GOODMAN REVIVAL: Debut Release Songs in the Key of Happy TOPS SALES CHARTS

Fans and Radio “HAPPY” to Hear “What a Happy Time”

Newly Formed Trio Launches Website

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—January 29th, 2014—Songs in the Key of Happy (Gaither Music Group), the debut CD release from newly formed trio Goodman Revival, landed at #1 on this week’s Southern Gospel chart according to Nielsen Soundscan. In addition, the Songs in the Key of Happy DVD topped the Christian Music Video chart.The audio release also landed at #11 on the Contemporary Christian Music chart, and the DVD came in at #4 on the Billboard Music Video chart.
“I’m extremely excited about the way Goodman Revival is bringing these old favorites back to life,” stated Barry Jennings, president of Gaither Music Group. “We are especially thrilled with the response we are getting from our television audiences who have been moved by the way Tanya, Michael and Johnny communicate these old classics in a fresh and powerful way. These songs hold a great deal of significance for people all over the world; and Goodman Revival has a gift for connecting with those listeners, as well as attracting a new generation of gospel music enthusiasts.”
In addition to this week’s recording launch, the group’s debut single, “What a Happy Time,” landed in the Top 80 chart of national monthly radio airplay after only two weeks of nationwide airplay. The song is in the Top 5 New Releases at 14 stations and is the #3 Pick Hit at six stations.
“I have believed in this song from the moment I heard Goodman Revival’s new rendition of it,” stated radio promoter Les Butler, of Family Music Group. “…and I am not alone in my enthusiasm! Programmers across the country have been excited to have music from this trio, and I am thrilled with the early numbers we are seeing surrounding this single. I’ve heard the smiles in their voices as they talked about how happy they were to add Goodman Revival to their playlists.”
Songs in the Key of Happy finds Goodman Revival, of Smyrna, TN, paying homage to the music they grew up singing and hearing. The trio consists of Tanya Goodman Sykes, Michael Sykes and Johnny Minick, each of whom are seasoned Christian music veterans and past members of the legendary Happy Goodman Family singing group. This recording debut finds these familiar faces capturing the musical styles and heritage that have endeared them to countless people around the world for several decades.
Produced by Sykes and Minick, the new release features gospel classics such as “I Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey,” “This Is Just What Heaven Means to Me,” “Look for Me,” “I Hold a Clear Title to a Mansion,” “Eyes of Jesus,” “Until You’ve Known the Love,” “Who Am I” and other fan favorites as well as an all-new song, “Settle the Score,” penned by Minick featuring that “Goodman three-quarter time.”“Johnny has the entire discography,” explains Goodman Sykes. “We sat down together and kept refining the list of songs. Each of us had our favorites, and we finally whittled the list down to 13 songs.”“As a producer, I think I brought more of the ‘current feel’ stylistically to the recording,” recalls Sykes. “Johnny keeps the old school style real, and he’s a big part of the DNA of who we are.”Minick agrees, “There is a strong balance here. Michael makes you want to do things. I think I sang things I might not have wanted to sing, and it worked. Michael brings energy to what we do. We have a lot of fun.”
The energy and passion the members of Goodman Revival bring to these timeless songs are readily evident on the DVD that was filmed before an enthusiastic audience at Gaither Studios in Alexandria, Indiana. In addition to the LIVE performance, the trio sat down with the video’s host and their longtime friend Bill Gaither for a behind-the-scenes look at the new recording and the Goodman Family legacy.
The trio was joined by a few special friends for the video’s performances. “The Gaither Vocal Band did a couple songs, and our great friend and super cheerleader Russ Taff joined us on ‘The Sweetest Song I Know.’ He rocked it down to the ground,” says Goodman Sykes. “It was awesome. He is a dynamo. That was a lot of fun.”
The new releases are currently airing as part of a tv campaign on DISH TV, DIRECTV, AT&T Uverse, GaitherTV, TBN, FamilyNet, CTN, GMTN, Guardian, Liberty, RFD, TCT and TLN. The campaign is airing in Canada on Vision TV, The Miracle Channel, Grace TV and CTS. The group has received glowing album reviews and has been featured on Sirius-XM Satellite Radio’s enLighten Channel and in HOMECOMING Magazine. Goodman Revival will appear on the Gaither Vocal Band’s upcoming DVD Sometimes It Takes a Mountain (Gaither Music Group).
The Songs in the Key of Happy CD and DVD are exclusively distributed by Capitol Christian Distribution, and they are available throughout general market stores and the Christian marketplace in addition to online retailers including iTunes, Amazon and www.gaither.com.

To view a preview of the Songs in the Key of Happy DVD, visit:
http://youtu.be/yNnXUAYumyg?list=UUL7aOpP89MGVXrPu7PzhhpwFor further information, visit the group’s newly launched website www.goodmanrevival.com or connect at facebook.com/GoodmanRevival or on Twitter: @GoodmanRevival.

GOODMAN REVIVAL: Singing in the Key of Happy

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—October 9, 2014—Gaither Music Group is excited to announce a partnership with newly formed trio Goodman Revival, of Smyrna, TN. Tanya Goodman Sykes, Michael Sykes and Johnny Minick, each of whom are seasoned Christian music veterans, have joined together to perform and record as a trio, capturing the musical styles and heritage that have endeared them to countless people around the world.

“This music has become the fabric of our lives,” describes Goodman Sykes.  “The legacy of my family has contributed to each of us. They were our mentors. They taught us to not do what everyone else does…but to be true to what you are. So we chose the songs we loved and put our fingerprints on them.  If we can honor our roots and sing with the same spirit that inspired us, we will feel accomplished.”

Accomplishments are nothing new to this team of veteran singers and musicians.  After singing with her family, including her father, Rusty Goodman, as a teenager, Tanya performed solo concerts and toured with Michael whom she had met and married while traveling.  Amidst becoming a mother to two daughters, she found time to be a member of the trio Heirloom, record a GRAMMY® Award-winning album of lullabies for children, sing on numerous recordings as a Nashville studio singer and become a featured soloist in Nashville’s Christ Church Choir.

Before playing piano on the road with The Goodmans, Michael toured with artists including the Hemphills, Ponder, Sykes & Wright, Sammy Hall and Willie Wynn and the Tennesseans. He then began working as a producer where he blossomed, shaping the recordings and careers of artists including the Gaither Vocal Band, The Martins, The Oak Ridge Boys, J.D. Sumner & The Stamps, The Imperials, Dottie Rambo, Russ Taff and Michael Englishamong others.

On the road since the age of 17, Minick performed with The Happy Goodman Family in the mid-‘70s as a piano player before starting his own family group.  In 1996, he rejoined The Goodmans, forming a trio with Howard and Vestal Goodman.  The three of them toured together for five years, recorded several projects and appeared regularly on the Gaither Homecoming events. In addition to his singing career, in 1993, Minick started River of Life Church, in Smyrna, TN, which he still pastors today.

“Singing with Goodman Revival feels like more of a gift than anything,” explains Minick.  “God has given us something with this. We love what we do, and we spend a lot of time laughing!”

“There is a trust between us,” says Goodman Sykes.  “Friendship is at the core of what we are doing, and we have a wealth of shared experience, growing up in church all the time and having this music as such a big part of our lives.  We are taking things a day at a time, walking through doors as they open and enjoying this adventure.”

Part of that adventure has resulted in their debut recording, Songs in the Key of Happy(Gaither Music Group), which is scheduled to release in January of 2015, along with a companion live performance video hosted by Bill Gaither.

“We are all ‘family,’ so we have a good time,” explains Sykes.  “Our time together in the studio, well, I can hardly talk about it.  It’s real.  I didn’t expect to feel this. It just feels right.”

The Songs in the Key of Happy CD and DVD will be exclusively distributed by Capitol Christian Distribution and will be available throughout general market stores and the Christian marketplace in addition to online retailers including iTunes, Amazonand www.gaither.com.

For further information, connect at facebook.com/GoodmanRevival or on Twitter:@GoodmanRevival.

MATTHEW HAGEE EMBRACES A NEW SEASON MARCH 18

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Leading pastor, author and recording artist Matthew Hagee takes center stage for A New Season, his March 18 Difference Media/Capitol Christian Distribution solo debut. Produced by Michael Sykes (Oak Ridge Boys, Gaither Vocal Band), the project features 11 Inspirationally-focused country selections.

Highlights of A New Season include the debut single, “I Don’t Want To Get Adjusted”; the Hagee co-penned songs “This Ain’t Nothin’” and “My Nomination”; and “That’s Jesus,” which was co-written by Hagee’s father, internationally-renowned evangelist Pastor John Hagee. The project also showcases a new arrangement of the beloved classic “The Day He Wore My Crown,” featuring guest contributions from Larry Stewart and David Innis of legendary country group Restless Heart.

“I constantly am trying to encourage people that God is a God of new beginnings and second chances,” Hagee says of the project’s theme. “Regardless of what they’ve gone through, if they’re breathing, God’s got better things in store. It’s a new season. There’s something better waiting for everybody.”

Executive pastor of the 20,000-member Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he preaches alongside his father, Matthew Hagee is the author of Shaken, Not Shattered (Charisma House). A husband and father of four, Hagee is a member of the Dove Award-winning Southern Gospel quartet Canton Junction and also records and tours with his family’s vocal group, The Hagees.

Difference Media is a division of Cornerstone Church, founded and pastored by John Hagee. The label features some of the leading names in Gospel music, including Aaron & Amanda Crabb, Canton Junction, Matthew Hagee, Tim Duncan, The Cornerstone Sanctuary Choir, John Hagee and The Hagees. A non-denominational evangelical church, Cornerstone Church is home to John Hagee Ministries, which telecasts Pastor Hagee’s radio and television teachings throughout America and in more than 190 countries around the globe. The ministry also operates GETV, a 24/7 online television and video on-demand broadcast of sermons and original programming, as well as music videos and performances by Difference Media artists.

A New Season, distributed by Capitol Christian Distribution, will be available March 18.

For further information, visit differencemedia.org or turningpointpr.com.

THE HAGEES’ "CHRISTMAS" HERALDS RENOWNED GROUP’S HOLIDAY DEBUT

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—"Christmas", the holiday debut from one of Gospel music’s most renowned family groups, The Hagees, is now available from Difference Media/Capitol Christian Distribution.
Produced by Michael Sykes (Oak Ridge Boys, Gaither Vocal Band) and Aaron Crabb (Aaron & Amanda Crabb, Canton Junction), Christmas is comprised of 13 sacred, nostalgic and original selections, including “Silent Night,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” and “The Christmas Song,” among others.
The project’s debut single, “Glory To God,” is an original track penned by Pastor Matthew Hagee and Aaron Wilburn. Inspired by the angels’ proclamation of the birth of Christ to the shepherds, the song represents a timeless theme The Hagees reflect throughout the album.
“The first Christmas morning in Bethlehem’s manger was the birth of Hope itself for a world enslaved by the power of sin,” says Pastor Matthew Hagee. “The birth of Jesus Christ brought spiritual and civil liberty to all the world.”
A highlight of Christmas is The Hagees’ rendition of the timeless classic “O Holy Night,” featuring group founder and family patriarch Pastor John Hagee. “Having the opportunity to sing anything with him becomes a moment, because my father grew up singing with his parents,” adds Pastor Matthew Hagee.
Christmas also includes the modern favorite “A Baby Changes Everything,” sung by Sandy Parker. “I was actually pregnant and nobody knew but my husband and me,” Parker shares of her first performance of the song several years ago. “It was super emotional for me, and as a result, when I sang it, I had that breaking moment where you don’t know if you’re singing or crying.”
In promotion of Christmas, Pastor John Hagee will be featured Thanksgiving Day on “The Mike Huckabee Show,” broadcast on more than 200 radio stations in 44 states via Cumulus Media Networks. Hagee’s interview is slated to air at approximately 2:30 pm ET.
Comprised of Pastor John Hagee, his son Pastor Matthew Hagee, and daughters Sandy Parker and Tina Ketterling, The Hagees’ storied Southern Gospel career has spanned more than two decades, boasting multiple acclaimed recordings and appearances around the globe.
A world-renowned evangelist and best-selling author, Pastor John Hagee is founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas. A non-denominational evangelical church with more than 20,000 active members, Cornerstone is home to John Hagee Ministries, which telecasts Pastor Hagee’s radio and television teachings throughout America and to 245 countries around the globe. The ministry also operates GETV, a 24/7 online television and video on-demand broadcast of sermons and original programming (getv.org).

Difference Media, a division of Cornerstone Church, features some of the leading names in Gospel music, including Aaron & Amanda Crabb, Canton Junction, Matthew Hagee, Tim Duncan, The Cornerstone Sanctuary Choir, John Hagee and The Hagees.

For further information on The Hagees, visitdifferencemedia.org or turningpointpr.com.

THE HAGEES CHRISTMAS AVAILABLE NOW!

Difference Media Presents First Christmas Album From The Hagees

(Nashville, Tenn.) November 8nd, 2012 — Proud to present its first-ever Christmas project for The Hagees and Difference Media,The Hagees Christmas is a project that has something for everyone this holiday season. Produced by Michael Sykes, with additional production by Aaron Crabb, the project includes 13 tracks made up of traditional Christmas hymns like "Silent Night," and "O Holy Night," while also featuring classic treasures such as "The Christmas Song," "Silver Bells," and "White Christmas," among others. Matthew Hagee and Aaron Wilburn collaborated to write an original tune on the project, "Glory To God," while a beautiful rendition of "A Baby Changes Everything" is sure to be a standout and will be at radio during the Christmas season.

The Hagees have filmed a Christmas special, which will air at the end of November, and are currently in preparation for their 2013 release.

TRACK LISTING:

Let It Snow
O Holy Night
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Blue Christmas
Glory To God
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Winter Wonderland
Silver Bells
Silent Night
White Christmas
I'll Be Home For Christmas
The Christmas Song
A Baby Changes Everything
For more information on Difference Media, visit these sites: www.DifferenceMedia.org, www.FB.com/DifferenceMediaGroup, and Twitter @DifferenceMedia.

Stay up to date with The Hagees and all of Difference Media by signing up for the e-mail newsletter at www.DifferenceMedia.org

Christmas is available online at www.jhm.org, iTunes, Amazon, everywhere music is sold or via phone at 1-800-854-9899.

The Hoppers Release Count Me In

(Nashville, TN – October 22, 2012) – One of Gospel music’s most awarded and acclaimed family groups The Hoppers are excited to release their all-new studio recording, Count Me In, today October 23. Family members Kim, Dean, Connie, Claude and Michael Hopper joined hands with industry veteran producer Michael Sykes, along with co-production from Kim and Mike, to bring this collection of songs to life.

“Michael Sykes took us under his wing and revived a bit of old-school soul in all of us,” described Connie. “You can hear the emotion and conviction in our wavering voices throughout this album, and we intentionally didn't edit any of that emotion out. We set a path for ourselves, musically, to simply do something different...something that hopefully makes you feel God's Spirit.”

“We discovered we didn't have to go about this in the standard ‘ABC recording fashion,’” explained Kim. “Instead, we dove head first into recording vocals with only a click track, later adding the instrumentation and definitive melody around our voices. This is contrary to what we normally do, and it gave such a freedom in tracking! We were able to do so much more with the emotion of each song.”

That passion is evident on Count Me In, complete with lush orchestration and unmistakable, seamless harmonies. The release features stirring power ballads, for which the group has long been known, with new offerings such as “He Didn’t Just Carry the Cross He Carried Me” and “I Am Whatever You Need.” For Hoppers’ fans whose favorite tunes are the group’s contagious upbeat melodies, the new release includes “Mighty Is the Word,” “I’ll Take You Home” and the title cut and first radio single “Count Me In,” currently climbing the airplay charts.

From catchy choruses to reflective strains, the recording captures some special moments for the avid Gospel music fan with a cover of the Bill and Gloria Gaither classics “I Just Feel Like Something Good Is About to Happen” and “I Will Serve Thee,” an easygoing version of “If I Can Help Somebody” and a re-make of the thought-provoking ballad “I Wish We’d All Been Ready,” which finds Connie delivering a heartfelt, earnest vocal alongside the family’s signature blends and emotional interpretations.

“We've found that what you sing doesn't just have to line up with what you believe, it has to be your burden- your heart- as you sing it,” stated Dean. “The Hoppers have definitely evolved musically over the past 55 years, but so has circumstance. Count Me In is our representation of where we are now with a nod to where we've been and, most importantly, where we are going. This album is such a monumental thing for us.”

The Hoppers are recent inductees into the Gospel Music Association’s (GMA’s) Hall of Fame, and they have just returned from The Singing News Fan Awards where Kim was awarded Favorite Soprano and Favorite Female Singer only a couple of weeks after being named Favorite Soprano at the first annual National Quartet Convention (NQC) Awards, held in Louisville, Ky.

The group enjoyed recent success with the release The Gaither Gospel Series: The Best of The Hoppers (Gaither Music Group). The DVD soared to #2 on Billboard’s video chart while the CD entered the Billboard Heatseeker chart at #4. Additionally, the CD entered the Nielsen SoundScan southern gospel chart at #1 and the Contemporary Christian chart at #10.

The Hoppers maintain a heavy touring schedule, performing on the Gaither Homecoming video series, at the National Quartet Convention, at the Great Western Gospel Music Fan Festival, at the Cove and at Singing in the Sun in addition to around 150 solo dates annually.

Count Me In, distributed exclusively through EMI CMG Distribution, is available at online outlets, including iTunes. It is also be available in retail stores where Christian music is sold. For further information regarding The Hoppers, please visit www.thehoppers.com.

Please visit www.Facebook.com/TheHoppersOfficial to view special behind-the-scenes videos from The Hoppers’ time in the studio, or visit them on Twitter: @CDeanHopper, and @HoppersMusic.

Track Listing:

Mighty Is the Word
That’s What I Love About Him
I’ll Take You Home
He Didn’t Just Carry the Cross He Carried Me
I Just Feel Like Something Good Is About to Happen
If I Can Help Somebody
Count Me In
I’ll Worship Only at the Feet of Jesus
I Am Whatever You Need
I Will Serve Thee
I Wish We’d All Been Ready

CANTON JUNCTION DEBUT CD RELEASE AVAILABLE NOW!

NASHVILLE, TN (September 4, 2012) – DIFFERENCE MEDIA is excited to announce that the highly anticipated self-titled debut CD of CANTON JUNCTION is now available! The quartet, consisting of Aaron Crabb, Tim Duncan, Matthew Hagee and Michael Sykes celebrated the release on a live telecast of CELEBRATION with MARCUS & JONI LAMB on DAYSTAR TELEVISION NETWORK on release day, September 4, 2012.

The group’s name, Canton Junction, “where good things come together” literally means: the crossroads of different subjects or regions into one gathering point. That definition perfectly describes exactly what happened when these four musical forces collided. Aaron Crabb, Tim Duncan, Matthew Hagee and Michael Sykes are four very different individuals who came from varying musical backgrounds and geographic locations, yet the moment they began singing together they stood on common ground.

The debut release is a two-disc set featuring twenty tracks of both new and classic material and is also representative of many roads merging into one. The influences you will hear range from timeless hymns to contemporary tunes ... from southern gospel to big band. Among the group’s repertoire are time-tested songs of the church, fresh new songs written out of their own experiences, as well as songs you may have heard, but not like this.

Canton Junction started somewhat spontaneously, in preparation for special music at Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas. But after that first Sunday morning performance and the subsequent television broadcast, the response they received was overwhelming. After years of making music individually, these four men knew the harmony they had experienced – literally and figuratively - was out of the ordinary. They had to keep singing.

The two-disc set is available now at all retail outlets and online digitally. Additionally, it is available at www.JHM.org by clicking here.
Connect with Canton Junction by following them on Twitter @CantonJunction or liking them at http://www.facebook.com/CantonJunctionMusic. For more information about Difference Media, visit www.DifferenceMedia.org.

Canton Junction at the Jordon River Canton Junction Sings On The Banks Of The Jordon River

NASHVILLE, TENN. (April 5, 2012) - Canton Junction, the brand-new quartet consisting of Matthew Hagee, Aaron Crabb, Michael Sykes and Tim Duncan, recently returned from an amazing trip to Israel. The group performed at the Jordon River, in Jerusalem, and prior to a speech from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Members Aaron Crabb and Tim Duncan were moved and shared their thoughts. “There’s something very special about touring Israel," commented Aaron Crabb. "It doesn’t feel like just a place to visit. It feels more like home!” Bass singer Tim Duncan shared, “It stirred a hunger inside of me that makes me want to experience more of God.”
Canton Junction records for Difference Media Group based in San Antonio, TX .Difference Media Group, led by Vice President and producer Michael Sykes, was formed by Matthew Hagee to reach the world through the powerful message of gospel music.
Connect with Difference Media on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DifferenceMediaGroup.