Music Legend Candi Staton To Release First Ever Praise & Worship CD I Will Sing My Praise To You On Emtro Gospel This Fall
After a dozen gospel albums, almost 30 Billboard R&B chart singles and four Grammy nominations, Candi Staton has recorded her first praise and worship CD. I Will Sing My Praise to You (October 21, 2008 release date) is also the legendary singer’s first album with Jacksonville, FL-based Emtro Gospel that has produced recent Billboard Top Ten hits on Troy Sneed, Alvin Darling and Bishop Bruce Parham. "It doesn’t get any better than this," says Emtro Gospel CEO Troy Sneed. “Candi is a living legend and we’re happy to have her in the Emtro family! Wow!”
Staton is equally thrilled about the new relationship. “I’ve heard a lot of great things about Emtro and I look forward to working with the incredible team Troy has put together. They love praise and worship music and so do I,” says Staton. “I always wanted to do an authentic praise and worship album. There’s a time and season for everything and this is my time to do it.”
“This is my personal contribution to God,” Staton says. “It’s not about trying to please anybody but God. This is my personal praise and I will to do it unto Him. But, I named the CD `I Will Sing My praise to You’ so that each listener can put themselves in that spot and say, “Lord, I will sing my praise to you.”
The 14-song project was produced by newcomer John Brockman.“He’s the music director at Hope & Life Fellowship [in Snellville, GA] - the church I attend,” says Staton. “I love the music department there. The praise and worship is so uplifting every Sunday so I asked him would he be interested in producing me and he said yes.”Aside from penning half of the songs such as the traditional-styled ballad "Grace, They Call it Amazing" and the funky "Jesus Makes My Morning Sing"; Staton, who usually writes all of her own songs, performs songs by several well-known praise and worship artists this time around.
“They are the same songs we sing at church,” she explains. She puts her stamp on Israel & New Breed's "Alpha & Omega" and "Here I Am to Worship." She also covers Stephen Hurd/Matt Redman's "Undignified" and Paul Baloche's majestic anthem "Our God Saves." Staton also shines on "Butterfly," a rousing handclapper by a young songwriter from Grand Prairie, TX named Shonna Stallworth. The project is rounded out by three bonus cuts, including the inspirational dance-styled tune, "It's Your Season."
Staton grew up in gospel music. As a teenager she sang with the Jewel Gospel Trio in the 1950s and toured with Sam Cooke, Mahalia Jackson and the Staple Singers. In 1969, she made the leap into secular music with a string of Top Ten hits for Capitol Records such as “Stand By Your Man” and the Grammy-nominated “In the Ghetto.” She then moved to Warner Bros. Records where she enjoyed disco smashes such as “Victim,” “When You Wake Up Tomorrow” and the 1976 million-seller “Young Hearts Run Free.” In 1983, her first gospel album “Make Me An Instrument” peaked at #7 on the Billboard gospel charts and garnered her third Grammy Award nomination. Various remixes of Staton’s gospel song “You Got the Love” have hit the Top Ten of the British pop charts in 1991, 1997 and 1996. The song has sold 3 million copies worldwide and been featured in the finale episode of HBO’s “Sex in the City” TV series. In the intervening years, she recorded a dozen other gospel albums and hosted the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) weekly series “Say Yes” (originally “New Direction”) from 1986 to 2004.


Following the release of his highly successful albums Still Standing and Embracing The Next Dimension, Bishop Paul S. Morton Presents PASTOR DEBRA B. MORTON: MY BETTER HALF. The dynamic project, released on June 10, 2008 (Tehillah Music Group /Light Records), showcases the powerful music and message of Bishop Paul S. Morton’s talented wife, Pastor Debra B. Morton and the Daughters of the Promise Mass Choir. Packed with uplifting performances of songs such as “Victory In Praise” and “Where There’s A Will There’s A Way” as well as anointed exhortations by Evangelist Sandra Riley, Beverly Crawford, Dr. Aretha Wilson, Pastor Nancy Wilson, and Pastor Debra B. Morton, MY BETTER HALF will inspire listeners with its message of hope, perseverance, and unrelenting faith.
Kyle Bynoe has paid his dues in the music industry. With his production company, he’s written for artists such as Tina Turner, Angie Stone and Mary J. Blige. He brought his talents to the gospel music side of the industry and penned hits for Rizen, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, and New Harvest, songs that netted Bynoe Dove Award Nominations, including three in 2008 alone: Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year, Urban Recorded Song of the Year and Traditional Gospel Album of the Year. Bynoe took on the role of artist with his group Kyle Bynoe & Praise with a debut release in 2005. But now Bynoe returns as a solo artist with an urban inspirational single entitled “Favor” from his upcoming release The Kyle Bynoe Project.
Bishop David G. Evans, pastor of the 27,000-member Bethany Baptist Church in Lindenwold, NJ and frequently seen on the Trinity Broadcast Network, Black Entertainment Television and StreamingFaith.com, gained notoriety for his best-selling book, Healed Without Scars. Just as popular was the musical component to the book, the CD, “Healed Without Scars” featuring the singles “The Harvest” and “Let It Be Me”. Now on the heels of his Billboard charting success, Evans returns with the live recording “Bishop Evans Presents The Automatic Praise”. Showcasing the Abundant Harvest Mass Choir, the recording will be held at Bethany Baptist Church (1115 Gibbsboro Road, Lindenwold, NJ) during the 8:00AM & 11:00AM services.