Lauren Daigle's Golden Debut

Lauren Daigle's debut album How Can It Be was certified gold by the RIAA last week.

With half a million units sold since last year's release, the album continues to smash charts and be a huge success. How Can It Be brought Daigle a Grammy nomination in 2016 for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album. Lauren also leads the pack for the 2016 Dove Awards with six nominations.

Dogs of Peace Return After 20 Years

It's been 20 years since Gordon Kennedy, Jeff Balding, Blair Masters, John Hammond and Jimmie Sloas joined forces as Dogs of Peace to record Speak, a groundbreaking album that was musically inventive, lyrically insightful and both playful and poignant all at the same time.

Now the Dogs are back with Heel, a potent collection of tunes that percolate with the same passion that gave voice to Speak. "The message is just a proclamation of what we believe to be the truth and we try to tell it the best way we can. We're just trying to write the best songs and record them to the best of our ability, and hopefully that's what we've done again."

Each song is brought to life by five well-accomplished musicians.

Kennedy is a legendary guitarist and two-time Grammy winner who co-wrote Eric Clapton's Grammy winning Song of the Year "Change the World." Currently on tour with Peter Frampton, Kennedy has written songs for Don Henley, Garth Brooks, Ricky Skaggs, Bruce Hornsby, Tim McGraw and Carrie Underwood among others as a player, has worked with Little Big Town, Kenny Loggins, Reba McEntire, Amy Grant, PFR, Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins and many more.

Sloas is a world-renowned bass player/songwriter and producer whose credits include Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Megadeth, PFR, Thomas Rhett and others.  He has performed with different artists on "Good Morning America," "The Tonight Show," "Saturday Night Live," "Conan" and the CMA Awards Show.

Blair Masters is a keyboardist/composer/producer who has recorded with Frankie Valli, Amy Grant, Casting Crowns, Steven Curtis Chapman, Megadeth and Jeremy Camp. As a producer, he has worked with Jim Brickman, Twila Paris and Point of Grace. He has toured with Frampton, McDonald, MercyMe, Giant and Steve Wariner, and he has composed music for television shows on A&E, the Discovery Channel, ABC, NBC and CBS.

John Hammond has recorded or performed drums with Vince Gill, Jewel, Faith Hill, Olivia Newton-John, Barry Manilow, Whitney Houston, Peter Cetera, Kristin Chenoweth, Bill Gaither, Christopher Cross, Cliff Richard and many others.  He has performed on "The Today Show,"  "Pepsi Smash," "The Tonight Show," The Dove Awards and for the President as part of an In Command Performance at the White House.

Balding's credits include Taylor Swift, Don Henley, Shakira, Little Big Town, Megadeth, Keith Urban and Jewel.  Balding has held elected positions with The Recording Academy and serves on Belmont University's Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business and the Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School Academy Advisory Board.

In recording Heel, the Dogs enlisted special friends to lend their talents. Michael Omartian plays piano on "Friend of the Groom." Skaggs lends his mandolin to "Only the Gold" and Frampton puts his signature guitar licks on "Healed." PFR's Joel Hanson, Whiteheart alum Rick Florian and the McCrary Sisters provide guests vocals on "He's the Light of the World."  As much as they enjoyed having friends add to their musical offerings, for the Dogs of Peace, the biggest reward was just in being back together and getting a chance to howl once again. "This was a passion project for us all," says Masters. "We didn't go, 'Let's make a record that has a hit song!' It was really, 'Let's make some music that we love making.' That's what inspired everybody and there's a quote from Gordon that we all embrace: 'If nothing else happens with this other than it being an offering, then that alone is enough reason to do it.' That's the heart behind the record.  If it's an offering we put at His feet, then that's enough and is the reason for this record."

Lecrae To Battle Eminem and Drake for Best Rap Grammy

Three Grammy nominations cap a break-out year for critically-acclaimed rapper Lecrae. He joins his contemporaries Drake, Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem as a nominee in the hip-hop category Best Rap Performance ("All I Need Is You"). He's also nominated for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song ("Messengers") and as a featured artist on Erica Campbell's hit record "Help" for Best Gospel Performance/Song.

On Sept. 9th, Grammy-award winning Lecrae released his seventh studio album, Anomaly to critical praise. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart as well as several other Billboard charts.

The album features guest artists Andy Mineo, Kari Jobe, for King and Country and Crystal Nicole.

Lecrae, known for his music message that is often at odds with his hip-hop peers, speaks of monogamy, contentment, and faith. While remaining true to his beliefs, Lecrae has previously managed to garner critical media buzz, release chart-topping albums and mixtapes, headline the highest ticketed tour in the country, draw a Grammy nomination and win a Grammy award for Best Gospel Album. These additional three nominations now gives Lecrae the distinction of four total Grammy nominations spanning his career.

Lecrae has been praised by mainstream and hip-hop press alike with features in Time Magazine, The Atlantic, Entertainment Weekly, XXL, Essence Magazine, Billboard and Vibe Magazine, among others. Radio personality and MTV News Executive Producer Sway Calloway recently proclaimed Lecrae's music as the "Evolution of Hip-Hop."

Lecrae recently completed the U.S. portion of his self-titled "Anomaly" tour, performed with The Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and appeared live on ESPN's nationally televised program SportsNation. He will be releasing his next music video for the fan favorite song "Say I Won't," featuring Andy Mineo, this Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014 in a one-of-a-kind fan event during halftime of the Brooklyn Nets/Miami Heat game at the Barclay's Arena in Brooklyn, N.Y. Lecrae and featured guest artist Andy Mineo will be on hand at the game to deliver the premiere. T-shirts and free song download cards will be distributed to fans. One lucky contest winner will join Lecrae and Andy Mineo in the Sony Suite to enjoy the game and the video premiere. This event is sponsored by Sony Action Cam.

Mandisa and Natalie Grant Stir Controversy Over Grammy Comments

Grant then ignited a social media explosion when she announced via Twitter her personal decision to leave the Grammy Awards ceremonies before its official conclusion. The unintentional hullabaloo soon prompted Grant to clarify her decision with a statement posted on her official Facebook page.

"It does sadden me when people argue, judge and hurl insults at each other from both sides of the fence," she wrote. "I never pointed out any one particular performance, I only said I had many thoughts about the entire show, which were best left inside my head and that is where they will stay…I won't use my platform to engage in political arguments that will only divide and not unite. I will continue to pray that my life will be my message."

The extensive online discussion only grew with each passing day, drawing close to 115,000 likes, more than 10,000 comments, and a remarkable 14 million-plus Facebook impressions thus far. What's more, Grant's statement surpassed President Obama's State of the Union Address to rank as last Tuesday's #1 Google Trending Search Topic.

At least one Grammy winner made a decisive choice not to attend Sunday night’s award show. In a post on her official Facebook page, Mandisa offered some “brutal honesty” in explaining why she decided to stay home rather than accept the awards in person — and much of her choice centered upon her faith.

“At 4 p.m. yesterday, I was not glammed up in a fancy gown, sitting in my seat at the Grammy Award Pre-Telecast, listening to the man reading the nominee list for Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) Performance, Best CCM Song, and Best CCM Album,” she wrote Monday. “I was rockin’ some purple sweats, sitting in front of my computer, watching the live stream online.”

Mandisa went on to express her surprise at finding out she won two awards — a reaction that was characterized by “utter shock and [an] immediate flood of tears.”

While she was grateful and honored to be nominated in the first place, Mandisa explained that she didn’t feel that the Grammys provided a positive environment for her at this time in her life.

Among her reasons for not attending, the singer admitted that she has struggled lately as a Christian living in a world filled with temptation.

“Yes, both times I have gone to the Grammys I have witnessed performances I wish I could erase from my memory, and yes, I fast forwarded through several performances this year; but my reason is not because of them, it’s because of me,” Mandisa wrote. “I have been struggling with being in the world, not of it lately. I have fallen prey to the alluring pull of flesh, pride, and selfish desires quite a bit recently.”

She said that putting herself in an environment that celebrates some of the elements she’s trying to avoid was “risky,” so she decided to stay home, as she is trying to renew her mind “to become the Heavenly Father-centered, completely satisfied with Jesus, and Holy Spirit-led woman” she once was.

While she didn’t get specific about the issues she’s struggling with, Mandisa fully admitted that she’s been hitting some spiritual road bumps.

“Perhaps being alone with Him as my name was announced was protecting myself from where my flesh would have tried to drag me had I been up on that stage,” she added. “It gave me time to focus. With what I do for a living, and the doors that have opened for me to sing about Jesus on mainstream platforms, I take the phrase from John 15:19, ‘be in the world, not of it’ seriously.”

Though she believes God doesn’t want believers to separate themselves from the rest of the world and to avoid sharing their faith, Mandisa highlighted that it is important for Christians to speak differently so that they “shine” and stand apart from others.

The singer also cited that she will be on the road for much of the next 100 days, that she doesn’t enjoy the scrutiny surrounding what she’s wearing and how she looks and that she assumed she might not be victorious in the categories she was nominated in as her reasons for staying home.

But Mandisa isn’t entirely closed off to attending the award show sometime in the future.

“So yeah, should I ever be nominated again, and I’m feeling up to it, I’ll go,” she added. “I recognize that I may feel a bit like an alien in a strange land, but Jesus, friend of sinners, felt that way and still managed to shine…by His Holy Spirit, so can I!”

From Gospel With Elvis to Drugs with Rock Stars

Mylon Le Fevre, the GRAMMY and Dove Award winner, is telling his own story for the very first time, in his autobiography, "Live Forever." .

"When I was 17, Elvis Presley recorded a song I wrote and from then on my life was a whirlwind ride of a rock and roll fantasy that you couldn't make up if you tried," says Le Fevre. "This is my story. From playing stadiums, coliseums and getting high with some of the biggest rock stars in the world to being strung out on heroin and cocaine and trapped in a seemingly hopeless pit of depression and loneliness, it's all here, the good, bad and the ugly. I did finally find what I was looking for, but it wasn't in drugs, money or fame. I found God."

Le Fevre was just 17 years old and in the Army when he wrote his first song, "Without Him." He was performing that song on stage at a Gospel convention in Memphis, when unbeknownst to him, Elvis Presley was there. Shortly thereafter, Presley recorded the song for his Grammy-winning, multi-platinum album, "How Great Thou Art," making Le Fevre a wealthy and famous teenager, nearly overnight. Le Fevre embarked on a rock and roll journey that he documents in "Live Forever" with more than 100 photos, many which have never been seen before.

Mylon Le Fevre was born into the pioneering Southern Gospel family, The Le Fevre's, and he spent some time as a member of the famed Stamps Quartet (1966-1968). He released a series of solo projects (1964-2003) for Columbia Records, Skylite Records, Atlantic Records and Star Song Records, and has recorded and performed with Eric Clapton, Elton John, Billy Joel, Duane Allman, Berry Oakley, Little Richard, Steve Winwood, Mick Fleetwood and The Who, among others. In 2005, Le Fevre was inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame, and in 2007, he was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

U2's Bono: Jesus is the Son of God And Beware of Death by Cupcake

Bono, the lead singer of  U2, is declaring that Jesus Christ of Nazareth is indeed the Son of God.

In a brand-new interview with Focus on the Family set to air Tuesday, the rock star and activist sounded like “Mere Christianity” author C.S. Lewis who argued Jesus was a lunatic, liar or Lord.

“When people say ‘Good teacher,’ ‘Prophet,’ ‘Really nice guy,’ … this is not how Jesus thought of himself,” Bono said. “So, you’re left with a challenge in that, which is either Jesus was who He said He was or a complete and utter nut case.”

“And I believe that Jesus was, you know, the Son of God,” Bono said, according to a transcript provided to Religion News Service. “I understand that for some people and we need to … if I could be so bold, need to be really, really respectful to people who find that ridiculous.”

Bono also discussed one of the most famous biblical characters, King David, who authored many of the Bible’s psalms, which are actually songs in the original Hebrew.

“First of all, David’s a musician so I’m gonna like him,” Bono said.

“What’s so powerful about the psalms are, as well as they’re being gospel and songs of praise, they are also the blues. It’s very important for Christians to be honest with God, which often, you know, God is much more interested in who you are than who you want to be.”

While Bono praised David’s “honest language with God,” Jim Daly of Focus on the Family noted that “sometimes it gets you into hot water with the more orthodox folks, because they see you as edgy, maybe too edgy at times.”

“You’ve gotta be very careful that grace and politeness do not merge into a banality of behavior, where we’re just nice, sort of ‘death by cupcake,’” Bono responded. “Politeness is, you know, is a wonderful thing. Manners are in fact, really important thing. But remember, Jesus didn’t have many manners as we now know.”

U2's 1983 album "War" features the song "40," with lyrics from Psalm 40 of the Bible.

The rock star talked about Scripture openly, including the ninth chapter of the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus told a man not to wait and bury his father, but to follow Jesus immediately.

When Daly noted, “Seems cold-hearted,” Bono replied: “No, seems punk rock to me. He could see right into that fellow’s heart. He knew he wasn’t coming and he was just, it was pretense. We’ve gotta be a bit more cutting edge, not look to the signs of righteousness. Look to the actions.”

Bono, a native of Dublin, Ireland, says his faith has prompted him to fight disease and poverty with the ONE Campaign, a humanitarian group he founded.

“It’s very annoying following this person of Christ around, because He’s very demanding of your life,” he said, laughing. “You don’t have to go to university and do a Ph.D. to understand this stuff. You just go to the person of Christ.”

Since the early 1980s, U2 has dominated rock music across the planet with many songs that include lyrics about God and His coming kingdom.

On U2′s 1983 album “War,” one of the songs was simply titled “40,” and was based on Psalm 40 from the Old Testament, with lyrics stating:

I waited patiently for the Lord
He inclined and heard my cry
He brought me up out of the pit
Out of the miry clay …

He set my feet upon a rock
And made my footsteps firm
Many will see
Many will see and fear

Bono has occasionally expressed his Christianity in previous interviews, as have his bandmates.

In 1985, U2 guitarist the Edge, told Star Hits, “People seem to think Christians are incredibly pious, arrogant, superior individuals, but that’s not true at all – I’m a very normal, very real person.”

Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. told Time magazine in 1987: “I am a Christian and not ashamed of that. But trying to explain my beliefs, our beliefs, takes away from it. I have more in common with somebody who doesn’t believe at all than I do with most Christians. I don’t mind saying that.”

U2 has released 12 studio albums and are among the all-time best-selling music artists, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide. The group has won 22 Grammy Awards, more than any other band, and in 2005, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in its first year of eligibility.

Also in 2005, U2 topped Billboard’s inaugural Money Makers list, bringing in more than $255 million that year, ranking the band ahead of the Rolling Stones, which generated $152 million.

read entire article

Amy Grant to Appear on The View and Fox and Friends

On June 20, six-time Grammy award winner Amy Grant will appear on ABC's "The View" to perform her next single "If I Could See." The appearance kicks off the beginning of a national television media blitz for Grant in support of her first studio record in a decade, How Mercy Looks From Here. Additionally, she will take to the outdoor plaza stage, performing on "Fox and Friends" June 22 and appear on ABC's lifestyle show "The Chew" on July 19.

How Mercy Looks From Here debuted at No. 1 on the Christian Soundscan and No. 12 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album has been declared by critics as a "vibrant," "glowing production" and one of the "best albums of the year."

10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord) Is Golden

Matt Redman has yet one more reason to celebrate another crowning achievement for his worship anthem "10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)." After earning two GRAMMY® awards this past February, the incredibly popular song was recently certified Digital Gold by the RIAA. As the first No. 1 single for co-writers Redman and Jonas Myrin, the song made an admirable 16-week run at No. 1 on Christian Radio and remained at No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Songs Chart for an impressive four months. 

Redman is set to record a brand new, live worship album at Passion City Church's LIFT: A Worship Leader Collective, May 31-June 1 in Atlanta. Hosted by Louie Giglio and GRAMMY® winner Chris Tomlin, the gathering will bring together worship leaders from across the country to provide space to be in the presence of God without the constraints of leading others. In addition to Redman, Nathan & Christy Nockels, Kristian Stanfill, Crowder and others from the Passion Band will lead the worship leader collective.

Britt Nicole Selected as Presenter at Grammy Awards

First-time nominee, Britt Nicole, was one of the presenters at the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards Pre-Telecast Ceremony on Feb. 10 in Los Angeles.

Israel Houghton Featured on ABC's The View

Four-time GRAMMY Award winner Israel Houghton appeared on ABC’s “The View” live yesterday as part of a The King’s Men tour group interview and performance.  In a television first, Israel, along with friends Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin and Marvin Sapp, performed a medley of their best-known songs on the same stage for the “The View” audience.  The appearance was in support of the national The King's Men tour launching Sept. 16 and produced by Live Nation Entertainment. The tour marks the first time these four GRAMMY, Dove and Stellar award-winning artists have toured together.

During the show, co-host Sherri Shepherd asks, “Israel, you have released 11 Christian music albums over 15 years - we sing a lot of your worship songs in church - and for the very first time you got a chance to record with your daughter Mariah.  How was that?”

Israel affirms that it was a special moment, recalling the recording of the song for his first live recording in five years with New Breed, Jesus At The Center, releasing Aug. 14.  “One of the songs we did was an old Bob Dylan song, ‘To Make You Feel My Love,’” says Israel.  “My daughter sang it with this purity – she’s 15-years-old, almost 16 – and it was amazing to look out and see 16,000 people all crying.”

To watch the whole interview and performances of ABC’s “The View” featuring “The King’s Men” and Jamie Grace, go to abc.com.

Joy Williams Wins a Grammy as The Civil Wars

The Civil Wars took home two Grammys last Sunday for Best Country Duo/Group Performance and Best Folk Album. Paste Magazine caught up with the duo, John Paul White and Joy Williams, and producer Charlie Peacock to talk Grammys, what they mean to the group and what’s in the future for the Civil Wars.

TobyMac Wins a Grammy While in Concert

It was announced at the Winter Jam Tour stop in Atlanta that TobyMac had won a Grammy, ironically, for Alive & Transported. He had made a commitment to the Tour, so he did not attend the event.



He was nominated last year for the Gold-certified Portable Sounds, but lost out to Israel & New Breed (?!)

Eric Clapton's "Change the World" Wins Grammy for Song of the Year

Eric Clapton's "Change the World"written by Tommy Sims, Gordon Kennedy and Wayne Kirkpatrick has won Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year (for the songwriters), as well as Best Male Pop Vocal performance. The song was chosen by the RIAA as one of the Songs of the Century, ranked at #270.

Gordon Kennedy and Tommy Simms were previously best known for being in the band White Heart.