One of the most recognizable and incomparable voices in gospel music and host of

How Sweet The Sound

The Search for the Best Church Choir in America
Registration now open for 2010 competition

Often referred to as the American Idol for church choirs, with a strong focus on celebrating the Gospel community, the program features exceptional talent with both the church choirs who compete and perform as well as the acclaimed Gospel giants who serve as hosts, judges and performers and tickets range from only $5-$7! Past judges and hosts have included Gospel greats such as Marvin Sapp, Donald Lawrence, James Fortune, Dorinda Clark Cole and many more. Throughout the program Verizon Wireless collects used phones to refurbish and uses all proceeds to benefit victims of domestic violence. In 2009, over 100,000 people attended these live events in 11 regions throughout the country including none other than music legend Stevie Wonder.

. Last year, Atlanta West Pentecostal Church Choir was named the overall winner for the How Sweet the Sound tour. According to choir director Brandon Frazier, the choir is using their prize money to record its first Gospel music album.

As you know, Gospel music has served as a foundation for many of todays popular music genres and has inspired many of todays chart toppers across the board (John Legend, Robin Thicke, Alicia Keys, Whitney Houston) and this tour gives back to that community that started it all, but often goes unrecognized. The event is truly inspiring.

We hope that you will help to spread the message of registration to hopeful church choirs across the country!

Registration is now open for How Sweet the Sound! How Sweet the Sound is back in 2010 and bigger than ever with the expansion to three new communities including Charlotte, Jacksonville and Cleveland. Now in its third year, How Sweet The Sound – a national program created by Verizon Wireless – gives church choirs nationwide a chance to win the title of The Best Church Choir in America and up to $50,000 in cash and prizes.

How Sweet the Sound is much more than a singing competition for choirs it is an opportunity to celebrate the unique ways that music connects people within their communities. Interested choir representatives can visit www.HowSweetTheSound.com or by calling 800-230-0053.

CECE WINANS

One of the most recognizable and incomparable voices in gospel music, CeCe Winans has sold millions of albums during her 25-year music career. The charismatic singer has garnered eight Grammy Awards, twenty-one Dove Awards, eight gold and two platinum albums, a host of Top Ten R&B hits and a reputation as one of the friendliest people in the music industry.

The eighth of ten children, Winans was raised in Detroit with a strong church foundation. She sang her first church solo at the age of eight. She became a staff singer with Jim & Tammy Bakkers North Carolina-based PTL television ministry in 1982. Her brother BeBe tagged along as her chaperon and they ended up becoming a duo there and recorded their first million-seller Lord Lift Us Up in 1984 for PTL Records.

In 1987, BeBe & CeCe signed an unprecedented gospel-recording contract with Sparrow Records that allowed Capitol Records to promote BeBe & CeCes music in the urban market. Over the next eight years, they enjoyed a dozen R&B chart smashes including Lost Without You, Heaven,” and “Its Okay. Their tunes Ill Take You There and Addictive Love both reached #1 on the R&B charts.

Then, in 1995 the duo took what was meant to be a short break to record solo projects. However, after the release of CeCes praise and worship CD Alone in His Presence, her career took her into a ministry direction that found her performing in more churches and ministry venues. On the side, CeCes duet with Whitney Houston on a VH-1 Honors video of Bridge Over Troubled Water and the Top Ten platinum smash Count on Me expanded her audience into the mainstream pop world.

In order to feed both her urban fans and her church audience, CeCe has often alternated praise and worship CD releases with more urban sets. Shes recorded gold-selling worship projects such as Alabaster Box (1999) and Throne Room (2003) while also continuing to make pop-friendly CDs such as Everlasting Love (1998) and Purified (2005). Her latest solo effort, the Grammy-winning Thy Kingdom Come (2008) combines both elements.

Aside from singing, CeCe has shown her acting skills in TV sitcoms such as Living Single; hosted her own TV series CeCes Place”

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