Kevin LeVar Hits #1 at Gospel Music Channel with “A Heart That Forgives”

2009's Breakout Artist Launches Campaign to Inspire One Million Acts of Forgiveness


(NASHVILLE, Tennessee) – The phrase Let's Come Together isn't just the title of Kevin LeVar & One Sound's national debut via GGM/Habakkuk/Universal Music Christian Group, but it's the prophetic description of the one year period since the album's release in September 2008. Landing at #22 on the BILLBOARD Top Gospel Albums Chart upon its release, the relatively unknown artist's ministry began to break down boundaries relating to culture, race, geographical association and musical styles, finding a wide audience that was ready to receive the messages of hope and healing that the singer/songwriter had been waiting to share.

LeVar quickly found the support of Gospel Music Channel, where his debut music video “You Are Not Alone” received heavy airplay and received a 2008 Gospel Music Channel Video Award nomination (“Best Soul Video”). The follow-up video for the new single “A Heart That Forgives” shot to #1 this week after only a month in rotation. The video, which was produced in Nashville by Feature Productions (Canada), received it's World Premiere on the top-rated network, which featured LeVar as this month's “Listen Up” featured artist. The video has also received a 2009 Gospel Music Channel Video Award nomination – this time in the “Best Praise & Worship Video” category.

The powerful message behind “A Heart That Forgives” has started a movement to inspire one million acts of forgiveness. The Heart That Forgives Campaign will kick off in 2010, with the goal of restoring families, repairing friendships, strengthening communities and empowering people through the simple act of forgiveness.

“At some point or another, we all have been hurt and in many cases, that hurt has not been released,” says LeVar. “Relationships, communities, hope and health have all suffered at the hands of unforgiveness. This campaign encourages all to trust in God for the strength to let go of bitterness and hurt, forgive from the heart, and live totally free from the pain of the past.”

The Heart That Forgives Campaign will be holding Forgiveness Rallies and Concerts throughout North America in 2010. An interactive website will be launched providing a safe place for visitors to “Forgive and Live” – taking an active step to let go of the hurts, bitterness, grudges and pain they've been holding on to.

The music video and live performance footage of “A Heart That Forgives” will be included on an expanded edition of Let's Come Together which will be re-released by GGM/Habakkuk/Universal Music Christian Group in late 2009. The multimedia project will also feature additional live video performances, the music video for “You Are Not Alone” and the bonus cut "Forgive and Live," which is the theme song for The Heart That Forgives campaign.

Over the past 12 months, LeVar has appeared on such programs as BET's Bobby Jones Gospel, Hour of Power (from the Crystal Cathedral), Lesea Broadcasting's Live From Studio B, Daystar's Celebration, Babbie's House, Atlanta Live, 100 Huntley Street, TBN's Praise the Lord, TCT's Alive and Rejoice!, INSP's Camp Meeting and many more. He's also had prominent performances at the NBA All-Star Weekend, Super Bowl XLIII, Civil War Memorial, 9/11 Memorial in Washington DC, Expolit Latino Christian Conference, Gospel Music Workshop of America, Stellar Awards Gospel Brunch, Rosa Parks Breakfast, The Dream Center (Los Angeles and New York), Bishop TD Jakes' The Potter's House (Dallas) and Israel Houghton's Deeper Level Conference to name a few.

Kevin LeVar has been nominated in a stunning 9 categories (First Ballot) for the 25th Annual Stellar Awards, including : Group/Duo of the Year, New Artist of the Year, Producer of the Year , Urban/Inspirational Single of the Year and Contemporary Male Vocalist of the Year. The general public can vote online through October 3rd at www.thestellarawards.com. The 25th Annual Stellar Awards will be held on January 16, 2010 at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.

THIS FALL MERCYME INVITES YOU TO SPEND
“AN EVENING WITH MERCYME” ALONG WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
FEE, TENTH AVENUE NORTH AND JONNY DIAZ


October 2, 2009…Nashville, TN… Multi-platinum and GRAMMY® nominated band MercyMe is inviting fans to spend “An Evening with MercyMe” this fall, as they visit auditoriums and churches across America.


For each night of the tour, audiences will be entertained not only by the award-winning band as they perform hits to include “Finally Home,” “You Reign,” “Word of God Speak,” “Homesick,” and of course “I Can Only Imagine,” but some special guests as well. Worship band FEE and new artist Jonny Diaz will be taking the opening spots for the month of October, while GMA’s New Artist of the Year Tenth Avenue North and Jonny Diaz will join forces to open the shows in November. The tour begins October 9 in Jackson, MS and concludes November 22 in Johnson City, TN (full tour listing below).

For more information on ”An Evening with MercyMe” please visit www.mercyme.org.

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MERCYME
Since their debut in 2001, Grammy-nominated, American Music Award and multiple GMA Dove Award winners MercyMe have sold over 5 million units in CD and DVD sales, including “Almost There”, nearly triple platinum, “Spoken For,” which is approaching platinum sales, and the RIAA Gold certification for “Undone,” the MercyMe Live DVD, and “Coming Up to Breathe.” Their latest, “All That Is Within Me,” entered the Billboard Top 200 chart at No. 15 and sold an impressive 83,626 units, the most they’ve ever sold in a project’s first week.

MercyMe is one of few Contemporary Christian music groups to have had all of their recordings certified Gold or Platinum, as well as garner 21 No.1 multi-format Christian radio singles, and four consecutive mainstream radio hits with “I Can Only Imagine,” (No. 4 AC/top 25 on Top 40/Hot AC), “Here With Me” (No. 4 AC), “Homesick” (top 10 AC), and “So Long Self.” In 2008 the band was named R&R’s Christian AC Artist of the Year, and as one of the industry's most notable talents, MercyMe has sold out venues including Radio City Music Hall and has been seen on The Tonight Show, CNN, Fox New Channel’s Fox & Friends, ABC News, CBS’ Early Show, and on the pages of Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, USA Today, Billboard, and more. For all things MercyMe, please visit: www.mercyme.org .


FEE
From national worship conferences to local youth group meetings, Fee has brought a new level of abandon and talent to rock worship, gifting today’s church with riveting songs of praise. Known for amazing live performances and the No. 1 hit "All Because of Jesus" plus "Glorious One," and Christmas song “All Creation Sing (Joy To The World),” Fee continues to inspire the church musically with this all-new release of soon-to-be modern classics. The band has been associated with some of today’s most forthcoming faith-based events including Passion, 7:22 and Catalyst conferences. Fee released their debut INO project & GMA Dove nominated We Shine in September 2007. The band’s hit single “All Because of Jesus” also garnered the No. 10 spot on R&R’s AC Songs of the Year. Fee Front man Steve Fee was also selected to lead worship at the 92nd annual Indianapolis 500 chapel services in 2008, the biggest event of the Indy Car Series. Hailing from Atlanta, GA, Steve Fee, Matt Adkins, Heath Balltzglier and Brandon Coker still lead worship at the North Point Community Church.

JONNY DIAZ
Singer, songwriter and storyteller Jonny Diaz (pronounced dye-az) released his fourth project, More Beautiful You, May 5th - which is actually his first CD release with INO Records. Following in the footsteps of his 3 previous independent projects, More Beautiful You reveals his inspiring lyrics and catchy melodies and instrumentation. Through his songs, the listener will instantly hear a heart that is passionate about reaching his generation with the message of God's love, forgiveness, and grace. The project's first single, "More Beautiful You," was co-written by Diaz and reached #1 at radio, holding the spot for 3 weeks in a row. The song, which was also made into a music video, aims to tell women they were created by God with a specific purpose in mind and continues to generate a huge buzz at radio across the country!

Diaz is consistently on the road performing at churches and conferences and has also had the opportunity to perform at some of the largest Christian music festivals in the country. He has opened in concert for Steven Curtis Chapman, Bebo Norman, MercyMe, and many other top Christian acts.

www.JonnyDiaz.com

TENTH AVENUE NORTH
With one listen to Tenth Avenue North’s unique brand of intellectual, melodic pop-rock, it becomes obvious that songwriter Mike Donehey and his band mates have a gift for expressing truth in a way that simultaneously educates, enlightens and entertains. “Simply, our mission as a band is to know Christ and to make him known,” says Donehey. Band members are as much teachers as artists, demonstrating this through their intellectual, yet vulnerably accessible songs that echo the heart of the human condition and the hope of the risen Savior.

Named GMA Dove Awards New Artist of the Year (2009), Tenth Avenue North was the best-selling and most played new Christian artist of 2008, scoring three No. 1s at radio and crossing the 100,000 sales mark with its debut Over and Underneath (5/20/08) in just seven months. The band – Mike Donehey (lead vocals/acoustic guitar), Jason Jamison (drummer), Jeff Owen (electric guitar/background vocals) and Scott Sanders (bass guitar) – has toured extensively over the last year in support of Over and Underneath (now nearing 180,000 total album sales), and recently wrapped an impressive run of shows on its very first headlining tour- “Inside and In Between”. Tenth Avenue North is one of the few debut bands that have experienced enough momentum to headline its own tour with only one album under its belt. www.tenthavenuenorth.com

Tour Dates for “An Evening With MercyMe

October with FEE and Jonny Diaz
9-Oct Friday Jackson, MS FBC Jackson
15-Oct Thursday Plymouth, MI NorthRidge Church
16-Oct Friday Bowling Green, KY Hillvue Heights
18-Oct Sunday Akron, OH Akron Civic Theatre
23-Oct Friday N. Charleston, SC North Charleston Performing Arts Ctr.
24-Oct Saturday Dothan, AL Dothan Civic Center
25-Oct Sunday Montgomery, AL Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church
29-Oct Thursday W. Monroe, LA FBC West
30-Oct Friday Fort Walton Beach, FL Emerald Coast Conference Ctr.

November *w/ Tenth Avenue North, Jonny Diaz
5-Nov Thursday Omaha, NE Bellevue Christian Ctr.
6-Nov Friday W. Des Moines, IA Lutheran Church of Hope
7-Nov Saturday W. Des Moines, IA Lutheran Church of Hope
8-Nov Sunday Valparaiso, IN Valparaiso Nazarene Church
12-Nov Thursday Midland, TX Stonegate Fellowship Church
14-Nov Saturday Austin, TX Austin Music Hall
15-Nov Sunday Mercedes, TX Rio Grande Valley
19-Nov Thursday Louisville, KY Valleyview Baptist Church
20-Nov Friday Knoxville, TN Knoxville Christian
21-Nov Saturday Dayton, OH Far Hills Community Church
22-Nov Sunday Johnson City, TN Freedom Hall Civic Ctr.

Kevin LeVar Nominated for 9 Stellar Awards!

Hey everyone!

Kevin LeVar has been nominated for 9 Stellar Awards including:

Group/Duo Of The Year
New Artist Of The Year
Producer Of The Year
Contemporary Group/Duo Of The Year
Contemporary Male Vocalist Of The Year
Contemporary CD Of The Year
Urban/Inspirational Single Or Performance Of The Year
Music Video Of The Year
Praise And Worship CD Of The Year

Get your vote on by going to http://ccptv.onlinects.com/vote2009_grp1.asp.

Hip Hop Artist Easop Releases Digitally On iTunes, Amazone, Rhapsody & Others

For Immediate Release
San Francisco, Ca.

Hip Hop Artist Easop Releases Digitally On iTunes, Amazone, Rhapsody & Others

San Francisco based LOD Music, home to street gospel artist, Easop announces digital distribution deal with Executive Music Group and the digital release of his classic album, “The Time Has Come,” on Tuesday Sept. 8.

Tuesday, September 8th saw the digital release of Easop’s classic album thru all major digital music retailers such as iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, and others just to name a few. This deal also makes Easop’s music available thru all major mobile carriers like AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile, and others as well.
“The digital era has changed the way we get music to the buying public, so I’m excited to be partnered with a company that will help get our past and future releases to all digital outlets”, states Easop. “At the click of a button you can have ringtones of my music that weren’t available before.”

The Time Has Come is a timeless classic from Easop, which features such songs as the in your face “Out Tha Box” to the touching story of “Somebody Loves You”. This album has also been re-mastered for a cleaner sound for it’s digital release as well. LOD Music and Easop look forward to getting their message and style of music out for the glory of GOD and the advancing of HIS Kingdom. This album is a must have in anyone’s collection.

In 2010, you can expect to hear a slew of new music from Easop and the release of his second album, “Back for The First Time”. For more info you can visit www.easopmusic.com. You can also follow Easop via Twitter at www.twitter.com/easop and Facebook at www.facebook.com/easop.

Contact: LOD Music
Email: info@lodmusic.net

Album, Autograph & More from Robert Pierre!

Buy Identity and Get an Autographed Poster!


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A Summer FULL of Fun!


Robert Pierre has had a busy summer enjoying time spent across the country on his radio tour and spending time with family and friends. Did you miss reading Robert's latest blogs…no worries! Stop by RobertPierre.com and let Robert know how YOUR summer has been.

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Pre-Order New B.Reith Album "Now Is Not Forever"