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Tag: gospel music

  • Michelle Williams Releases New Album

    Michelle Williams, as the third member of Destiny’s Child, has had a harder time attracting the spotlight than her bandmates, Kelly Rowland and Beyonce.

    Williams was actually the first of Destiny’s Child to strike out on her own with somewhat successful gospel albums. She also enjoyed long stints in the theatre playing in productions of Aida, Chicago, The Color Purple, and Fela!.

    She didn’t find the immediate success that the other members found as they went solo, but she feels her time is now.

    Michelle Williams has released her first album since 2008. Her previous album, an R&B album called Unexpected, was severely under-rated and ignored.

    However, she has high hopes for her latest album, Journey to Freedom, which was released Tuesday.

    The album is already No. 1 on the iTunes Christian & Gospel chart.

    When asked about the title of the album, Michelle Williams said,

    “I’m still on the journey. It’s a journey of leaving the past and moving forward and being free from anything that’s going to keep me from being my absolute best. Sometimes you’re scared of letting go of your comfort zone. You might be scared of letting go of familiar territory.”

    She continued, “On the road to greatness or success there is a season where you have to be alone and you have to get free from those worries and those doubts.”

    So, just what is that comfort zone that she spent so much time in?

    Michelle Williams explained,

    “I can’t tell you how many times I got cursed out, because there would be a song and I’d say ‘That’s not for me.’ I allowed myself to be put in a box. People say, ‘Oh that’s the good girl, she’s conservative.’ I had to get out of that comfort zone of feeling like what gospel music is supposed to sound like.”

    She elaborated on the personal nature of the situation, saying, “Somebody hit me on Twitter a few days ago saying ‘You’re not a Christian because you mix secular and gospel.’ It’s stupid. I didn’t know there was a sound to gospel. I thought it was more about the message. I don’t think God cares if it’s an angel playing with a harp or if a rapper is talking about the good news and inspiring.”

    Good luck to Michelle Williams on her new “journey”!

  • ‘Keep Your Business Off Of Facebook’ Is The Best Gospel Song You’ll Hear Today

    Do you consider yourself a man of God? You gotta keep your business off of Facebook then. That’s at least the advice from a gospel choir in its latest hit song – “Keep Yo Business Off Of Facebook.”

    The song, which clocks in at a little under two minutes, warns church members that social media will expose your sins to the world. The song itself says, “Sunday you act like a saint/But your Facebook status say you ain’t.” Truer words have never been spoken.

    Check out the song below:

    Unfortunately, the uploader of the video, Rap StarAgency, doesn’t share what church produced this song wonderful about the pitfalls of social media. We can only hope that they work other songs into their repertoire, like “God Is Following You On Twitter” and “Jesus Didn’t Die Just So You Could Post Cat Pictures On Reddit.”

    And remember, keep your business off of Facebook. Nobody wants to see it.

    [h/t: Gizmodo]

  • Cleotha Staples Dies: Gospel Singer Was 78

    Cleotha Staples Dies: Gospel Singer Was 78

    Cleotha Staples, a member of The Staple Singers gospel group, has died after a decade-long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. She was 78 years old.

    Cleotha was considered the backbone of the group, preferring to take on the role of the “strong, silent type”. She was described by those who knew her as wise beyond her years, even as a child.

    “When she was young they used to call her granny because she acted like a granny in terms of being wise and always sure of the best thing to do,” Bill Carpenter, a friend of the family’s, said.

    The Staple Singers were born after their father, Roebuck (also known as Pops), taught them to sing along as he played guitar when they were young. It began as a way to pass the time in the evenings, but after a performance at church garnered major attention and accolades, the family began to take it more seriously. Cleotha was particularly talented as a child, Carpenter says.

    “When Pops used to sit them in a circle and play music with them he was sort of feeding off of her voice. It was high in a light way, sort of soothing and velvety so his guitar playing bounced off of that.”

    Pops had already enjoyed a musical career after learning guitar as a young man and singing with the gospel group The Golden Trumpets. Later, he would incorporate his distinctive Delta-blues guitar playing with The Staple Singers’ sound, bringing them success and hit songs in the ’60s and ’70s. Pops passed away in 2000 after sustaining a fall and concussion.