This clothing line promises to have something for everyone. It will carry sizes that range from "4 to 26W". It appears that Yolanda Adams was highly involved in every aspect the collection. From buttons to colors, this collection doesn't just bear her name, it bears her style.

Yolanda Adams's designs won't be found in department stores. She's going for more of a personal touch. Items from this collection will only be available at private trunk shows and on-line. 

You can see some of the designs and get more details by checking out this video on KHOU. 

If you are one of those people, then I’ve got good news for you. GMC will air the tribute concert on Sunday July, 25 at 8 PM ET, 5 PM PT. Artists that performed at the concert included Yolanda Adams, Donnie McClurkin, Mary Mary, Byron Cage, and many more.

I have been very critical of GMC in the past for their choices of programming. I must commend them on this one. The network deserves a lot of credit for giving millions of people the opportunity celebrate the life of Bishop Walter Hawkins.

I definitely plan to watch the celebration. Are you going to watch it?

Musical Celebration
Date: Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Time: 7:00 PM PST
Location: The Paramount Theater in Oakland, CA
Admission is FREE

Homegoing (Funeral) Service
Date: Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Time: 11:00 AM EST
Location: The Paramount Theater in Oakland, CA

Many well know Gospel artists will gather together to pay their final respects to Bishop Walter Hawkins. The musical celebration is titled, The Man, The Music, The Ministry: A Musical Salute to Bishop Walter Hawkins.

The artist that are confirmed to sing at the musical celebration consists of Yolanda Adams, Mary Mary, and Donnie McClurkin. Additional artists that will sing also include Lynette Hawkins, Ledisi, Karen Clark Sheard, Daryl Coley and Doug Williams of the Williams Brothers.

Bishop Hawkins’ former wife, Tramaine Hawkins, will make a special appearance. His brother Edwin Hawkins will be one of the music directors for the evening. Edwin Hawkins will be joined by Donald Lawrence, Kurt Carr and Richard Smallwood.

Instead of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Walter Hawkins Memorial Foundation. Cards, letters and donations may be mailed to: Love Center Ministries, 10440 International Blvd, Oakland, CA 94603.

It is clear that Bishop Hawkins will be laid to rest in grand fashion. I hope they record the musical celebration and make it available to those who couldn’t attend sometime in the future. Bishop Hawkins was a blessing to millions of people. I’m sure many will be blessed by celebration of his homegoing.

What are your thoughts about Bishop Hawkins’ homegoing service? Do you plan to attend?

It wasn’t announced on air, but Marvin Sapp won the award for Best Gospel Artist. Nominees in the category included Tamela Mann, Vicki Winans, The Annointed Pace Sisters and Kirk Franklin presents Artists United (Are You Listening).

I must admit that I am a little disappointed, because I’m probably one of the few people that watches awards shows to actually see people receive awards. I know that most people watch for the performances.

Alicia Keys performed a medley featuring a number of the songs that she made popular. The big shock came is when she started singing If I Ain’t Got You and Kim Burrell came out and joined her on stage. Kim gave us what I call the Christian version of this song by replacing the word “baby” with “Jesus”.

In true Kim Burrell fashion, she delivered an outstanding vocal performance. The crowd definitely responded positively to Kim’s presence.

The main Gospel music moment came when Kirk Franklin performed Are You Listening: A Song 4 Haiti. Marvin Sapp, Fred Hammond, Yolanda Adams, Kim Burrell and Karen Clark-Sheard joined him on stage to perform the song.

I would argue that during this song, five of the top 20 singers in the theater were all on stage together. I thought their performance was great. Karen Clark-Sheard was absolutely amazing with the ad-libs. Even Prince seemed to love by her singing.

If you missed the performance you can view it below.

Did you see the BET Awards? Post a comment and share your opinion.

BET.com

Tonight was the season finale of season 3 of BET’s Sunday Best. Congratulations to LeAndria Johnson for winning the competition and the new car!

Here is a recap of the finale:

Hezekiah Walker opened the show singing Souled Out. It was a very good performance. It was consistent with that choir sound that we have come to know and love.

Each of the final two contestants performed a medley from songs that they have sang throughout the competition.

LeAndria’s medley consisted of:
-I Love the Lord
-He Was There All the Time
-In the Midst of It All

This performance was a great ending to a spectacular season of high quality singing. Week after week her singing was consistently amazing.

Elder Goldwire McLendon’s medley consisted of:
-Yes, Jesus Loves Me
-The Battle is Not Yours
-All Over Me, Keeping Me Alive

His performance was passionate and spirit filled. I’m paraphrasing here, but Yolanda Adams basically said that if he doesn’t win, then she would put her support behind Elder McLendon getting a CD released.

Just when I thought I couldn’t take any more, Kirk Franklin introduced Donald Lawrence. We received a great treat when the top three finalists from last year took the stage and each sang one of Donald Lawrence’s songs.

Jessica Reedy -Seasons
Latice Crawford-Encourage Yourself
Y’Anna Crawley- The Blessings of Abraham

All three ladies joined together in the end and sang Let the Word Do the Work. When most people reflect on last season, Latice Crawford often gets overlooked. In case anyone forgot, Latice reminded us that she has some serious chops.

Kim Burrell has done a great job mentoring the contestants all season. During the finale, she sang a tribute to the contestants that were eliminated. It was special! She called out many of the contestants by name and you could see that they were deeply touched by her singing.

In the end, LeAndria Johnson was announced the winner. She closed the show with her new single I Shall Leap Into My Destiny. I enjoyed the song, but I can’t wait to hear what it sounds like a couple of months from now after she has had the opportunity to practice it more.

Even though he didn’t win, Elder McLendon doesn’t have anything to be ashamed of. He did an outstanding job. I’m sure there is definitely a place in the Gospel industry for him.

Once again, congratulations to LeAndria Johnson. I can’t wait to see how the Lord uses her in the upcoming months and years.

What do you think about the outcome? Post a comment and let me know what you think.

After all of the contestants performed, Lala Hathaway closed the show with Against All Odds by Phil Collins. She gave a very exciting performance. It would have been tough for anyone to follow the quality singing that went down tonight.

The theme of this episode was Gospel cinema. The remaining five contestants were required to sing Gospel songs that were featured in movies.

Here are my observations:

Tiffany Carlin-Laird
Although she tripped coming on to the stage, she gave a very solid performance of Joyful, Joyful from Sister Act 2. There was a slight bit of hoarseness in her voice, but she pushed through it. Tina Campbell thought that Tiffany wasn’t really into the song. Donnie McClurkin and Yolanda Adams thought she did well. I thought she did OK. I definitely wouldn’t classify her performance as memorable.

Durward Davis
I always cringe a little bit when people try to sing Whitney Houston songs on singing competitions. Let’s face it, most people don’t have the chops to pull it off. However, Durward Davis is not like most people. He absolutely crushed I Believe in You and Me from The Preacher’s Wife. His performance was absolutely phenomenal!

Martha Buries
The judges really seemed to like her performance of Will You Be There by Michael Jackson from Free Willy. I thought she gave a very strong performance. I just didn’t like it as much as the judges did. Right now the bar is set pretty high. I don’t think she reached it.

Elder Goldwire McLendon
Even though he forgot some of the words to He’s All Over Me from The Preacher’s Wife, it didn’t matter. His performance was extremely energetic. It even included some dancing. Elder McLendon’s appeal is so unique, it must be from God.

LeAndria Johnson
My vocabulary is just not good enough to write about how phenomenal she is week after week. She gave an outstanding performance of Maybe God is Trying to Tell You Something from The Color Purple. All of the judges absolutely loved it!

In the end, Martha Buries and Tiffany Carlin-Laird were eliminated. I don’t claim to be a prophet, but for the last couple of weeks I’ve know that the final three would be Durward Davis, LeAndria Johnson and Elder Goldwire McLendon.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Durward is amazing. In any other year he probably would win the competition. However, LeAndria and Elder McLendon are just too special.

Next week should be very interesting. I’m looking forward to hearing some great singing.

Did you see episode 9? What did you think about it?

Here are my observations of episode 8.

Chrisette Michelle opened the show singing Donnie McClurkin’s Stand. She gave an absolutely wonderful performance. The judges gave her a standing ovation.

After her performance aired, she posted a note on Twitter talking about how Stand was personal to her. It was sung at her grandfather’s funeral.

Dathan Thigpen
He sang Friend of God. Donnie McClurkin and Yolanda Adams loved him. I side more with Tina Campbell on this one. I didn’t think that he did a great job connecting with the audience. There was definitely something lacking.

Tiffany Carlin-Laird
Her performance of Going Up Yonder was light and smooth. The judges thought she gave a perfect execution.

Durward Davis
“He sounds like old school Fred Hammond.” That is what my wife said during his performance of Kirk Franklin’s Lean on Me. Donnie McClurkin talked about how he painted a picture with the song. Tina Campbell called it perfection. I would have to agree with them 100%.

Martha Buries
Her performance of Holy, Holy, Holy displayed her strong vocal ability. Her interpretation of the song was definitely interesting. The judges absolutely loved her.

Brian Smith
I think he’s firmly established that wearing a bow tie is going to be his thing. Yolanda Adams and Tina Campbell loved his performance of Lord I Lift Your Name on High. Donnie McClurkin seemed to have a different take. He didn’t feel like Brian connected with him or the audience. He also thought that Brian could have given more. Overall, I thought his performance was average.

LeAndria Johnson
Yolanda Adams called her one of the most phenomenal female voices of all time. I was absolutely speechless after her performance of Endow Me. She is just an amazing singer!

Elder Goldwire McLendon
I thought this would be the episode where we see a chink in the Elder’s armour. I definitely had my doubts when he started singing How Great Thou Art. Foolish me. He pulled off the end in spectacular fashion! The judges absolutely loved him. People in the audience were crying at the end of his performance.

In the end, two contestants were eliminated, Dathan Thigpen and Brian Smith. I do not have any problems with this decision.

In all seriousness I think LeAndria Johnson and Elder Goldwire McLendon are going to be extremely tough to beat. The judges and most of America have a great deal of affection towards both of them. Next week is going to be extremely tough. I can’t wait.

The show opened with a performance of “A Song 4 Haiti” written by Kirk Franklin. It would have been pretty spectacular if all of the singers from the recording were on the stage to deliver the performance. I know…that’s a fairly unrealistic request. Instead of the original vocalists, Donnie McClurkin, Isaac Caree, Kim Burrell, Yolanda Adams and Tina Campbell sang the lead vocals. The final 20 contestants ended up singing the background vocals.

A smooth transition took us from “A Song 4 Haiti” into Donnie McClurkin’s “Ooh Child”. Donnie sang the vocals that we have all come to know and love. Then, Kirk Franklin came in with talking/rapping that he’s known for. Overall, the show opening was extremely well done.

Only 10 of the final 20 contestants performed. Here are my observations of each contestant:

Jonte Thomas
She performed a very interesting arrangement of  “Just a Prayer Away”. It had a big band type of feel that the judges seemed to like. I thought the performance was good, but I don’t think I liked it as much as the judges did.

LeAndria Johnson
You may remember her if you watched the New Orleans auditions. She was the one who came to the audition with flip-flops and socks because she didn’t have any other clothes.

She sang “In the Midst of It All” and the judges loved her performance. Donnie McClurkin said she was anointed. In my opinion, it was arguably the best performance of the night.

Robert Hatcher
There is no doubt that he has a very good voice. I have to agree with the judges when it comes to his performance. They said it was very safe and cautious. Although I wanted more, I think Rob gave enough to get to the next round.

Tawanna Tarvin
She has a very unique tone. Tawanna sang”I Will Trust You Lord” by Donnie McClurkin. The judges and a number of people I follow on Twitter seemed to like it. I can’t say that I agree with them on this one. I just wasn’t a fan of her vibrato. Maybe her next performance will change my mind.

Davon Fleming
At 18 years old, Davon is the youngest contestant. He sang “We Fall Down”. The judges wanted to see him make more of a connection with the song from the beginning. Overall, I thought he gave a solid performance.

Franklin Davis
It is pretty clear to me that his style will be different than the rest of the contestants. Franklin’s performance of “I Believe I Can Fly” was very smooth. The judges liked his confidence, but they wanted him to give more.

Funmi Oduyemi
She was the only contestant that survived the Nigeria auditions. She delivered a very safe performance of “Open Up My Heart” by Yolanda Adams. Funmi came across as scared and possibly nervous. Donnie McClurkin told her “You look nice, but your voice doesn’t match how you look.” In my opinion, she delivered the worst performance of the night. I don’t expect her to remain on the show much longer.

Durward Davis
He delivered a very good sound. The judges really liked his rendition of “Hail Jesus You’re My King”. I’m pretty sure that he will be one of the top contenders in this competition.

Elder Goldwire McLendon
My words really can’t accurately explain what happened when the oldest contestant in the competition took the stage. After he sang “The Battle Is Not Yours”, the spirit of God came in the room. The judges gave him a standing ovation. Elder McLendon definitely had a special impact on everyone in the room.

There you have it, the first 10 out of 20 contestants. Did you see this episode? Please share your opinions.

Image via The Gospel According to Torrence

While watching the video, I quickly noticed that Yolanda Adams was wearing a very nice and arguably slightly revealing dress. I didn’t think much of it at the time and continued to watch the video until the end. (You can watch the interview by clicking here.)

After watching the video, I read the comments that people posted. Sure enough, there were people that had issues with what she was wearing.

I just don’t get it. Why should we care? Why do we continue to bad mouth Gospel artists for their choice of attire? This is not the first time that people have criticized Yolanda for her wardrobe. I’ve also heard and read where people criticize Mary Mary for what they wear.

It is one thing to make a comment about whether or not you like someone’s outfit. That happens. However, when we try to take a person’s attire and make judgments about their character and/or spirituality, we have officially crossed the line in my book.

If you don’t like the way an artist presents himself or herself, then you have a number of options. Don’t buy their music. Don’t go to their concerts. Don’t watch them on TV. The last thing we should do is bad mouth, judge and degrade them.

For the record, I know what the bible says about modest dress. You can close your bible now.

What You Should Do
Here’s what you should do. Dress and present yourself in the way that God leads YOU. If you have children, teach them to carry themselves in a manner that you feel is pleasing to God. If you have issues with the way someone else dresses, then you should pray for them not talk bad about them.

Gospel artists get enough arrows from non-Christians. They don’t need any additional criticism from “church folk”. We have a serious cultural issue. As believers, we need to learn to keep our mouths off of God’s people. If you have an issue with someone, give it to God and go on about your business.

What are your thoughts about this? Should Gospel artists be more careful about how they dress?