Week of March 8th 2010


Grammy Award winner Karen Clark Sheard is about family. Family has been key to her success as one of music’s most dynamic vocalists.

Whether it’s an inspirational R&B track or a down-home gospel groove, Sheard’s multi-octave vocal range and dizzying vocal gymnastics with and without the legendary Clark Sisters have inspired today’s brightest pop divas such as Beyonce and Mariah Carey, among others.

It started as a child when Sheard was trained to sing by her mother (gospel music pioneer Dr. Mattie Moss-Clark) and has come full circle with her 20 year old son (J. Drew Sheard II) producing tracks on her first CD in four years, All in One (Karew Records/EMI Gospel), a slick set of urban-flavored gospel that will hit retail and digital stores on April 6, 2010.

Sheard’s Go-Go flavored, up-tempo radio single “Prayed Up” (available digitally on March 16th) is making a fast impact at radio. The song is currently #26 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart and rapidly building momentum. The song’s success is a dream come true for Sheard who has aspired to own a record label for years. Sheard and her husband, Bishop J. Drew Sheard (Pastor of Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church Of God In Christ in Detroit, MI, found Karew Records.

All in One features eleven original songs ranging from neo-soul ballads such as “He Knows” a duet with sister Dorinda Clark Cole to the futuristic pop vibes of “Take Me.” In between, there are worship tunes, and good ole Sunday morning church tracks. Sheard pulls in family members for vocal cameos such as sister Dorinda Clark Cole, daughter Kierra Sheard and niece Angel Chisholm. Her cousin Bill Moss Jr. plays the keys. Her son, J. Drew and her cousin J. Moss both individually wrote and produce various tracks on the project. On top of that, Sheard, who won a Grammy for composing the Clark Sisters’ #1 2007 comeback smash “Blessed and Highly Favored,” also co-wrote several of these future classics.

Aside from three decades of hits with her sisters, Sheard is also known for solo hits such as “Balm in Gilead” and “Nothing Without You.” Sheard released four critically acclaimed solo projects, starting with her 1997 debut album Finally Karen, a classic; 2nd Chance; The Heavens Are Telling and It’s Not Over. Sheard expresses, “With this new CD, I want to reach my young people but then I have some music the older church folks can rock to, as well.”

Fans of theater can applaud Sheard’s upcoming role in the new musical stage play, “Church Girl” that also stars Robin Givens. The national tour kicks off March 23, 2010 at Detroit’s Music Hall Center and is scheduled to stop through a dozen other cities. On April 6, 2010 Sheard will reminisce about her career and give a mini-concert at “The Experience with Karen Clark Sheard” taking place April 6, 2010 at the Harold Washington Cultural Center in Chicago, IL. All In One CD in-stores April 6 and available on-line at Amazon, iTUNE and more.
For more information, visit www.karewrecords.com






Shekinah Glory Ministry Celebrates 10th Anniversary
Kingdom Records recording artists Shekinah Glory Ministry prepares to celebrate their tenth anniversary with a live recording session on May 16, 2010 at Valley Kingdom Ministry International in Oak Forest, IL.
The CD/DVD session is the finale of the group's first-ever praise & worship conference titled “Refreshed By Fire…Ascending Higher”, which launches on May 14, 2010.
The aggregation's most recent offering, Jesus, won the 2009 Stellar award for Praise & Worship CD of the Year.










Congratulations to BeBe & CeCe Winans who won the award for Outstanding Gospel Album. Mary Mary's "God In Me" won the award for Outstanding Song at the NAACP Image Awards took place on Feb. 26, 2010 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA.













According to Billboard magazine, gospel duo Mary Mary broke the record for the longest chart-run by a group on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with their Grammy winning single, "God in Me." The hit record from their album, The Sound, has spent 64 weeks on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, surpassing Dru Hill's "In My Bed," which spent 63 weeks on the chart from 1997-98. To add to the impressive feat, the duo also holds the longevity record among gospel songs on this chart, surpassing Kirk Franklin's "Looking for You," which ran for 60 weeks in 2005-06.

Last month, Mary Mary took home a Grammy® Award in the Best Gospel Song category for "God in Me." This was the duo's third Grammy® Award. To add to an incredibly successful year "God in Me" celebrated seven consecutive weeks at the #1 spot on Billboard's Hot Gospel Songs chart.

Mary Mary was also a big winner at the 25th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards tying for the most wins and taking home every trophy the group was nominated for including the Song of the Year Award for "God in Me" and the Group/Duo of the Year Award. Mary Mary also won an American Music Award and a BET Award for The Sound.

Heralded as "Praiseworthy" by People magazine, Mary Mary's current album, The Sound, peaked at #1 in a variety of Billboard Christian and Gospel albums charts shortly after its release in October 2008. The Sound entered the Billboard Top 200 at #7, giving Mary Mary their highest chart position-and second Top 10-album on that chart (2005's Mary Mary peaked at #8 on the Top 200). A bona-fide crossover smash, The Sound made a "Hot Shot" debut on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at #2.

Mary Mary received an NAACP Image Award nomination for "God In Me" in the Outstanding Song category. The 41st NAACP Image Awards airs live on February 26 at 8:00pm/et on the FOX network. Last week, Mary Mary received a 41st Annual GMA Dove Award nomination for Artist of the Year. The 41st Annual GMA Dove Awards take place at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, TN and can be seen on Sunday, April 25 at 8:00pm/et on the GMC network