ANNOUNCING TOP TEN FINALIST NSAI CMT SONG CONTEST Donna King "THIS KIND OF COLD"

Only 5 Days Left To Vote...
If you've already voted,THANK YOU!!!!
If not, please read this short note and then VOTE.

On February 1, 2015 the TOP TEN FINALISTS in the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) Song Contest presented by CMT (Country Music Television Network) were announced. Out of upwards of 2000 entries, we are thrilled to tell you that Donna King's song, "THIS KIND OF COLD," is one of the TOP TEN! The Grand Prize winner (who will have amazing opportunities for advancing in their songwriting dream) will be determined solely by FAN VOTE. There are only 5 days left to VOTE and SHARE. That's where you come in...

We need the VOTES and SHARES of our friends, family, colleagues, and just everyone we've met along this crazy journey of life. If you've already voted...THANK YOU! But...if not...

Please join us in supporting Donna in this HUGE opportunity. Vote, and then, share, through word of mouth, email, on social media, etc. to help Donna bring this victory home.

VOTE for Donna King "This Kind Of Cold"- CLICK TO VOTE
LISTEN to Donna King 'This Kind Of Cold"- CLICK TO LISTEN
When possible use hashtag #NSAIsongcontest

When sharing, copy and paste the following urls (exactly as they are case sensitive):
To VOTE: www.tinyurl.com/VoteDonnaKing
To LISTEN: www.tinyurl.com/ListenDonnaKing

THANK YOU ALL! Your support means the world to us. Just 5 more days and YOU are a VITAL part of it! We will let you know the results as soon as they come in!

With Gratitude to God and Gratefulness to you,
Friends and Family of Donna King
Jeremiah 29:11

WEB:
zaneanddonnaking.com
donnakingmusic.com
TWITTER:
@donnakingmusic
@zaneanddonna
FACEBOOK:
facebook.com/zaneanddonnaking

Donna King Lands in Top Ten of NSAI Song Contest

Last October, upwards of 2000 songwriters entered songs in the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) Song Contest presented by CMT (Country Music Television Network).

On February 1, 2015 the Top Ten Finalists were announced and among that select group was producer, songwriter, and artist in her own right, Donna King. Donna is well known in Christian music circles, having written, produced, and performed many hit Christian songs. However, this particular song is from Donna’s Country music songwriting collection. The song is entitled “THIS KIND OF COLD.”

Donna says, “I am still in complete shock over making it to the NSAI CMT Song Contest Top 10 Finalists. I know I have to write songs and nothing I am able to do is done in my own strength. I pray that each song I write will find the home it was meant to live in. Some of those songs are just meant to live in my own heart and others are meant to reach places that I can only imagine they might go.
“The most wonderful thing about this contest is the opportunity to expand the reach of my songs and to live fully in what I feel is God’s most definitive call on my life. I congratulate every finalist for their achievement and I thank the NSAI and CMT for helping to create a path for songs that may never otherwise have an opportunity to be heard. I also thank every person taking the time to vote for “THIS KIND OF COLD” and to share it with others to vote as well. Finally, I thank God. He knows the plans He has for me…Jeremiah 29.11.”

The GRAND PRIZE winner of the NSAI Song Contest is determined solely by fan vote. Right now through February 28th, 2015, Donna will need our help by voting and also by sharing/asking others to vote for her song, “This Kind of Cold,” on the CMT website. You only need to vote one time per person and it’s as easy as selecting Donna’s song, entering your email address and submitting. The direct link to the NSAI CMT Song Contest page is www.nsai.cmt.com . When sharing on Facebook, Twitter, and the like, please use hashtags #NSAIsongcontest #VOTEThisKindOfCold when possible.

Also, to make it even easier, Donna’s family has graciously set up a listening link to her song and a direct link to the CMT Voting site. You can find the links here:
Vote: http://tinyurl.com/VoteDonnaKing
Listen: http://tinyurl.com/ListenDonnaKing

Good luck Donna and we are pulling for you!

The Williamsons Release New Album - Tell Somebody

Weleetka, OK (October 24, 2014) Talented mixed quartet, The Williamsons, have just released another great album titled Tell Somebody. The album consists of material that is written by some of the most talented songwriters available today, including four songs penned by Lisa Williamson, group member and featured soloist on many of the songs. Closing the CD out is a great classic written by Mosie Lister.
To make a great album you must have great songs and that task wasn't taken lightly. No less than 200 songs were listened to in the deciding process. Choosing 50 would have been difficult, but narrowing it down to eleven was nearly impossible. 

The project was produced by award winning producer, Donna King, known for stretching artists and pulling things out of them they didn't think possible. Donna was present in every step of the process down to the final mix. She was going for the best ever from the Williamsons. One thing about making a great record, besides great songs and well-recorded vocals, is making the little details matter too, from every background vocal, to every note played, and every overdub, and all the mix sounds, the Williamsons covered all the bases to produce the best album of their career.

Donna King commented "Every album I produce is as important to me as my own (if not more important).  To have the opportunity to produce music that affects God’s kingdom, because of the ministry that will come from the songs, is not something I take lightly.  Working with the Williamsons was an amazing experience.  They were FULLY engaged and willing to go places no man "or woman” had gone before  (as far as things they had done in the past).  They understood the importance of great songs and they worked with me diligently on those choices.  They gave me 110% from day one (and there were many days).  That is a producer’s dream.  They are so talented, but they are also pliable and that is a GREAT attribute to ending up with a superb album.  And, most importantly, their hearts are in this for ALL the right reasons!  I LOVE this group and I am SO excited about this album and honored to have been blessed to produce it."

Donnie Williamson. Baritone singer and group manager stated "I believe this is the most powerful music we have ever recorded. The music is filled with the message of Christ that will uplift those who listen and touch them no matter where they are in life.”

Lisa Williamson also said "Some of the best songwriters in Gospel Music are represented on this project and I am honored to have four of my songs included.”

The first song released to radio is "It Was The Word” written by Lisa, and it is already being accepted well by DJs across the country.

Songs include:
It Was The Word 
That's What I'm Talking About
All Our Hope
Shout
Monday
He Lived To Tell It
No Umbrellas
I Laid It All Down
Healing For The Hurting
I've Got To Tell Somebody
While the Ages Roll

You can learn more about the Williamsons by going to http://www.williamsonsmusic.com or https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Williamsons . 

To book the Williamsons contact scheduling@thedominionagency.com .

SGN Scoops Digital Releases January 2014 Edition with David Phelps on Cover

Happy New Year! We’re kicking off 2014 right with the one and only David Phelps on the cover!

Also in this issue, enjoy articles on Donna King, the Old Paths Quartet, Chris Allman, Page Trio, Carolina Quartet, Suzanne Hise and Mike Manuel.

Don’t miss who topped the SGNScoops radio chart for January and don’t miss the latest update on our Creekside Gospel Music Convention.

We are thrilled to welcome David Staton to our writing staff! David unveils his new column, “Can You Handle The Truth?”

Catch the latest devotions from Sherry Anne and Jeff Steele as well as tips from Laurette Willis on Christian Fitness.

Legendary Lou Wills Hildreth’s articles are always great. You don’t want to miss “Life, Love and Legends.”

It’s a special treat to share an article on Edna Wright, the newly elected Southern Gospel Music Promoters President!

Check out January’s music reviews as well as Publisher, Rob Patz and editor, Rhonda’s Frye’s expectations for the New Year.

Remember, SGNScoops is absolutely free. Read. Enjoy. Share!

Announcing "VOICE OF HOPE CHRISTMAS TOUR" sponsored by COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL

Nashville, TN (November 25, 2013) The Beckie Simmons Agency is thrilled to announce the Voice Of Hope Christmas Tour featuring Gold City, the Bowling Family, Steve Ladd, and Donna King.

The tour will be sponsored by Compassion International and will make stops in West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, and Indiana/Kentucky during the month of December. The featured artists, Gold City, the Bowling Family, Steve Ladd, and Donna King, will be celebrating the HOPE of Christmas through their music and sharing incredibly memorable evenings with concert attendees.

Gold City's Daniel Riley expresses, "Christmas truly is the season for giving, and it all started when God gave us the gift of salvation through His Son, as a baby born in a manger. I look at my beautiful family, my wife and two daughters, and think how incredibly blessed I am. I am excited to be embarking on a tour that will allow us all to celebrate Christmas, count our blessings, and, also, provide meaningful support to precious children, who so desperately need it, through the powerful ministry of Compassion International. This really is the season of compassion. When Jesus Christ came to earth--it was with the compassion of a pure and holy God for his children. We hope to share in the joy of that HOPE with you on the Voice Of Hope tour this December."

Zane King, of Compassion shares, "We are blessed to have such wonderful artists headed out to share the JOY of Christmas and to be a voice for the least of these, those in extreme poverty around the world. This concert tour promises to be uplifting, encouraging, and full of GREAT music! I truly believe it will also make a life changing difference for attendees and for children around the world."

"To sing about our Savior is ALWAYS an extreme honor. To share an opportunity to change a life through Compassion makes it even better," expresses Mike Bowling of the Bowling Family, "We are going to have a GREAT TIME together on this tour. Please join us at one of the Voice Of Hope concert dates around the country this December!"

And solo artist Steve Ladd puts it like this; "I'm so excited to be a part of the Voice Of Hope Tour! The Christmas season is a time of Compassion. Celebrating the compassion God had for us by sending his Son to this world is a JOY! What better way to celebrate that than have a powerful night of music all centered around our Savior, and, even more, to offer HOPE to children around the world."

To find out more about the tour and to get specific information about dates and locations, visit, http://upto.com/s/h9yO.

You can learn more about Compassion at www.compassion.com.

And to find out additional information you can visit the Beckie Simmons Agency at www.bsaworld.com.

Vertical Sky Announces Good Changes

Vertical Sky Announces New LAUNCH Strategy

Nashville, TN (September 16th, 2013) In the ever-expanding and changing era of Gospel music radio airplay, Vertical Sky is thrilled to announce a new service for Christian music artists called LAUNCH.

What is LAUNCH? Launch is a radio airplay service, offered by Vertical Sky, geared to send and service Christian music in the genre of Southern Gospel and Bluegrass to the strongest and most comprehensive list of airplay outlets available today. Those include individual stations, networks, syndicated programs, internet radio, and satellite radio programming. After months of research and preparation, the company is thrilled to be ready to help artists do what matters MOST; Get their music HEARD.

LAUNCH is not just a download service. It is a truly AIRPLAY focused service where music will be sent to stations, either by hard copy radio disc and/or download, according to the preference of the station.

Vertical Sky will provide additional perks during the LAUNCH, by first helping choose the right single for radio (which affords the artist’s music the best opportunity for success), setting add dates, striving for adds on those dates, and expansion of airplay opportunities. Additionally, each artist using LAUNCH will have a personalized E-Card download sent to nearly 700 stations, placement on the Vertical Sky website, and placement on Vertical Sky’s exclusive SOUNDCLOUD fan listening page.

This new approach to radio promotion and servicing was born out of years of experience in radio promotion by company founder and president, Donna King. Donna expresses, “I love my radio friends and my artists. More and more, over the years, I have seen that my wonderful charting stations are overwhelmed and inundated with people vying for a TOP spot. I have also seen the emotional pull this effort has on my precious artists, often draining their hopes and dreams, when, all the while, they are doing an excellent job in serving God and reaching people. While I understand the need for an artist’s music and ministry to be validated by chart success, I truly believe this can happen in ways that honor GOD and the efforts of those artists and radio stations. Both entities work hard to do the right thing in the right way. Chart success, and, most importantly, airplay success will happen with good music and strong lyrical content. I am able to testify to that from personal experience. These radio stations listen to their audience and to the heart of GOD. While I understand the LAUNCH approach won’t be preferred by everyone, I think many artists will benefit from this service and will feel grateful to avoid the monthly promotion payments following the launch of a single that leave them wondering if it is making a difference or not. This is a huge leap of faith for Vertical Sky but I believe it will lead many people to a really great place in their radio efforts. I have to be obedient to God. This decision is, for me, an act of obedience. This is not to say that I feel the traditional method of radio promotion is wrong. I think in some cases, and at some times, it is needed (like when a single has traction and needs a boost). I just don’t believe that it is right for everyone, every time.”

In addition to Vertical Sky’s LAUNCH, Donna is excited to be able to spend more time working with ministries on staging and vocal training, as well as her GREAT loves, which are writing and producing music. She, along with her husband, Zane, will begin touring on a limited basis as well.

For more information about Vertical Sky, visit www.verticalskyonline.com.

###

Pictured: Donna King

VERTICAL SKY ANNOUNCES NEW HOME ON THE WEB

Nashville, TN (May 3, 2013) – Vertical Sky's President & CEO, Donna King, is thrilled to announce the company's new home on the web, verticalskyonline.com.

The new website will serve Vertical Sky's partnering radio stations, all of the artists associated with the company, and all of the fans who love the artists.

Donna King shares, "It's hard to put into words what a privilege it is for Vertical Sky to represent so much GREAT music from so many wonderful artists in Gospel music. And, to have the opportunity to introduce that music to the world through the dedicted radio stations across the globe, who sacrifice so much to share this message of hope, is a complete joy! I cannot thank Ike LaFontaine enough for his excellent work in creating our new home on the web. I hope everyone enjoys the features offered there and I pray the services extended to our sweet radio friends will make their lives a little easier."

Vertical Sky's home on the web offers chart updates, twitter feeds, news snippets, a special radio download log in page (password protected for radio only), an artist page (which links to all their great artists' homes on the web), and a listening page, where fans can hear all the single releases that have recently arrived at radio via Vertical Sky.

Be sure to visit the new site today and let Vertical Sky know how you like it on their FACEBOOK or TWITTER page.

Vertical Sky
www.verticalskyonline.com

Mercy's Well To Be Featured Artist On The Gospel Greats Christmas Edition This Weekend

MERCY'S WELL To Be The Featured Artist On The Gospel Greats CHRISTMAS EDITION with Paul Heil This Weekend

Nashville, TN (Dec. 6th, 2012) – Powerful trio, Mercy's Well, will be the featured artist on this weekend's edition of The Gospel Greats with Paul Heil. The award-winning syndicated featured program will air at various times on radio stations throughout the country, and on Sirius/Xm's Enlighten, the weekend of Dec. 8-9, 2012.

Songs from their brand new CHRISTMAS recording, BETHLEHEM SKY, produced by Donna King, will be featured. There will also be special interview segments with Brad, Greg, and Kyle, of Mercy's Well. The new recording includes Christmas classics and brand new, original Christmas music.

You won't want to miss this special time with Paul Heil's The Gospel Greats and Mercy's Well.

For more information about this show, including other artists included on this special Christmas edition, visit http://www.thegospelgreats.com/next.htm. To find a station airing The Gospel Greats near you, click on the station finder located on The Gospel Greats website.

To learn more about Mercy's Well or to schedule them for your music event, visit www.mercyswell.com. You can find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mercyswellonline and on Twitter @Mercys_Well. You can purchase the new CD, BETHLEHEM SKY, as well as many other recordings from the trio, on their website, from Springside, and on iTunes.

Vertical Sky Welcomes Sheri LaFontaine To Radio Team

Nashville, TN (Oct. 3, 2012) Donna (Beauvais) King has always been a visionary, but, with every dream she’s had, she’s learned God’s dreams are even bigger. Such is the case with the expansion of her company, Vertical Sky. The company is thrilled to welcome Sheri LaFontaine to the radio promotion and publicity team.

Sheri will be relocating to Nashville, TN from Holland, OH, where she is currently the morning show co-host on Christian radio station WPOS. She will work, side by side, with Donna in radio promotion and press, and assist in other areas, as the need arises. This will be a great benefit to the company, but more importantly, that benefit will be felt directly by artists and record companies working with Vertical Sky.

Donna expresses, “I knew an addition was becoming inevitable, but I also knew I had to wait for just the right person for the job. My artists and the record companies I work with need and expect a strong team at Vertical Sky. When I learned Sheri was seeking a job in Nashville that would fit her qualities and her career path, I immediately had my answer. Sheri brings every level of experience necessary to be excellent in this role. She is an outstanding musician/singer/songwriter, is very familiar with our music, is experienced in radio programming, and is an all around wonderful people person with a heart of gold. I am SO excited to welcome her to Vertical Sky!!”

Vertical Sky’s Volume Four-October 2012 compilation disc and download will be shipping to radio the week of October 15th. For radio service, email verticalsky@comcast.net. For more on Vertical Sky, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/verticalskyonline or on twitter @theverticalsky.

Mercy's Well Update and Schedule

Time flies when you're having fun! We had such a busy week at the National Quartet Convention that we forgot to send out an update to you. Things are somewhat back to normal this week, and we're able to take a few minutes and share with you what's been going on!

We had the awesome opportunity to sing three times at the NQC this year! We were a part of two different showcases - one for Featured Artists and a special showcase, just for radio DJs, where we were able to sing our next radio single, "Even In the Sorrow". We were also asked to provide a bit of "entertainment" for one of the Regional Artist showcases while the judges tallied up their scores. It was a busy week, but it is always so good to see dear friends and fans that we only get to see this time of year. We also get to reconnect with other artists and songwriters to catch up on each other's ministries. All in all, it was a good week!

After singing in two different churches on Sunday, we were finally able to be home for a day or two. Earlier this week, Brad flew out to Nashville to work with our producer, the amazing Donna King, on our new Christmas project! They are creating the musical tracks this week, which means we should be able to add the vocal parts in just a few weeks!!! Please keep us in your prayers as we go through this process. They are much appreciated!

Have a great week, and God Bless!

In Christ,
Brad, Greg & Kyle
Mercy's Well
THIS WEEK

September 23 - 10:30 AM Lake Asbury Baptist Church - Green Cove Springs, FL
For more information: (904) 282-7079

September 23 - 6:00 PM First Baptist Church - Inverness, FL
For more information: (352) 726-1252