The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) closed 2023 with an armful of new gold and platinum certifications. Among those new awards was a first-time certification for the Rance Allen Group’s classic track “Something About the Name Jesus” (Tyscot Records), which was certified gold for 500,000 sales on December 27, 2023. The song hails from the legendary gospel group’s 2004 GRAMMY Award nominated album, The Live Experience (Tyscot Records).

Rance Allen’s brothers Steve and Tom Allen; longtime producer, Chris Byrd; and Murdella Wallace  sister of the group’s longtime road manager, Cecilia Wallace) recently accepted the gold plaques  during a Sunday morning service at the New Bethel Bountiful Blessings church in Toledo, OH where Allen was the pastor for from 1985 until his sudden death on October 31, 2020.

“Something About the Name Jesus” was written by Kirk Franklin with Rance Allen in mind. It was originally featured on Franklin’s 1998, The Nu Nation Project, that featured the megahits “Revolution” and “Lovely Day.”

That studio version featured Allen performing the tune alongside Isaac Carree and Lowell Pye. After a few years passed, the Rance Allen Group invited Franklin to open their own live rendition of the song which became just as big as the original version.

“Kirk was the artist of that time when he called and asked me to sing,” Allen recalled in a 2010 interview. “I had already decided that I wasn’t going to sing on anybody else’s project. When he called, I all of a sudden had a change of mind and said to myself, `Let me see what song he has for me.’ So, he sent me the song, `Something About The Name Jesus.’ When he sent it to me, the song didn’t have any verses. So, I’m listening to the chorus line, and I got back with him and said, `It doesn’t have any verses.’ He said he’d write them when I got there and that’s when he wrote the verses. So just like with “Miracle Worker,” the audience demands that we sing that in every show.”

 The Rance Allen Group has earned five GRAMMY Award nominations and amassed over 250 million digital streams during its six-decade career. They started with Stax Record’s Gospel Truth imprint circa 1972 with soulful message songs such as “Ain’t No Need in Crying’” and “Lyin’ on the Truth.” They also had six R&B chart singles, including the 1979 Top 25 gem, “I Belong to You.”  

From the 1980s on, Allen mixed music with ministry as he became a pastor in the Church of God in Christ denomination.  The group reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart in 1992 with the album, Phenomenon, which featured the radio smash, “Miracle Worker.” In 2002, they signed to Tyscot Records where they have enjoyed hits such as “Do Your Will,” “Closest Friend,’ “You That I Trust,” and “Something About the Name Jesus.”

Singer-songwriter HeIsTheArtist will release his newest EP, “Dreaming In Emerald City (Wicked Deluxe Edition)” on Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 2024. This EP is a collection of remixes from his critically acclaimed tribute to the legendary movies “The Wizard of Oz” and “The West Side Story,” with a modern twist.

“Dreaming In Emerald City (Wicked Deluxe Edition)” contains all the songs from the original EP, as well as an additional track inspired by the 1989 movie “Teen Witch”. The EP features a mix of Broadway-style vocals and neo-soul elements, showcasing HeIsTheArtist’s unique sound.

The EP begins with a vintage cinematic cover of Judy Garland’s “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” and HeIsTheArtist’s original song “Mi Amor,” which pays homage to “The Wizard of Oz” and “The West Side Story.” These songs also introduce the overarching theme of the EP – showing empathy towards those who wish for a different life.

The following tracks, covers of “Lovin’ You” by Minnie Riperton and “I Believe in You and Me” by Whitney Houston, focus on the theme of finding love right where you are, despite others’ opinions. These songs are a reminder to embrace love in all its forms.

The EP concludes with covers of “Diamonds” by Rihanna and “Brown Skin” by India. Arie, promotes the message of self-love and breaking beauty standards. These songs are a powerful reminder to embrace and love ourselves, regardless of societal norms.

“Dreaming In Emerald City (Wicked Deluxe Edition)” also includes two 80s-inspired remixes of HeIsTheArtist’s original song “Mi Amor,” including the latest single, “Mi Amor (City Pop Remix.)”

The original EP gained attention and success upon its release, with “Mi Amor” reaching #2 on the UK iTunes R&B charts and “I Believe in You and Me” reaching #9 on the UK iTunes R&B charts. The Wicked Deluxe Edition promises to be an even bigger success with the added tracks and remixes.

GRAMMY nominated artist, Joseph Habedank, is excited to announce his 2024 Winter Tour.  Kicking off January 4^th in Kingsport, TN, the tour will make stops in eleven states, including Virginia, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas and many more!

The 2024 Winter Tour will feature brand new music from the singer/songwriter’s upcoming studio album, which is slated to release Spring of 2024, as well as well-known classics that audiences across the country have come to know and love. Attendees can expect to hear the dynamic vocals coupled with deep, theologically rich lyrics that have become a signature of the Dove Award winning artist.

At select dates, Joseph will also be joined on stage by Lindsay Habedank for a special question and answer session where audiences can learn more about their lives, families and ministry.

The 2024 Winter Tour is sponsored in part by Destiny Rescue, a special organization that works diligently to save children from trafficking and exploitation around the world through rescue and reintegration programs.  At each of the tour dates, audiences will have the opportunity to learn more about this ministry and how they can make a difference in the lives of these precious children.

Make plans now to attend Joseph Habedank’s 2024 Winter Tour at a city near you, as this tour will only make a stop in these markets once this year.

Joseph Habedank 2024 Winter Tour Dates
January 4 – Kingsport, TN
January 5 – Waynesboro, VA
January 6 – Petersburg, VA
January 7 – Goldsboro, NC
January 13 – Boaz, AL
January 14 – Savannah, TN
January 15 – Marietta, GA
January 25 – Pitkin, LA
January 26 – Freeport, TX
January 27 – Edna TX
January 28 – Longview, TX
February 9 – Wimauma, FL
February 10 – Jacksonville, FL
February 11 – Sycamore, GA
February 15 – Waynesville, OH
February 16 – Louisville, KY
February 17 – Shelbyville, TN
February 18 – South Fulton, TN
February 23 – Lenoir City, TN
February 24 – Belton, SC
February 25 – Blacksburg, SC

Last night, Amy Grant and Vince Gill celebrated their 100^th show at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium as part of their sold-out 2023 “Christmas at the Ryman” residency. This achievement also makes Grant and Gill the first artists to headline 100 shows at the Ryman. Grammy-nominated stand-up comedian and Nashville native Nate Bargatze surprised the duo on stage with a Hatch Show Print commemorating the 12-show run and centennial milestone.

Since the first show in 2008, “Christmas at the Ryman” has become one of Music City’s most treasured traditions, with fans from across the country and worldwide flocking to the historic venue to take in the holiday sounds of two of Nashville’s most cherished performers. Over the years, the husband-and-wife duo has filled the show with Christmas favorites such as “Let It Snow,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Tennessee Christmas,” “O Holy Night,” and “O Come All Ye Faithful.”

GRAMMY Award winner Lauren Daigle appeared on NBC’s The Kelly Clarkson Show this week. Daigle talked about her biggest musical influences growing up and participated in a fun music pop quiz.

Home for the Holidays: A Christmas Homecoming – Sunday, December 24th at 3 p.m. ET

Get ready to ring in the holidays with Bill & Gloria Gaither and all of their Homecoming friends on Home for the Holidays: A Christmas Homecoming! Sit back and listen to an array of Christmas standards, nostalgic seasonal favorites, and power-packed anthems. This timeless recording features the powerful voices you have grown to love during the most wonderful time of the year.

Featuring Gospel Music Hall of Fame Members Gaither Vocal Band singing “Home for the Holidays,” multi-platinum-selling recording artist Josh Turner’s rendition of “Joy to the World,” award-winning singer/songwriter Mark Lowry’s performance of “Mary, Did You Know?,” DOVE Award-winning musical artist Lynda Randle & brother Michael Tait’s lively cover of “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” the unparalleled tenor voice of David Phelps’ moving edition of “O Holy Night,” and many more of your friends from the Homecoming Family of artists, “Home for the Holidays: A Christmas Homecoming” is sure to usher you into the holiday season of joy and love.

CBS presents the 25^TH ANNUAL A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, an entertainment special featuring uplifting stories of adoption from foster care, Friday, Dec. 22 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT), on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*.

Performances by extraordinary artists including Lauren Daigle, Gavin DeGraw, David Foster & Katharine McPhee, Pentatonix and CeCe Winans will enhance the inspirational adoption stories of several American families. Katharine McPhee also serves as host for the evening.

This year marks the 25^th anniversary of the special which raises awareness of this important social issue. For the last quarter century, the award-winning special has shined a light on the thousands of American children in foster care and has inspired tens of thousands of adoptions, moving these children into loving forever families.

Currently, there are close to 400,000 children in foster care in the U.S., more than a quarter of whom are hoping for a forever home.

These children lead difficult lives – only half graduate from high school, 5% graduate college and 20% become homeless soon after they age out of the system.

The child welfare system is sometimes described as the “highway to homelessness,” as nationwide 50% of the homeless population was once in foster care. Youth in foster care are resilient and have great potential to beat these odds. Given a home and a chance, these children can lead fulfilling, even extraordinary lives.

This year, in honor of the silver anniversary, the show revisits some of the amazing families featured in years past

This Christmas, share the joy of the Journey to Bethlehem, available on digital December 26, 2023 and on Blu-Ray and DVD January 16, 2024.

Synopsis:
A young woman carrying an unimaginable responsibility. A young man torn between love and honor. A jealous king who will stop at nothing to keep his crown. This live-action Christmas musical celebration for the entire family, weaves classic Christmas melodies with new pop songs in a music-infused retelling of the greatest story ever told, the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus. A unique new entry into the collection of holiday classic movies, this epic Christmas musical is unlike any before it.

SPECIAL FEATURES
DVD & BLU-RAY™ 

• Special Features
  • Meet Mary and Joseph
  • The Heart of The Journey to Bethlehem
  • Meet Fig
  • Meet Mary’s Sisters
  • Meet Antipater
  • Deleted Scenes: A Great Navigator
  • Deleted Scenes: Travel Montage
  • Deleted Scenes Joseph’s Catapult

Blu-ray and DVD include a digital code for movie and bonus materials as listed above, redeemable via Movies Anywhere for a limited time. Movies Anywhere is open to U.S. residents age 13+. Visit MoviesAnywhere.com for terms and conditions.

CAST AND CREW
Directed by: Adam Anders
Screenplay by: Adam Anders & Peter Barsocchini
Produced by: Brandt Andersen, Adam Anders, Ryan Busse, Stephen Meinen, Alan Powell, Steve Barnett
Executive Producers: Vicky Patel, Peter Barsocchini, Nikki Anders
Cast: Fiona Palomo, Milo Manheim, Antonio Banderas, Omid Djalili, Rizwan Manji, Geno Segers, MORIAH, Joel Smallbone, Lecrae, Stephanie Gil

Tickets are now on sale for Season 4 of The Chosen’s theatrical release, the first time all episodes of a full season of a TV series will debut exclusively in theaters. The official Season 4 trailer also premieres today:

Stream & Enjoy

Season 4 Synopsis

Clashing kingdoms. Rival rulers. The enemies of Jesus close in while His followers struggle to keep up, leaving Him to carry the burden alone. Threatened by the reality of Jesus’ growing influence, religious leaders do the unthinkable—ally with their Roman oppressors. As the seeds of betrayal are planted and opposition to Jesus’ message turns violent, He’s left with no alternative but demand his followers RISE UP.

The theatrical rollout of Season 4 will begin with a two-week run of Episodes 1-3 on February 1, 2024, followed by Episodes 4-6 in theaters beginning February 15, and Episodes 7-8 beginning February 29 via Fathom Events in the U.S. and Canada.

The premiere episodes will also be released in theaters in LATAM, the UK, Poland, Australia, and New Zealand via a consortium of distributors. After the full-season run in theaters concludes, The Chosen will announce the debut across streaming and linear TV platforms, as well as The Chosen TV and mobile apps.

“Last year we dipped our toes in the water by releasing a few episodes in theaters. The response was so strong, and Season Four is so big, that we knew we and Fathom had to give viewers the theatrical experience for all eight episodes,” said The Chosen’s creator and director, Dallas Jenkins.

“We’re excited to make history with The Chosen,” said Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events. “This collaboration has been such an amazing experience! Watching the fans come out in such large numbers to watch the story of Jesus on the big screen has been both informative and heartwarming. We look forward to bringing Season 4 to theaters so those fans can continue to share this story together.”

The Chosen has become a cultural phenomenon with impressive performance across streaming platforms such as Peacock, Netflix, and Amazon Prime where it is one of the platform’s top series of 2023. The Chosen also earned top ratings weekly domestically on The CW.

What began as a pioneering crowd-funded project has now evolved into a global sensation with over 770-million-episode views. Due to the efforts of the Come and See Foundation, The Chosen is on pace to be the most translated series in history, as the first three seasons will soon be available in 50 languages with plans to subtitle in more than 600.

Dallas Jenkins is writer, director, and producer. Lionsgate is the show’s global television distributor.

GRAMMY Award winner and current two-time GRAMMY nominee Lauren Daigle, whose “The Price Fund” has provided over $3.5 million to charitable organizations since its inception in 2018, has closed out a record year with over $1 million in donations.

The contributions, 45 in all, include its partnerships with the Music Health Alliance and KultureCity, multiple music schools, and organizations such as the Caring for Covenant Fund.

These partnerships have served to establish a first-of-its-kind combined senior healthcare program and fund designed specifically for music industry veterans and legacy music makers, make event venues across the US accessible through the installation and renovation of sensory rooms, and provide funds to sch ools that allow children the opportunity to learn through music and arts.

Daigle has provided a way for fans to also participate and join her in The Price Fund’s efforts by donating a portion of every concert ticket sold to the organization. In 2023, over 255,000 people have attended Daigle’s Kaleidoscope Tour.

“I formed the Price Fund to help make a positive impact in people’s lives and remind them they are not alone,” shares Daigle. “I am so proud of the work that we have been able to do over the last year and that fans can also play such a huge part in joining the effort to make a difference in the world. I am overjoyed about what is to come and what we can accomplish together.”

Daigle founded The Price Fund to honor and memorialize her grandfather, Julian Price, who taught her how to love the world one relationship at a time. Designed to provide care for at-risk youth, children, and the elderly, The Price Fund, established in 2018, has expanded its mandate to support the arts with a goal to instill hope and love among people, no matter their background. 

The efforts have resulted in the distribution of nearly $3.5M to nonprofit organizations around the world. Additionally, Daigle’s partnership with Child Fund, which provides assistance to children facing poverty in over 24 countries, has seen over 12,500 children sponsored via tour dates in 2023.

Daigle is a two-time Grammy, eight-time Billboard Music, four-time American Music, and twelve-time GMA Dove Music Award winner.  She’s garnered over 5 billion streams and wowed crowds for years with sold-out US and international tours. In 2023, Daigle continues to cement her status as a modern vocal powerhouse with a huge global fanbase.

Since the release of her GRAMMY Award-winning, multi-platinum-certified 2018 album Look Up Child, which included the 6x platinum-certified hit “You Say” and 2x platinum-certified “Rescue,” Daigle has been a mainstay on the Billboard charts.

Her recent Mike Elizondo-produced, 23-song, self-titled album’s debut GRAMMY Nominated single, “Thank God I Do,” gave Daigle her 6^th Billboard No. 1. In fact, the song sat atop the chart for 20+ weeks, making Daigle the only artist to have ever had a song top the charts for more than 20 weeks – twice. It’s these accomplishments that seem to have consistently followed an artist whose musical thirst has yet to be quenched.