celebrating MAHALIA JACKSON, SHIRLEY CAESAR, TYE TRIBBETT,
HEZEKIAH WALKER and many more
City Parks Foundation presents
GOSPEL
at SUMMERSTAGE
Presented by AT&T
Full Season runs June 4 – August 29
The sounds of gospel music ring out with music from contemporary and classic figures
in the field as an integral part of the 2013 Summerstage festival . SummerStage
invites audiences to experience the song and spirit of Reverend Hezekiah Walker
at Betsy Head Park on June 19; Joshua Nelson and Della Reese commemorating the
legend of Mahalia Jackson in Central Park on June 22; WLIB’s Annual Gospel Explosion
in Central Park featuring Shirley Caesar, Donald Lawrence, James Fortune and F.I.Y.A.,
Erica Campbell and Ricky Dillard on August 3; and Tye Tribbett and Tasha Cobbs in
Marcus Garvey Park on August 8.
We strongly recommend placing press requests to attend and/or photograph these shows
as soon as possible. To request tickets, reply to this email.
Photos and additional media of all participating artists are available on request.
For press tickets to review or photograph any SummerStage show, for contacts for
artist interviews, to arrange interviews with the artistic director of SummerStage
or to discuss long-form pieces on the trends and talent that inform our programming,
please contact John Seroff at GreenHousePublicity@gmail.com [mailto:GreenHousePublicity@gmail.com].
For more information about City Parks Foundation and SummerStage, please contact
Sin Hom at SHom@cityparksfoundation.org [mailto:SHom@cityparksfoundation.org]
A selection of shows featuring gospel artists at this year’s SummerStage follows.
For the most up-to-date scheduling and line-up for all SummerStage programming,
follow SummerStage via the below links and visit www.CityParksFoundation.org
for festival information.
We look forward to working with you more closely this summer!
SummerStage 2013
Gospel Programming
Schedule
Doors for all Central Park shows open one hour prior to listed showtimes.
Shows taking place at all other parks are in open-air venues and do not have “door
times”; show starts promptly at stated time.
Wednesday June 19, 2013
at 7:00pm
HEZEKIAH WALKER
FREE SHOW at Betsy Head Park, Brooklyn
Saturday June 22, 2013
“Make a Joyful Noise” – A Tribute to MAHALIA JACKSON
featuring JOSHUA NELSON and special guest DELLA REESE
Featuring a Full-Length Screening of
Mahalia Jackson: The Power and the Glory
FREE SHOW at Central Park, Manhattan
Saturday August 3, 2013
at 3:00pm
WLIB’s Sixth Annual Gospel Explosion featuring
Shirley Caesar / DONALD LAWRENCE / JAMES Fortune & F.I.Y.A. / ERICA CAMPBELL (of
Mary Mary / RICKY DILLARD
FREE SHOW at Central Park, Manhattan
Thursday August 8, 2013
at 7:00pm
Tye Tribbett / TASHA COBBS
FREE SHOW at Marcus Garvey Park, Manhattan
COMPLETE SHOW INFORMATION
Wednesday June 19, 2013
HEZEKIAH WALKER
In association with WLIB and WBLS
Presented by SummerStage
FREE SHOW at Betsy Head Park, Brooklyn
Showtime: 7:00 PM – 9:00PM
For over 25 years, Bishop Hezekiah Walker and the Love Fellowship Crusade Choir
have spread the Gospel of Jesus to a variety of audiences, changing the lives of
many around the world. They have performed and recorded with several major secular
artists, including Celine Dion, Ray Charles, Brian McKnight, Justin Timberlake,
Enrique Iglesias, Brandy and Baby Face to name a few. Walker and the Love Fellowship
Crusade Choir have received numerous GRAMMY nominations for their fifteen critically
acclaimed albums, including their wins for Live in Atlanta at Morehouse College
and for Love is Live. With their nomination for the NAACP Image Award for Best
Gospel Artist, Walker and the Love Fellowship Crusade Choir have further cemented
themselves as a power player in the Gospel music world.
Artist Website: http://www.lovefellowship.com/
Saturday June 22, 2013
“Make a Joyful Noise” – A Tribute to MAHALIA JACKSON
featuring JOSHUA NELSON, the Prince of Kosher Gospel
and special guest DELLA REESE
Featuring a Full-Length Screening of
Mahalia Jackson: The Power and the Glory
In association with ImageNation Cinema Foundation
Presented by SummerStage
FREE SHOW at Central Park, Manhattan
Recommended Arrival Time: 5:00pm
Showtime: 6:00 PM – 10:00PM
To mark the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, which called for civil
and economic rights for African Americans, SummerStage honors the storied legacy
of famed Gospel singer and activist Mahalia Jackson with an evening of music and
film. Listen to Joshua Nelson, known as “The Prince of Kosher Gospel”, as he pays
tribute to Ms. Jackson with his creative reinterpretations of her original catalogue,
followed by the screening of “Mahalia Jackson: The Power and the Glory” which gives
an intimate look into the life and rise of the famed singer that changed our history
one note at a time.
Joshua Nelson, the self-proclaimed “Prince of Kosher Gospel”, has created a music
genre that blends together his religion and his heritage. In a New York Times Article,
Nelson said “Kosher gospel isn’t an imitation of traditional gospel music, but the
marriage of ethnic African music and Christian music.” In his music, Nelson combines
the lyrics and meanings of Judaism with the soulful sounds of American Gospel music.
For his audiences, whatever their faith or heritage, kosher Gospel has been a revelation.
Now in his early thirties, Nelson has performed around the world, for presidents,
congregations, major music festivals-and for Oprah, who named him a “Next Big Thing.”
In 2008, Nelson released his latest album, Mi Chamocha.
Artist Website: http://www.joshuanelson.com/
While developing her music skills as a teenager, Della Reese had the opportunity
to tour with Mahalia Jackson. From 1969 to 1970, Reese hosted a television talk
show while guest starring on many shows into the 1980s, including Sanford and Son,
Crazy Like a Fox and Picket Fences. In 1987, she was nominated for a Best Female
Soloist in Gospel Music GRAMMY Award. In the late 1990s, Reese landed a starring
role on television’s Touched By An Angel, alongside Roma Downey and John Dye, while
continuing her music career.
Mahalia Jackson’s music cut through whatever lay in its wake and shackled itself
to your soul. Those who witnessed her singing spoke of being taken to a sacred
place, of the sheer power of her voice, of the rapturous, transcendent nature of
the experience. Jackson was considered by many to be the world’s greatest Gospel
singer and the creator of a musical standard by which all would be judged. “Mahalia
Jackson: The Power and the Glory” follows the course of her extraordinary life,
from her humble beginnings as a sickly child singing in the churches of New Orleans,
through her years in relative obscurity, to her breakthrough and her role as a civil
rights activist and her ascendancy to Carnegie Hall and the great stages of Europe.
Director Jeff Scheftel gives intimate insight into Jackson’s life with archival footage and interviews
with those who knew her best.
Saturday August 3, 2013
WLIB’s Sixth Annual Gospel Explosion featuring
Shirley Caesar
Donald Lawrence
James Fortune & F.I.Y.A.
ERICA CAMPBELL (of MARY mary)
Ricky Dillard
Presented by SummerStage
FREE SHOW at Central Park, Manhattan
Showtime: 3:00 PM – 7:00PM
Shirley Caesar is the undisputed First Lady of Gospel Music. In a career that spans
over 60 years, she is arguably the most beloved and celebrated Gospel artist of
our time. Caesar started out in the early 60’s singing with the legendary group,
The Caravans. From there, she ventured into a solo career in 1966. Since then,
she has released over 30 solo albums, and has amassed an impressive collection of
awards and accolades. Her latest album, GOOD GOD, is a brand new collection of
songs that includes Caesar’s signature dynamic delivery and beautifully crafted
orchestration and production.
Artist Website: http://www.shirleycaesar.com/
Producer, composer and recording artist, Donald Lawrence is one of the most influential
figures in modern Gospel music. Having worked with several groups, including the
Tri-City Singers, before tackling his solo career, he transformed the group into
an internationally acclaimed choir, with hits such as “The Best is Yet to Come”
and “The Blessing of Abraham” which topped the Gospel charts. Lawrence’s debut
solo album, I Speak Life, earned him a GRAMMY nomination and seven Stellar Gospel
Music Awards, including song of the year for “Healed.” After a highly celebrated
first album, Lawrence’s success continued with his sophomore album, The Law of Confession
Part 1 when it peaked at number two on the Billboard Gospel Album charts. The album
highlights the unique gospel sound of Lawrence and his ten-plus member backing ensemble,
The Co.
Artist Website: http://www.verityrecords.com/artist/donald-lawrence
Stellar Award winner James Fortune & F.I.Y.A. set the world ablaze with their breakthrough
debut album, You Survived and the lead single of the same name hit #2 on the R&B
Gospel singles chart. Fortune amassed worldwide recognition in 2009 with the award
winning emotionally charged song, “I Trust You” off of the sophomore release, The
Transformation. A dynamic songwriter, producer and arranger, Fortune delivers a
timeless message, that has earned him two ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Awards and
several Soul Train and Stellar nominations. His 2012 release, Identity debuted
at #1 on Billboard’s Top Gospel and Christian charts and is a powerful collection
of soul-stirring songs of encouragement, hope and healing that speaks into the hearts
of the religious and agnostic alike.
Artist Website: http://www.jamesfortunemusic.com
Ever since Erica Campbell, one half of the of Gospel duo Mary Mary, broke through
in 2000 with the pioneering crossover hit “Shackles (Praise You),” the chart-topping
sister act has never wavered from defying convention to fulfill its mission: sending
uplifting messages through music and words that are relatable to everyone. An amazing
thirteen years later, having earned 3 GRAMMY Awards, 2 American Music Awards, an
NAACP Image Award and a BET Award, Erica Campbell has released a solo single, entitled
“I Need Just a Little More Jesus.”
Ricky Dillard’s signature choir vocal arrangements and melodies are definitive and
timeless. His newest CD, Keep Living, is no exception. Recorded live at Second Ebenezer
Church in Detroit, MI, the lead single “God is Great” became an instantaneous classic
which continues to rise on the charts, and immediately encourages listeners to clap
along. The record, which includes hits such as “I Am Saved” and “He Turned It,”
all bring Dillard and his choir on to another level of inspiration, and creates
an immediate connection with audiences.
Artist Website: http://www.lightrecords.com/artists/ricky-dillard
Thursday August 8, 2013
Tye Tribbett
TASHA COBBS
In association with WLIB
Presented by SummerStage
FREE SHOW at Marcus Garvey Park, Manhattan
Showtime: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Although Tye Tribbett has toured and performed with some of the biggest artists
in the secular world, including Justin Timberlake, Whitney Houston, Faith Hill,
Tim McGraw, Elton John and Jill Scott, this GRAMMY nominated artist’s musical talents
lie in the realm of Gospel music. Tribbett passionately spreads the goodness of
God through his music. His musical ministry’s songs use the “buildups of rock
power ballads, the slow strut of P-Funk and churchy, organ-driven call-and-response”
to touch the hearts of many, according to The New York Times. With his solo debut
at #1 on the Billboard Gospel chart, his album Fresh positions Tribbett to step
forth boldly with a new message of renewal. According to the Washington Post, this
“wondrous album” highlights Tribbett’s songwriting skills as he wrote or co-wrote
each song, showcasing a variety of powerful music, including the first single “Fresh.”
Tribbett’s previous chart-topping albums, Victory Live! and Stand Out! featured
his former musical ensemble and gospel choir, Greater Anointing.
Artist Website: http://www.tyetribbett.com
When Tasha Cobbs took the stage at Northview Christian Church in Montgomery, Alabama
in 2012, she did so neither as a nationally renowned vocalist, nor as a recording
artist making her major-label debut. Instead, with microphone in hand, she ascended
the platform prepared to do what she had done every week since her teenage years-lead
the congregation into worship. It is no surprise then that the result of her effort,
the album, Grace stands as a moving example of the raw power of a live worship experience.
The eight-song project reveals Tasha at her best as a psalmist, songwriter, and
minister.
Artist Website: http://tashacobbs.org
Follow Us Online:
Website: http://www.cityparksfoundation.org/summerstage/
Twitter: @SummerStage #SummerStage13 #ThisIsHipHop
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/summerstagenyc
To Insert The SummerStage Calendar On Your Website:
For the first time, City Parks Foundation in partnership with UPlanMe, is offering
members of the media an embeddable calendar that can be inserted into your website.
This calendar automatically updates with any artist, time or location changes, offering
you and your audience the most up to date information in real time. To embed the
calendar, simply paste the following iframe code in your blog or news posting.
http://www.uplanme.com/business/widget/1080065?
To customize the above code to your website’s specifications, you can make the following
changes. Size represents the # of columns (1-3). You should adjust width to fit
additional columns. Color represents the calendar colors in hex codes.
To gain access to park specific SummerStage calendars (e.g. just the performances
at Central Park) or any further clarification or questions, please e-mail Sean Barkulis
at: Sean@UPlanMe.com [mail to:Sean@UPlanMe.com]
About City Parks Foundation:
City Parks Foundation (CPF) is the only independent, nonprofit organization to offer
park programs throughout the five boroughs of New York City. We work in over 750
parks citywide, presenting a broad range of free arts, sports, and education programs,
and empowering citizens to support their parks on a local level. Our programs and
community building initiatives reach more than 600,000 people each year, contributing
to the revitalization of neighborhoods throughout New York City.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates
of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
SummerStage reminds our patrons that in the interest of public safety the following
items cannot be brought into the Central Park venue: glass bottles, cans, coolers,
folding chairs, bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards, beach umbrellas, video cameras,
tape recorders, professional camera gear or pets. All bags are subject to search.
Bringing alcoholic beverages into any NYC park is forbidden and the distribution
or sale of unauthorized promotional materials is not allowed. Beer and wine are
on sale at the Central Park venue for onsite consumption only.
SummerStage Sponsors:
The 2013 SummerStage festival is presented by AT&T.
Time Warner, Blue Point, Ommegang, Six Point, Chipotle, Disney, JWT, Bloomberg,
ConEd, JPMorgan Chase, Forest City Ratner, and City Winery are also officia
SUMMER 2013 IN THE HAMPTONS