Key Significant Benchmarks in the African American Black Music industry (Part 5).

African American in the gospel music industry who have their own labels.

Fred Hammond:

Fred Hammond, 
the multi-instrumentalist

A multi-instrumentalist, producer, and vocalist for the soulful black gospel group Commissioned during the 1980s and '90s, Fred Hammond also became one of the most popular praise & worship leaders in the world. He is originally from Detroit where he was born. During his time in Detroit, he began singing with his church choir in his early teenage years. He also played bass and sang with the Winans during the early '80s, then joined Commissioned  later in the decade, showcasing his superb arranging, production, and song writing skill as well as his soaring vocals.

Hammond has now established  his own label imprint, Hammond Family Entertainment, and released the several CD/DVD set which include "Liv e in the Word" (2010) and   "God, Love & Romance", released in 2012.         

Donnie McClurkin:                                                         

Donnie McClurkin

Donnie McClurkin, an African American worship leader, recording artist and minister of the gospel. He became a major recording artist during 1990s with several successful recording projects to his credit. He has received two gold albums and two platinum albums since 1996. McClurkin currently owns his own indy label, called Camdon Music.

Kirk Franklin:

Kirk Franklin, creative master mind.

Fo Yo Soul Productions is Kirk Franklin’s record label. His label produced one of the most gospel successful soundtracks in 2001. Several of his albums were released by Fo Yo Soul Productions jointly B-Rite Records and GospoCentric Records. Kirk Franklin is the second best selling gospel artist worldwide behind Amy Grant with 25 million records sold during his career.

CeCe Winans:

CeCe Winans, the second best selling 
female gospel artist in the world.

CeCe Winans founded Puresprings Gospel label in 1999 when it was originally called Wellspring before it was changed to the present name. CeCe Winans is also one of the best-selling African America female gospel artist in the world with 11 million copies sold. Both CeCe and Yolanda Adams are the only female solo gospel artists to have achieved platinum certification within America over the last fifteen years.

                                   




                                   Researched and compiled by               
                                   Mr K Tomlin Music Historian                   
                                  ©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline2013-2014

Some Key Facts about Mavis Staples and Amy Grant

Did you know that Mavis Staples and Amy Grant are the first two female recording artists from America to reach the number-one position on the Official UK Christian & Gospel Albums Chart during the summer of 2013!

Amy Grant's first number-one gospel on the UK Official
Christian & Gospel Albums Chart

Grant was the first to debut at the top of the UK Official Gospel & Christian Albums Chart week-ending the 1^st June 2013 for three non-consecutive weeks with album “How Mercy Looks from Here”. The album of the same title also debuted at number-one in America on the Billboard Christian Albums Chart the same week-ending the 1^st June 2013 (3 weeks). This is Grant’s 16^th album of the Christian music genre to debut at number-one position on the Billboard Christian Albums Chart since the beginning of her recording career.

On week-ending the 22^nd June 2013 (1 week) Grant returned to the top after been dethroned by UK Gospel Rap artist Guvna with his debuted album “ODD 1 Out” on the UK Official Gospel & Christian Albums Chart week-ending the 8^th June 2013 (1 week).  Guvna was the first UK Rap Gospel &Christian independent artist to achieve this feat since the official launch of UK Official Gospel & Christian Albums Chart in Mid-March of 2013.

Two weeks after that, Grant went to number-one again with

her album on the UK Official Gospel & Christian Albums

Staples' first number-one album of her entire career

Chart. She was followed by Staples who debuted at number-one on week-ending 6^th July (1 week) with her album entitled “One True Vine”.  This is Staples’ first studio album of her entire career to achieve this level of success overseas in the UK.

Her album also debuted at number-two on the Billboard Gospel Albums Chart in America week-ending the 13^th July 2013 (1 week). Her album “One True vine” has been in the Top Ten of the Billboard Gospel Albums Chart for over five weeks since the week-ending 10^th August 2013.

                               Written, researched and compiled by 
                               Music Historian Kevin Tomlin    
                               ©RCMMusic/Signaturesoundsonline 2013