Gospel legend Bill Moss dies at 76 after bout with emphysema

DETROIT: Bill Moss, founder of the famed gospel group The Celestials and father of current hit gospel singer-songwriters J Moss and Bill Moss Jr., has died. He was 76.

Bill Moss died Monday in a Detroit-area hospital following a bout with emphysema.

When The Celestials took the stage they brought a unique, melodic and soul-moving style that helped in the evolution of contemporary gospel music.

"We would be on shows with the Staple Singers, Mighty Clouds of Joy and other groups, and I would hear people saying: 'We're not coming behind Bill Moss and The Celestials,'" his daughter, Verlinda Moss, said Friday.

He was part of a family of gospel music greats that included his sister, Mattie Moss Clark, and her daughters, the Clark Sisters. He also started the music careers of his sons.

The 2004 inductee into the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame formed The Celestials in Detroit in the 1960s with his wife, evangelist Essie Moss. The group, which later included the couple's daughters, performed at such venues as the Apollo Theater in Harlem and the MET in Philadelphia.

The Celestials also shared stages with the Rev. James Cleveland and Edwin Hawkins.

Bill Moss last performed in March in Nashville, Tennessee, before emphysema forced him into the hospital, Verlinda Moss said.

"Dad was singing in the hospital even when he was short of breath," she said. "He had us crying as he sang in the bed. He never wanted to give up."

Bill Moss was born in 1931 in Selma, Alabama, and sang as a child in a church led by his mother, the Rev. Mattie Moss.

Verlinda Moss said he served in the Korean War before moving to Boston.

"He did a lot of singing there," she said. "The concept for The Celestials started in Boston, but the evolution of the group didn't happen until he moved to Detroit and married Mom."

The Celestials were nominated for a Grammy for "Turn It Over to Jesus." The group also had hits with "Everything is Going to be Alright" and "The Way We Use to Have Church."

"Dad had a unique style of gospel music," said Verlinda Moss, who continues to perform with The Celestials. "He wasn't quartet. He wasn't choir. He was the first to come on the (gospel) scene with the electric piano and electric drums."

Bill Moss is survived by his wife, eight children, a stepson, a sister and 13 grandchildren.

-- International Herald Tribune (IHT)

Also Read :

*Gospel legend Bill Moss dies at 76 after bout with emphysema MLive.com
*Gospel singer Bill Moss dies at 76 after bout with emphysema WMC-TV
*Gospel legend Bill Moss dies at 76 after bout with emphysema AL.com

Karl Kohlhase

Karl Kohlhase grew up Lutheran but strayed far from God during his teenage years. But at the age of 18 he sensed that Christ was calling him to follow Him, and thus changed his life as he surrenders himself to Christ. Just out of high school, he started to pray about what the Lord wanted him to do. Since he had played in several rock bands throughout high school, he thought that he should start a Christian rock band.

He called an old band mate who was attending an Assembly of God Bible college. His mate told him to come to the school, so that he could meet other musicians who might be interested in his idea. When Karl visited he was excited to find so many young men and women who were devoted to following Christ, to the Word of God, and to prayer.

Karl has recorded a contemporary music CD and has posted it on my web site, along with some of his hymns and choral works. "It is my prayer that it will bear much fruit for the glory of my Savior" says Karl.

from Cataholic Planet

http://www.catholicplanet.com/mp3/karl.htm

Karl's Official Site

http://www.k4communications.com/karl/

LaShun Pace Rhodes

Tarrian LaShun Pace (sometimes credited as LaShun Pace Rhodes or Shun Pace Rhodes) is an American gospel singer and evangelist.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in Chicago, Pace first emerged during the mid-1970s

LaShun Pace is a tremendous woman of stamina and perseverance. She has endured the death of her daughter, two divorces, sickness and yet she still sings praise to God for all He has done. Her latest project, Complete, is a testimony to her belief that God is yet on the throne and worthy to be praised. She and Justin Gilbert produced the CD.

La Shun Pace simply sets the tone for gospel achievement. The two constants you can count on from La Shun are unwavering devotion to the message of the Lord and solid music that stays on the charts. The reigning diva of Savoy Records first made her musical mark in 1988, when she recorded In the House of the Lord with Dr. Jonathan Greer & The Cathedral of Faith Choir. La Shun's obvious talents were enormous, so Savoy signed her to a solo recording contract.

Gospel's noted artist, Rev. Clay Evans once told La Shun that she would eventually pick up and carry the torch left by the mother of gospel music, Mahalia Jackson. Following in those footsteps, La Shun has become one of gospels most popular and sought after recording artists.

La Shun's debut solo album with Savoy He Lives, in 1990, earned her national acclaim. The album packed one of gospel's top acappela hits, I Know I've Been Changed. It remained in the Top 20 of Billboard magazine's Gospel Albums Chart for well over a year, peaking at the Number 2 spot. Her second album with Savoy Shekinah Glory, in 1993, reunited her with The Cathedral of Faith Choir. The album yielded such hits as My Times and In Everything Give Thanks. Her next album A Wealthy Place took her music and ministry to an even higher level. It quickly rose to Billboard's Top 15 on the Gospel Albums Chart while also topping nearly every gospel chart in the nation at one time or another. Having success associated with everything you do, La Shun continues to soar among the ranks of the gospel artists.

La Shun has accomplished much during her ever-blessed career. She appeared in the hit movie Leap of Faith starring comedian Steve Martin. She has been involved in such theatrical productions at The Living Cross and the nationally acclaimed A Fool and His Money. She has performed at such major events as the McDonald's Chicago Gospelfest, The Atlanta Black Expo, and The Gospel Music Workshop of America. Her talents also have graced such prestigious venues as Washington D.C.'s, Kennedy Center and New York's, Paramount Theater.

Discography

• In the House of the Lord with Dr. Jonathan Greer and the Cathedral of Faith Choir (1988)
  
• He Lives (1990)
  
• Shekinah Glory (1993)
  
• A Wealthy Place (1996)
  
• Just Because God Said It (1998)
  
• God is Faithful (2001)
  
• It's My Time (2005)
  
• Complete (2007)
  

Official website

LaShun Pace at MySpace

Gospel Singing Stars Honored In Hometown

Gospel Singing Stars Honored In Hometown

They've been celebrated all over the world for nearly half a century.

Now, for the first time in their stellar history, gospel singers, the Williams Brothers are honored in their hometown McComb, Mississippi .

As McComb mayor Zachary Patterson presented Melvin Williams the key to the city, friends and family reflect on a remarkable career that has spread the Williams Brothers' brand of gospel music from country churches to Carnegie hall.

Josie Marie Williams-Oaties is a sister.

"They've been singing since they were little children and 47 years have gone by and I thought it was time they were more than deserving to have this event and because I love them," says Oaties.

Fans and the music industry also love them.

The Williams Brothers have won numerous Stellar Awards, Dove Awards and they've been nominated for 6 Grammy Awards in their professional years of singing.

"When I write, I try to write about songs that I can relate to; things that I've been through; things that people are going through on a day to day basis," says Lead singer and guitarist Melvin Williams.

Doug Williams, also a lead singer, is President and C-E-O of Blackberry Records, the group's own label. They produce, promote and engineer for a host of other artists.

"So many doors now has been opened for gospel music that wasn't open in the past and I think a lot of it is do to the different genres; the different styles of gospel music, because I think gospel music is the most diverse music in the world," says Williams.

"You know we're still singing about the same God but the music just been upgraded but we singing about the same God," says Henry Green, who sings tenor.

And that's music to the ears of Williams Brothers fans throughout Mississippi and around the world.

The Williams Brothers are lifetime members of the Rose Hill Missionary Baptist Church in McComb, which helped organize the event.

The master of ceremonies was Black Entertainment Television's Doctor Bobby Jones.

Source : www.wlbt.com

Roll tours with CMU Singers

[ From Clinton County News ]

MOUNT PLEASANT — Marcus Roll of St. Johns, a member of Central Michigan University's Chamber Singers, recently entertained audiences in Ireland and France during the choir's 10-day concert tour.

Under the direction of CMU professor of music Nina Nash-Robertson, the singers performed at venues throughout the two nations during a May 10-20 tour that marked "the culmination of a year of academic study and rehearsal" for the auditioned, 24-member ensemble, Nash-Robertson said.

Roll, a junior at CMU, is the son of Bill and Judy Roll of St. Johns. He has a music major.

The choir's stops included a May 12 performance during Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral in Galway, Ireland, and a joint concert with Cois Cladagh Choir at Mervue Catholic Church, also in Galway; a May 13 performance during noon Mass at Knock Pilgrimage Site in Sligo, Ireland, and a performance during Mass at the Basilica in Dublin, Ireland; a May 14 concert at the Moat Theatre in Naas, Ireland; a May 15 lunchtime performance at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin; a May 17 concert at H'pital Charles Foix, a geriatric hospital, in Paris, France; a May 18 concert at La Madeleine in Paris; and a May 19 performance during Mass at Chartres Cathedral in Chartres, France, and a post-Mass concert at the cathedral.

"The students received many standing ovations from warmly enthusiastic audiences, who were impressed by the quality of literature, as well as the vocal maturity, beauty and discipline of the ensemble," said Nash-Robertson.

In addition to performing, the Chamber Singers visited local attractions in both countries, including museums, historic sites, natural landmarks andchurches.

School of Music faculty member Mary Stewart Kiesgen, who is CMU's coordinator of vocal studies, and history faculty member John Robertson, who taught a medieval history course during the tour, also accompanied the group.

— From Central Michigan University

Children's Choir will sing at Vatican

By Rebecca Neal
rebecca.neal@indystar.com

When 85 area singers travel to Italy with the Indianapolis Children's Choir next week, they'll have a once-in-a-lifetime experience when they sing at a Mass at the Vatican.

"They do realize what that means, but yet they don't. The moment they walk in, they will realize what it means," said Henry Leck, the choir's founder and artistic director. "The Catholic kids are all over it, but the Christian kids and the Jewish kids understand what this means too."
The choir, including students from south Marion and Johnson counties, will fly to Rome Thursday and perform at Mass that afternoon. They'll be in town for Rome's Festival of St. Peter, said the director who first thought all of the choir spots at the Vatican's Masses were already assigned.
"People send their musical requests years in advance," he said of trying to perform during the Festival of St. Peter.
After two letters from Indianapolis Archbishop Daniel Buechlein and more than 50 e-mails with the Vatican, the choir secured a place at a Mass that Friday.
Roncalli High School freshman Caitlin Schmoll said she can't wait to perform at the Vatican.
"It will mean a lot. I think it will help me be closer in my faith with God," said Schmoll, 14, the daughter of Mary and Paul Schmoll, Perry Township.
That Saturday, the students will take educational tours around Rome, including a stop at the Sistine Chapel.
Other notable stops on the trip include an evening concert July 3 in Florence in a former church built in 1116. The students will again perform July 5 in Venice at the Basilica of San Marco.
The basilica has a great musical heritage, and visiting choirs are hardly ever allowed to perform there, he said.
"It's very important musically because that's where surround sound started," he said.
The students will stop in Verona and Milan before returning to Indianapolis on July 7 or 8, depending on flights. Assistant director Josh Pedde will accompany Leck on the trip.
While Leck is proud of his choir's musical talents, he also wants to make sure the trip is educational. Each student is assigned a research topic about Italy, such as pasta, currency or politics. They then make presentations about their topic to others.
"By the time they go, they'll know when the Coliseum was built and what happened there. That way it's not like they won't recognize half of the things and then come back and forget the rest," he said.
The trip's parent chaperones also have to do a research project, and students must keep a daily journal.
The trip costs about $3,000, and students spend several years fundraising. Scholarships also are available for low-income students, and Leck said the choir works to make sure any student who wants to go can. Schmoll said she sold candles and ferns to help her make the trip.
The choir is made up predominantly of students in Grades 7-9, though some older high school students are also part of the choir. The students traveling are part of Leck's two advanced choirs, which went to England and Greece last year.
Schmoll, who has never traveled outside of the United States, is thrilled to be able to tour Italy.
"It's going to be really beautiful and fun to be able to experience the churches and sights in Italy," she said.

Source : indystar.com
Call Star reporter Rebecca Neal at (317) 444-2710.

The Gospel Singer - Being blind and a ward of the court didn't stop him

By Sue Anne Pressley MontesWashington Post

WASHINGTON - Margaret Dickinson first met Brian Slaughter nearly 30 years ago, in the forgotten world that was Forest Haven. She was a graduate student, about to start work at the District of Columbia's facility for the mentally retarded. He was a resident, a young man who had lived there since age 10.

As Dickinson took in the conditions that day - the toilet overflowing into the day room, two attendants engrossed in TV, the 60 idle men - she wondered how she could ever work at such a place. Shaking her head, she half-sang a line from an old hymn, "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen."

A deep voice sang back, "Nobody knows but Jesus."

It was one of the men sitting on the bench along the wall. "He was holding his trousers with his left hand because he didn't have a belt," she said, "and he had three big safety pins in the place where the zipper was. Most of the day's menu was all over his T-shirt, and he had shoes with no shoelaces and no socks."

There was one more thing: He was blind. "Hi, I'm Brian," he said, extending his hand. "And I'm a gospel singer."

Years later, with Dickinson's help, Slaughter has become exactly what he said he was: He is the gospel singer. It is hard to reconcile that picture of Slaughter, now 56, with the life he leads today. Wearing dark glasses and often a red fez, he presides over the keyboards at the Art and Drama Therapy Institute, a day-care program in Washington for adults with mental retardation.

Slaughter is the assistant music instructor. He also stars in the Inspirational Choir and Moroccan Ensemble, which appears at churches and special events several times a month and has a CD and video. Recently, he soloed at a disabilities conference in Hawaii, returning with a white Panama hat and a love of sushi. "I like good gospel music," Slaughter said in his preacherlike voice. "It starts my day off right."

Slaughter never forgets a name. He has hundreds of gospel songs in his repertoire and can launch into "Peace, Be Still" or "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" with authority. But he cannot read or write, and he would not be able to find his way to the store. But he has lots of plans for the future. "'Gospel Time!' That would be a good show," he said.

Slaughter is one of the few success stories that emerged from the institutional shame of Forest Haven. For decades, the D.C. facility, located in Laurel, Md., reflected an era when society's most vulnerable citizens were hidden away with inadequate programs or care. The facility closed in 1991, sending about 1,100 people to a new system of group homes that would in time also be cited for its failings. A federal lawsuit against the District continues to this day on behalf of the former residents.

But Slaughter had something to hold onto that most others did not: his dreams of music.

Brian Xavier Slaughter was born three days before Christmas, 1950. He and his twin, who lived just a few days, were three months premature. His mother, 19, already had two young children and a disintegrating marriage. Iris McConnell, now 75 and a retired federal government employee, said she still gets "very emotional" about that period, which she has written about in a manuscript she hopes to publish.

"Sometime during his first week at home, I was examining his body to see if he had all his parts when I realized I had him in the light of the bulb with no shade on it and there was no response to the light," she read aloud recently in her suburban home.

McConnell quickly learned there were few options for a special-needs child in the 1950s. At 7, Brian entered a program at an elementary school but was soon released because he could not function independently, McConnell said. "I had nowhere for him to go, nor could I afford anything, so every day I would close my young son in his room," she said. She worried he might hurt himself while left alone. Finally, a D.C. official convinced her that her older children would be better off if Slaughter went to Forest Haven, McConnell said.

The 10-year-old would have to be made a ward of the court. "We were (case) No. 15 that day," McConnell recalled. "Brian was dressed in his shirt and his little bow tie, clean and totally oblivious to what was about to go on. And when they called his name and I went forth, and the judge said whatever he had to say and then he struck that gavel and said, 'Committed,' it was just like my heart just left my body. 'What did I just do?' was what I said to myself."

The boy was led away by a caseworker. There were home visits for holidays. By the time he met Dickinson, he had lived at Forest Haven more than half his life.

"'Are you going to be our new chief?' " he asked her that day. " 'Yes, I'm going to be your new chief,' " she said she replied, " 'and I'm going to get you out of here.' "

A year and a half later, in 1981, Slaughter moved into a group home. He had small jobs stuffing envelopes, folding papers. He found his niche in 1992, when Dickinson and artist and therapist Sirkku Sky Hiltunen started the Art and Drama Therapy Institute. The two have created an environment that could not be more different than Forest Haven. It is a colorful, magic land of artwork, costumes and musical instruments.

Here, a shy mentally disabled woman dons an ornate dress and hand-painted mask and stars in a Japanese fairy tale. A young man who wears a helmet because he falls so often sings his own spirited version of opera.

"I believe these people are heaven's ambassadors," Dickinson said. "They're highly evolved, special beings. They are our teachers." The center has about 160 clients, 30 of them former residents of Forest Haven.

When Dickinson started the choir a few years ago, Slaughter quickly became the breakout star. He learned his songs, he said, listening to gospel radio. When he sat down at the keyboards, "the music just came out."

The two dozen members rehearse twice weekly. Everywhere they go, their raw energy and open-faced joy has crowds jumping to their feet.

Once, Dexter Slaughter attended a Special Olympics ceremony and was surprised to see his little brother and company up on the stage, owning it. "I knew he could sing, but I didn't know he could turn out a room," Dexter said.

Recently, Iris McConnell was at a seniors event when she heard the voice of her youngest child speak into a microphone, "Testing ... testing ..." Then the Inspirational Choir and Moroccan Ensemble launched into one of its favorite hymns, "O Happy Day." For Brian Slaughter, gospel singer, it was another very happy day.

Amy Grant

Nationality : American

Gender : Female

Occupation : Actress, singer, composer, producer

Birth Details : November 25, 1960

Augusta, Georgia, United States

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Biography
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"I know how it feels to go into a studio to start a record, and eight weeks later it's finished. I know how an intense schedule feels. Simple Things was the antithesis of all that.", says Amy Grant, whose new A&M/Word release Simple Things was three full years in the making. Was it worth the wait? You bet. Emotional, honest songs, glistening productions, arrangements that sweep through fields of strings and settle into a nest of solo acoustic guitar -- every detail of her seventeenth album exceeds the singer's standards, which are as high as standards come in this business.

But something beyond the music gives Simple Things its real meaning. The story behind its creation reflects elements of Amy's life at a critical stage -- elements of both shadow and light, uncertainty and conviction, and above all love and its endurance.

Simple Things was born from love, during a memorable week with family and friends. It comes to the world now on wings of love, from a place of warmth and resolution, now that the process is done. Between these milestones, though, the going wasn't always easy, thanks to changes in and beyond Amy's world.

It began in the summer of 2000, when Amy and her husband Vince Gill left Nashville with producer Keith Thomas and a few co-writers for a week in Destin, Florida. In a house just steps from the shore, they'd pair off after breakfast and write songs together. Then, as evening neared, they'd gather, compare notes, share quiet as well as festive moments.

"One night we were all going out to dinner," Amy remembers. "We all dressed up and went down to the beach to take our pictures in that beautiful sunset. Somehow we wound up running into the ocean and getting drenched in all our nice clothes."

Much of the material on Simple Things took form during that idyll: "Looking For You," "Happy," the title cut, and one song, "Touch," that perhaps conveys the feeling of that time more vividly than anything else on the album. "I think "Touch" was written on the first or second day," Amy says, "and it was so hypnotic and beautiful, so much like the ocean. Throughout the rest of that week, when we'd get to the end of the day, we'd grab a cold drink, feel the spray in the air, and just play that song ..."

Shortly after coming back home, with every intention to begin her next project, Amy discovered that she was pregnant. Priorities quickly shifted, as she gave birth to her and Vince's first child, Corrina. The time that followed proved even more challenging, and in unexpected ways.

There were issues involved with being a blended family with Amy's three older children and Vince's daughter. "We're just now in the fifth year since Gary (Chapman) and I split up," Amy explains. "Then, in March of 2000, I married Vince. The kids had to deal with some changes in their lives, and I had to grapple with the shame that you feel when you've been through a divorce. Thankfully, all of us continue to grow and life works itself out, but those years were a very sensitive time for us all."

These transitions would inspire some of the most personal material on Simple Things, including "Out in the Open" and "Innocence Lost," one of only two songs on the album that Amy didn't write. "But a big part of that lyric captures what I was feeling," she says, "about how part of living involves losing your innocence. And 'Out in the Open' is about freedom from shame and forgiving yourself. To me, they're both very emotional songs about that period."

At the same time, staying away from stage and studio took a physical toll. "In going through pregnancy and post-delivery, my support muscles weakened," she explains. "In the past, when I'd recorded during a break in a tour, it was so easy to sing, because I felt strong. Also, like so many new mothers, I wasn't getting a lot of sleep, and sleeping is such a huge part of being able to sing."

For nearly a year Amy was able to record only sporadically -- sometimes just two days a month. "So much of my energy was going into my family that when I was able to get to the studio I felt like, 'Oh, yeah! Now I remember! I have interests! I make music!'"

As Corrina grew and life at home settled, Amy's strength returned and her schedule loosened. She re-recorded some of the early vocal tracks and was getting into gear when the events of 911 suddenly cast a pall over the proceedings. As it happened, she was writing a song at that point that seemed to connect to the feelings stirred by tragedy.

"Wayne Kirkpatrick and I had started writing 'I Don't Know Why' about a week earlier," Amy says. "We'd been talking about those moments where, for whatever reason, everything distills into what really matters. When I watched those firefighters and workers digging through Ground Zero, trying to see if there was anybody in there, I thought of a lyric we'd just written: 'This is one of those moments when all that really matters is crystal clear' -- which means being there for each other, 'woven together by whatever threads of life that have brought us here.'"

In the perspective that took form after September 11, a new meaning emerged as Amy and Wayne worked on the song. "The words 'all I know is now' came from the uncertainty we felt," she says. "It's like when you're sitting in a waiting room at the hospital: Nothing exists except for that moment you're in. It might not be over 911, but we've all felt that odd way that life and tragedy bring people together."

Which brings Simple Things into full circle. From the personal to the global, from the playfulness of "Happy" through the impassioned duet shared by Amy and Vince on "Beautiful," Simple Things is perhaps the most intimate glimpse ever offered into the heart of this artist. With tracks brilliantly produced by Keith Thomas, Brown Banister and Wayne Kirkpatrick, this music seems to rush through storms and sunlight before coming to rest in "After the Fire," a summary of all that we've experienced on our own and heard on this disc -- simple, soft, and quietly triumphant.

And now, a personal note ...

Over the past hour, as Amy led me through the story of Simple Things, I've seen, over her shoulder and silhouetted in sunlight streaming through the window of her sitting room, an old baby grand piano, on which family photos stand in faded array. She tells me that it once belonged to the late comedienne Minnie Pearl, whose memory brings a light to Amy's eyes.

"I'm thinking about a conversation we had years ago," she says. "It was after Minnie's stroke, and she was bedridden, but this was one of her lucid days. We were talking about light and dark. She was saying, 'They're both a part of life. For instance, what do you think is the most important color on an artist's palette?' I said I didn't know. She said, 'Black, of course. Without black, no color has any depth. But if you mix black with everything, suddenly there's shadow -- no, not just shadow, but fullness. You've got to be willing to mix black into your palette if you want to create something that's real.'"

And so we return to where we came in: to the play of shadow and light, pain and sweetness, and to the music of Simple Things, which is as simple and yet unfathomable as we all know the world to be.

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Discography
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2006 Time Again: Amy Grant Live All Access

2006 Hymns for the Journey

2005 Rock of Ages...Hymns & Faith

2004 Greatest Hits 1986 - 2004
2003 Simple Things
2002 Legacy.. Hymns & Faith
1999 A Christmas To Remember
1997 Behind the Eyes
1994 House Of Love
1992 Home For Christmas
1991 Heart In Motion
1988 Lead Me On
1986 The Collection
1985 Unguarded
1984 Straight Ahead
1983 A Christmas Album
1982 Age To Age
1981 In Concert Volume 2
1980 In Concert
1980 Never Alone
1979 My Father's Eyes
1977 Amy Grant

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Videos
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1994 House of Love
1991 Heart In Motion
1984 Age To Age
1986 Find A Way
1986 Amy Grant's Old Fashioned Christmas

Famous Works

1. CREDITS
2. Film Appearances
   Story, Songs and Stars, 1984
   Herself, A Moment in Time, World Entertainment, 1988
   Carol, The Illusion, 2001
   Sister of Freya #4, Yorick, 2002
3. Television Appearances
4. Movies
   Maryann Lowery, A Song from the Heart (also known as Music fromthe Heart), 1999
5. Specials
   The Patti LaBelle Show, NBC, 1985
   Christmas in Washington, NBC, 1985
   Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, NBC, 1986
   Amy Grant ... Headin' Home for the Holidays, NBC, 1986
   An All-Star Celebration Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., NBC, 1986
   ABC Presents a Royal Gala, ABC, 1988
   Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade, ABC, 1990
   Narrator, The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat, Showtime, 1990
   The Dream Is Alive: The 20th Anniversary Celebration of Walt Disney World (also known as Walt Disney World's 20th Anniversary Celebration), CBS, 1991
   Hats Off to Minnie Pearl: America Honors Minnie Pearl, TNN, 1992
   Picture What Women Do, Lifetime, 1994
   Christmas At Home with the Stars, ABC, 1994
   Herself, Tapestry Revisited: A Tribute to Carole King, Lifetime, 1995
   Herself, A Sam's Place Christmas, TNN, 1995
   Kathie Lee: Just in Time for Christmas, CBS, 1996
   Death in Malibu: The Murder of Music Mogul Charlie Minor--The E! TrueHollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 1997
   Voice, Snowden on Ice, CBS, 1997
   Herself, Christopher Reeve: A Celebration of Hope, ABC, 1998
   When You Believe: Music from "The Prince of Egypt," NBC, 1998
   Herself, Amy Grant ... A Christmas to Remember, 1999
   Women Rock! Girls & Guitars, Lifetime, 2000
6. Awards Presentations
   The American Music Awards, ABC, 1986
   The 20th Annual Country Music Association Awards, CBS, 1986
   The 34th Annual Grammy Awards, CBS, 1992
   The American Music Awards, ABC, 1993
   The 24th Annual Dove Awards, The Family Channel, 1993
   The 25th Annual Dove Awards, The Family Channel, 1994
   The American Music Awards, ABC, 1995
   The 26th Annual Dove Awards, The Family Channel, 1995
   The 30th Annual Country Music Association Awards, CBS, 1996
   TNN Music City News Country Awards, TNN, 1997
7. Episodic
   Guest, Late Show with David Letterman, 1994
   Guest host, CCM-TV, 1995
   Herself, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, ABC, 2001
   Herself, The View, ABC, 2002
   Guest, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NBC, 2002
   Also appeared as herself, Talk of the Town.
8. Television Executive Producer
9. Specials
   Amy Grant ... A Christmas to Remember, CBS, 1999
10. RECORDINGS
11. WRITINGS
12. Television Songs
13. Specials
    "Tennessee Christmas," Amy Grant: A Christmas to Remember, 1999

HomePage : www.amygrant.com/

Nicole Mullen

Before coming out with her first natioally released album in 2000, Nashville-based singer/songwriter Nicole C. Mullen worked as a vocalist with Michael W. Smith and the Newsboys, as a songwriter for Jaci Velasquez, and as a dancer and choreographer with Amy Grant.

Her love of music began well before then, though. From the age of two, Nicole recalls having a mic in her had on most occassions. During much of Mullen's childhood, she spent time singing with family and friends in the Cincinnati area. "It was something that I loved to do, that I felt called to do," she says. "I didn't know how I was going to do it, but I always knew that if doing music was the Lord's will for me, then I wouldn't have to strive for it."

When Nicole C. Mullen was 12, she began writing her own songs. One of the songs she co-wrote for Velaszuez, "On My Knees," won the 1998 GMA Song of the Year award. When Nicole describes her songwriting style, she often referres to it as "funkability." She likes to blend many genres of music, including R&B, folk, gospel, disco, hillbilly, and pop. Many of her songs are in story form and are about her faith, her childhood, her family, and her friends.

Nicole's musical career began when a man at her church hired her to work as a background singer at his recording studio for $6 an hour. This eventually led to her first recording contract, although the label did go under. While with the label, she was recommended to work with David Mullen on a recording project. Three years and quite a few disagreements later, they decided they were better together than apart, and were married.

Since their marriage, they have adopted one child, had two more, and have two dogs and a pack of cats at their home in rural Franklin, Tennessee. Her family means the world to her and she spends much of her time with them, often only touring on Thursdays through Saturdays so she can be with her her children during the school week. Most often, her family accompanies her on the road. David is a co-producer of her albums and she adds her vocal tracks at a home studio with her kids nearby.

David helped Nicole "stay in the business" duing the 1990's through background singing, songwriting, and dancing. After the success of the song, "I Get On My Knees," Nicole signed with Warner Bros./Curb/Word Records, becoming a perennial awards nominee and an advocate for numerous causes. Her self-titled debut album came out in 2000. Since then, she has released three more albums, her latest being Everyday People, which was released September 14, 2004.

Nicole C. Mullen chose "Everyday People" as the title of her new album becuase, "I am everyday people when it comes down to it," she says thoughtfully. "We all get to do different things, but when we take everything else off-we take the titles off, we take the job descriptions off, we take the salaries away-we're all everyday people that hurt, that bleed, that cry, regardless of the skin color, regardless of the title of our job."

When writing the songs for the albun, Nicole says she was mostly influenced by everyday people. Often when I’m writing, the people I’m seeing in my head are the people I’ve seen at my concerts—people who have e-mailed me or sent me letters afterward. It definitely let’s me know that I’m singing for a hurting audience—vulnerable people who are crying out to God, people who are going through circumstances, people who are ‘everyday’. Songs like “Bye, Bye Brianna”, “Valorie” and others show this.

Mullen views her opportunity to be on stage "not as a vehicle for self-glorification but as a chance to connect with everyday people from other walks of life." Nicole desperatly wants to give hope to a hurting nation and show her audience the overwhelming joy that can only be experienced through knowing Christ Jesus.

Nicole says this new album contains a lot more R&B and funk, and that it really represents who she is. Christianity Today comments: "In many ways, listening to this album is like entering someone's life through her photo album. Mullen presents aural snapshots of people and moments of her life. As in any photo album, the collection is varied, sometimes quirky, and always telling. Each song captures an overarching truth revealed through an ordinary moment made extraordinary by the greater meanings imparted by faith."

Nicole is involved in many types of activities and ministries besides singing. "Sometimes we think we are what we do," she explains. "We are not. I am not a singer. I sing-that is what I do. But I am Nicole-the mother, the wife, the friend, the daughter, the mentor, the mentee-that's who I am."

Together David and Nicole act as youth leaders in their local church, tutor inner-city kids on a weekly basis, and participate in the Kids Across America summer camp where they model the family unit to inner-city kids.

Nicole has also established a group called "The Baby Girls Club." Through this ministry, she mentors to girls that live in her area, often opening up her her home to them.

"When I was younger," Nicole C. Mullen says, "somebody from my church that I really respected-that I thought was gorgeous and very talented-spoke into my life. She would take me to her house at times and she would comb my hair or encourage me in my singing. In her belief in me, she gave me belief in myself, so I love doing that with other young girls."

Another of Nicole's passions is her work with the International Needs Network Ghana to work at freeing Trokosi slaves.



Nicole's albums:

Sharecropper's Seed, Vol. 1 (2007)

Reedemer: The Best of Nicole C. Mullen (2006)
Everyday People (2004)
Live from Cincinnati: Bringin' It Home (2003)
Christmas in Black & White (2002)
Talk About It (2001)
Following His Hand: A Ten Year Journey (2001)
Nicole C. Mullen (2000)
Wish Me Love (1992)
Don't Let Me Go (1991)

Awards and Nominations:
Nicole C. Mullen has won and been nominated for several Grammy and Dove Awards, including Song of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year.

1. 1998 : Dove Award for Song of the Year for "On My Knees", shared with her husband David, and fellow co-writer Michael Ochs.
2. 2001 : Dove Award for Songwriter of the Year
3. 2001 : Dove Award for Song of the Year for "Redeemer"
4. 2005 : Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year, Everyday People
5. 2005 : Dove Award for Urban Album of the Year, Everyday People
6. 2005 : Dove Award for Female Vocalist of the Year

Statement of Purpose:
"I sing to a hurting audience," Mullen suggests, "because I live in a hurting world so I feel like it's part of my job to present hope. "My goal in life is to encourage those that are out there listening. How can I make the next four minutes of this song worth more than just four minutes? How can I leave somebody with hope? That's my goal and if I accomplish that then it's worth more than a Grammy, worth more than a Dove, worth more than any of them."

"Without Him," she says, "I would have nothing to sing about."

Download Free Song by Nicole Mullen
1. Call On Jesus

Homepage

Source : http://www.christianmusic.com/nicole_c_mullen/nicole_c_mullen.htm

Halleluia / Alleluia - by Swapna

Title: Halleluia / Alleluia
Artist: Swapna

Song from the Divine Retreat Center's Television Program called "Divine Vision - Streams of Grace". Divine Retreat Center, Muringoor, Chalakudy, Kerala, India.
Visit: http://www.drcm.org/dvineretreat/gene...

This Song performed by Swapna is an adaption from Mother Mary's Song of Praise....

My Love Song - by Swapna

Song: My Love Song
Lyrics/Music: Swapna
Camera: Sunnychan
Editing: Johncy Joseph
Direction: Maria Sangeetha

Song from the Divine Retreat Center's Television Program called "Divine Vision - Streams of Grace".Divine Retreat Center, Muringoor, Chalakudy, Kerala, India.
Visit: http://www.drcm.org/dvineretreat/generalinfo/topics.asp?topi c=Evangelization%20-%20Divine%20Vision%2 0-%20Our%20Mission

Have Mercy On Me Oh Lord by Swapna

Lyrics & Music: Swapna
Camera: Sunnychan
DivineEditing: Vijesh Pullookkara
Direction: Maria Sangeetha

Song from : The Divine Retreat Center's Television Program called "Divine Vision - Streams of Grace".Divine Retreat Center, Muringoor, Chalakudy, Kerala, India. ( http://www.drcm.org/ ) Visit: http://www.drcm.org/dvineretreat/gene...

If you are in USA/North America please visit: http://www.divinepotta.com/ in addition to the main website, OR see the external retreats from: http://www.drcm.org/
Category Music

Abey and Swapna

Abey and Swapna had started their singing career as gospel singers Divine Retreat Center, India in 1992 the largest retreat place in Asia .

Abey and Swapna have released more than 11 albums in 8 years. Abey's "Lead us to the Heights of Myrrh" is popular in many countries.

Polygram, India released Swapna's solo album in 1993 under the title Prayer To Prayer and was one of the rare recognition received by a Christian artist in India. Abey & Swapna have traveled many countries and currently in contract with Praise Inc. Philippines.

The Album Rain On Me Is Too Good......
Here are two songs that i have uploaded from the album, in my later post i will upload video of swapna performance form youtube

Downloads
1. Lord Take Away
2. Rain On Me

Val Goldsack

Val Godsack is a famous singer who is skiled in a capella , writer of liturgical music, pslams, canticles, sacred songs & guitarist and a member of the JHN Group who produce a series of tapes and CD of Morning & Evening Prayer. She has worked as a pastoral musician in the Diocese of Middlesbrough since 1978.

Website: http://www.valgoldsack.co.uk
http://www.mp3.com/artist/val-goldsack?tag=summary;quicklink:more&om_act=convert&om_clk=artsummary

In MP3 format (download):
(click link with right mouse button and choose "Save As" from the menu)

From the Album:
Songs of Hope
I Am the Vine (837 KB)
Deep Silent River (873 KB)
Abide with Me (898 KB)


Songs Her latest Album, Songs of Hope:
1. Lead Kindly Light
2. Deep Silent River (based on Psalm 110)
3. Canticle of Daniel
4. I Am The Vine
5. With This Water (Holy Thursday)
6. Psalm of Praise (Psalm 148)
7. Abide With Me
8. The Lord Is My Light And My Help
9. Prayer of Compassion
10. Father Of All Creation (offertory song)

BDA (Better Days Ahead)

The same American college which produced CCM stars Jars Of Clay, Greenville College, have produced another pop rock band - BDA. The band’s debut album ‘Better Days Ahead’ is already getting considerable US airplay they have played almost 100 dates across the Midwest and East Coast including summer festivals alongside bands such as Switchfoot, Jars Of Clay, and Audio Adrenaline.

These five 21-year-olds met during their freshman year at Greenville College, Illinois on September 2001. (Among the top colleges in the nation that offer a degree in contemporary Christian music) And after 4 years of college to perfect their sound, the boys of BDA have come up with a debut CD that will not only get you singing, but thinking.

By tackling subjects like Christ’s return, evangelizing friends, and our own sinfulness these guys are not looking to just entertain. They write music that puts simple ideas in a new way and lets you discover it all over again. You will find yourself singing along to the catchy musical hooks, and listening to the lyrics for insight.

Produced by Scott Williamson (FFH, Lincoln Brewster), their debut release, Better Days Ahead, is sure to showcase their positive and energetic style. Supporting their memorable melodies with tight, polished rhythms, BDA is ready to connect with audiences who are looking for a fresh, new pop/rock sound.

Track List:
1. Maybe You
2. Mystery Of You
3. Love Is Here
4. Answer Me
5. Endless
6. Truth Found You
7. You Loved Me When
8. Don't Be Long
9. Something Wonderful
10. Let Love Come Down
11. Into Our Midst
12. All To Thee

READ THE INTERVIEW HERE

The Good Company Choir perform You Raise Me Up

The Good Company Choir perform "You Raise Me Up" at St. Martins Church to raise money for "Friends of Vellore" . Any money made from this video will be donated to them.




Homepage : Metacafe
The best free videos From Metacafe are right here

Lenny LeBlanc

Few Ablums By Him

One Desire (2002)
The bridge (1996)
Above all
All my dreams (1994)


Lenny LeBlanc was born in Leominster Mass. June 17th, 1951. In 1955 his family moved south to Daytona Beach Florida. It was there at the age of 15 his fascination with music became more than just a dream.

Like many East Coast youth, Lenny spent his summers on the beach surfing until he met some teens that played guitars. That was all it took and before long, he had a job washing dishes to pay for his first bass guitar. During the next three years of school Lenny played at dances and local clubs around Daytona. By this time he had begun developing his vocal talents as well. "It seemed like I was always picked to be the lead singer in whatever band I was in, mainly by default because no one else could carry a tune."

After graduating from high school in 1969 and moving to Cincinnati, Ohio for two years, it was time once again to move on. Former band member and good friend Pete Carr had become a very successful producer and studio guitarist in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He encouraged Lenny to join him there. After a few months Lenny began playing bass as well as singing background vocals with artists like Hank Williams Jr., Amy Grant and Roy Orbison.

With much success as a background musician and singer, the next logical step for Lenny LeBlanc was a solo career. In 1975, he recorded a demo and producer Pete Carr sent a copy to Jerry Wexler (Atlantic Records). A few months later Lenny's first solo LP was released. Atlantic saw great potential in Lenny and teamed him with Pete Carr. The result was the top 10 hit "Falling," LeBlanc and Carr began touring with major acts. After awhile Carr decided he enjoyed making the records more than promoting them so the duo went their separate ways. LeBlanc continued writing songs and pursuing a solo effort, this time with Capitol.

In 1980 Lenny decided to commit his life and his music to Jesus Christ. In 1983 Heartland records released the "Say a Prayer" LP which was followed by the "Person to Person" LP in 1984. In 1987 Lenny opened his own recording studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama where he does his own productions as well as others.

Michael W Smith

Michael Whitaker Smith (born October 7, 1957, to Paul and Barbara Smith in Kenova, West Virginia), often nicknamed "Smitty", is a Christian singer, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist.
Since his first solo project in 1983, Smith has become one of the most popular artists in the Contemporary Christian music world, while also finding considerable success in the mainstream. Smith himself is hesitant to put a label on his music and states that he "doesn't make a record for the Christian market or for the Pop market, [he] just makes a record." Smith has frequently topped both Christian radio and Billboard charts and is often listed as one of the top keyboardists in rock and roll in Keyboard Magazine. Smith has sold more than 13 million records and has had 29 #1 hit songs. By 2005, he had garnered 14 gold records and 5 platinum records, 40 Dove Awards, an American Music Award and 3 Grammy Awards. He was also named one of People magazine's most beautiful people.

Beginnings
By the time Smith graduated from high school, he had found himself with serious drug and alcohol abuse problems. He attended Marshall University for a brief period while developing his songwriting skills with various local bands around Huntington, West Virginia. Smith dropped out of college and moved to Nashville to pursue a professional music career. In November of 1979, he suffered an emotional and mental breakdown that awakened a re-commitment to Christianity. He cleaned up his substance abuse problem and began playing keyboards for the CCM group, Higher Ground.

In 1981, Smith was signed as a writer to Meadowgreen Music, where he racked up a number of highly successful gospel hits penned for artists like Sandi Patty, Kathy Troccoli, Bill Gaither, and Amy Grant. The following year, Smith began touring as a keyboardist for Grant on her Age to Age tour. He would eventually become Grant's opening act and recorded his first Grammy nominated solo album: The Michael W. Smith Project (which he also produced), in 1983, on the Reunion Records label; a label started by Grant's brother-in-law, Dan Harrell, along with Michael Blanton. This album contained the first recording of his hit Friends which he co-wrote with his wife Deborah. Incidentally, the song that is most associated with him, probably took him the least amount of time to write, as they wrote it one afternoon for a friend who was moving away, never thinking it would become the hit it has.
By the time Smith's second pop album was released in 1984, he was headlining his own tours. In 1986, Smith released the critically acclaimed rock album The Big Picture, with well known record producer Johnny Potoker (Brian Eno, Genesis, Madonna, No Doubt, Talking Heads, etc).
After the release of his 1988 effort, i 2 (EYE), Smith once again teamed up with Amy Grant for her "Lead Me On World Tour". The following year, Smith recorded his first Christmas album.

In the mainstream
In 1990, Michael W. Smith released Go West Young Man, which was his first real mainstream effort, including the mainstream crossover hit "Place In This World". That album was followed by 1992s Change Your World (which included the #1 adult contemporary hit "I Will Be Here For You"), 1995s I'll Lead You Home, and 1998s Live The Life. Also in 1998, Smith released his second Christmas effort, Christmastime. In 1999, Smith released This Is Your Time, written by Smith and Wes King, the brother-in-law of Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, which was inspired by the Columbine shootings. Smith had been asked to perform at some of the memorial services that were held in honor of the victims, which made a huge impression on him.
In 1996, Smith opened his own record label (although he does not record on it), Rocketown Records, named for a song on The Big Picture. He states the label is driven by the artists, and the first artist signed was Chris Rice, who had written "Go Light Your World", a #1 hit song by Kathy Troccoli, in 1995.
Nearly all of Smith's albums contain at least one instrumental track, and in 2000, Smith recorded his first all instrumental album, Freedom, after many years of wanting to create an instrumental album. The following year, Smith released an all praise and worship album, called Worship, interestingly on September 11. This album was followed by a sequel, Worship Again in 2002. Both albums were recorded live in concert. (Both are also the only two albums to be comprised almost entirely of songs he did not write himself). A Worship DVD, which comprised a selection of songs from both albums, was recorded live in Edmonton, Alberta at YC Alberta and released in 2002. It immediately topped the Billboard video charts and became a Gold seller in both the U.S. and Canada.
After two decades, Smith finally won the Male Vocalist of the Year award at the GMA Music Awards in 2003.
Smith wrote a song entitled "There She Stands", prompted by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He performed this song live for the 2004 Republican National Convention. In introducing the song before he performed it, he made remarks about meeting personally with President George W. Bush in the Oval Office in October of 2001, a short time after the attacks. Smith mentioned that the President, a personal fan (as is the President's father), and family friend of the artist, had asked him to attempt to write a song about the attacks. The song is about America's ability to rise from the ashes and remain strong even after such horrific events.
Smith became a good friend of U2 frontman Bono. The two have joined forces on a number of occasions for performances and in connection to Bono's DATA Organization. While U2 was recording its album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, Bono even invited Smith to jam with them in the studio. The song that the group worked on with Smith did not end up making it onto the record, but might surface in the future on another project.
Smith's album, Healing Rain, was released in 2004 and debuted at #11 on the Billboard Hot 200 Chart. The title track rose to #1 on the Radio & Records Charts and a music video for the song was released. The album nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album, combines the pop style of his previous recordings with the praise and worship feel of his two releases in that genre. A new album, Stand, was released in November, 2006.
Smith and his wife have written the theme songs for Kanakuk Kamps for the past two decades. The theme songs have birthed such notable hits as "Love Crusade", "Live the Life", and "Straight to the Heart". The Christian youth at this camp give Smith access to a steady, young audience even as his original fans age.
At a concert in Wabash, Indiana on April 29, 2007, Smith announced that he was soon headed to London to begin recording his third Christmas album.


Other ventures
In 1994, Smith opened a teen club, named Rocketown, in Franklin, Tennessee. Later in early 2003, the club was moved to a new location--a renovated warehouse in downtown Nashville. The venue offers a large dance floor, extensive indoor skate park, and a cafe hosting live acoustic music. Rocketown is located on 401 6th Ave. S. Quoting an Christian Activities article, Rocketown's mission is to create culturally relevant environments that foster vital relationships between disenfranchised adolescents and Christian mentors in order to meet their physical, social, and spiritual needs.
Smith is actively involved in volunteer service and is vice chair of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, which is chaired by Jean Case of the Case Foundation.
Smith finished work on a film directed by Steve Taylor entitled The Second Chance which was released on February 17, 2006 in selected theatres. In the movie, he stars as a pastor assigned to work in the inner city. The film also stars Jeff Obafemi Carr, and features a soundtrack now available from Reunion Records. The DVD of the movie was released on July 18, 2006.

Personal Life
Michael is Married to Deborah (Debbie) K. Davis Smith and has five children: Ryan Whitaker, Whitney Katherine, Tyler Michael, Anna Elizabeth and Emily Allison. He resides in the Nashville suburbs and spends time at the Smith family farm.

Career Highlights

• 30 Number One Songs
• Career sales over 13 million
• 5 Platinum records
• 15 Gold records
• Winner of 40 Dove Awards
• Winner of 3 Grammy Awards
• Founded Rocketown Records
• Founded Rocketown Ministries
• Named one of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People"
• National Spokesperson for Compassion International

Michael W Smith Lyrics
Click here For : Homepage

Source : Wikipedia

Kevin Max (From DC TALK)

Kevin Max an American singer, songwriter, and poet was born on August 17, 1967. He is best known for being a member of the Christian pop group dc Talk.

Early years
His birth name is Kevin Max Eugene Smith, but he legally shortened it to "Kevin Max" in 1997, citing that there were probably too many Smiths already in the world. Kevin was himself adopted by the Smith family and grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Another reason behind changing his name might be because his adoptive brother was named Max. Kevin showed incredible vocal and musical talent early in his life and his talent grew while at Grand Rapids Baptist High School and later at Cornerstone University.

DC Talk
Later, at Liberty University, he met fellow dc Talk bandmates: Toby McKeehan and Michael Tait. Together they formed dc Talk and went on to achieve great success in both Christian and mainstream music. The band went on to win four Grammy, 16 Dove Awards, and other recognitions. However, they decided to take an extended "intermission" in 2000.

Spirituality
In recent years, Kevin Max has attempted to create a name for himself apart from dc Talk. While he does not shy away from vocally defending his Christian faith, he has expressed a desire to create art with a universal appeal. He insists, "My music is for a Christian and a Buddhist to pick up and still enjoy, as well as for an atheist. But it is there to prod and ask some questions: What's my worldview? What do I believe in, and why do I believe it?"

Stereotype Be
The resulting solo album, Stereotype Be, released on August 28, 2001, was praised by All Music Guide for "[combining] pop, rock, and world music to create a versatile and intriguing project." Legendary artists Adrian Belew, Larry Norman, and Tony Levin contributed to the album.

Further projects
Curiously, while Stereotype Be has developed a considerable cult following, it wasn't well-received in the Christian music market, and not long after its release, Max was dropped from his Christian label, Forefront Records. Undeterred, Max began to slowly build his solo career through live shows and word-of-mouth. He released independent albums via his website, including an EP entitled Between the Fence & the Universe and a spoken-word collaboration with Adrian Belew entitled Raven Songs 101, both in 2004.
In fall of 2004, Max's word-of-mouth strategy finally began to pay off. He played the title role in the Visalia Theatre Company / Hutson-Cavale Productions revival of the classic Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Later that year, he signed a new deal with Northern Records and released a second full-length album, titled The Imposter, said to "contain...a sound that recalls the passion of early U2, the soul of Jeff Buckley, and the ambiguity of Blur"[1] on October 18, 2005. He released a Christmas album, titled Holy Night, in time for the 2005 Holiday Season.
Kevin also recorded a side project in which he was the lead singer of a goth band called Blackcat which as of this point has not been released.
In 2000, Candlejump Productions announced their film project, Soupernatural, starring Kevin Max.[2] After six years, filming began in January of 2007.[3]

Poetry and writings
Max is also a poet and an author. He has published four books, three of which are poetry books: At the Foot of Heaven (1994), The Detritus of Dorian Gray (2003) and PO.ET.RY (2005). The other is an autobiography of sorts titled Unfinished Work (2001), an in-depth look at the meaning of each of his songs from Stereotype Be. In addition, Max has a spoken-word EP album that accompanies his first poetry book At the Foot of Heaven, released in 1995 by Starsong Productions.

Personal life
In 1997, Max married Alayna Bennett. They divorced in 2003 for undisclosed reasons. He remarried in April of 2005 to Amanda Lynn MacDonald.[4] Their daughter, London, was born on October 7 2005.[5],[6] They lived in Hollywood, California, until July 2006, when Max and his family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada.[7] In December 2006, Max announced on his website that he and Amanda were expecting the birth of their second child (a boy) in June 2007. Kevin and family are currently moving again to Nashville where Kevin has secured a new recording contract[8]

Discography

Solo
At the Foot of Heaven (spoken word EP, Starsong, 1995)
Stereotype Be (Forefront Records, 2001)
Between the Fence & the Universe (EP, Northern Records, 2004)
The Imposter (Northern Records, 2005)
Holy Night (Northern Records, 2005)
The Blood (2007)

Collaborations
The Canticle of the Plains, (musical written by Rich Mullins, 1997)
Raven Songs 101 (collaboration with Adrian Belew, Blind Thief Publishing, 2003)

Singles
Sanctuary (2005)
Existence (2001)
Be (2001)

Filmography
Existence (ForeFront Records, 2001)
Seek Live (Northern Records, 2003)
Untitled (Blind Thief Publishing, 2003)

Books
At the Foot of Heaven (poetry/artwork, Starsong, 1994)
Unfinished Work (autobiography, T. Nelson, 2001)
The Detritus of Dorian Gray (poetry, Blind Thief Publishing, 2003)
PO/ET/RY (poetry, Blind Thief Publishing, 2005)

Click Here For Kevin's : Homepage

Source : Wikipedia

DC Talk

Discography
Jesus Freak: 10th Anniversary Special Edition (2006)
Solo (2001)
Intermission: The Greatest Hits (2000)
Supernatural (1998)
Welcome To the Freak Show (1997)
Jesus Freak (1995)Free At Last (1992)
Nu Thang (1990)dc Talk (1989

Biography (courtesy of Forefront Records)
Like modern-day musical Lewis and Clarks, the three members of dc talk have spent more than a decade exploring uncharted territory and expanding our notions of the world. Along the way, this acclaimed and best-selling band of pioneering musicians has transformed the Christian music industry and broken down the walls. Their albums have mixed rock, rap and pop in previously unimaginable ways, winning numerous Grammy and Dove awards in the process. Their energetic concerts have continually broken new ground for rock performance and theatrics. Their video and film projects have expanded the boundaries of music and movies. And their rock-solid commitment to creatively proclaming Jesus's message to millions of young people who are trying to make their way in our turbulent times has continued to amaze Christian critics.

Now, with the release of intermission: the greatest hits, Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait and Kevin Max are taking time to reflect on the many miles they have traveled and the many musical and ministry milestones they have passed.

Featuring classic award-winning cuts like "Jesus Freak" and "Between You and Me," along with two brand new songs — "Sugar Coat It" and "Chance" — intermission does what its name implies: it signifies the end of a drama's opening act and lets the audience catch its breath for what's coming up next. dc talk has already achieved so much in such a short time. But the band isn't resting on its laurels. And contrary to recurring rumors, it isn't breaking up. Rather, Toby, Michael and Kevin are taking a moment to stop, look back, and celebrate the mysteries of both God and the music biz before heading out on their next exciting venture into uncharted territory.

Toby McKeehan
Toby McKeehan spent his childhood growing up in the Washington D.C. area, not far from where he went to college at Lynchburg, Virginia's Liberty University. It was during his time at Liberty that Toby met fellow dc Talk members Michael Tait and Kevin Max. Ten years and six albums later, just as dc Talk has evolved musically, Toby's own life and career have become quite diversified.

While he records and tours extensively with dc Talk, Toby also focuses much of his time and energy developing and producing other artists on his own record label, Gotee Records. Since the label's inception in 1994, Gotee's roster has grown to include such acts as Out of Eden, Grits, Jennifer Knapp, Sonicflood, The Katinas, and others. Gotee also houses 40 Records, a newly created modern praise & worship venture between Toby and Christian music veteran Bill Gaither. In 1997, Toby joined his manager Dan Pitts and Gotee President Joey Elwood in the formation of the E.R.A.C.E. Foundation, a non-profit organization promoting racial reconciliation. E.R.A.C.E. became a natural fit for dc Talk's platform because the topic of reconciliation is one that is close to the hearts of Toby, Michael and Kevin.

On a personal note, Toby and his wife of four years, Amanda, became proud parents in 1998. Truett Foster McKeehan was born on September 4, 1998. Along with a day-to-day relationship with God, Toby's family is the most important element in his life, and he admits that it has changed him only for the better. "The impact Amanda and Truett have made on me has been great," he shares. "The focus I have on my life has been so intensely adjusted, and I'm grateful for that. I love what I do, but the other people in my life are so important to me and I never want to take that for granted."

Michael Tait
Michael Tait admits he is a true "people person," a trait he most likely acquired while growing up in Washington, D.C. in a house full of siblings—five sisters and three brothers. He watched his sisters sing in church throughout his childhood, but Michael's involvement in music didn't come until later in high school, and then in college at Liberty University, where he met fellow dc Talk members Toby McKeehan and Kevin Max. Within the span of their 10-year relationship, dc Talk has now recorded a total of six albums.

When he's not in the recording studio or on the road with Toby & Kevin, Michael has been spending more and more time developing his songwriting and production skills. Some of his side musical projects have included performing a couple of years ago with his own solo band, Curious George; co-producing and co-writing the song "My Will" for the Exodus album; and most recently, producing Forefront artist Pete Stewart's solo album. He also worked with close friends Brian White and Chad Chapin on the album Talk Show Circuit, co-writing some of the songs and singing background vocals on most of them. The album, recorded under the band name Crowd of Faces, is available at Christian bookstores everywhere.

Some of Michael's favorite pastimes include "extreme" sports of every kind. He enjoys rock climbing and mountain biking, but one of his main loves is snowboarding, which has taken him to the mountains of Colorado, Utah, Idaho and even Switzerland. Even in his hometown of Nashville, you'll often find him on the back of his Harley Davidson motorcycle riding with friends.

Over the past couple of years, Michael has dealt with tragedy in his life with the passing of his sister and his father, Nathel. Michael has always been very close to his father and credits him for much of his own outlook on life. His dad grew up an African American in Alabama, and encountered different forms of racism on a regular basis. In fact, Nathel's grandfather was killed by the Ku Klux Klan. Through it all, Michael says his father could have easily come through life with feelings of racially motivated bitterness or hatred, but instead he set an example for his family to love all people—with no regard to race or color. "My dad was just a lover of people and of life," Michael says. "I'm definitely thankful of that gift from God that my dad passed on to me—to appreciate people and to want to stretch the boundaries and do things that others may not always think about, whether it be in conversations or establishing new friendships. That's how I know God is in my life, because he has given that passion to me."

Kevin Max
Kevin Max was raised just outside of suburban Grand Rapids, Michigan, where music was a big part of his childhood. He began singing when he was only four years old. "I remember being carted around to schools, churches and radio programs, even at that age," Kevin recalls. "I've always been a singer for as long as I can remember."

Kevin spent a lot of time singing with music groups on campus at Liberty University, where he eventually met band mates Toby McKeehan and Michael Tait, and formed dc Talk. The three have now been performing for more than 10 years, yielding six albums to their credit.

Kevin has been married to his wife Alayna since August of 1997, and the two now make their home in Nashville, Tennessee. When he isn't recording or on the road with dc Talk, Kevin is perfecting his art of writing poetry, a hobby he began in high school and has brought to fruition over the last several years. Some of Kevin's best poems have been published in a book entitled At the Foot of Heaven, and he has just completed a new poetry book to be released soon. Additionally, his current activities include work on an upcoming solo album and solo performance dates. Keep up with Kevin at his website http://www.kevinmax.com/.