Four-time GRAMMY, multiple Stellar and Dove, and Soul Train Award winner Israel Houghton will share the stage for the very first time with peers Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp and Donnie McClurkin on The King’s Men tour. The 15-city major market US tour begins Sept. 16 at Comerica Theatre in Phoenix and travels coast-to-coast through Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Washington, DC and more before culminating in Brooklyn, NY at Barclays Center Oct. 14. Tickets for the tour are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com.
Having individually headlined sold out concerts internationally, the four music celebrities join forces in what Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s leading live entertainment and ecommerce company, is banking to be a hit for the fall touring season.
“In the Gospel world, this is like Springsteen, McCartney, Prince and Elton hitting the road together,” said Kevin Morrow, Senior Vice President of Touring at Live Nation, in a recent news release. “It’s going to be a once in a lifetime event for music fans.”
For Houghton, the tour follows two back-to-back Billboard Top 200-selling, GRAMMY Award-winning solo studio albums, as well as his first live recording in five years with New Breed, Jesus At The Center, which releases Aug. 14 on Integrity Music. Recorded live over four days in front of more than 29,000 worshippers at Houston’s Lakewood Church, this double-CD, 18 song album with three additional studio singles features Israel & New Breed returning to their roots, delivering new anthems for the modern day church.
“We purposely wanted to emphasize being a resource to the church worldwide,” says Houghton. “As we embark on the second decade as a cross-cultural worship movement, we pray these songs speak life, love, hope and favor over you… and most importantly place Jesus at the center of His global church.”
Joining Israel & New Breed on the studio version of the Gospel single from Jesus At The Center, “It’s Not Over (When God Is In It),” are acclaimed vocalists Jason Nelson and James Fortune. The single, which is available on iTunes® July 3, has already garnered the No. 1 Most Added status at radio, and debuted at No. 22 last week on the Billboard Gospel Songs chart. The Christian AC single produced by hit maker Ed Cash (Chris Tomlin, Britt Nicole), “Your Presence Is Heaven,” is available on iTunes July 17.
Other guest vocalists featured on the live recordings are Aaron W. Lindsey, Michael Gungor, T-Bone, Bishop Michael Pitts, Jeremiah Woods, Daniel Johnson, Charlin Moore, Adam Ranney, Tina Baker, Onaje Jefferson, Krystle Harper and Israel’s daughter, Mariah Houghton.
In addition to the Jesus At The Center two-disc album, a companion DVD was recorded live in high-definition and features all 18 songs along with behind the scenes footage, story-behind-the-song vignettes and other bonus material.
In 1995, Israel and Meleasa Houghton founded New Breed Ministries, an organization they continue to run and that is comprised of noted musicians and singers who serve within their respective churches and together serve the Church at large. Since then, Israel & New Breed has amassed a legion of followers that crosses generational and African American, Latin and Caucasian listener lines. While blasting down barriers, Israel has been fittingly graced with 2 Gold-selling albums, 4 GRAMMY Awards, 12 Dove Awards, 2 Stellar Awards and a Soul Train Award.
Active as worship leader in his local church, Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church (Houston), Israel has served as worship leader at Hillsong conferences and Franklin Graham crusades. He has written or co-written 11 CCLI Top 500 favorites, been featured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, accompanied Alicia Keys at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards for a performance of George Michael's “Freedom '90,” and performed at the 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards. He uses his own multi-cultural upbringing as a reference point with a desire to draw people of all races, ages and cultures together. More information on Israel & New Breed is available at www.newbreedmusic.com.
Baloche will be singing the title track to Glorious, his acclaimed new modern worship album released last month on Integrity Music, on the TBN Christmas Special. He will also sing his song “Offering” featured on Worship and Adore: A Christmas Offering, also from Integrity Music.
In addition to Baloche and McClurkin, the TBN special will feature FOX News anchor Kelly Wright, actress Sherri Sheppard and artists Ayiesha Woods and Sherri Jones Moffett. The special is scheduled to debut Dec. 19 at 5:00 pm ET / 2:00 pm PT. (Schedule subject to change, check your local listings.)
Baloche’s peers, including Michael W. Smith, Israel Houghton and Martin Smith (Delirious?/CompassionArt), as well as Worship Leader, Christianity Today, New Release Tuesday and others, continue to share their enthusiasm for Baloche and Glorious:
“Filled with songs of hope, praise and adoration, Glorious affirms Baloche's legacy as one of today's premiere worship artists and songwriters.” – Charisma
“…congregational worship in pop/rock form with direct lyrics of devotion to God that enrich the believer as they uplift the name of Christ.” – Worship Musician
“Paul Baloche is one of today’s most influential worship songwriters. He has written songs that are shaping worship services all over the world…Paul has crafted some of the most inspiring songs in church culture today.” – Amazon.com
“Glorious contains songs of faith, hope, commitment, trust, and praise that will encourage your church, be a joy to listen to, and stir up a love for the risen Savior who came to purchase our forgiveness and rescue us from our sins.” – WorshipMatters.com
“This songwriter, musician, and worship leader has helped define the sound that has come to represent the mainstream of worship music in recent years.” – Soul-Audio.com
For more information on Paul Baloche’s Glorious, check out the e-card at www.integritymusic.com/ecard/glorious.
Additional information can be found at www.paulbaloche.com, www.leadworship.com and www.integritymusic.com.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - In October 2001, a few short weeks after terrorist actions brought down the World Trade Center in New York City, a concert tour featuring Donnie McClurkin and CeCe Winans hit the road to begin a previously arranged tour. Always scheduled as a celebration and a time to spread the gospel through song, the tour also became a time of healing and prayer. America was ailing, and it needed voices of solace, relief and consolation. By the end of the tour, word spread throughout gospel circles that Donnie and CeCe had, indeed, accomplished the goal of beginning the healing process.
Fast-forward to September, 2006, and America will again experience the thrill of a very special Donnie McClurkin & CeCe Winans concert tour. Beginning September 7, in Buffalo, New York, “An Evening with Donnie & CeCe” kicks off an ambitious multi-city tour that will capture the celebratory music this dynamic duo has generated for millions of fans.
Sponsored by World Vision, L’Oreal’s Soft Sheen Carson Division, and Feed the Children, An Evening with Donnie & CeCe features music from each artist’s vast catalogue. McClurkin’s current CD, Psalm, Hymns and Spiritual Songs (Zomba/Verity) was recently certified platinum by the RIAA. Winans’ Purified CD (Sony/Pure Springs Gospel/INO) continues to be a favorite and remains on the Billboard Top 20 after 40 weeks on the Gospel charts.
Some of the perks concert attendees can expect is a giant screen that will allow full viewing of the concert, coupled with ample seating at all stops. Also, McClurkin is sponsoring a contest that will allow a lucky fan at each stop in the tour to sing with him on stage. Fans will be directed to his www.donnieradio.com site to submit, in writing , why they should win that spot on stage. “The Donnie McClurkin Show” recently launched in over 30 markets, five of which were top ten markets and is distributed by Superadio. “We’re going to have a night of continual worship, like you’ve never had before”, says McClurkin.
CeCe Winans is in for an intense 4th quarter as she not only preps for the multi-city tour, but also gears up for her 2nd annual Always Sisters Conference on August 4th & 5th at The Curb Event Center on the Belmont University Campus in Nashville, TN. Log onto www.alwayssisters.com for more details. Winans will make two trips to South Africa this year, in August and again in December, for a concert with her brother BeBe. As for the Donnie & CeCe tour Winans says, “we’re excited about this tour, we want you to bring your family and friends out and enjoy a night with us.”
