The annual Lamplighter Awards are just a few weeks away. In addition to finding out who in our community will be honored for their community service, attendees will have an opportunity to worship with some of the biggest names in gospel. The full line-up includes:
Tamela Mann
Few entertainers today can match the unbridled energy and creative passion that Tamela Mann brings to her multi-faceted career. An acclaimed actress, NAACP Image Award nominee and Dove Award-winning vocalist as well as wife and mother, Mann’s talent has helped anchor one of the industry’s most successful film, TV and theatrical franchises, while her amazing vocal gift is at the top of her impressive resume. Tamela seems to effortlessly juggle a variety of notable projects while still finding time to aid such worthy organizations as the American Diabetes Assn. 2012 looks to be a memorable year for Mann as she’ll be seen with Jordin Sparks and Whitney
Houston in the upcoming film “Sparkle,” she and her husband, NAACP Image award winning actor and comedian, David Mann will co-host a new lifestyle and cooking show, “Hanging With The Manns,” and she’s releasing a new album, “Best Days”. “I want to present music that people can be blessed by and that can be healing,” she says about her new record. “We have to put music out to keep people encouraged and keep lifting the body of Christ up, and even the ones that haven’t become Christians. We need to encourage them that the best thing that they could ever do is become a child of God.”
James Fortune
At the precocious age of five, James Fortune began composing drum accompaniments for his father’s Houston, Texas choir. Long before his first performance and with the guidance of his father James knew in his heart that he was destined to spread the word of God through song and thus became well-versed in the teachings of the Lord. Throughout his adolescent years, James became engrossed in his church’s annual Youth conference; however within him grew a yearning to fellowship with other young people who also shared his fiery zeal for God.
Unbeknownst to him, James would soon be given the desire of his heart as God granted the 20 year old wunderkind the foresight to create a choir that would minister the word of God through song, praise and worship. James, honoring his calling to save souls through music, embarked on a journey to not only unite adolescents in his church but also those in surrounding neighborhoods, and with that Youth For Christ was born.
Fastforward several years, to a night when Fortune was homeless and in his motel room. He was blessed with life-changing revelation. For the first time in his life he truly doubted the Lord and in a moment of clarity, realizing why he had been ridden with fear and anxiety over his financial troubles, James wrote I Trust You, a heartfelt testament to his undying faith and willingness to follow God’s plan despite his present circumstances. Four years after the release of You Survived!,James Fortune & FIYA reentered the studio more aligned than ever while showcasing the sheer power of belief, and emotion that Fortune demonstrated during his most trying times. Shortly thereafter, their highly anticipated sophomore album The Transformation was released in February 2008.
“I Trust You” the first single off The Transformation, cemented James Fortune & FIYA’s as one of the most fervent performers in gospel.
The rest is history.
Karen Clark Sheard
Grammy-award winner Karen Clark Sheard is all about family. In fact, family has always been key to her success. Whether it’s an inspirational R&B track or a down-home gospel groove, Clark Sheard’s multi-octave vocal range and dizzying vocal gymnastics with and without the legendary Clark Sisters have inspired a host of today’s brightest pop divas such as Beyonce, Mariah Carey, and Faith Evans. It all started as a child when Clark Sheard was trained to sing by her mother and has come full circle with her 20-year-old son J. Drew Sheard II, who is noted as a producer on tracks on her current project “All In One.” “All In One.” is a slick set of urban-flavored gospel and Clark Sheard’s first project in four years.
Jessica Reedy
Every so often an artist emerges that captures our attention, makes us sit up and take note of what pure talent and anointing looks and sounds like. Jessica Reedy is truly one of those artists … one listen and you will never forget the voice.
Reedy first came to our attention on the national TV competition BET’s Sunday Best. She attended the Season 2 Sunday Best audition in Washington DC on a whim to support a friend. She quickly found herself in the Top 20 onto the show’s main stage performing for judges Mary Mary and Bebe Winans. Reedy made it all the way to finals eventually being named runner up. Throughout that process and the subsequent loss, self-doubt crept in. While Reedy never thought she had the talent to make it, God used the totality of the experience to bring her into her call as both an artist and minister of music.
“My insecurities, my fears, my guilt and pain were all brought before me – the things I thought I had let go. I learned so much about myself during and after Sunday Best. I learned how little my faith was in God and His abilities … in spite of my shortcomings God still proved HIMSELF to me,” said Reedy. “I started discovering how much HE Loved me, cared for me, and how HE thought of me as HIS beloved. I learned how much I didn’t know about myself.”
Since the 2009 finale, Reedy has seen God bring her into His promise. She was able to extricate herself from contractual agreements that would allow her to sign a record deal with Light Records and is now poised to release FROM THE HEART this September. It was the time after the finale that has become most transformative for Reedy.
Eddie James
Eddie James, born in Phoenix, AZ, accepted Christ as his personal Lord and Savior at the age of 8. He entered into music ministry at the tender age of 9 and it is for this reason that Eddie recognizes the gifts of God inside of young people. God has placed a burden inside of Eddie James, to minister to those who are hurting and lost, with an extraordinary emphasis on youth and young adults. As a result of his efforts, God has established Eddie James as a leader of music and ministry in the nation and around the world.
Higher with The Phoenix Mass Choir was Eddie James his first recorded national album. Higher debuted at number 10 and went to number 3 on the national charts. Since then he has recorded ten other projects that have impacted our nation and our world. His group ColourBlind, a culturally diverse group of five young men, released an album called, The David Story. This album contains twelve chapters of the book of Psalms put to music. They also recorded a soundtrack to their musical production called, Break the Walls. Break the Walls is a musical production designed for high school and college youth that deals with the issues of drugs, violence, pre-marital sex, racism, and dysfunctional families. Eddie James along with ColourBlind has reached over 200,000 youth in America with this musical drama presentation. Through this message of hope, countless numbers of lives have been changed.
Anita Wilson
William Becton
Pastor, Producer, Songwriter and Gospel Artist are a few of the facets of William Becton. He is most popularly known for his contributions to the gospel music industry, yet he has made waves also in radio and in the Evangelical Community. He creatively and consistently spreads the message of Encouragement in all three venues, while fulfilling his mission to make disciples of the broken.
Many people were first introduced to him in 1995 when he released the gospel hit single, “Be Encouraged” from the CD entitled “Broken”. The song took Pastor Becton from anonymity to notoriety almost overnight. The project amazed the gospel and R&B communities by debuting on the Billboard Gospel chart at #3 and the album propelled to #1 for over 11 weeks. It also hit the Billboard R&B singles chart at #59 for 21 weeks, allowing secular listeners to experience music with an underlying Christian message. The “cross over” success of “Be Encourage” set a new trend in gospel music and paved the way for other upcoming gospel artists who also had crossover hits.
Ordained as Pastor in 2002, he pioneered Kingdom Purpose Worship Center in Charlotte, NC. He has more than 10 years of experience in the pastorate as a preacher and teacher of the Gospel, along with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology (2010) and a Masters degree in Theology (2011) from Life Christian University (Tampa, FL). He is currently pursuing a PhD in Theology, also via Life Christian University. He currently serves as the Senior Pastor at the House of Worship, based in Charlotte, NC. He is also host of The William Becton Show, which airs on Praise Charlotte Saturdays from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM and on Sundays from 12 Noon until 4:00 PM.
Pastor Charles Jenkins
Charles Jenkins is best known as a trailblazer, connector, community leader, advisor, songwriter, and dynamic communicator. With wisdom well beyond his 34 years of life, he is respected and revered for his innovative thinking, contemporary leadership, business savvy and holistic approach to ministry.
As pastor of the historic Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church founded by Reverend Clay Evans, Jenkins has quadrupled weekend attendance, and implemented an innumerable amount of ministries and programs that impact thousands.
