Stephanie Summers Crowned Winner of BET’s ‘Sunday Best’ Season 10!

Hello World,

America’s most inspirational singing competition BET’s “Sunday Best” has announced it’s Season 10 Winner – Stephanie Summers (Colorado Springs, Colorado). Summers will receive a recording contract with RCA Inspiration, a prize of $50,000, an opportunity to be a featured performer on the McDonald’s Inspiration Gospel Tour and the title “Sunday Best.”

A veteran in the gospel music scene, Stephanie Summers has opened up for legends like Pastor John P. Kee, Dorinda Clark-Cole, and others. Her gospel career was derailed following the death of her best friend and father.  After a short period of becoming homeless, she has once again found her footing and is ready to return to the gospel scene and prove that it’s never too late to follow your dreams.  Today, she is living with her children in Colorado Springs.

The Clark Sisters

The season 10 finale episode featured original performances by show judge Jonathan McReynolds feat. Mali Music with “Movin’ On;” show judge Erica Campbell with “You;” The Clark Sisters with “Victory;” Kierra Sheard with “It Keeps Happening” and Season 9 Winner Melvin Crispell III with a rendition of “What’s Going On?”

Twinkie Clark

Le’Andria Johnson

Gospel music great Dorinda Clark Cole and Sunday Best Season 3 Winner Le’Andria Johnson made special appearances during contestant mentoring moments.

Kirk Franklin

Season 10 premiered July 5th from Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, GA with a live audience and band, before transitioning to a virtual telecast in light of COVID-19. GRAMMY®-winning music legend Kirk Franklin served as host; and GRAMMY® winning songstress & host of “Get Up Mornings,” Erica Campbell, GRAMMY® nominated artist & star of BET’s “American Soul” Kelly Price and GRAMMY® nominated & multiple Stellar award-winning artist Jonathan McReynolds returned as judges. Season 10 auditions were previously held earlier this year in Atlanta, Georgia at The House of Hope.

Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment (BET Awards, “The New Edition Story”),  and Dionne Harmon (“The Bobby Brown Story,” “Hip Hop Squares”) serve as executive producers of season ten of “Sunday Best” along with executive producer and showrunner Jeannae Rouzan-Clay (“Dear Mama,” “Black Girls Rock!”), and Torrence Glenn (“Celebration Of Gospel,” “Trumpet Awards”) is co-executive producer.

For updates and more information about “Sunday Best,” please visit BET.com/SundayBest. Join the conversation on social media by logging onto social media platforms using the hashtag: #BETSundayBest.

Any thoughts?

Kierra Sheard of ‘The Clark Sisters’ Movie Celebrates No. 1 Billboard Album as She Mourns Grandmother’s Death Due to COVID-19

Hello World,

On the heels of the major success of the recent Lifetime TV original movie The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel, Kierra Sheard is celebrating yet another impressive accolade:  Her self-titled album KIERRA (Karew Entertainment / RCA Inspiration) is  #1 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Album’s chart, #1 on Billboard’s Top Christian/Gospel albums chart, and #2 on Billboard’s Top 200 Christian & Gospel Consumption chart! Released on April 17thKIERRA has knocked the longstanding #1 Jesus Is King out of the top position, and has garnered more than 3 million streams in its first week.

The album includes 15-tracks with sounds ranging from Pop, R&B, Hip-Hop, and Gospel, and features some live recorded songs which Kierra performed before a sold out crowd in her hometown of Detroit, MI. Demonstrating her lyricism, Kierra either wrote or co-wrote all of the tracks on the album including the beautiful ballad “Grateful,” the authentic and raw “Human,” and “Better.” Assisted by a dynamic team, KIERRA features production from her frequent collaborators, Harmony “H-Money” Samuels and her brother J. Drew Sheard, as well as songwriters Mia Fieldes, Varren Wade, Edgar “JV” Etienne, Justin Brooks and rising Chicago artist Sir the Baptist. In addition to Missy Elliott and Tasha Cobbs Leonard, the album features vocals from other star Gospel Artists Todd Dulaney,  Le’Andria Johnson and Kierra’s nephew Jacob Sheard.

See Kierra’s jubilant Instagram post below:

However, as you can see, Kierra mentioned that she wishes she could tell her happy news to her Nanna. Her grandmother on her father’s side, Willie Mae Sheard, 84, passed away on April 19 due to COVID-19 complications. (Read an excellent article about her grandmother HERE.) Kierra had revealed on Good Morning America that both of her grandparents were sick with COVID-19 at the beginning of this month. See her touching post about her grandmother below.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Whoa. This hurts. Either I’m crying or I’m sleep (unless I’m around loved ones) hoping I’d see you there. Writing about you, and watching videos of you, has helped me. At first I didn’t understand. However, I begin to walk through the days of when I’d come and see you. I’d always ask, “how do you feel?” Because only a few days out of more, you’d say, “I don’t feel good.” I’d often try and blame it on malpractice. I asked a natural medicine doctor to come and see about you. I tried to find a solution. I find you, in me because you always wanted to have an answer for people you loved. However, I didn’t like how much you’d say “I don’t feel good.” I’ve asked God, “why now?”. But these things have been my answer. You were tired of not feeling well and I was tired of not having an answer to help you. It broke me apart seeing you in such pain. I also remember seeing your adoration for the Lord. I didn’t see you do anything contrary to God’s way of life. You’d put on and be strong for us during family dinners and church events, but I could tell, you didn’t feel good. You were so strong. You often saying, “you can have this/that when I’m gone…” bothered us so much; but you always had a peace when insinuating that there’s another place of interest. As believers, to be absent from the body and present with the Lord is the ultimate goal. This heaven bound understanding walks us through something so painful with such peace. We prayed and prayed and asked God to heal you, but I’m led to believe that you were ready to tap out of this earthen life. I’ve been challenged to not be selfish but to be selfless and accept God allowing your promised rest. So, I’m still trusting God and seeing that He gave you the years promised (Psalm 90:10) and 14 more years of life with us. But if I reflect on the good things, you lived a good life. What makes it hard, is having to grasp the fact that I won’t see you anymore; until we meet again. I’m even more determined to live like Christ so that I can talk to you again. I love you. I find that I act just like you and I’ll forever remember your lessons. Rest well Nanna. No more days of not feeling good. I’ll miss you.

A post shared by Kierra Sheard (@kierrasheard) on

See what Kierra’s mother Karen Clark Sheard, who Kierra portrayed in the movie, posted about her mother-in-law below.

As Kierra said, she is experiencing a bittersweet moment in life…Congratulations to her and her family on her success, and I pray that her and her family will be comforted as they grieve the loss of their precious matriarch.

Any thoughts?

 

Kierra Sheard Reveals Grandparents’ COVID-19 Diagnosis, What it Was Like Playing Her Mother in ‘The Clark Sisters’ Movie on Good Morning America

Hello World,

This morning on Good Morning America, gospel music star Kierra Sheard, who was interviewed by Michael Strahan, revealed that her grandparents are recovering from COVID-19, how she had to audition to play her mother Karen Clark Sheard in the the movie The Clark Sisters and more. Check out the interview below, and let’s lift up her grandparents in prayer…


And on Saturday, I will definitely be watching The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel  movie on Lifetime at 8 p.m. EST/ 7 p.m. CT!!! Below is the trailer. Will you be watching?

Any thoughts?