This is the October 24th, 2005 edition of Glory2Glory Christian Music E-zine!, a contemporary Christian music and modern Worship newsletter distributed to gospel music enthusiasts around the world. 

Please continue to pray for the families and individuals from the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast areas that have been displaced due to the devastation from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  Also consider donating to “Convoy of Hope”, a Christian disaster relief organization that is delivering semi-truckloads of food, and supplies to these victims in South Louisiana and the southern parts of Mississippi and Alabama.  To donate to Convoy of Hope, click here or copy & paste this URL in your browser’s address field:  www.convoyofhope.org   

LIGHTS...CAMERA…ACTION!

Although this story is not about a Christian music artist, it is about yours truly, who at least writes about these artists!  This Sunday night (Oct. 30th) at 8:00 PM, CBS-TV will air “Vampire Bats,” a sequel to last spring’s very successful television movie, “Locusts.”  Once again Lucy Lawless stars as Dr. Maddie Rierdon who this time hunts down vampire bats with the help of her students.  In what CBS publicists call a “suspense thriller,” Lawless discovers that “a deadly species of vampire bats are responsible for a series of bizarre murders,” so her character must find a way to stop these little computer-generated flying creatures before they get completely out of control. 

For this telepic, I was called to work as a background actor (a fancy title for “movie extra”) down in New Orleans in a scene where I played a news photographer.  To let you know where my big part is in the film - in case you blink you could miss me - the mayor (played by actor Timothy Bottoms) of the imaginary town of Mercier, Louisiana has called a press conference to let citizens know he is placing a dusk to dawn curfew on their fair city because of bat attacks.  In my scene, “Mayor Poelker” is flanked by two Louisiana State Police officers who try to ease the fears of the townspeople.  Look for me to the right of the mayor and the state trooper on the mayor’s right (on the left side of the TV screen) holding a camera and taking photos. 

In my acting “debut” in “Locusts,” I played a “farm hand” and could be seen running across the screen in a corn field - remember that  big “blur” behind actor Dylan Neal?  They say everyone has 15 seconds of fame, so maybe with this movie I’ll add another  2 or 3 seconds to my running total! <><           

IN THE NEWS:  Christian rock band Kutless with special guests hip-hop phenomenon KJ-52; the “Tennessee Titans of Hard Rock,” Disciple; and 16-year-old chart topper Krystal Meyers will make a stop in Monroe, Louisiana on Thursday, October 27th at 6:30 PM at North Monroe Baptist Church.  Kutless is headlining the “Strong Tower Tour” to promote their fastest selling album to date, Strong Tower.  The band will play a mix of rock songs and power ballads from their first two albums, as well as Worship songs from their latest release. 

In a short 3˝ years, Kutless has become one of the strongest touring acts in the Christian music business, playing over 600 shows to almost 1.5 million concert-goers.  As well as headlining two other successful tours, the band has also opened for some of Christian music’s biggest artists, including MercyMe, Newsboys, Audio Adrenaline and tobyMac.  “We are ready to get back out on the road,” says Kutless lead singer Jon Micah Sumrall.  “We’ve been in the studio for 2˝ months recording our next record, so we feel like we’ve got some energy to burn.  We are really excited about the line-up on this tour because it provides a great mix for the kids, and great ministry partnership for our youth pastor friends.  KJ’s been a friend for a several years and shares our goals of talking to kids and interacting with youth pastors.  Disciple is a long standing ministry-oriented band, and they are so good, and Krystal Meyers is an artist that can speak to female concert goers in a way that the rest of us on the tour can’t,” Sumrall added. 

For more information on Monroe’s Strong Tower Tour concert, call the concert hotline at 318.680.2609 or visit www.glory2gloryproductions.com. <><

Kirk Franklin and Rebecca St. James will host the 37th Annual GMA Music Awards on April 5, 2006 in Nashville.  Gospel music’s highest honor, the Dove Award, will be awarded to several Christian music artists at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House.  The awards show will be televised in national syndication in April and May of next year.  For more info or to buy tickets to the event, go to www.GMAMusicAwards.com. <><

SOUNDBYTES: 

Chris Tomlin will release a his next project, “Live From Austin Music Hall,” on December 26th.  The CD features 12 live, onstage versions of Tomlin’s no. 1 radio hits, “Indescribable” and “How Great Is Our God” and other Worship favorites including “Your Grace Is Enough,” “Famous One” and “Forever.” <><

THIS WEEK’S CHRISTIAN ARTIST BIRTHDAYS:

Oct. 28:  Charlie Daniels

Oct. 29:  Michael Passens (Avalon)

Oct. 30:  Byron Goggin (Smalltown Poets)

Oct. 31:  Dex Alexander (All Together Separate)

UPCOMING CONCERTS & EVENTS IN THE SOUTHWEST:

Oct. 27:  “Strong Tower Tour” with Kutless, KJ-52, Disciple & Krystal Meyers-North Monroe Baptist, Monroe, LA (produced by glory2glory productions!)

Oct. 28:  Yolanda Adams & Israel Houghton-Thaila Mara Hall, Jackson, MS

Nov. 4:  Casting Crowns & Building 429-First Baptist, Jackson, MS

Nov. 6:  Stryper--House of Blues, New Orleans, LA

Nov. 10:  Big Daddy Weave & Ginny Owens-First Baptist Church, West Monroe, LA

Nov. 11–13:  “Ark-La-Tex Festival” with Franklin Graham, Nicole C. Mullen & Salvador-CenturyTel Center, Bossier City, LA   

Nov. 13:  Jeremy Camp, Bethany Dillon & TheAfters-Clear Channel Metroplex, Little Rock, AR

Nov. 20-22:  Salvador, Overflow & Brock Gill-Youth Evangelistic Celebration (Southern Baptist Convention), Alexandria, LA

Jan. 31, 2006:  “Acquire the Fire: Run to the Battle” w/Seventh Day Slumber-Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport, LA

Feb. 16, 2006:  Chris Tomlin-First Baptist Church, West Monroe, LA (produced by glory2glory productions!)

March 24, 2006:  Third Day & David Crowder Band-Monroe Civic Center Arena, Monroe, LA (produced by glory2glory productions!)

March 31, 2006:  “Women of Faith - Extraordinary Faith” with Sandi Patty-CenturyTel Center, Bossier City, LA

(for the latest concert news, visit:  www.glory2gloryproductions.com)

UPCOMING CCM, GOSPEL, & VIDEO RELEASE DATES:

10/25-

Israel & the New Breed: Alive in South Africa [2 CDs] (Integrity Gospel)

Falling Up: Dawn Escapes (BEC Recordings)

Various: Holy Hip Hop Vol.3 (Holy Hip Hop Music)

Various: The Chronicles of Narnia [Mainstream] (Sparrow Records)

Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster [self-titled] (Mono vs. Stereo)

Bleach: Audio Visual (Tooth & Nail Records)

Various: Happy Christmas Vol. 4 (Tooth & Nail Records)

Bryan Duncan: A NehoSoul Christmas! (Red Road Records)

Smokie Norful: Nothing Without You Live (EMI Gospel)

BeBe & CeCe Winans: Treasures--A Collection of Their Greatest Hits (EMI Gospel)

Demon Hunter: The Triptych (Solid State Records)

Natalie Grant: Believe (Curb Records)

J.R.:  Metamorphosis (Cross Movement Records)

Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives:  Souls' Chapel (Universal South)

Sandi Patty:  Duets (Word/Curb/Warner Bros.)

Randy Travis:  Glory Train-Songs of Faith, Worship & Praise (Word/Curb/Warner Bros.)

Various:  Come, Now Is The Time (Maranatha! Music/Vineyard Music UK Worship)

Various:  Gloria-A Christmas Celebration (Rocketown Records)

Various:  Happy Christmas Vol. 4 (Tooth & Nail Records)

Various:  Holy Hop Hop - Taking The Gospel To The Streets, Vol. 3 (EMI Gospel)

Various:  Hungry (Maranatha! Music/Vineyard Music UK Worship)

Various:  A Musical Tribute to C.S. Lewis (Maranatha! Music)

Various:  Open The Eyes Of My Heart (INO Records)

Various:  Shout! Amen (Spring Hill Music Group)

Walt Disney Records:  Disney's Christmas Lullaby Album (Walt Disney Records)

Walt Disney Records:  Disney's Lullaby Album Vols. 1 & 2 (Walt Disney Records)

11/1-

Lojique:  Process of Illumination (Illect Recordings)

Third Day:  Wherever You Are [City Cover, Limited Edition Cover #1-Field, Limited Edition Cover #2-Rocks] (Essential Records) 

Phillips, Craig & Dean:  Phillips, Craig & Dean Live [DVD] (INO Records)

Kathy Troccoli:  Comfort (Reunion Records)

<>< Glory2Glory Christian Music E-zine! thanks Kim Jones, the Editor and Guide of About.com’s “Christian Music Guide," for providing a link to our newsletter for new subscribers!  To subscribe to Kim’s FREE Christina music newsletter, click here: christianmusic.about.com. 

<>< For a FREE subscription to Glory2Glory Christian Music E-zine! with the latest issue sent  to your e-mail inbox each week, e-mail:  glory2gloryezine@... or copy & paste this URL in your browser’s address field:  http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Glory2GloryChristianMusicE-zine/

© October 24, 2005.  Published by Chuck Halley, glory2glory productions, LLC; Monroe, Louisiana.  All rights reserved.  No part of this e-zine may be reproduced without prior written consent.  Our subscriber list is NOT made available to any other companies or individuals because we value each subscriber and respect their privacy.  Start spreading some “good news” by forwarding this issue to five friends who have an interest in contemporary Christian and modern Worship music!