October 26, 2005--There's always a lot going on in the world of Christian Entertainment. Here are some tidbits that came across our desk recently…
Nickolas Gonzalez died. Musician/songwriter Nickolas Gonzalez died of heart failure on Tuesday, October 18. He was 30. Gozalez first came to industry attention as the guitarist for Latin and Christian superstar Jaci Velasquez. In addition to touring with her regularly, he was a prolific songwriter who wrote hit songs in both Spanish and English — including the #1 hit In And Out for Avalon and You Don't Miss A Thing, which was featured on an album by the multi-platinum selling Velasquez. He was survived by his wife Haylie.
Celebrating fifty years with a special Thank you. Pat Boone cranked out his first No. 1 hit record — a cover of Fats Domino's Ain't That a Shame — in 1955. He's been at it ever since, notching 61 hits and earning himself a spot on Billboard magazine's list of the top 10 best-selling recording artists of all time. For his 50th anniversary as a chart-topper, Boone decided he wanted to try a feat never before accomplished: hitting six different Billboard charts with releases as varied as Latin love songs, R&B groovers, an ode to NASCAR, and a tribute to the Rev. Billy Graham that features U2's Bono. His new gospel album, Glory Train: The Lost Sessions, features an all-star tribute track, Thank you, Billy Graham, with contributions by Bono, Leann Rimes, Larry King, Michael McDonald, Jeffrey Osborne, Kenny Rogers, DC Talk, Marty Stuart, Andre Crouch, and more than a half-dozen others.
Jenkins producing film starring Stephen Baldwin. The short film Midnight Clear, starring Stephen Baldwin, with Executive Producer Jerry B. Jenkins (best-selling author of the Left Behind series), will be released in November. Based on a story from Jenkins' book The Deacon's Woman, the short film is a parable for today about how random acts of kindness can, unbeknownst to us all, have a life-altering impact on others. Midnight Clear has received response from pastors who want to show the film to their congregation around Christmas. It also received a four-star review from filmthreat.com and was the opening night film of the San Diego Film Festival. The film will be released in Canada on November 1 and in the U.S. on November 15. It will be available at select retail outlets and online sites.
Performance Tracks available online for 99 cents. Nashville-based Word Label Group announces that it is now providing online Digital Performance Tracks for an all-time industry low of 99 cents. Word Label Group is the first company to offer its digital track lines at this aggressive price point. Word's acclaimed Studio Series, The Right Trax, and Wedding Music performance track brands will be offered to over 100 digital service providers, including iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster, MSN, SonyConnect, Yahoo Music Unlimited, and SongTouch. With hundreds of titles immediately available, new titles are being uploaded to these DSPs weekly. Word plans to have its entire catalog of current tracks as well as previously out-of-print titles available online for 99 cents by the year's end.
Mike and Paula K. Parker cover entertainment for LifeWay.com from their home in Middle Tennessee. Visit them online at www.wordcrafts.net.
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