running for best supporting actress.

Also earning NAACP notices are Focus Features’ “Pariah” (seven nominations), TriStar Pictures’ “Jumping the Broom” (six), National Geographic Entertainment’s “The First Grader” (three) and Universal’s “Tower Heist” (two).

The Image Awards honor outstanding people of color for their work in film, television, music, and literature. The awards show will air live on Friday, Feb. 17 (8 to 10 p.m. ET/PT) on NBC.

“Love That Girl!,” “Modern Family,” “Reed Between the Lines,” “The Game” and “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” received nominations for best television comedy.
In the drama category, “Boardwalk Empire,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “The Good Wife” and “Treme” earned nominations for outstanding series.
 
In the music categories, Beyonce snared four nominations, followed by Mary J. Blige (three) and Kirk Franklin who was named in two category.

Below are the categories where our Gospel Colleagues placed

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration
• Boyz II Men
• Cee Lo Green feat. Melanie Fiona
• Mary J. Blige feat. Drake
• Sounds of Blackness
• The Roots

Outstanding Gospel Album – (Traditional or Contemporary)
• “Becoming” – Yolanda Adams (N House Music Group)
• “Church on the Moon” – Deitrick Haddon (Verity Gospel Music Group)
• “Hello Fear” – Kirk Franklin (Verity Gospel Music Group)
• “Something Big” – Mary Mary (Columbia Records)
• “The Journey” – Andraé Crouch (RiverPhlo Entertainment)
 
Outstanding Song
• “Best Thing I Never Had” – Beyoncé (Columbia Records)
• “Fool for You feat. Melanie Fiona” – Cee Lo Green (Elektra Records)
• “I Smile” – Kirk Franklin (Verity Gospel Music Group)
• “So In Love feat. Anthony Hamilton” – Jill Scott (Warner Bros. Records)
• “Someone Like You” – Adele (Columbia Records)

Outstanding World Music Album
• “Afrodiaspora” – Susana Baca
• “Carnival Fever” – Brother B
• “Live at 2011 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival” – Boukman Eksperyans
• “Sounds of Blackness” – Sounds of Blackness
• “The First Grader” – Alex Heffes
 
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
• “A Year to Wellness and Other Weight Loss Secrets” – Bertice Berry (Freeman House
Publishing)
• “Living My Dream: An Artistic Approach to Marketing” – Synthia Saint James (Create Space)
• “Our Difficult Sunlight: A Guide to Poetry, Literacy, & Social Justice in Classroom &
Community” – Quraysh Ali Lansana (Teachers & Writers Collaborative)
• “The T.D. Jakes Relationship Bible: Life Lessons on Relationships from the Inspired Word of God ” – T.D. Jakes (Atria Books)
• “Too Important to Fail: Saving America’s Boys” – Tavis Smiley (Author), Juan Roberts

Pastor John P. Kee Releases New Single,

“Life And Favor (You Don’t Know My Story)” to Gospel Radio This Month

Pastor Kee Receives the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award at the 27th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards in Nashville

Charlotte, NC — Twenty one-time Stellar Award winner, Pastor John P. Kee received the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award for his historical and significant contributions to gospel music at the 27th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards on Saturday, January 14 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, TN. Kirk Franklin presented the award to a tearful Pastor Kee.

Pastor Kee is the recipient of 21 Stellar Awards, 27 GMWA Excellence Awards, a Trailblazer Award from President Bill Clinton, one Soul Train Music Award, two Billboard Music Awards, a Gospel Music Hall of Fame Award, seven GRAMMY® Award nominations and numerous other honors. However, The James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award is especially meaningful to him. “This is by far one of the greatest honors I have received to date,” says Pastor Kee. “When you look at the true history of John P. Kee, this award signifies a circle of completion. It was the late Dr. James Cleveland who gave me my start in music, so to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award in his name is priceless.”

During the Stellar Award Weekend, Pastor Kee also participated in the Hezekiah Walker Presents Choir Fest 2012, along with Ricky Dillard, JJ Hairston, Meachum L. Clarke, Kevin Lemons, and Darrel Petties, at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church, the Antioch location in Nashville.

An icon in American music, Pastor Kee and the New Life Community Choir will release a new CD this spring. The new single, “Life And Favor (You Don’t Know My Story,)” will be released to gospel radio this month. The single features special guest artists, including LeJuene Thompson and James Fortune. “One of the greatest assets that we have as Christians is our testimony,” said Pastor Kee. “It is that testimony that reveals the true nature of our deliverance. God has graced me with the ability to share these trials and triumphs through melody. This single, ’Life And Favor (You Don’t Know My Story,)’ has become a memorable melody in the lives of thousands. When you find yourself singing the vamp uncontrollably, we’ll know undoubtedly that you too have a story.”

In the late 1980s, Kee was crowned the Prince of Gospel, which is a title he laughs at because his middle name is Prince. Over the course of his professional career, which spans more than three decades, he has written music for Hallmark, Inc., Stephanie Mills, Jonny Lang, The Hawkins Family, Daryl Coley, Billy Preston, Dorinda Clark Cole, Joe Walsh, Rev. James Cleveland, the Florida Mass Choir, the Mississippi Mass Choir, and Vanessa Bell Armstrong, among others. His music has been featured in film and television commercials and even on Saturday Night Live. His music catalogue is said to be one of the largest in the world today by an individual publisher/writer.

Although he is one of gospel music’s greatest pioneers, his real passion is for clear, genuine, and aggressive street ministry. His heart’s desire is to show the love and power of the Lord to the world-but especially to the inner city communities of our nation.

Since its inception in 1995, Pastor Kee has been the full-time pastor of the New Life Fellowship Center. Through non-traditional outreach that transcends the four-walled structure, the church’s unique approach to ministry has resulted in a rapidly growing and thriving congregation. Pastor Kee’s ability to personally relate to the urban lifestyle allows him to reach those who would not typically attend church and those who are not welcomed by many assemblies.

New Birth to reopen its academy with Aurora Day School

New Birth Missionary Baptist Church plans to reopen its New Birth Academy on Thursday, according to Channel 2 Action News.

New Birth’s announcement in late December that the school would close after 18 years sent hundreds of students scrambling to find a new school. The church said then it would have to close the school due to the sluggish economy and low enrollment. 

New Birth spokesman Art Franklin confirmed to Channel 2 that it was announced at Sunday’s worship services that the academy will reopen through a cooperative agreement with Aurora Day School. Franklin declined to release details on what role Aurora Day School will play in New Birth Academy operations, saying the details would likely be released during a news conference later this week. Aurora has campuses in Tucker and Roswell.

Franklin told Channel 2 that all students, including those previously enrolled at New Birth, will need to enroll this Wednesday at New Birth between 7 a.m.  and 7 p.m. He said New Birth Academy plans to reopen its doors this Thursday.

The pre-K-12 school, founded by new Birth’s senior pastor Bishop Eddie Long, had an enrollment of 221, according to the Georgia Independent School Association, and employed 20 teachers. Just a few years ago, the Lithonia academy boasted of having one teacher for every eight students.

The news that it would close capped a tumultuous year for Long, who was back in the pulpit Sunday after a brief leave in December to take some time off from pastoral duties to tend to “family business,” he said. In May, he settled a sexual coercion suit filed against him by four former New Birth members. Earlier in December, his wife of 21 years, Vanessa, filed for divorce. Long returned New Year’s Eve and has continued to do so at weekly services.

Pharmacy Student Tim Bowman Jr. Fuses Inspirational Pop and Gospel

To Spread Good News on Forthcoming CD Debut, Beautiful

Due In Stores, April 10^th

Detroit, Michigan — America first noticed gospel music legend Vickie Winans’ nephew Tim Bowman Jr. when he scatted on the vamp of her 2009 Top 10 radio smash, “How I Got Over.” However, the gifted 22-year old Wayne State University pharmacy student is no longer singing in the background. The son of #1 smooth jazz guitarist Tim Bowman, Bowman is putting the finishing touches on his first solo CD, Beautiful. The thirteen-track set releases April 10, 2012 via I.M. Records, Trippin N’ Rhythm and Sony Red Distribution.

Bowman, whose vocal influences range from a variety of gospel artists to Coldplay, Michael Jackson and Ella Fitzgerald, is poised to shake up the sacred music genre. His unique blend of rhythms would easily fit in on a Top 40 radio music playlist as it would in a Sunday morning church service. The sounds range from pulsating electronica tracks such as “Throw It Away” and “I’m Here” to raw gospel like the riveting, “Abide With Me Medley” that was produced by Marvin Winans of the Grammy Award winning Winans vocal group. In between, there’s the Caribbean rumba of “Looking For Love,” the rousing rock-edged anthem “Healer” and the acoustic guitar-laced ballad, “Beautiful.” Family friend, Dorinda Clark Cole of the legendary Clark Sisters, joins Bowman on the funky “Sunday Morning” while Vickie Winans jazzes up the mid-tempo, “He Will.”

“He Will” is the forthcoming CD’s first single. For the last six months, it has steadily built momentum at gospel radio and creating a strong foundation for Bowman’s career longevity. The tune has peaked at #20 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart and #18 on the Mediabase Gospel chart thus far and continues to make new believers out of radio programmers. “It’s gonna be a busy year for Tim Bowman Jr.,” says Pat Butler, afternoon drive and music director for WEXL 1340-AM, a gospel radio station in Detroit. “Born to make great gospel music, he continues to bring a fresh sound to Urban Gospel.” Bowman says in reflecting on the purpose in his music that, “Each song should stand alone. Sometimes, you only have one chance for a person to hear and connect with your message. I want every person who listens to this album to not only get that message but also to feel the FUN I had making it.”