This is the August 30, 2004 edition of Glory2Glory Christian Music E-zine!, a contemporary Christian music & modern Worship newsletter distributed to Christian and Worship music enthusiasts via the World Wide Web.  If you would like a FREE subscription with the latest issue sent to your inbox each week, e-mail glory2gloryezine@....

In some good news this week, Christian artists prominently featured during the Republican National Convention; top CCM artists to appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno; upcoming concerts in the Southwest; upcoming new album releases; Chuck’s Chuckles; and much more!

IN THE NEWS:

Unlike the Democrat’s recent convention that scheduled Rock and Rap singers as their entertainment, the Republican National Convention that’s happening this week in the Big Apple will feature some of the biggest names in Christian music.  Tuesday night (Aug. 31st.) the GOP will showcase JACI VELASQUEZ before Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee speaks to the delegates.  On Wednesday evening, THIRD DAY will perform in Madison Square Garden just prior to the RNC’s tribute to President Ronald Reagan.  Then on the night the convention’s delegates are really waiting for, NICOLE C. MULLEN will sing the National Anthem, DONNIE MCCLURKIN will perform mid-evening, and MICHAEL W. SMITH will sing before President George W. Bush accepts his party’s nomination on Thursday evening.  It looks as if contemporary Christian music may have finally replaced the Country music genre as America’s “Family (and political) Friendly” music! <>< 

THIRD DAY, MERCYME, and STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN are scheduled to appear on NBC’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno this Thursday night (Sept. 2nd.)  The three CCM artists will perform together the song “I See Love,” which is the first track on The Passion of the Christ: Songs of Inspiration album that hits store shelves on August 31st., the same day the film’s much anticipated DVD arrives.  The new CD features original songs by a diverse lineup of artists who were inspired by Mel Gibson's epic film, including tracks by former CREED frontman Scott Stapp, P.O.D., Lauryn Hill, KIRK FRANKLIN, Charlotte Church, YOLANDA ADAMS, and MXPX featuring Mark Hoppus. <><

SWITCHFOOT recently performed unplugged versions of four of their most popular songs from the million-selling album The Beautiful Letdown for TV’s VH1.  The acoustic mini-concert features "Meant To Live" (currently #4 on the network's Top 20 Video Countdown), "Dare You To Move," "More Than Fine," and "This Is Your Life."  You can also watch these unplugged videos online at www.vh1.com/switchfoot. <><  

"Here I Am To Worship," written by 26-year-old worship leader TIM HUGHES, has been certified as the number one Christian Copyright Licensing International song in North America.  CCLI, which monitors the music sung in more than 140,000 churches across the US and various countries around the world, estimates that over 45 million people have sung the song in North American churches, as well as at conferences and other congregational meetings.  The Dove Awards’ Worship Song of the Year for 2004, “Here I Am To Worship” has also been recorded by MICHAEL W. SMITH; CHRIS TOMLIN; JEREMY CAMP; SONICFLOOd; REBECCA ST. JAMES; PHILLIPS, CRAIG, AND DEAN; PLUS ONE; and JOHN TESH. <>< 

SOUNDBYTES:

Congratulations to Shane Williams of SILARS BALD who married Trisha Williams in Charleston, South Carolina last Sunday (August 22nd.) <>< Word Records’ urban music division has signed American Idol’s GEORGE HUFF.  This will be the first solo album for the raspy-voiced New Orleans chef who appeared on the popular Fox Television program last spring.<><

UPCOMING SOUTHWEST U.S. CONCERTS:

9/01 - Jeremy Camp & Sanctus Real, Ark. State University, Jonesboro, AR

9/10 - Bebo Norman, Jason Morant, & Bethany Dillon --First Baptist Church, Ruston, LA

9/11 - Jars of Clay--Mandeville Trailhead Amphitheater, Mandeville, LA

9/14 - Jeremy Camp & Sanctus Real--Brookwood Baptist, Shreveport, LA

9/15 – Across The Sky & Silars Bald--North Monroe Baptist Church, Monroe, LA 

9/18 – downhere--Galloway Memorial UMC, Jackson, MS

9/18 - Steve Green--First Baptist Church, Shreveport, LA

9/26 – Rachael Lampa, Tait, Jump5, Seventh Day Slumber, Petra, Overflow, & KJ-52--Buhlow Lake Recreation Center, Pineville, LA

10/02 – Todd Agnew, BarlowGirl, Building 429, & Starfield--West Monroe High School, West Monroe, LA 

10/03 - Jeff Deyo--Bethesda Community Church, Ft. Worth, TX

10/16 – O.C. Supertones & Superchic(k)—Convention Center, Pine Bluff, AR

10/17 - Tammy Trent--Calvary Baptist Church, Alexandria, LA

10/22 - Tinman Jones--Hot Springs, AR (venue TBA)

10/23 - Gaither Homecoming Tour--CenturyTel Center, Bossier City, LA

10/26 – Avalon, Mark Schultz, & Matthew West--Civic Center, Lake Charles, LA

10/28 - Nate Sallie, Across the Sky, & Silars Bald--Louisiana College, Pineville, LA

10/30 – Fusebox & By The Tree--Heritage Baptist Church, Texarkana, TX

11/04 - Phillips, Craig, and Dean--First Baptist Church, West Monroe, LA

11/06 - Big Daddy Weave & Geoff Moore--Parkway Baptist Church, Clinton, MS

11/13 – Selah--Arlington Convention Center, Arlington, TX

11/18 – Steven Curtis Chapman, Casting Crowns, & Chris Tomlin--Mississippi Coliseum, Jackson, MS

11/18 -  David Crowder Band, Something Like Silas, & Shawn McDonald--Baton Rouge, LA (venue TBA)

11/21-11/23 - Among Thorns--Alexandria, LA (venue TBA)

12/9 - Steven Curtis Chapman, Casting Crowns, & Chris Tomlin—CenturyTel Center, Shreveport, LA

12/22 - Jim Brickman & Kristy Starling--The Strand Theatre, Shreveport, LA

2/03/05 – Selah--First Baptist Church, West Monroe, LA

02/10/05 – downhere--Louisiana Baptist Convention, Alexandria, LA

03/12/05 - Natalie Grant--First Baptist Church, West Monroe, LA

03/18 - 03/20/05 – Watermark--First Baptist Church, Shreveport, LA

04/29/05 - Wayne Watson--First Baptist Church, Minden, LA

UPCOMING CCM, GOSPEL, & DVD RELEASES:

8/31/04

Various--The Passion Of The Christ: Songs of Inspiration (Provident Label Group)

9/7/04

The Katinas--Roots Live [DVD] (Gotee Records)

Kierra Kiki Sheard--I Owe You (EMI Gospel)

SONICFLOOd--Gold (Gotee Records)

Thousand Foot Krutch--Set It Off (Tooth & Nail Records)

Chuck’s Chuckles:

Confusing Questions in Life—

• Why is there a light in the refrigerator and not one in the freezer?
• If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him?
• If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?
• Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours when they are both dogs?
• If Wile E. Coyote had enough money to purchase all those Acme contraptions, why didn't he just buy dinner?
• Isn't Disney World just a people trap operated by a mouse?
• Why do the “Alphabet Song” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” have the same tune?
• Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?
• Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?

© August 30, 2004; Glory2Glory Productions; Chuck Halley, publisher; 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 music & modern Worship!