NEW YORK, NY. (Top40 Charts/ BET Networks) - BET has tapped gospel superstars Kirk Franklin,
Mary Mary and BeBe Winans to help find the next great gospel artist in the new original series SUNDAY BEST. From one of the producers of the hit series "American Idol," SUNDAY BEST premieres on BET Tuesday, October 2 at 8:00 p.m.,* followed by the premiere of the new biography series EXALTED! at 9:00 p.m.*
Hosted by Kirk Franklin, the nationwide search will scour the country's storefront churches, parishes and mega-churches to find the best undiscovered singers in America. Coached by artists from the gospel and secular worlds and judged by multi-award winning siblings Mary Mary and Grammy Award-winning BeBe Winans, the top five finalists will be offered the chance to take their praise to the next level and earn the title of SUNDAY BEST. The winner will receive a recording contract, a 2008 Toyota Camry and a Tide "Loads of Hope" package.
Thousands of hopefuls from across the country, who answered the call to audition for the title of SUNDAY BEST, will be narrowed down to 20 semi-finalists at the end of the first episode. In the following weeks, the competition will escalate as contestants are eliminated on a weekly basis, until five are left standing. From these five, viewers will have the chance to participate in an interactive vote to determine the winner who will be crowned SUNDAY BEST live on Tuesday, December 4.
"'SUNDAY BEST' is our opportunity to celebrate our own," said Franklin. "The phrase that the best talent is from the church can no longer be an opinion. It must now be a reality."
After more than 15 years as the top-selling, multiple Grammy Award-winning contemporary gospel artist, Kirk Franklin shows no signs of slowing down. But Kirk is more than an artist; Kirk revolutionized urban inspirational music and bridged the gap between the faith community and urban mainstream culture. The genius fusion of his positive message and hip-hop beats have made him a mainstay atop Billboard charts for more than a decade.
Franklin is the biggest-selling contemporary gospel artist in Soundscan history. The musical trendsetter has garnered five Grammy Awards, 11 Doves, 34 Stellars, four NAACP Image Awards, two BET Awards and a 2006 American Music Award to date. His latest CD, Hero, is RIAA-certified platinum and he has seven additional RIAA-certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum selling releases to date. In 2004, Franklin launched FoYo Soul Entertainment, a full- service entertainment enterprise based in Dallas, that includes a record label, a film and television production company, NuNation Ministries, LLC (a youth outreach initiative); P-19 Marketing Agency, LLC (a joint venture with the Loomis Agency - a Dallas-based advertising and media firm); and FoYo Soul Productions, which manages Franklin's tours, speaking and performance engagements. The inspiring story of Franklin has caught the attention of the largest independent film studio, LIONSGATE Films and in 2008-2009 will release the biopic of Franklin titled "Church Boy." Kirk is currently in the studio producing the movie soundtrack and his next studio album, The Fight of My Life. In all, while Franklin has accomplished and achieved what only a handful of artists have attained, there is no doubt that from all appearances the best is yet to come for this bright, talented music mogul.
"Gospel music is the greatest genre with the greatest message," said Erica Campbell of Mary Mary. "We're excited to find the next best voice to keep it all alive," said Tina Campbell. "It will also be fun to let the world see what we really think about the good and the questionable singers."
Gospel duo Mary Mary (Erica Monique Campbell and Trecina "Tina" Evette Campbell) earned immediate respect and success with their platinum debut album, Thankful. The joyful dance floor-filling hit single "Shackles" was a Top 10 R&B and Top 40 pop hit, and peaked at No 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The sisters then followed up their debut album's success with their 2002 Incredible album. Seven years and three albums later, Mary Mary's self-titled 2005 album peaked on Billboard's Top 200 at No 8. Two years after its release, the hugely popular single "Yesterday" is still keeping the album's momentum alive. Mary Mary has won five Doves, one Grammy, one American Music Award, two Lady of Soul Awards and one Stellar Award.
"'SUNDAY BEST' is a visual avenue for opening doors to up and coming artists who would otherwise not be seen," said Winans. "And what we plan to do is find the next trailblazer through BET's 'SUNDAY BEST.'"
Hailing from the first family of gospel music, Benjamin "BeBe" Winans, a groundbreaking inspirational, R&B, and Gospel vocalist, writer, and producer, has won four Grammy Awards, 10 Dove Awards, six Stellar Awards, two NAACP Awards and a Soul Train Award. A multi-faceted artist, BeBe not only has a successful recording career, but also recently launched a syndicated radio show and returned to acting in both film and theater. The seventh of 10 children, BeBe began his career as a background singer for his famous brothers (The Winans). After teaming with sister CeCe Winans in 1987, they became a gospel history-making duo with an amazing run of smash hits and platinum-selling albums including Heaven, I'm Lost Without You, and the No 1 hits "Addictive Love" and "I'll Take You There." BeBe and CeCe have not only had great success on gospel play lists, but their music has been and still is in heavy rotation on R&B radio as well. BeBe has also recorded songs with such entertainers as Stevie Wonder, Brian McKnight and Whitney Houston.
SUNDAY BEST is executive produced by Brian Gadinsky, Arnold M. Preston, Robert Wise, Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary and BeBe Winans and co-executive produced by Marilyn Gill and produced by The G Group and BET.
SUNDAY BEST is sponsored by Toyota Camry, Tide "Loads of Hope," AT&T and KFC.
Following at 9:00 p.m.*, BET's new, original biography series EXALTED! premieres with a profile of the prophetess Juanita Bynum. This series takes a look into the complex lives of inspirational leaders from around the country. Some of these religious figures lead mega-churches, some advise the President, and some comfort the sick and the destitute. EXALTED! goes beyond the public image to reveal the human side of these men and women to discover why they chose to follow this path, what sacrifices they made to do so, and the struggles they've encountered along the way. Bishop Paul Morton (St. Stephens Church), Bishop Carlton Pearson (Dimensions Worship Center), Bishop Kenneth Ulmer (Faithful Central Bible Church), Bishop Charles Blake (West Angeles COGIC) and Reverend Eugene Rivers (Azusa Christian Center) are some of the prominent religious figures profiled in the series.
EXALTED! is executive produced by D'Angela Steed and Nia Hill and produced by Strange Fruit Films and BET.
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