Time Life To Release Songs 4 Worship: Country - That features Today's Top Country Artists Performing Praise and Worship Songs
CD Will Release October 2, 2007 Featuring Such Guest Artists As; Rascal Flatts, Charlie Daniels, Oak Ridge Boys, Emerson Drive, Diamond Rio, Along With Other Country Stars
Nashville, TN (June 28, 2007) -- Time Life has combined the best of Praise and Worship music with today’s top Country artists and the result is the star-studded Songs 4 Worship: Country that will release October, 2, 2007. The project was co- produced by Michael Curtis, a well-known songwriter who co-wrote “Rise & Shine” with Randy Travis, and Teddy Gentry, producer, songwriter, and former vocalist and bass player for the mega-group, Alabama. The CD is a recent studio recording with first-time performances (except for Rascal Flatts) that features four original compositions and thirteen popular Praise and Worship songs with a Country twist that remains faithful to these beautiful classics. The tunes showcase the talents of such top Country artists as Rascal Flatts, Charlie Daniels, Oak Ridge Boys, Emerson Drive, and Diamond Rio, to name just a few. (A complete song/artist listing is at the end of the press release).
The concept for Songs 4 Worship: Country came from Curtis, who is active with the Praise and Worship music ministry at his church in Muscle Shoals, AL. He realized that Praise and Worship music was becoming a staple in local churches throughout the Southeast and that no Country artist had ever recorded that type of music before. “I think that Country music has gospel roots so it just seemed natural to combine the two. In fact, the world famous Ryman Auditorium was a church before it became the “mother church” for Country music. It’s just a natural pairing.”
Gentry came onboard at Curtis’s request, as they became good friends several years ago after meeting through a mutual friend. “I’m a lifelong Christian and was raised in a Pentecostal church where at five years old I first sang and played the guitar. I was thrilled to become part of such a special recording project where my faith could play a part. Most Country artists have a gospel music background so the response from the guest artists was also very positive.”
“These artists, Teddy and Mike, have brought a powerful and deeply personal passion to each and every song” says Time Life Senior Vice President Audio & Video, Retail Mike Jason. “We at Time Life feel blessed to be part of this exceptional album.”
Country fans have already had a taste of Songs 4 Worship: Country when the multi-platinum group, Rascal Flatts, performed “He Ain’t The Leaving Kind,” on the 2007 Academy of Country Music Awards show in a moving tribute to the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings. The song is also on the group’s fourth studio album, “Me And My Gang,” that was released in April of 2006. And 12-time Grammy Award winner, Ricky Skaggs, sang “We All Bow Down,” at the recent dedication ceremony for the Billy Graham Library in North Carolina.
Rebecca Lynn Howard is showcased on two songs, “Lord I’m Yours,” (co-writers Curtis, Gentry, and Howard) and “God Is In The House,” (co-writer Curtis) who gives a strong vocal performance that is reminiscent of such gospel artists as Aretha Franklin. The CD closes with an a capella version of “Doxology” by The Wilsons, a three sister group out of Muscle Shoals. “Mike invited me to his church in Muscle Shoals to hear The Wilsons because he was thinking of adding them to the new CD,” explains Gentry. “The performance was so moving with their powerful harmonies that I started crying and as of that night gave up my 40-year smoking habit. It’s been fifteen weeks now and I still haven’t picked up a cigarette.”
The Songs 4 Worship album series has sold more than 9 million units since its debut in 2000 and has been marketed by both Time Life and Integrity Records. Time Life will be distributing Songs 4 Worship:Country through their website, www.timelife.com and at mainstream retail outlets. Time Life will team with Integrity Distribution for servicing the CBA market.
THE SONGS 4 WORSHIP: COUNTRY AUTOGRAPHED GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED...
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY!
