Hello World,

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends even if it was a socially distanced one. That’s what we did. Hubby and I stopped by my parents and in-laws for a few minutes each while wearing our masks. Long enough to pick up plates of food from each household which we are still eating on as of today! Question: How long do you make Thanksgiving leftovers last? I think today will  be the last day for me. Or maybe tomorrow. What say you?

Anywho, now that we have taken some time to thank God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us (with His presence being the most important  blessing of all), it’s time to celebrate the birth of His son, our savior Jesus Christ! This year OWN is kicking off the holidays early with the premiere of its first ever gospel music special Tuesday, December 1 called “Our OWN Christmas” which is hosted by DeVon Franklin and Meagan Good.

Below is the official description:

The one-hour long special, which starts at 9 p.m., will feature festive collaborations, uplifting holiday moments, surprise acts of giving, and a whole lot of inspiration to help spread the holiday cheer this season. Viewers will enjoy magical performances of Christmas classics ranging from “Oh Holy Night” to “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” to get them in the holiday spirit right at home from music’s most celebrated artists including legendary award-winning gospel group The Clark Sisters, Grammy-Award winners and iconic gospel singers Kierra Sheard, Erica Campbell, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Lalah Hathaway and Le’Andria Johnson and singer-songwriter Ne-Yo, BJ The Chicago Kid, singer and record producer PJ Morton, a capella groups Shelby 5 and The Walls Group. With a must-see collaboration between Boyz II Men and Brian McKnight.

I was blessed to be able to watch an advance screening “Our OWN Christmas” so let me give you my top reasons to watch the show.

1. Hosts Devon Frankin & Meagan Good  — So this year’s quarantine has led to some, shall we say, “different” hairstyle choices. For a long time, many of us halted our hairdresser appointments so that we would lessen our chances of being exposed to COVID-19. I don’t know when this was filmed, but I wonder if that is why Meagan choose to wear a brown turban/head wrap during the broadcast. At one point, when my grays were getting impossible to camouflage, I wore a head wrap for an interview I conducted via Zoom. Hair conundrums were definitely happening this year!

Also, DeVon may be a bit more high maintenance than his beloved because while Megan rocked one outfit the whole time, DeVon rocked two looks. My favorite was a black Gucci scarf with red and green highlights that was paired with a snug green turtleneck.  Also, I enjoyed their trading of corny jokes such as DeVon referring to his wife as, “Meagan Good or Ms. Franklin if you’re nasty.” Also, I learned that one of DeVon’s Christmas traditions is a lip sync contest complete with costumes. Meagan talked about being a part of the show for the first time I imagine around the time they were getting to know each other or in the earliest days of their marriage. Anywho, I love cute couples and they are among the cutest black couples in Hollywood. If you want to know more about them, you should definitely watch “Our OWN Christmas.”

2. Boyz to Men & Bryan McKnight  — Boyz to Men & Bryan McKnight can sing anything I imagine, but I loved their rendition of “Let it Snow.” So how about I was today year’s old when I realized that Bryan McKnight was on the original version of this song when it debuted in 1993. I Googled it as I was writing this and discovered the original version. Here is the original video:

So what has changed since the original video? How about Wanyá Morris, Shawn Stockman and Nathan Morris all have a bit of gray in their beards now! LOL. But I can’t talk. My family grays early so I’ve been hiding my grays for years now. Know what else? Michael McCary and his beautiful bass voice! I wish the group would figure out a way to reconcile. If Will Smith and the original Aunt Viv can reconcile so can they…

As an aside, did you know that Wanyá’s children, four of which are named Wanya (yeah, that’s EXTRA), have a group entitled WanMor? They can saaang too! Check them out HERE!

3. Socially Distanced Filming  — Number 50-11 on the list of Quarantine Quandaries is likely how to film while socially distanced. I think OWN has figured it out! I believe that Erica Campbell may have been singing “Joy to the World” with The Clark Sisters from her back yard. Although she was surrounded by Christmas trees while she was standing on a stage surrounded by poinsettias, I could see palm trees in the distance while The Clark Sisters were in another location altogether. Also, she wore some kind of reddish,sequined head garb that wasn’t the best choice by wardrobe. Additionally, we got to see a portion of the kitchen of DeVon & Meagan. Finally, there were struggle Christmas trees behind Shelby 5 and The Walls Group in their respective homes. LOL

4. Michelle Williams — Although she didn’t perform, she was included in the show. On behalf of AT&T’s Dream in Black and Shea Moisture, she awarded $10,000 to mother and daughter authors Fionna Wright and Madison Martin who wrote the book “100 Days Inside,” a children’s book about being quarantined this year. Also, and this is most exciting of all, Michelle is going to help rerelease the book by recording an audio version to include her voice as well as the voices of the original authors. How exciting is that?

I could say more, but I don’t want to reveal too much! But here is the trailer:

Will you be watching “Our OWN Christmas” Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 9 pm?!!!

“Our OWN Christmas” is in partnership with Relevé Entertainment, which was founded by multi-faceted producer Holly Carter. The company consistently delivers high-quality, “break-through” family and faith-based programming that engages national audiences. Most recently, Carter created and executive produced “The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel,” the highest-rated original TV movie of 2020. In addition, the OWN network has ordered two new unscripted series to development, “Back to the Altar” about divorced couples working to mend their broken relationships, and “Love & Faith” following the women behind some of the faith community’s best-known pastors.

Any thoughts?

The post OWN Kicks Off Holiday Season With Premiere of its First Ever Gospel Music Special ‘Our OWN Christmas’ Hosted by DeVon Franklin & Meagan Good on Dec. 1! appeared first on After the Altar Call.

Hello World,

Dare Records celebrates the release of gospel music’s premiere millennial GRAMMY-nominated couple, Juan and Lisa Winans’, official debut single, “It Belongs To Me,” featuring 6X GRAMMY-Award winner Marvin Winans, who is Juan’s uncle. Following the success of their 2018 Holiday EP, A Little Soul for Christmas, “It Belongs To Me” encourages all that the good news and promises of God are for them and will come to pass. It’s a beautifully rendered and timely message as the world faces a global health crisis and rising social and political unrest. “It Belongs To Me” will be available on all major digital retail outlets on Friday, May 8, 2020.

Juan Winans began his career with the Billboard #1 Gospel Album, “Winans Phase 2: We Got Next.” Juan and his sister Deborah Joy Winans (“Greenleaf”) toured in the original musical “Born For This: The BeBe Winans Story,” for which Juan won Best Male Lead at the 2019 NAACP Theater Awards. Lisa Winans (formerly Lisa Kimmey) is best known as one third of the Dove Award winning, Contemporary Christian Music trio, Out of Eden. The group was active from 1994 to 2006, producing seven albums. During Lisa’s tenure with Out of Eden, she appeared on the 90’s sitcom “Moesha,” and hosted original programming for the Gospel Music Channel. In 2006, Out of Eden retired and released a greatest hits compilation. The trio reunited in 2014 for a special Gotee Records compilation album with a cover of House of Heroes’ single “Constant.”

“Our single, (“It Belongs To Me”) is more than a song to us, it’s the way we are aspiring to live. Jesus said that He came to give us abundant life. That’s a big, bold statement and just one of many promises offered to us as children of God. This song is a declaration of our desire and dedication to living in those promises; to possessing every gift and blessing that God makes available to us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. ‘It Belongs To Me’ is our anthem of grace and faith,” says Juan Winans.

Check out the single below!

This spring, Juan and Lisa Winans will appear on the second season of the NBC hit show “Songland” in an episode featuring Boyz II Men. “Songland” provides talented up-and-coming songwriters with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to collaborate with visionary music producers who are responsible for today’s biggest hits. The series’ innovative format takes an inside look at the creative process behind songwriting, and each episode provides one up-and-coming songwriter the opportunity to have their song recorded by a chart-topping artist. “SONGLAND” premiered Monday, April 13th at 10PM ET/PT on NBC. For more information on ‘Songland,’ visit https://www.nbc.com/songland.

“It Belongs To Me” will be available wherever music is sold and streamed on Friday, May 8, 2020. For more information on Juan and Lisa Winans visit JuanAndLisaWinans.com; follow them on social media using the handle @JuanAndLisaWinans. Dare Records is distributed by ADA (a Warner Music Group company).

Any thoughts?

The post NEW MUSIC: Juan & Lisa Winans featuring Marvin Winans ‘It Belongs To Me’ appeared first on After the Altar Call.

Hello World,

I’m not going to be a hypocrite…I do watch “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” every season…Yes, I look forward to the rollicking ratchetness that is RHOA…But it not something that I brag about…And now that the Queen of RHOA aka NeNe Leakes is gone, I had wondered if there was a reason to watch at all this season…But the producers have done it again!!! They have found a way to get my eyeballs back on the screen. Kim Fields aka Tootie from “The Facts of Life” aka Regine from “Living Single” has joined the cast of RHOA for its latest season, which will debut on premiering Sunday, November 8 at 8/7c. If you are a ’70s baby, you know Kim Fields! She was one of the few people I saw on television who looked like me when I was growing up in the ’80s! Remember how cute she was whirling around the campus of Eastland School on her roller skates with her pressed pig tails and wide grin? And then in the ’90s, she was the lovable, wannabe bougie princess from the ghetto Regine on “Living Single?” And remember when Kim Fields was Nathan’s love interest on the Boyz II Men video for “On Bended Knee?” Most recently, she was a producer and lead director of Tyler Perry’s “Meet the Browns” and “House of Payne.” And these are just a few of her accomplishments! So with a résumé like that, what does Kim Fields need with the ratchet RHOA?!!!

Kim Fields is also a friend to my blog! I interviewed her back in 2011 as she was promoting her Christmas television special “Holiday Love.” If you haven’t read the interview, please read “Check out Kim Fields in her TV Christmas Special ‘Holiday Love’ Airing on Christmas Day!!!” I asked her about how she became a Christian in Hollywood at age 14 and about being one of the few black people on television at that time particularly as a child star. But although she is a friend to this blog, and it was privilege to interview her, I have to be honest and say that I’m not sure if this show is the right move for her. First of all, reality TV has a way a ripping apart lives…If you don’t believe me, read my blog post “Why Mary Mary May Need To Get Off Reality TV…My Open Letter to Erica & Tina Campbell.” In the blog post, I referenced a New York Post article “Scott’s suicide reveals tragic side of city’s glitzy scene”  by Maureen Callahan in which she reported that, “over the franchise’s eight-year lifespan, 12 Real Housewives have filed for bankruptcy, one has been evicted on camera, several have battled substance-abuse issues, one couple has pleaded guilty to fraud in federal court, one husband has been indicted for fraud and identity theft, and one husband has committed suicide.” I’m not saying that these types of tragedies will happen to Kim Fields (who is happily married with two sons), but why would you take the chance? And as a Christian, I just don’t know how she is going to resist being pulled down by some of the attention-seeking antics of her cast mates. I’m not saying that Christians have to cloister themselves in the church never to interact with others but RHOA is a cesspool…

And finally, I’m somewhat disappointed that Kim Fields is not reppin’ for the sisters with locs anymore? When I met Kim Fields back in 2011, she had long, beautiful, blonde locs. And now from the promotional shots for season 8 of RHOA that I’ve seen, she is no longer wearing them. Before anyone gets nasty, I think how a woman wears her hair is a personal choice. However, the woman of RHOA are known for being pretty much “unbeweavable” if you get my point, and it would have been nice to see a woman rocking her natural hair on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.”…It makes me wonder if Kim Fields did that just for the show…If that is the case, that just may be the harbinger of hell of what is to come this season…But I will be watching…Will you?

Any thoughts?

The post Why Is Tootie & Regine (aka Kim Fields) on Season 8 of ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta?!!!’ appeared first on After the Altar Call.