*Eunice Wright Puts Musical Career on Standby to Save Her Son
For the last four years, Eunice Wright has ministered in song to deliver a message of faith, hope, and love to people across the county. On June 22nd, her message took on new definition as she put her busy music and secular careers on hold to donate a kidney to her eldest son, Tony, who was diagnosed over two and a half years ago with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), a condition where both of his kidneys have completely shut down.’ I trust God and I'm at peace with whatever the outcome may be,’ Ms. Wright tells gospel editor Bob Marovich. ‘God knows the plan He has for me and Tony and His plan is working in us right now.’

*’Young, Fun, Passionate, Liberating’
By Bob Marovich
Rising gospel star MYESHA CHANEY has a lot on her plate these days: hosting a popular weekly radio show with her husband, Pastor Wayne Chaney, with whom she has also co-founded the Long Beach Gospel Fet; blogging for EURweb.com and Interactive One’s Elev8.com, and contributing articles to the Essence magazine blog. She also happens to have released her debut CD, Take Him to the World. Its powerful assertions of faith and conviction are fueled by an amalgam of rock, soul and hip-hop influences in a state-of-the-art soundscape sculpted to match the intensity of Ms. Chaney's emotionally gripping, incantatory testifying. Gospel editor Bob Marovich caught up with one of gospel’s most in-demand artists for a quick Q&A.

*Gospel News & Notes
*Remembering gospel singer-songwriter GABRIEL HARDEMAN (of the Gabriel Hardeman Delegation), who passed away on June 16 from complications of interstitial fibrosis at age 68. Hardeman co-wrote Stephanie Mills’s #1 1987 hit ‘I Feel Good All Over’ and Teddy Pendergrass’s ‘Truly Blessed.’
*Remembering singer-songwriter PEPE EPTING, who passed away on June 5 following a long illness. Epting most recently performed at Shekinah Glory Ministry’s live concert recording at Valley Kingdom Ministries International. His last recording, "Peace for the World," will appear on Shekinah Glory Ministry's forthcoming September 25 CD release, Surrender.

Bob Marovich’s Gospel Picks

TIM BOWMAN JR., Beautiful— On Beautiful, Tim Bowman Jr.explores many musical styles-from urban R&B to acoustic to contemporary and traditional gospel to rock, but the eclectic mixture blends nicely and never causes aural whiplash.

 

A NEW AWAKENING, It’s a Blessing-- On It's a Blessing, the quartet A New Awakening from Cheraw, South Carolina, combines soulful and strong lead vocals, fine harmonies, talented musicians, and a pleasant production. The CD reminds you why you enjoy quartet music.

 

REV. FRANK H. EVANS & THE CLEFTONE GOSPEL SINGERS, Are You Saved?-- by this Jacksonville, Florida group is packed with authentic and soulful gospel ensemble singing. Rev. Evans earned his trad badge by working with Rev. James Cleveland for five years, though the Cleftone Gospel Singers have been around, in one iteration or another, for more than fifty years. Impassioned shouting leads by Rev. Evans on Are You Saved? are backed by tight harmonies for a "sweet and salty" listening experience.

ZACARDI CORTEZ, The Introduction-- Notwithstanding the title of his new album, Zacardi Cortez really needs no introduction. His signature performances with James Fortune and FIYA on "I Believe" and "The Blood" were sufficient to sear his gruff but tuneful preacher's tone onto the minds of gospel music enthusiasts. Cortez is not just a hard-shouting vocalist. On The Introduction, he also croons while traversing the gospel scale.

VARIOUS ARTISTS, Texas Gospel Vols. 8 & 9: Pay Day 1955-1960-- With Pay Day 1955-1960, gospel scholar Opal Louis Nations continues to mine the Houston-based Duke/Peacock vaults for Golden Era goodies. This latest two-CD set focusses on the latter half of the 1950s, as the quartet revolution, which dominated the gospel scene from the late 1940s, was beginning to give way to piano-led groups and large gospel choruses. While Peacock was still considered the most significant quartet label--you were somebody if your group was on Peacock--Pay Day uses a chronological lens to show how Don Robey couldn't disregard the slow shift in listener preferences.