Queen's Roger Taylor Announces Winners of Queen Extravaganza Competition

Four decades later, the music of Queen hasn’t just survived, it’s thrived. The band, who recently received the “Global Icon Award” at the MTV European Music Awards, has sold more than 300 million albums, 16 of which were No. 1 chart-toppers. They’ve written and recorded 18 No. 1 singles, have amassed a planet-wide fanbase, and remain one of the most influential groups of all time. And to hear Queen drummer Roger Taylor tell it, they’re just getting started.

2012 will see the launch of “The Queen Extravaganza Tour,” a grand touring production that will celebrate the music of Queen. Coming on board to ensure the touring show will match the design and excitement of Queen at its best will be such rock tour heavyweights as stage designer Mark Fisher (U2, The Rolling Stones, Cirque de Soleil) and lighting designer Rob Sinclair (Adele, Peter Gabriel).

Taylor will oversee this royal road show, taking the role of producer and music director, with Brian May involved later in the production, but Taylor’s most important role, however, was leading the judges, Spike Edney (Queen’s keyboard player since the mid 80’s and Trip Khalaf (Queen’s eternal sound engineer) in hand picking the musicians that will be featured on the tour. And after 11 weeks of reviewing online auditions and weighing votes from Queen fans around the world, Taylor is ready to announce the line-up.

“As the audition videos began posting, we could see right away that the caliber of talent was very high,” says Taylor. “But when I got into the studio with the final 25 musicians, I realized that these guys are seriously good players. They went way beyond my expectations. It was an incredibly difficult decision to choose the final line-up. I wish I could've kept them all, but in the end, I'm very happy with this group of exceptional musicians."

“The Queen Extravaganza” lead singer will be Marc Martel (Montreal, QC / Nashville,TN)   

 “What an amazing and unexpected opportunity to come our way – not to mention the timing of it all for me,” said Marc Martel, whose audition video for “Somebody to Love” earned him an MTV O Award and an appearance on the Ellen Degeneres Show.  “Having gotten to know the other contest winners a bit in LA, I’m confident we have what it takes to gel as a unit and give our best to do justice to some of the best rock music ever recorded.  I am so thankful for the chance to do this.  Gonna be Fun!”

ABC Family Featuring Dave Barnes

ABC Family is featuring Dave Barnes' "Very Merry Christmas" on their site and in their upcoming original movie 12 Dates of Christmas, premiering Sunday, December 11 at 8/7c.  Click here to download the song for free for 24 hours only.  

Glenn Beck Features Echoing Angels' Hit Single "Say What You Believe" On His Talk Radio Show

Yesterday on his popular talk radio show, host Glenn Beck featured Echoing Angels' song "Say What You Believe." On air, Beck shared with his listeners, "The whole spirit of this song is 'Look, there's great things...sometimes I just get so frustrated, I get so crazy, but there is goodness, there is a hope inside, there's truth here, but we've gotta stand up together and say what we believe and shout it out loud and don't be fearful'."

The video of Beck sharing about the song along with the song's lyric video is featured on his website. Click here to view both videos.
"This song is the rally cry of our hearts," explains Trey Heffinger, lead vocalist for Echoing Angels. "It's time our hearts are heard and time we shout out what we believe in. But, more importantly, live out what we believe in and live in such a way that it is unmistakable where our hearts lie."

DC Talk Members Join on Newsboys Upcoming CD

 Boldly redefined by the best-selling "Born Again" record, the Newsboys continue their powerful journey on November 15th with "God’s Not Dead." This rock-driven modern worship project was produced by "Born Again’s" co-producer Seth Mosley.

"God’s Not Dead" finds the band enlivening today’s most embraced modern worship anthems. Putting their signature touch on seven tunes that have recently topped the CCLI chart, including “God’s Not Dead (Like A Lion)”, “Forever Reign” and “Revelation Song,” five originals round out the project such as “The King is Coming,” “Here We Stand,” and “All The Way.”

When Tait joined in 2009, the group wanted fans to know that their worship emphasis would never change. In fact, plans for "God’s Not Dead" began before "Born Again" was released. “There are so many things I love about being a Newsboy—we really are a band of brothers—but the biggest one is that our music always shares the gospel outright,” says Tait. “The message is unchanging whether you look at a song as rock or worship.”

Their mission is surely accomplished on “God’s Not Dead (Like A Lion),” which reunites Tait with Kevin Max, both formerly part of the multi-platinum trio dc Talk. Written by Daniel Bashta, the piece was inspired by the band’s tie to I Am Second, a ministry that reaches out to struggling people and encourages them to live first for God.

At the album’s core, "God’s Not Dead" sings of victory over a century’s worth of philosophers who thought otherwise. Friedrich Nietzsche once proclaimed, “God is dead.” But as Newsboys' friend and pastor Rice Broocks likes to say, “A funny thing happened on the way to the funeral.” The belief that God is indeed alive is the truth Newsboys are amplifying. “God’s not dead, let’s worship Him,” says Michael Tait. “We serve a living God!”

Tait’s outspoken message is carried by Newsboys' signature sound that Frankenstein, Phillips, and Davis have shaped together for nearly two decades now. The band will hit the stage this fall headlining the west coast leg of the Winter Jam tour, as well as joining The Story tour, which runs through December 18th. At the start of 2012, Newsboys will embark on their “God’s Not Dead Tour.”

Courageous Remains in Top 10

For the fifth straight week, Courageous remains in the Top 10 grossing over $1.8 million and cuming over almost $28 million.

Dolphin Tale brought in another $1.6 million to bring its total to $67 million.

Casting Crowns at #1

Adele's "21" jumps back to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart this week (rising 2-1). With Adele's rise back to the top this week, she blocks Casting Crowns from earning its first No. 1. The latter's "Come to the Well" settles for the runner-up slot, selling 99,000 in its first week. It was initially projected that there was going to be a battle between Casting Crowns and Adele for the top slot, but Adele was able to ultimately hold on and beat out the Christian group.

"21" sold 106,000 copies last week according to Nielsen SoundScan -- the eighth week in a row the album has moved more than 100,000. Further, "21's" total sales now stand at 4.1 million -- it just surpassed the 4 million threshold this week. It's by far the year's biggest selling album -- as it's more than 2 million copies ahead of the No. 2 set: Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" (1.9 million).

"Come to the Well" is the fourth top 10 set for Casting Crowns, and their second to reach No. 2, following "The Altar and the Door" in 2007. The band's last album, "Until the Whole World Hears," debuted and peaked at No. 4 in 2009 with 167,000 sold in its first week.

Scotty McCreery's former No. 1, "Clear As Day," rises 4-3 (57,000; down 36%), while Lauren Alaina's "Wildflower" rounds out the Top 10.

Switchfoot's Jon Foreman and Taylor Swift Sing "Meant to Live"

“One of my favorite bands happens to be in town, and before their show the lead singer was kind enough to come pay us a visit. Jon Foreman from Switchfoot is here ladies and gentlemen!” – Taylor Swift

Switchfoot’s Jon Foreman and Taylor Swift then sang “Meant to Live” Friday, 10/21 in Glendale, Arizona.

You can also catch Switchfoot on “Conan” tomorrow singing its Modern Rock hit, “Dark Horses,” from Vice Verses, which debuted at No.8 on The Billboard 200

Albert Pujol Says Listen Locally and Listen to Jesus

Albert Pujols's 2011 walk up song is "Five Seconds" by Canton Jones, a Christian hip-hop artist.  You can often hear it during this year's World Series.

Albert Pujols, of course, doesn't mess around when it comes to his at-bat appearances, or his faith. So how does the greatest baseball player of our generation choose a song to inspire him?

Pujols takes a divine approach.

Albert Pujols's 2011 walk up song is "Five Seconds" by Canton Jones, a Christian hip-hop artist

"Albert is very serious about his faith and wants to provide a positive message with his bat music," Oliver says.  (Damon Oliver currently assists the PA announcer with music.)

In fact, Oliver has been called down to the clubhouse to discuss music decisions with Pujols in person. The music in question is usually Christian rap ― St. Louis-based Christian rap, to be more precise.

"It's his preference and, within the past few years, he's been trying to support the local guys," Oliver says.

Josh Hamilton's Showstopper Music

Josh Hamilton, outfielders for the Texas Rangers and 2010 ALCS MVP and 2010 AL MVP, has rotated between "This Life" (Mercy Me)," I Used To Do It" (LeCrae), "Sing A Song" (Third Day) and "Showstopper" (Toby Mac) for his at bat music. This can often be heard on-air during the Playoffs.

Hamilton says he likes for his songs "to have a little message in them about faith." He admits to not being very tech-savvy, so his wife helps him pick the best 10-second clip and send it to the team.

"If I can get just Jesus' name in there," Hamilton said, "that's the important thing."

Early last year he used a Casting Crowns song called "Until the Whole World Hears" and picked these lyrics from the chorus:
Ready yourselves
Ready yourselves
Let us shine the light of Jesus in the darkest night
Oh, Ready yourselves
Oh, ready yourselves

At other times he used Toby Mac's "Showstopper" with its line of
It's automatic
Don't mind the static
Jesus fanatic

And Toby Mac's "Get Back Up."

In 2009, he used "Saved the Day" by Phillips, Craig & Dean sharing that "The part I (have asked to be) played says, 'You saved the day/ the day you rolled the stone away/ the empty grave was there to say you reign.' I got on our PA announcer a little bit because he'd cut in and say my name right in the middle of it. I told him that I'm not one of these guys that are playing the song for myself. I'm playing it so everybody else can hear it. I said, 'I'm not telling you how to do your job, but if you could, just announce my name, and then play it.' That's just the way I feel about the whole situation."

When Corey Hart's Milwaukee Brewers were still in the Play-offs that was at least 3 opportunities to hear Christian music (albeit short and soft) during the Playoffs.

Two Idols in the Top 10

Last week's No. 1 album, "Clear As Day" from 2011 "American Idol" winner Scotty McCreery, falls to No. 4 with 88,000 (down 55%). Adele's "21" holds at No. 2 with 111,000 (down 1%).

A second 2011 "Idol" alum joins McCreery in the top five, as the woman he beat, runner-up Lauren Alaina, debuts at No. 5 with "Wildflower." She sold 69,000 her first week.

This is the first time since 2008 where both the winner and second-place finisher of "Idol" posted top five-charting albums (or top 10, for that matter). The last Nos. 1 and 2 placers to do so were '08 victor David Cook and runner-up David Archuleta. Their debut albums respectively bowed and peaked at Nos. 3 and 2, respectively.

Scotty McCreery Hopes to Follow in Carrie Underwood's Footsteps

Life after the post-show American Idol Tour has continued to be a whirlwind for American Idol season 10 winner Scotty McCreery and runner-up Lauren Alaina.

The talented teens have each been promoting their debut albums, which release a week apart. Scotty’s Clear As Day bowed October 4 and Lauren’s Wildflower hit stores October 11.

Produced by former head of Christian label Word Records, Mark Bright (Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts), the impressive collection suits Scotty’s values and showcases his considerable vocal gift.

Songs like “That Old King James” about a grandfather’s Bible handed down from generation to generation and “Water Tower Town,” a reflection of Scotty’s small-town roots growing up in Garner, NC, an ode to the water tower across from where Scotty played baseball in his youth.

When he heard the song “Dirty Dishes,” he kicked another song off the album to make room for it. “Mama heard it and she sat down crying,” he shares. Scotty says the song about a mother’s prayer as her family sits down to dinner “struck a nerve... It brought back a lot of good memories.”

Scotty says Bright was a perfect choice as producer.

“It was a really cool thing that Mark and I got together because he’d worked with Carrie Underwood and had been through my exact situation,” Scotty says of Bright working with Underwood after her American Idol win. “Also he’s had a background in Christian music, so he knew exactly where I was coming from in the country format as well as my background in church and the Christian aspect in my life.”

Full article at GMC.

American Idol Runner-Up Is Aware She Is a Role Model

Season 10 American Idol runner-up Lauren Alaina is cognizant of her status as a role model for young people and wanted the songs on her debut album to reflect her values.

“I represent all the young girls. My mom and my managers have made that very clear to me,” the 16-year-old Georgia native says. “I can’t sing songs that are inappropriate for young girls to listen to. I have adult fans too, but I feel like the adults would respect me more singing songs that are appropriate for my age than singing grown-up songs. I wouldn’t want to do that anyway because I’m a Christian and I feel I represent a different lifestyle. That was the biggest thing I was worried about – finding songs that were appropriate for me – but my label is awesome and they did a really good job helping me out with that.”

Lauren’s debut single, “Like My Mother Does,” showcases her impressive voice and the emotion she brings to a well-crafted lyric. “It’s a beautiful song. As soon as I heard it, I fell in love with it because my mom and I are best friends,” she says. “We do pretty much everything together, especially over the past year because we packed up and moved to California. I tell her everything and we talk about everything, but being on American Idol, I feel like it brought us even closer.”

Lauren began writing songs at age nine. “One of my aunts had a car wreck and I wrote a song for her called ‘Miracle’ that made my whole family cry. When that happened, it made me realize that was something I needed to be doing. I became addicted to it,” she says. Her debut album includes “Funny Thing About Love,” which she co-wrote with Brett James (“Jesus Take the Wheel”) and Luke Laird (“Mama’s Song”).

Lauren recorded the album during downtime on the American Idol tour, working with veteran producer Byron Gallimore (Tim McGraw, Faith Hill). One of her favorite songs on the album, “Eighteen Inches,” was written by one of her heroes.

“When they were sending me songs, someone gave me a heads up that one of them was written by Carrie Underwood and I got really excited,” Lauren says of the tune. “I liked the song before I even heard it because I knew she wrote it and I’m such a huge fan of hers. Then I heard it and it has such a beautiful message. I have a friend that that entire story happened to her. It reminds me of her so much.”
The title track, “Wildflower,” hits even closer to home. “In elementary school I was a tomboy,” she reveals. “I know that’s hard to believe ’cause I’m not a big tomboy now. I played softball. I didn’t ever fix my hair and I didn’t care about matching my clothes. I was like that until my grandmother passed away. She wasn’t like that at all and when she passed away, I wanted to be like her so I started fixing my hair and wearing nice clothes, which my mom was really thankful for. The song talks about young girl like that. I can relate to that ’cause that was me before.”

Lauren hopes her music will speak to other young girls and help build their self-esteem.

“When you talk to me, you wouldn’t know I’m insecure ’cause I hide it very well, but I really am,” she admits. “I get insecure and the people closest to me know that. I tried not to show that on [American Idol], but it showed a little bit. It’s normal for a teenage girl. I learned a lot over the past year being on American Idol. I am who I am. People voted me as runner-up. I’m not perfect. No one is, but people still love me the way I am. If other people can love me, if strangers can love me, I need to know to love myself. I feel like that song represents that completely and that’s the biggest thing I want to share with young girls.”

full article here

Barnes Tops the Country Charts

Dave Barnes celebrates a career first with his song “God Gave Me You” performed by country superstar Blake Shelton as it jumps to the #1 spot on the Billboard Country Singles chart. Barnes wrote the song for his last studio album, "What We Want, What We Get" released in 2010. “God Gave Me You” is on Blake Shelton’s eighth studio album, "Red River Blue," and is his fastest rising single to date.

Barnes’ version of “God Gave Me You” had a great run at Adult Contemporary radio in 2010, peaking at #21. The song also peaked at #3 at Christian CHR. Barnes’ and Shelton’s versions of “God Gave Me You” have sold close to 600,000 individual tracks combined. Dave Barnes' “God Gave Me You” video here: http://bit.ly/cFA8Hb

Blake Shelton selected the song after hearing it one day on the radio, he tells AOL’s The Boot: "It's no secret, Miranda and I have had our ups and downs over the years and this was definitely at a low point at our relationship. I was flipping through stations and landed on a contemporary Christian station, and that song came on and I almost had to pull the truck over. I felt like I was hearing that song at that moment for a reason."

Dave told AOL’s The Boot: “When I heard that it was making [Blake's] record, I was so excited! Especially in how it got there: it wasn't pitched, it was found. That's the best because the artist has such a different attachment that way. The fact that he heard it on the radio and wanted to record it because it meant something to him and Miranda blows my mind. It's still hard to believe it's on the radio. Writing so much on Music Row and knowing the process of how songs get cut and picked for radio, it's amazing to me that “God Gave Me You” made it through the whole process.”

Barnes is no stranger to having his music plucked by country singers as Billy Currington re-recorded Barnes’ radio hit “Until You” for Currington’s 2010 release. Barnes has been recognized by the industry as a rising songwriter. Billboard Magazine touted “Many of the best pop songwriters come out of Nashville, and Dave Barnes is one such singer/scribe now building momentum."

Barnes adds, “I have been writing a lot on Music Row in the last couple of years. I'm trying to get more songs recorded by country artists, both songs from my previous albums and songs that I'm writing with other Nashville writers. It's a really fun challenge and new discipline.”

Dave Barnes last album "What We Want, What We Get" debuted at #59 on the Billboard top 200 album chart in 2010 and #15 on the digital albums chart. Barnes has sold over 150,000 albums to date and over 510,000 individual song downloads. He is currently on tour and will tour in 2012 as well. Barnes has previously toured with notable acts including John Mayer, Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, Bonnie Raitt, and One Republic.

Two Tales of Courage Remain in Top 10

Dolphin Tale came in 5th at the box office this week taking in $6.2M bringing its total to $58.6M. And the film it's been running neck and neck with since their openings last month came in close behind in sixth as Moneyball took in $5.5M.

Two tales of courage took seventh and eighth this weekend. The cancer dramedy 50/50 came in at 7th while Courageous held on well in its third weekend, falling 32% to $3.3M, bringing its total to $21.3M.

Casting Crowns Heard Throughout MLB Playoffs

Viewers of the National League Playoffs may have recognized the at bat song for Milwaukee Brewers' Corey Hart.  Hart has chosen Casting Crowns' "Until the Whole World Hears."

Chynna Phillips Voted off Dancing with The Stars

Chynna Phillips was voted off "Dancing With the Stars" on Tuesday night, and Phillips says she would not call the show a dancing competition.

"It's supposed to be a dance competition, but it's actually a popularity contest, which makes me kind of sad.  You know, you have to have a little bit of faith that there are people out there who are truly voting for their favorite dance, not their favorite person, because it is a dance competition and people are working really hard."

Her partner, Tony Dovolani, agreed. "I've been on the show for 12 seasons, and Chynna has been a breath of fresh air for me. As much pull we have as teachers, in the end, it's all about the celebrity."

American Idol's Scotty McCreery Makes History at No. 1 on Billboard 200

"American Idol" winner Scotty McCreery makes history as his debut album, "Clear as Day," bows at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 197,000 sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

McCreery is the first country act to debut at No. 1 with their first studio album, and at 18-years old, the youngest man to open at the top of the chart with their debut release.

Previously, the youngest male to bow at No. 1 with their premiere album was Omarion, who was 20 when "O" started at No. 1 in 2005.

Surprisingly, McCreery, who turned 18 on Sunday (Oct. 9), is also the first "Idol" winner since 2003 to hit No. 1 with their first studio set.

Ruben Studdard was the last "Idol" champ to start their career with a No. 1 album, when his "Soulful" entered the tally dated Dec. 27, 2003, with 417,000 sold. Kelly Clarkson, the original "Idol" champ, also bowed at No. 1, with "Thankful" on May 3, 2003 (297,000).

"Clear as Day" also marks the biggest debut sales week of any "Idol" winner's first album since 2008, when David Cook's self-titled set started with 280,000 at No. 3. Kris Allen saw his eponymous 2009 debut launch with 80,000 (No. 11) and in 2010, Lee DeWyze's "Live It Up" arrived with 39,000 (No. 19).

Next week, watch for 2011 "Idol" second-place finisher, Lauren Alaina, to arrive on the Billboard 200 with her debut, "Wildflower."

Courageous and Dolphin Tales Still Heard at the Box Office

Dolphin Tale dropped from first to third with an estimated $9.2M, off 34%, for a $49.1M cume. It looks to end up grossing around $70M. Fatherhood pic Courageous lost 49% of its crowd and took in an estimated $4.6M for a total of $15.9M. The low-budget $2M drama is headed for an estimated $25M.  Courageous continued to have one of the highest averages per theater - this time coming in third.

Ellen Labels Marc Martel a Hunky YouTube Sensation

From the Ellen Show web site:

"The hunky YouTube sensation, Marc Martel, performed a cover of the Queen song, "Somebody to Love." He sounds so much like Freddie Mercury, it will knock your socks off. Check out the impressive performance here."

Switchfoot Sees the Virtue of Being in the Top 10

Switchfoot's newest release "Vice Verses" lands at #8 on Nielsen Top 200 Albums narrowly topping 'all-star band' Chickenfoot's new CD.

Courageous Opens in Fourth Place

"Courageous" was the only one of this week's new movie releases to improve from estimates to actuals, and it passed "50/50" in the process to take fourth place. The movie debuted to $9.1 million from just 1,161 theaters for a strong per-theater average of $7,806. That's up from the studio's last movie Fireproof ($6.8 million), though the average was off just a bit. The opening ranks fifth all-time for a Christian movie, and only trails "The Passion of the Christ" and the three "Narnia" movies. "Courageous" scored a rare "A+" CinemaScore, and the audience was 53 percent female and 77 percent over the age of 25.

Made outside of Hollywood without any major stars, "Courageous" managed to fly under most radars until very recently. It will be interesting to see if "Courageous" can hold as well as "Fireproof" did when it went on to earn $33.46 million, or nearly five times its opening weekend, in 2008.

Dancing With Chynna Phillips

Actress and singer Chynna Phillips has proven to also be a skilled dancer on “Dancing with the Stars” as she has openly expressed her faith live on air.

Appearing on season 13 of “Dancing with the Stars” Phillips has impressed the judges with her graceful dancing as well as positive attitude. Frequently mentioning her Christian faith and love for Jesus on the show, Phillips also took to her Twitter account ahead of her third performance on “Dancing with the Stars” Sunday to thank fans as well as Jesus.

Speaking about her pro partner Tony Dovolani:

He's got a lot of integrity, and a lot of values and you can tell that he lives his life in such a way that he does not compromise himself in any way, shape or form. So he's been a really great role model for me in terms of keeping boundaries and really walking the walk. He's super hard on me, and when I say hard, I mean that he just has super-high expectations of me because he knows I can do it. Sometimes his expectations of me are higher than my own expectations of myself, so he pushes me outside of my comfort zone. But I love that. At the end of the dance lesson, which is usually about four to four and a half hours, I literally feel like I would benefit from an IV and a stretcher, to be quite honest. But I know that he's pushed me beyond my limitations and so I know I've given it 100 per cent. So he makes me feel proud.

Dolphin Tale Rises to #1 Spot

Despite four new movies in release, the top three films from last weekend remained unchanged, although their order certainly saw some shuffling. Dolphin Tale rose from third to first place, Moneyball stayed in second and two-time champ The Lion King 3D fell to third. New releases saw mostly mild results although the inspirational drama Courageous delivered a potent debut in fifth and was the only wide release to average more than $5,000 over the weekend.

 Terrific word-of-mouth helped Dolphin Tale capture the top spot with an estimated $14.2M in its second weekend as its decline of 26% was quite low. The Warner Bros. release has grossed $37.5M in ten days and could be headed for $70-80M total. It follows films like The Help and The Blind Side as uplifting stories that never opened at number one, but climbed into the top spot later due to strong buzz from audiences. Dolphin Tale is the second true and touching tale of overcoming adversity from the producers of The Blind Side.

Generating the only impressive opening among the quartet of new titles, Sony's fatherhood cop drama Courageous premiered a hair behind in fifth with an estimated $8.8M while playing in only 1,161 theaters which was less than half as many playdates as any other film in the top ten. The strong $7,580 per-theater average was by far the best for any film in wide release and some distributors project that it will gross more than 50/50 when final numbers are tallied on Monday. Courageous was produced for a mere $2M by Sherwood Pictures.

The PG-13 film successfully entertained its target audience and scored a sparkling A+ from CinemaScore. The studio went after faith-based audiences with its marketing campaign and drew large crowds at its moderate number of locations. Big cities were not very relevant with Manhattan having only one theater showing the film. Females made up 53% of the crowd while the older-skewing pic drew 77% that were over 25. The debuted improved upon the $6.8M bow of the producer's Fireproof from 2008 which went on to gross a solid $33.5M - five times its opening. Courageous will become a big money maker by giving its audience the entertainment it wants while keeping production and marketing costs low.

Downhere's Marc Martel To Perform on The Ellen Show October 3

Downhere's lead singer, Marc Martel, has become a YouTube sensation. Martel entered the Queen Extravaganza contest with his rendition of Queen's hit, "Somebody To Love," which can be viewed here. His recording was the top video in the Queen Extravaganza auditions already garnering 3.3 million views since last Thursday. The winner of the contest will tour with Queen Extravaganza in honor of the band's 40th anniversary. Due to the huge popularity of the video it came to the attention of The Ellen Show, who invited Marc to be interviewed and perform live on the show.

Will You Be Courageous this Weekend?

"Protecting the streets is second nature to these men. Raising their children in a God-honoring way? That's courageous." Are you going to see the latest by Sherwood Pictures this weekend?

Michael Sweet Announces New CD and Departure from Boston

Michael Sweet tweeted yesterday that he "Booked studio time today for the solo record! Will begin recording in December. It'll be a follow up to "Truth" w/lots of guitars." Last month he announced that he was departing legendary rock band Boston to devote full attention to his longstanding role as frontman of re-emerging legendary metal band Stryper. Sweet joined BOSTON in 2008, sharing lead vocals and playing guitar on a headlining tour of North America, performing the band's classic hits like "More than a Feeling," “Peace of Mind,” “Amanda” and “Don't Look Back.” Following the BOSTON tour, Stryper released the 2009 studio album Murder by Pride (featuring a cover of BOSTON’s "Peace of Mind"), which led to a yearlong world tour with all of the original members. In 2010, Stryper released The Covering, and another world tour recently concluded. Stryper is currently in the studio working on an untitled release for 2011. Stryper has sold more than 8 million albums worldwide. The group’s unprecedented 1986 album To Hell with the Devil went double-platinum and was named one of the “100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music” by CCM Magazine.

Switfchfoot Takes Verses to the Top

Switchfoot's newest release is currently in the Top 5 in both Amazon and iTunes charts.

Needtobreathe's Top 10 Reckoning

NeedToBreathe's "The Reckoning" debuted at No. 6 with 49,000 -- the band's first top 10, highest charting set and best sales week ever. Its last release, 2009's "The Outsiders," debuted and peaked at No. 20 with 21,000. NeedToBreathe are 1 of six new arrivals in the top 10 this week. They are joined by Tony Bennett, Demi Lovato, Mindless Behavior, Gavin DeGraw and Pearl Jam. The CD remains at #16 in iTunes and #22 on Amazon.

What's Hot Chelle Rae's Connection to Guitar Legend Phil Keaggy?

Hot Chelle Rae's platinum selling song “Tonight, Tonight” has been burning up the charts this summer, but did you know that two of its members have famous Christian musicians? Nash Overstreet (lead guitar, backing vocals) is the son of country music singer Paul Overstreet and the brother of actor Chord Overstreet. Ian Keaggy (bass guitar, backing vocals) is the son of Phil Keaggy.

Downhere is Somebody to Love

Legendary rock band Queen is celebrating 40 years of music by launching a North American tour and hosting a Youtube contest to pick musicians for it. Marc Martel of Downhere uploaded his rendition of “Somebody To Love” and quickly gathered more than 2 million views in its first three days online. Shaun Groves notes in a great blog entry that fans are raving as are outlets such as The Wallstreet Journal and Entertainment Weekly. Of more significance, he makes an interesting observation:

The Christian music industry and fans have a history of jumping on the bandwagon of veteran Christian artists only after the general market confirms their talents first. Mercy Me couldn’t get played on Christian radio until a mainstream station spun I Can Only Imagine and the song was added at general market stations nationwide. POD? Played side stages at Christian music festivals until they broke through to the mainstream via MTV. Switchfoot was never a staple on Christian radio until, again, the mainstream vaulted them up the charts first. Sixpence None The Richer sang about kissing at twilight on every movie and television soundtrack out there and, well, only then did the Christian music gatekeepers pull out their keys.

Read the entire blog here.

ESPN Again Features Switchfoot

ESPN debuted five songs from Switchfoot’s new album, Vice Verses during this past Saturday’s Oklahoma (#1) at Florida State (#5) game on ABC. The telecast also featured Switchfoot’s new video of the first single “Dark Horses.” They were also featured in this past year's BCS Championship game. In conjunction with the CD release, ESPN will host an exclusive stream for fans to be the first to hear the entire Vice Verses album on ESPN.com, which includes a link to a contest for winners to attend the Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena to watch the game with Switchfoot on January 2, 2012. Check out the stream here. Switchfoot will be performing "Dark Horses" on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight on ABC. Vice Verses will be in stores on September 27.

Tony Dungy: 'Courageous' Movie Will Impact Men

Former NFL coach Tony Dungy has watched the upcoming film "Courageous," and he wants other men to do so as well. "It's a great movie. I think men, especially, are going to look at this and really connect and identify," Dungy said recently. "Every guy who looks at this [movie]," Dungy said, "is going to see themselves in some way and say, 'How can I be better with the hole in my parenting?' I think it's going to be special."

Courageous, which opens Sept. 30, is the latest film from Sherwood Pictures which also made "Fireproof" and "Facing the Giants." With a police force as the film's backdrop, the story follows five men as they seek to become better fathers. Most reviewers who have seen Courageous are calling it the best film yet from Sherwood.

The Auburn Tigers football team took a break from practice and team meetings this summer for a screening and it was received quite well by the team. Head coach Gene Chizik called Courageous a "tremendous movie with a great message." "I want this to hit you because it's got nothing to do with football," Chizik told the team. "It's about you being a man. That, long after all this is over, is the most important thing, and it's not even close." Ken Bevel, who plays officer Nathan Hayes in Courageous, said he was honored to watch the screening with the defending national champions.

Needtobreathe's performance on Jay Leno

In case you missed Needtobreathe's performance on Jay Leno last night, you can watch it here.

Seven Days in Utopia Remains in Top 20

Independent film "Seven Days in Utopia," opened in 18th place despite being in only 561 theaters. The film's average puts it in the top 7. In its second week, the film remained in 19th place. Its screen average dropped, but would have still been in the top 10. Its box office total is approaching $3 million.

Needtobreathe on Jay Leno tonight

In support of their new album The Reckoning out September 20th on Atlantic Records, rock band NEEDTOBREATHE will make their late night television debut on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno tonight. Known for their exhilarating live performances and non-stop touring work ethic, the band will spend the rest of the year and all of 2012 on the road. Entertainment Weekly raves NEEDTOBREATHE "are as informed by Kings of Leon's arena muscle as they are by porch-pickin' country" and new song "[Drive All Night] is sharp enough to inspire both lighter waving and moonshine chugging."

Rachael Lampa Joins NBC's "The Sing-Off"

Rachael Lampa will celebrate the upcoming release of her album "All We Need" with a free concert event at Nashville’s famed 12th & Porter concert venue on Monday, September 26th. The event will kick-off at 5:30pm with a live performance by Lampa, followed by a live viewing of Lampa’s debut on NBC’s The Sing-Off at 7:00pm. Lampa will appear on Season 3 of the hit series as part of The Collective, a group of Nashville vocalists that was formed specifically to compete in the upcoming season. In recent weeks, Lampa has been in Los Angeles taping the series, while simultaneously promoting her upcoming album, which hits stores on September 27th. In 2000, at just 15 years old, Lampa entered the pop scene amassing an unprecedented nine Top 10 singles (four at #1) while touring heavily (with Destiny’s Child, Boyz II Men, Nickel Creek, Stacie Orrico, Amy Grant and Vince Gill, among others) and making high profile appearances on The Tonight Show, The View, Entertainment Tonight, E! and Extra, as well as gracing the pages of Teen People, CCM Magazine and many more. She explored acting with a supporting role in the 2006 film Hidden Secrets, opposite John Schneider (Dukes of Hazzard, Smallville) and joined American Idol winner Jordin Sparks on tour in 2010 as a background vocalist on her tours with the Jonas Brothers and Britney Spears

Mel Gibson And Joe Eszterhas To Collaborate On Film About Jewish Hero Judah Maccabee

It’s a project that will have everybody in Hollywood talking. Deadline is reporting that Warner Bros has set up an untitled drama that teams Gibson and screenwriter Joe Eszterhas on the telling of the heroic story of Jewish warrior Judah Maccabee. Eszterhas will write the script, and Gibson will collaborate with him.

Maccabee teamed with his father and four brothers to lead the Jewish revolt against the Greek-Syrian armies that had conquered Judea in the second century B.C. Gibson has the first option to direct but will definitely produce the film through his Icon Productions banner.

Having put some painful personal issues behind him, Gibson is determined to get back to making movies. He has long wanted to make this film about heroic Jews, and it was discussed even when he was under fire after his drunken anti-Semitic rant during a 2006 Malibu arrest. Maccabee’s triumph and struggle against tyranny and oppression where people gave their lives so that others would be free to worship is celebrated by Jews all over the world through Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights.

This subject matter seems be in Gibson's wheelhouse: Maccabee is a close cousin to William Wallace, leader of the Scottish rebellion against the English in Braveheart, the film that brought Gibson two Oscars: for Best Picture and Best Director.

This new deal also marks a major return to filmmaking for Joe Eszterhas, once Hollywood’s highest paid screenwriter for pics like Basic Instinct and Flashdance. His credits also include two films that focused on Jewish themes: the 1987 Betrayed, which starred Debra Winger, and 1989’s Music Box, which starred Jessica Lange whose Hungarian immigrant father is accused of engaging in atrocities during World War II. Music Box resulted in Eszterhas being condemned by the Hungarian Parliament for “betraying his heritage” by revealing the massacre of Jewish Hungarians by other Hungarians at the end of World War II. However, in 1995, Eszterhas was awarded the Emanuel Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his writings about the Holocaust in Hungary.

In recent years, Eszterhas stepped away from Hollywood, moved to Cleveland, overcame cancer, and focused on writing books instead of films. Both he and Gibson have had their share of travails, and make an unexpected and intriguing pairing on an unexpected and intriguing subject.

New Film Starring Oscar Winners Concludes Online!

Seven Days in Utopia must be given credit for coming up with something new in movies: To learn what happens at the end, you've got to go online! After carefully building up to a climactic scene in which the underdog hero must sink a long putt to win a sudden-death playoff, the camera looks away, narration intones to the effect that it doesn't matter much in the big picture whether he won or not and, if you actually want to know who came out on top, you must go to didhemaketheputt.com. Based on David Cook's best-selling 2009 novel “Golf's Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia,” which has been particularly popular among struggling athletes, this independent production boasts a very fine cast including two Oscar winners Robert Duvall & Melissa Leo as well as Lucas Black and Deborah Ann Woll.

Santana Chronicles His Spiritual Journey

Carlos Santana  became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered a fusion of rock and Latin American music. He experienced a resurgence of popularity and critical acclaim in the late 1990s. In 2003 Rolling Stone magazine listed Santana at number 20 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. He has won 10 Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards.

An article in The Plain Truth chronicles the metamorphosis of Santana including following the teachings of the Indian guru and charlatan Sri Chinmoy.

Finally realizing the oppression they'd entered into, Carlos and Deborah stopped following Chinmoy.

Carlos gave in to the constant temptation of the road during touring, however, and his marriage did not survive infidelity. He sank into despair and, as he shared in a Rolling Stone interview, he admitted to "seven times when suicide came knocking."

He described going to light a candle (at church) and hearing the accusing voices inside tearing him down, but in the end hearing the voice of the Lord Jesus break through the others reminding him that He was with him, and it brought him renewed "joy."

Durek writes that it was through God's grace that Santana was able to finally forgive his molester and find freedom.

"My God is a God of kindness and compassion, but we as people have free will, including the man who molested me," Carlos said in the Rolling Stone interview. "I was able to remove the anger by forgiving that man…. Forgiveness, man, forgiveness is extremely liberating. And I'm here to tell you, with all my heart and spirit, that it can be done. You can be freed."

According to Durek, Santana is considering retiring from a music profession in the future to become a minister, as he desires to see others set free.

Says Santana, "Duke Ellington, before he died, had the Bible on one hand and sheet music on another, and he was doing sacred concerts. I'm just following the script that is given to me, and after a while you can only do what you do. Then, God calls you to do something else…."




"Forgiveness, man, forgiveness is extremely liberating. And I'm here to tell you, with all my heart and spirit, that it can be done. You can be freed." –Carlos Santana

Read the full article.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson In Talks For GOLIATH, Taylor Lautner Offered David

Is the world ready for the return of the Biblical epic?  Darren Aronofsky has been in the news plenty in recent days with his ambitious Noah project while on a much more mainstream Hollywood front director Scott Derrickson (The Day The Earth Stood Still) was attached earlier this year to direct Goliath for Relativity Media and Temple Hill Entertainment.

If you're going to tell the story of the giant versus the shepherd boy you'd best find yourself an impressive giant and it would appear that Relativity have done just that with sources telling Twitch that they are now in talks with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson to fill the role. As for the other side of the standoff things are not as advanced but word is that an offer has been made to Taylor Lautner to fill the part of David, which comes as no surprise given that Twilight producers Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey are also involved in this project.

For the record, Johnson stands 6'5" while Lautner is 5'10".

If you missed Switchfoot's appearance on FOX News last week, below is the band's live performance of their new single, "Dark Horse" as well as their interview with FOX News' "Fox & Friends." Check them out below, and be sure to grab Vice Verses when it releases September 27th.

Jaci Velasquez Signs with Inpop

With over four million albums sold worldwide, 16 No. 1 radio hits and three RIAA certified platinum and three gold records to her credit, Jaci Velasquez has signed a record deal with Inpop Records. Her first project with the label, titled Diamond, is slated for a February 7th, 2012 release. Taking a few years off to marry fellow musician Nic Gonzales (Salvador) and have two children, Zealand and Soren, Velasquez is returning to her career with a fenzy of activity. In addition to the upcoming release of Diamond, she is writing a new book and is starring in two new films, "The Encounter" and "Jerusalem Countdown," both slated to release this year. And in the midst of all of this she manages to co-host Salem Broadcasting’s syndicated network show, "Your Family Friendly Morning Show With Doug & Jaci Velasquez," which reaches more than 1.5 million listeners nationwide every week.

I Might Be In Love with I'm In Love with a Church Girl Soundtrack

The 2-disc soundtrack features original music inspired by the film and includes artists such as Israel Houghton, Mary Mary, New Breed, TobyMac, Fred Hammond, India Arie, Beckah Shae, Anthony Hamilton, Third Day, Ja Rule, Adrienne Bailon, T-Bone and many more. I’m in Love with a Church Girl features an all-star cast including Ja Rule (The Fast and the Furious, Shall We Dance), Adrienne Bailon (Cheetah Girls), Stephen Baldwin (Usual Suspects, The Young Riders) and Grammy Award winning artist, TobyMac in his debut cameo acting role. The film depicts a unique story centered on a retired high-level drug trafficker Miles Montego (Ja Rule), whose life has gone legitimate yet he remains loyal to his tight knit circle of friends and former colleagues in the business. When he meets Vanessa (Adrienne Bailon), a church girl in every sense of the word, he must decide whether to hold onto his old ways or let them go. Throughout the film Miles and Vanessa are tested to their last ounce of faith and strength in God and each other. In addition, I’m in Love with a Church Girl is scored by music composer Bruce Fowler (Dark Knight, Lion King) and legend jazz trumpeter and pianist, Arturo Sandoval also contributed to the score.

Dove Awards will return to Atlanta in 2012

This year’s Dove Awards proved such a success that the show will return to Atlanta in 2012.

The 2011 Christian music awards ceremony, filmed at The Fox Theatre in April, marked the first time in the show’s 41-year history that it was held outside of Tennessee.

The broadcast of this year’s ceremony on GMC – formerly the Gospel Music Channel – was its highest-rated ever, with more than 1.5 million viewers.

The 43rd Annual Dove Awards will take place in April 2012, but a venue has not yet been determined.

Box Office Update: Faith Titles Find Success

While the carnal "Hangover 2" grabs headlines and two other films ("POTC: On Stranger Tides," "Fast Five") surpass $200 million this summer, it's important to note that several faith-based films have garnered some success.

Most notably, "Soul Surfer" has defied expectations and is in the Top 30 for the year grossing $42 million. "Jumping the Broom" is at #38 with $37 million.

"Dawn Treader" remains in the Top 15 of DVD sales grossing over $24 million.

Two other titles are in the Top 100 - "The Grace Card" has made $2.4 million and "There Be Dragons" $1.1 million

David Crowder Band Announces BreakUp and Farewell Tour

In what may seem as a surprising move with a new album and the recently announced fall "The 7 Tour" on the way, David Crowder*Band is calling it quits. Check out their detailed and thoughtful explanation below that is posted on their site.

Important News From Crowder Band
We have several things to let you know about.
First of all, we can't begin to express how excited we are getting about The 7 Tour this fall. If you haven't heard yet, we're doing a national tour with some of our favorite artists ever. Gungor, John Mark McMillan, and Chris August are joining us, and we cannot wait to be in the same room with these folks night after night. We’re pretty sure you'll want to be at every single one of these get-togethers. "Unreasonable!" you say? Well, not to us. That's why we'll be there every single night. Seriously, we, the band, are all getting on a bus and following the whole thing around for like 3 months. It's going to be awesome.

Now, another reason we are sure this will be one of the most meaningful tours we've ever been on is because it will be our last as a band. This is why we so cleverly named it The 7 Tour. We've always hidden this little number here and there in our music and artwork, sometimes it would appear in the sum of the numerals 3 and 4, and other times it would be sitting there outright, but it’s always been with us. As you know, the number 7 has often been used to represent completion, and that feels exactly where we are as a band.

The David Crowder*Band was formed in the year two thousand; it was the dawn of a millennium, Y2K was upon us, and out of this chaos was born the DC*B. That sounds way more epic than we intend it, but it is fact. We signed a 3 album deal with our friends at sixstepsrecords who are part of the EMI/CMG family. We didn’t want to be presumptuous, presuming there would be more than those first three albums, but we hoped. And so we began discussions about building a 6 album set, the second three, if we were ever to have the great privilege of recording them, would be loosely associated with the first three, you know, sort of like how in the creation story day one is related to day four, as in, first there is light, then on the fourth day the sun and moon and stars appear. We do these things because we are quite nerdy and also because we hope to inject meaning wherever and whenever we are able. We also like structure, and this seemed a pretty nifty structure to work within, since, well, it is one of the greatest stories ever. And sure enough, we have had the happy fortune to record five full-length albums and are hard at work on the 6th right now.

The problem, or the beauty, is that we’ve never been able to see past album 6. In the meantime, a lot of life has happened. It is now 2011 (this is for anyone who may not have been paying attention) and in eleven years there have been many twists and turns. Each of us has gotten married. New humans have arrived as a result of these marriages, 5 to be exact. We have also lost some really good friends to death along the way and have gotten to celebrate together that death is not the end of things. It’s really crazy to think that we have lived over a decade of life together. And, in the middle of all this life, we have gotten to make music that was a reflection of what was happening among us. We have attempted, to the best of our ability, to insert all of these twists and turns into our music, hoping that our responses to God in the midst of these moments would be an aid to others.

At the first of this year we began discussing what was next. For a long while, we have had a good idea what we were going to do for album number 6; we were going to record a Mass. Ambitious, maybe, but we had been working out the details of how it would connect to A Collision, you know the one with the boy and the atom on the cover. Mass happens to be a term used in physics, and this was exciting to us. But we also began conversations about what was to follow this sixth album. Some of us discussed maybe going back to school. Some of us talked about how great it might feel to be home with family more. Some mentioned maybe writing for a living, or at least getting to give more attention to it. Some talked about more music to be made and who they might enjoy making it with and how great it would be to have more diverse options open to them and the excitement they felt when thinking about those options (as in, if this was to be the period at the end of a sentence, they couldn’t wait to read the next paragraph!) And, out of these discussions, the decision was reached that this sixth album would be our last. None of us is sure what’s next, but we’re not afraid. We’re, in fact, really, really excited! And we’re sure that music will play a role in the future for most, if not all, of us, since, well, we wouldn’t know how to not have it a part of our lives. To what extent that will be, none of us is sure. We are hopeful and expecting, and praying that what is ahead of us deepens our need and experience of redemption and multiplies our ability and effectiveness in expressing the story of God in light of the call he has on each of our lives.

We are forever grateful for the support we have had from our church community, both local and extended. Really. It has been beautiful, all of it. And we will most definitely keep you informed as things progress and life’s new twists and turns start to make themselves more apparent.

In the meantime, as you can imagine, this album we’re working on is pretty special to us. Fittingly enough, it seems our little Mass has turned itself into a Requiem. We’d love your prayers as we endeavor to put a period at the end of this sentence. And obviously it was not overstated when we said The 7 Tour will be a thing you may not want to miss. We would love for you to join us for one last evening together, singing these songs that God has allowed us to carry.

With Love and Gratitude,
The DC*B

Taylor Swift Had to Fight Her Label to Add Christian Band Needtobreathe

Taylor Swift may have had to fight label bosses to agree with her decision to give Christian rock group Needtobreathe an opening spot on her North American “Speak Now” tour that begins this weekend in Omaha, Neb.

That’s what World Entertainment News Network is suggesting after talking to Needtobreathe singer Bear Rinehart recently.

“It was actually really natural,” Rinehart told WENN about the announcement made back in December. “She just called – she’s a big fan, which is really nice ... She’s been a fan for a little while ... and even though it didn’t totally make sense for us, we’re probably not what people (record label bosses) would have had, she really liked the band a lot and made it happen.”

The band has put two songs in the top 40 on the mainstream charts with “You Are Here” and “Something Beautiful.” They won two Dove Awards this year for “Group of the Year” and “Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year” for the song “Something Beautiful.”

The New Life of a Newsboy

After a long tenure of heading up the Newsboys, Peter Furler stepped away from non-stop touring, sold much of what he owned – cars, home, his shares in Inpop Records, a label he’d co-founded in 1999 that launched the careers of such notables as Superchick, Mat Kearney, Newworldson, Shane & Shane, among others – moved to the Gulf of Florida and took time to reflect, express himself through visual art, surf and play music just for pure enjoyment.

“I didn’t have a clue what I was doing next,” Furler reflects. “I’d been doing 100-plus shows a year, writing, then finishing a record for more than a decade. It was good, but it was a merry-go-round that was never going to stop.

So why a new record after leaving the Newsboys?

Although initially not planning to release any of the new music created during this time, the result of this redefining period led to the most joyful and uplifting music of Furler’s career.

“The songs never really stopped. They kept coming,” Furler says. “I’d take a long walk, and a song would come into my head… There is a fire shut up in my bones that I have not been able to hold in since I was a child. For me, I find its release through melody and testimony.”

Read the full article here.

Jumping The Broom Sweeps Up

Two wedding-tinged comedies had the misfortune of opening the same weekend. "Jumping the Broom" and "Something Borrowed," debuted closely together in third and fourth, respectively, though "Jumping" was more impressive, due to its far more modest production and marketing. "Something" made an estimated $13.2 million at 2,904 locations, while "Jumping" swept up a nice estimated $13.7 million at 2,035 locations.

The $6.6M-budgeted "Jumping the Broom" was produced by T.D. Jakes' production company. Founding pastor of The Potter’s House in Dallas Jakes told The Christian Post earlier this year that with his film company, T.D. Jake Enterprises, he hopes to change the “Hollywood machine” and widen the relationship between Hollywood and Christians, especially considering the two “haven’t spoken to each other in a while.”. This film is meant to spotlight marriage and abstinence.

Soul Surfer remained in the Top 10 at 9 and is approaching $40 million.

Actor Wes Bentley on Finding Faith While Facing 'Dragons'

Wes Bentley never imagined that another role in Hollywood would reconnect him to God as he faced all the “dragons” in his life.

He is best known for his role in “American Beauty,” but very few knew that before reaching stardom and starring in the new movie, “There Be Dragons,” he was raised, “literally in a church building” where both his parents were Methodist preachers.

Growing up in a spiritual environment only led the 34-year-old actor to think he inherited the faith, he told the Christian Post. “I always assumed I had a relationship with God, I always assumed I had that wrapped up so I didn’t even have to consider that that might not be the case and might also be what made my life more difficult.”

The assumption made him devoid of a faith and left him unprotected following his sudden popularity. “In the assumption I just pushed it away and I had to really consider where I was spiritually. I feel like I inherited the faith. And I think a lot of PKs go through that.”

The actor said he has reconnected with God, though he didn’t provide specifics, and he continues to explore faith.

Read the full article here.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader is in Top 15 of DVD Sales for 2011

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is currently #14 overall in DVD sales for 2011 and has remained in the top 5 since its release.

'Passion' Star Caviezel Still Bearing His Cross

Jim Caviezel, the star of “The Passion of the Christ” spoke about being “rejected in my own industry” after playing Jesus. He shared that before working on the role, he was warned by Mel Gibson who said he’d “never work in this town again” if he decided to go forward with the film. But Caviezel simply told him, “We all have to embrace our crosses.”

According to him, Gibson’s advice wasn’t far from the truth because after the film, he had difficulty finding a job in Hollywood, but it was not impossible. He lent his talent to films with religious subtexts like “The Stoning of Soraya M.,” “I am David” and “Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius,” among other films.

"We have to give up our names, our reputations, our lives to speak the truth," Caviezel said.

During the 20-minute evening, he also mentioned, jokingly, that Gibson had occasional profane tirades during the production of the film.

Read the full article here.

42nd Annual GMA Dove Awards

The Gospel Music Association Dove Awards show was held and recorded last night. It was a night that paid tribute to gospel music’s veterans and recognized the industry’s emerging talents as the show entertained a sold-out crowd at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre. Hosted by Sherri Shepherd, the show will be broadcast Sunday night on gmc at 7 PM.

Francesca Battistelli was the evening’s top winner. The show touched other areas including country music (Kenny Rogers performed), TV (TBS' Tamela Mann won Traditional Gospel Album) and Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow introduced Third Day.

‘Dawn Treader’ Nearing Caspian’s Box Office

Even though "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" is now out on Blu-ray and DVD, it has still not quite completed its box office run. This past week puts the film’s total at $415.6m worldwide. This is still slightly short of "Prince Caspian" ($420m) and well short of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" ($745m).

The film’s domestic total ($104m) is still well below the other two films ($291 for LWW, and $141 for PC). However, internationally, "Dawn Treader" has grossed $311m, which tops "Caspian’s" $278m, but falls short of "Wardrobe’s" $453m.

The most recent issue of Variety includes an ad touting the film's box office total.

Soul Surfer Riding High in Its Second Week

Soul Surfer rode the wave into fourth at the box office this weekend, falling a slim 30% from last weekend to finish with $7.4M, according to estimates, bringing its total to $20M. A final gross in the area of $40M is possible.

Soul Surfer Makes a Splash at the Box Office

The inspirational drama "Soul Surfer" exceeded expectations and debuted in fourth with an estimated $11.1M. Posting the best screen average among the new films, the PG-rated true story of a teen surfer who gets her life back on track after a shark bites off her arm averaged a good $5,014 from 2,214 screens. Overall, “Soul Surfer” came in fourth, but lost the #2 spot only by a nose to “Hanna,” which banked $12.3m on 300+ more screens, and the “Arthur” remake, which played on 1,000+ more screens but took in only $12.6m. Per screen, “Soul Surfer” beat “Arther” by $1,200. No small thing, especially since surfing movies tend to wipe out.

Nikki Finke reports that Sony was hoping for $10 million and is obviously very happy with the results: “If we do 10 million this weekend (or close to it), it would be a home run for Sony and Film District.”

The movie earned mixed reviews from critics, but "Soul Surfer" earned an A+ grade from CinemaScore which is rare these days so word-of-mouth should help the pic to play well for the rest of the spring season especially with the Easter holiday still to come. So the $15 million production should prove to be quite profitable.

Exit polls showed that a whopping 80% of the crowd was female and 56% was under 25. Moms and daughters made up a big portion of the audience.

“Soul Surfer,” which is based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton, a young surfer whose Christian faith and family help her to overcome a shark attack that cost her an arm, stars AnnaSophia Robb, Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt. Thanks to some very good marketing to the teenage crowd in general and to the Christian market specifically, what Hollywood has here is one less excuse to keep ‘em coming.

The Lion, the Dawn Treader, and the Box Office

Just in time for the Blu-ray/DVD release of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Christianity Today has an interview with Micheal Flaherty, Walden Media co-founder and president.

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe opened in December 2005 to a massive audience, earning more than $1 billion in box office ($745 million) and DVD sales ($332 million) combined and critical reviews were good.

2008's "Prince Caspian" brought in less than half of the domestic box office that LWW had drawn, and 2010's "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" only about a third as much. Critical ratings have also dropped for each successive film.

"The Silver Chair" comes next in the sequence of books, but Flaherty said Walden and 20th Century Fox, which distributes the movies, have mostly decided on "The Magician's Nephew" — Narnia's "origins story"— for their next project. (Narnia scholar Devin Brown says Lewis himself would agree with that choice; see his reasons here.)

The producers think "The Magician's Nephew" has the best opportunity to draw the largest audience. The box office has pretty closely followed the sales pattern of the books. "Prince Caspian" sells about half of the books of "Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe," and it did about half of the box office. Caspian sells about a third more books than "Dawn Treader," and it did about a third more box office domestically. That pattern continues to decline with "Silver Chair" being the weakest book in the series in terms of consumer demand.

Flaherty states: "We just think the origin tale of 'The Magician's Nephew' is a great one, and it brings back the characters that have proven to be the most popular—a lot of Aslan and the White Witch. It explains the origin of the lamppost and the wardrobe."

While the domestic box office dipped significantly with each of the three films, the foreign has remained fairly strong. Domestic accounted for 39 percent of the earnings for Wardrobe, 33 percent for Caspian, and just 25 percent for Dawn Treader. In fact, because of overseas sales, "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" is approaching the same box office of Prince Caspian.

The films are obviously tied closely to the books and Flaherty makes an interesting point about the Narnia series in comparison to current book franchises. He notes most popular book franchises (e.g, Harry Potter and Twilight) are consistent in sales from book to book, but that's not the case for Narnia. Part of the problem may be that there is no character beyond Aslan that runs through the entire series.

"Lucy has the greatest run out of all the characters, but she only appears in three books. So there's something different in terms of the anticipation of not being able to follow one character from the first book to the last."

Secular critics aren't sticklers for whether the films stick to the books; they're mainly judging the movies as movies. But some reviews and opinions are from "Narnia police" types who nitpick every detail.

Flaherty has interesting insights to why they value comments from Narnia purists. You can read the full article here.

Carrie Underwood: My Faith Is the Reason for My Success

Carrie Underwood is one of the world’s most successful country music artists, but she tells us that it isn’t only a result of talent and luck. Instead, she credits her strong faith and Christian upbringing for all her life’s charms.

“I grew up in church and have a wonderful family that always supported that,” Underwood told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column. “I grew up going to church camp and reading my bible and having different faith books and movies in my life.”

The 28-year-old “American Idol” winner makes her film debut in a supporting role in the heartfelt drama “Soul Surfer." And Underwood hopes that the film will enable American audiences to see the power that faith has in the healing process.

“I hope that it is very clear that the faith in this movie is more than an undertone, and that the reason Bethany got through everything was because of her faith in God," she said.

“It’s easy to have faith when things are going great and you’re on top of the world – I’m winning, I’m selling, I’m on tour and this is all great! But this story is about having faith when the chips are down and how to deal with that. We can all learn something from Bethany’s story, even when the little things in our lives don’t go so well, we can take a lesson from her and realize how small that problem really is.”

And although the Oklahoma native embraced the new experience of working on a movie set, joining her co-stars between the waves on a surfboard was not an option.

“I enjoy being by the water, but being on the water is scary. I’m a horrible swimmer, I’m a fear of drowning kind of girl,” she explained. “But (acting) was a totally new animal for me, it was so different but everyone on the set really helped me along. They were patient and understood I had never been in a movie before and helped me through it.”

So it’s pretty safe to say this down-home girl has come a long way – but she hasn’t forgotten what started it all, and tells us she is greatly immersed in the current season of “Idol.”

‘American Idol’ is the only reason I'm in the music business, period. I had no idea how to get in any other way,” she told us.

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Carrie Underwood Makes Acting Debut in 'Soul Surfer'

Carrie Underwood says she's happy with her first acting performance on the big screen. The country music star plays a small but pivotal role in the film "Soul Surfer," the inspirational tale of shark attack survivor Bethany Hamilton.

"I'm happy with myself for the role and for the movie," Underwood said. "Am I going to win an Oscar? No. It was so much fun and the important thing is getting the story out there."

Underwood plays youth pastor Sarah Hill, a key figure in Hamilton's life and recovery after the attack. Hamilton, then 13, lost her left arm when a 14-foot tiger shark ripped it off while she was surfing with friends in Hawaii.

Read more here.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Surfer’s Tale of Strength and Faith Portrayed in ‘Soul Surfer’

Bethany Hamilton was little known outside the competitive surfing community until a tiger shark took her arm off along the coast of Kauai when she was 13 years old.

That moment and that loss do not define Bethany Hamilton. They merely galvanize who she already was. And she doesn’t want anyone to feel sorry for her, because she certainly doesn’t.

“Ultimately, I hope that my struggles and what I went though can hopefully be encouraging,” says Hamilton, now 21. She’s out promoting the film Soul Surfer, based on her autobiography and starring Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt and AnnaSophia Robb as Bethany.

The movie, which opens today, captures not only that fateful shark encounter, but also her return to the ocean and the family and faith that ground her.

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'NCIS' Star Pauley Perrette Records Song With Navy Veteran

"NCIS" star Pauley Perrette met a new music partner on the show's set, but it took a church visit for the pair to see their potential.

The result is "Fire in Your Eyes," an R&B-pop duet with Perrette and B. Taylor, a Navy veteran with a fledgling recording career. The single is set for iTunes release May 3.

Perrette and Taylor were introduced when he paid a visit to CBS' legal drama about Naval investigators, invited by a friend who's an adviser to the series.

The two hit it off and she invited him to attend her church, Hollywood United Methodist. Their time together inspired Taylor to write "Fire in Your Eyes." A music video is planned.

"We were just hanging out afterward at church, playing piano and messing together," Perrette said. That was enough to inspire Taylor to write "Fire in Your Eyes."

"She was just so charismatic and had great spirit," he said. "I wrote the song and Pauley put the magic to it."

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Filmmaker: I found God in Hollywood

It’s not impossible to be a Christian in Hollywood, Lee Stanley will tell you. What it does take is guts - the same guts it takes to be a Christian anywhere, he says.

Stanley wasn’t a believer when he moved from New England to California in the 1960s. He was in love with a fantasy – not the idea of making it big on the big screen, but being around the water all the time.

The aspiring baseball player had realized he wasn’t going to make it to the major leagues, so he turned to another passion - diving. He had no idea the trek West would lead him on the road to becoming a filmmaker who tells stories of redemption and faith.

Stanley details his life in “Faith in the Land of Make-Believe,” published this month by Zondervan. He said he wrote the book to “to encourage people that have wandered away or lost the confidence in the things that have been on their heart for years.”

Article continues here.

Third Day Honored with ASCAP Vanguard Award

Third Day was honored with ASCAP’s Vanguard Award recognizing the band for its “extraordinary impact on Christian music.” Third Day is the first Christian music artist to receive the ASCAP Vanguard Award. Past ASCAP Vanguard Award honorees include The Killers, Sara Bareilles, Santigold, All-American Rejects, Arcade Fire, The Mars Volta, Jack Johnson, The Strokes, Modest Mouse, Built To Spill, Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, Beck and Bjork.

Next Narnia Film Will Be 'Magician's Nephew,' Not 'Silver Chair'

Walden Media has confirmed to The Christian Post that the Narnia 4 movie will be "The Magician's Nephew," not "The Silver Chair" as originally speculated by many fans.

"We are starting to talk to Fox and talk to the C.S. Lewis estate now about the Magician's Nephew being our next film," said Michael Flaherty, co-founder and president of Walden Media, during a recent interview with The Christian Post.

"If we can all agree to move forward, then what we would do is find someone to write the script. So, it could still be a couple of years."

For the past several months, many Narnia fans were worried whether "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" could muster the box office numbers needed for Walden to produce another movie installment based on the beloved Chronicles of Narnia series.

"Dawn Treader" had a weak start in the domestic markets, however, it has fared better overseas.

Flaherty attributed "Caspian's" dismal performance to a poorly timed summer release and the story's bent on deeper theological principles like waiting on God's timing. He said that Walden has since learned a Christmas release would probably work best with a Narnia film and not to neglect the faith market.

He also noted that box office performance for Narnia films appears to mimic the amount of people's interest in the books. Looking ahead, Walden Media believes "The Magician's Nephew" has the potential to be a blockbuster hit like "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" because it is the second most popular book in the Narnia series.

Peter Furler Solo CD Delayed to June 21

Peter Furler's new CD titled On Fire has been pushed back until June 21.

EMI's press release states:
Grammy nominated and Dove award winning Peter Furler needs no introduction. His history in our industry has been well documented as the previous iconic lead voice of the Newsboys. He has not only been given our industry’s top songwriter of the year award, but also driven the sales of five Gold records and sales of over seven million albums as the unforgettable front man for Newsboys. He has written, produced and sung over 25 number one hits including classics such as "He Reigns," "Shine," "Something Beautiful," and "It is You."

This June, Peter Furler begins to write a new chapter in his history with his first solo album, which some are calling Peter's greatest work to date. Like any true artist though, Peter is merely finding an outlet after God called him to take some time away.

"There is a fire shut up in my bones that I have not been able to hold in since I was a child," says Furler. "For me, I find its release through melody and testimony." Furler's fans are eagerly anticipating what will be next from one of music’s most inspirational and charismatic artists.

Stephen Baldwin Makes Directorial Debut With Cory Lamb Music Video

Outspoken Christian actor, Stephen Baldwin, added a new item to his resume when he directed the music video for Cory Lamb’s song, “Break The Cycle.”

“If you want to reach today’s youth you’ve gotta be relevant,” Baldwin said. “Cory Lamb, his music and his message are that very thing. I believe in Cory’s passion to deliver a positive message to today’s youth.”

Skillet Bangs Its Way to #1

“Awake & Alive,” the latest single from Skillet, is #1 at Mainstream Active Rock Radio outlets nationwide. Their gold certified album, “AWAKE,” now features a trio of Active Rock and Christian radio blockbusters including the current hit “Awake and Alive,” the RIAA gold certified, top 5 Active Rock and Christian Rock smash, “Monster,” and the just certified RIAA gold hit “Hero” – with digital single sales from the album now exceeding 1.5 million.

“Hero” has been used extensively on TV including the NFL’s Sunday Night Football, NFL Weekend Kickoff promos, ESPN, and more. It was most recently featured on FOX Sports’ “The Daytona 500: The American Dream,” a one-hour documentary special delivering fresh and never-before-seen footage from self-professed Skillet fan, Trevor Bayne’s historic run to Victory Lane.

Peter Furler Signs New Record Deal

Peter Furler, former lead singer of the Newsboys, announced today that he has signed a new record deal with EMI.

He retired from the Newsboys last year so he could take a break from the nonstop touring he had experienced with the Newsboys.

The new CD or first single will be titled Reach.

"The Grace Card" Opens in Top 20

The Grace Card is a dramatic film that intends to illustrate the everyday opportunities that people have have to rebuild relationships and heal deep wounds by extending and receiving God’s grace. The film stars Louis Gossett, Jr. and Michael Joiner. It was released on February 25, 2011 to 363 theaters, grossing $1,010,299 on opening weekend - good enough to land in the 16th position.

"The Grace Card" was conceived by its first-time director, Dr. David Evans, a Memphis optometrist making the leap into filmmaking with the support of his congregation, the Calvary Church of the Nazarene in Cordova TN, the film's "sponsoring church."

The success of "Fireproof" with Kirk Cameron, a low-budget 2008 movie produced by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga., that earned $33 million at the box office, provided inspiration for Evans and his supporters.

A self-described "modern evangelical" and "20-year pro" in Hollywood who co-wrote Clint Eastwood's "Space Cowboys," among other films, screenwriter and producer Howie Klausner, rewrote Evans' original script and joined the production after deciding he wanted to help Christian films "grow up." He describes "The Grace Card" as a cop movie with a spiritual twist.

Academy Award winning actor Louis Gossett Jr., who earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1983 for his role as a tough Marine sergeant in "An Officer and a Gentleman," said he was attracted to "The Grace Card" because he's interested in "nourishing stories" that complement his faith in God and his work as the founder of The Eracism Foundation.

Broadway Performer Tony Vincent Collaborating with Kevin Max

In the mid-90s, Tony Vincent released two Christian CDs before going to Broadway, where most recently he was part of the cast of American Idiot.

Tony recently sent out this note in his email newsletter:

Long-time friend of mine and killer singer Kevin Max (of the band dcTalk), phoned me up out of the blue several weeks ago. He and a mate of his have been working on a project that has changed directions several times since its original inception almost a year ago. Knowing I’ve been greatly influenced by bands from the “New Romantic” music era (such as Roxy Music, David Bowie and Duran Duran), Kevin extended an invitation for me to join his work-in-progress band, currently working under the name Bad Omens.

Although my music career has always been as a solo artist, I have lately been toying with the idea of changing direction and cloaking my music in a band format, which would lend itself perfectly to the style of music that I want to produce. Kevin and I spoke on and off for about a week, and after thinking about it for a few days, I phoned him up and told him I was in.

Even though we are still in the early stages of fleshing out exactly what the sound of Bad Omens will be–we’re heading to Los Angeles this week to start the writing process–we’re both incredibly excited about the potential of a vocally driven, Brit-pop/synth-rock focused band.

Bible Edited Out of Film 'Soul Surfer' to Appeal to Non-Christians, Added Back In

The upcoming film “Soul Surfer,” slated for release in April, is based on the true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a 2003 shark attack, but courageously returned to her board and become a champion again months later.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the real-life Hamilton family – all devout Christians – were upset to learn that the words 'Holy Bible' were digitally removed from the cover of a Bible in a scene featuring Bethany Hamilton's father Tom reading by his ailing daughter’s hospital bedside.

An executive at Mandalay Pictures pushed to soften the Christian element of the film, presumably in an effort to appeal to non-Christian audiences. However, after the upset family complained, they were pleased to discover that the 'Holy Bible' had been reinstated in the final cut, THR reported.

“I could see the words bright and clear. I looked at my wife and whispered, ‘Thank you God, they put it back,” Tom Hamilton told THR.

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RED to perform on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno

RED will be performing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on February 16. According to Randy from the band, they will not be performing Faceless as on CONAN.

RED Debuts at #2 on Billboard

Rock band Red debuts in the runner-up slot this week with its "Until We Have Faces". The band sold 43,000 its first week - a bigger start than the 39,000 that greeted its second album, 2009's "Innocence & Instinct," upon its No. 15 entry on the Billboard 200.

RED's Performs "Faceless" on CONAN

RED to be Musical Act on CONAN

RED will be the musical act on CONAN on Tuesday, February 8 on TBS. CONAN is the #1 talk show with Adults 18-49. Since its premiere on November 8, 2010, Conan has beaten out The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart as the country’s most watched talk show, particularly among people as young as 18 and as old as 49.

LIVE's Former Frontman's Single Inspired by Haiti

Former LIVE frontman Ed Kowalczyk’s shares how his single, 'Grace,' was inspired in part by the tragedy in Haiti.

After 20 million plus records sold world wide, Ed had a rough fall out with the band, but is now becoming a solo artist with a genuine heart for the poor (including having 10 World Vision sponsor kids.)