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EYE ON GOSPEL
I
The Gospel Music Industry
uffers Another Loss
By MARGARET MANSFIELD
The gospel world is mourning
the recent death of Rev. Ernest
Davi. Davis won gospel fame
over the last several years at the
helm of the Wilmington Chester
Mass Choir, as well as for his work
with the Gospel Music Workshop
of America.
He was just 39 years of age, but
last mon Rev. Ernest Davis suc­
cumbed to an illness which for the
last year and a half, had him in and
out of the hospital. Specifics of his
death were not available at our
deadline, but his gospel ac­
complishments are well-known.
He had been director of the Wil­
mington Chester Mass Choir since
·he founded it back in 1978, while
still in COllege at Delaware State
University.
After recording a handful of al­
bums, his last effort entitled "He's
Preparing Me" paid off, winding
its way up the gospel music charts.
Reportedly, his last wish was that
the choir go on.
He will be sorely missed.
Gospel Honors Its Best: If the
nominations for the upcoming
Seventh Annual Stellar Awards
are any indication, the gospql
industry's farewell to Rev. Ernest
Davis will be a fond one. Davis
tied with Tramaine Hawkins for
the most Stellar nominations with
a total of four, including album of
the year (tradttional), and best
music video.
Comi ng as no surprise to
anyone were the four nominations
Tramaine Hawkins racked up, in­
cluding best solo performance by a
female (tradi tional) and song of the
year. The annual ceremonies, sin­
gling out the best in gospel, are set
to take place next month in Los
Angeles.
Noticeably absent from the
recently released list of nomina­
tions were the Winans, whose
latest album has been their best­
selling. However, Bebe & Cece
are among those artists receiving
multiple nominations. Others in­
clude Daryl. Coley, John P. Kce,
Rance Allcn, Jame Moore.
Yolanda Harris and the Sounds of
Blackness. The ceremonies are
being taped for broadcast some- ..
time in January. Up for song of the
year are John P. Kee ("Jesus Is
Real'1, Rev. James Moore ("Joy''),
Tramaine Hawkins ("The Potter's
Housery; and Rev. Ernest Davis &
the Wilmington Chester Mass
Choir ("He's Preparing Me'1.
Nominees for album of the year
(traditional) are Tramaine Haw­
kins ("Live''), James Moore ('�Live
WiththeMississippiMassChoir'1,
John P. Kee ("Wash Me''), and
Ernie Davis & the Wilmington
Chester Mass Choir ("He's
Preparing Me''). .
Contemporary nominees:
Ricky's Dilliard' New Genera­
tion Chorale, Daryl Coley, Rance
Allen and Yolanda Adams. -
Tramaine Hawkins
CHURCH
CALENDAR
Concert of
Revived
"Enter the ar n for the
mira ulous"-the Fourth An­
nual Concert of Revivied,
Sunday, ov mb r 17 at Bur­
nette In pirational Bapti t
Church, 600 th Av flU .
Th tim i 7 p.m.
The featured gu t \ ill be
th Violenetts of Memphis,
Tenn see and th Woolfolks
from Chicago, Illinoi .
The pecial gu st will be
"The Walking Bible:" Evan­
gelist Howard Brown, the
Trumpelettes and Evangelist
Ester Smith ...
Admission i free but dona­
tions will be accepted.
Appreclatlon
Service
There will be an "apprecia­
tion service" for Broth r Sam
Shigorg Sunday, November
24, 3:30 p.m. at Gordy's
Memorial Church of God in
Christ, 455 Polk Street in
River Rouge, Michigan. Elder
John W. Gordy is the pastor.
The dynamic Soul Supe-
. riOI'S and the Downriver Com­
munity Choir are sponsoring
the event and there will be
gue t choirs, groups and
soloists.
Just Briefly: Guess who's
back-none other than the Clara
Ward Singers. The group, reor­
ganized this year and signed to
True Believers Records, has just
released a whole new album of all
old material. The album will be
distributed on Capitol Records.
We'll have more on this group next
week.
This week's scripture: "Con­
sider therefore the kindness and
sternness of God: sternness to
those who feU, but kindness to
you, provided that you continue in
kindness. Otherwise, you also
will be cut off, "-Romans 11 :22.
ADVERTISE IN
THE MICHIGAN
CITIZEN
rri
roi -ar
DETROIT (AP) - While a ra­
cial barrier many believe may
nevcr come down has risen be­
tween Detroit and its uburb,
churches have failed to ell their
centuries-old mes ge of
brotherhood, poll has found.
Figures compiled by the U.S.
Census Bureau how 86 percent
of whites and 61 percent of.
BI cks in southeast Michigan
live in segregated neighbor­
hoods.
The racial barrier is broken
nearly as infrequently in the
region's churches, according to a
Detroit Free Press poll. The poll,
conducted by the Gallup Or­
ganization, found 81 percent of
whites and 65 percent of Blacks
belong to parishes of
predominantly one race.
"The central moral dilemma
in America today is our attitude
about race," said the Rev. Char­
le Butler. pastor of Detroit's
New Calvary Baptist Church. "If
we do not deal with thi question.
it undercuts everything we say
about our faith."
But the Rev. Norman Thomas
says he's gotten tired of trying to
build a harmonious relationship
between his Detroit church and
suburban congregations.
Thomas, who is white, does
not encourage the 2,500
parishioners at his Sacred Heart
Catholic Church with one of
the city's largest Black congrega­
tions - to participate in exchan­
ges of pastors or choir with
suburban churches.
"Do you know why choir ex­
changes take place? Usually'
we're going out into a suburban
area to show folks out there that
we're nice people, and to show
white children that they don't
have to be afraid- of black
children," Thomas told the Free
, Press.
"Do you know whatthcy ay
out there? They say, 'Oh, you're
such a nice people.' And I resent
that," he said. "If our choir was
An eventful
evening
Strong River Record Com­
pany Inc. pre ents the
Reverend C. P. Johnson and
Virtuous Voice - inging
their new hit single: "Precious
Little Children "-Sunday,
November 17 at 4:30 p.m. at
the Cotillion Club, 13221
Puritan Avenue.
Donation i $25 and the
buffet styled dinner will be
served at 3 p.m.
For ticket information
please call (313)864-3337 or
(313)345-l469.
.Charity ga�e in
Highland Park
Friday, November 15 the
Highland Park Public Safety
De.partment will play the City
of Highland Park employees at
a charity basketball game. The
proceeds will benefit needy
families. Dontion i $3 and the
7 p.m. game will be played at
10 Pitkin Street.
GOSpe'l Hours
W.e.H.B. 1200 AM • 7:00 a.m.· 11:00 a.m.
Every Sunday Morning
Rev. Wilmore Allen
Rev. A.J. Rogers
'. Joe Ella likely
cathenne Robinson
Gloria Parker
Lorraine Walker
Bro. Dun�in
894-8774
298-6333
298-6334
298-6335
Henry Ruff Rd.
Inkster. Mich.
fl R D.
HOME OF
" FAMO COACH AN"
NEW. OLD STYLE MU rc
R CO DI·TAP I·CD ·41�
Admi ion i dv nee nd 6
t th door. Children betwe n fiv
nd 12, 2.
r
of raci
r m in
churc
white, nobody would be
urpri ed to discover we're
nice.' Many Black pastor y
much of the problem is that
whites fail to admit r aci m could
be a problem.
The Free Press poll, with •
margin of error of plus or minus
4 percent ge points, found S�
ercent of Black believe most
roblems blacks face are due to
racism. Only 36 percent of whites
surveyed gave the same reply. ',:
"The first thing a lot of white
people say to me is, 'I wasn't here
when all this happened,'" said
the Rev. Frederick Sampson of
Detroit's Tabernacle Missionary'
Baptist Church. "The first thing.
I say back is, 'Well, you're hero'
now."!
Some suburban churches have>
formed partnerships with
Detroit congregations by send!
ing money or volunteers to help
community programs. The ReY
David Wick, pastor of Gros Q
Pointe Baptist Church, has been
interested in helping Detroi
since he moved from Chicago id
1985.
In 1988 he sold his Gross
Pointe Woods home and moved
into Detroit. Last year he began
working with City for Youth;
which promotes programs for
youth. �
Wick organized a pul pit ex!
change. Though many prominen
Detroit pastors declined, abou
100 will swap pulpits 0 er the
next two weekends.
"Whites cannot seem to
name racism as a sin and face u I
to it; and there's something cripl
piing in not being able to say thai
we were wrong," Wick said. I
"But we have to keep working
on it. We can't give up."
,.
U t n to WOET Radio 101.9 FM
Each Sunday 2am - 7am
Call In 577-1019
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VA JOB
Continued from Page A·1
Bateson, giving SDB goals on each project and the actual percentage
of participation by SDBs: Albuquerque, New Mexico, 4% goal, 3%
actual; Portland, Oregon, 4% �oal, 9 % actual; Alexandria, Louisiana,
6% goal, 4% actual; Augusta, �rgia, 22% goal, 11 % actual; Houston,
Texas, 14% goal, 6% actual.
Of the two VA construction projects, Bateson is currently working
on, Dayton, Ohio has a 8% goal, 2% actual to date; and Los An eles,
california has a 19% goal with 8 % actual.
Watson said the Congressman Conyers was "not happy" with
Bateson track record :ind had expressed that to the VA.
But the company's record seems unimportant to the VA. Bateson's
past performance has no bearing on the Detroit-project, according to '
William Webb, project manager for the VA on the Detroi t construction.
For the contract to be awarded to Bateson-Dailey, the company must
ubmit to the VA a plan for participation by SDBs. That plan was
submitted Nov. 4, Webb said, after Bateson-Daily was granted an
extension of the 10-day time limit in which to develop a SDB
participation plan.
According to Cobb, the unwillingness of Bateson-Dailey to listen
to NAAAB's concerns, and the refusal by Bateson-Dalley to even
consider a NAAAB-approved plan for SDB participation is alarming. �
Jame L Herndon, executive vice-president, Government Contracts .
Division of l.W. Bateson Company, refused comment when reached in •
his Dallas, Texas office.
Webb said the SDB plan submitted by Bateson-Dailey is being
evaluated by the SDB Utilization office of the VA. ACCOrding to Webb,
if the plan is accepted by the VA. then the contract will be awarded. If
the plan is not acceptable, the VA will take the next lower bidder who
then has 10 day to submit a SDB participation plan.
Thrget date for awarding the contract is Nov. 25, Webb said.The VA
hopes construction will begin before January 1.
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