UAB Gospel Choir CD, "Lessons For Life," Hits Stores Nationwide January 8

The UAB Gospel Choir, directed by Kevin Turner, has secured a national distribution deal for the choir’s second CD, “Lessons for Life.”

Posted on January 7, 2002 at 9:31 a.m.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — The UAB Gospel Choir, directed by Kevin Turner, has secured a national distribution deal for the choir’s second CD, “Lessons for Life.” The CD is scheduled to hit stores nationwide on Tuesday, January 8.

The CD was released locally in February 2001. It has already garnered acclaim from musicians, educators and gospel fans across the nation, judging from the many favorable e-mails and letters he’s received, Turner said. “We’re all very excited about the national release of the CD, and I’m very proud of the students and their work,” Turner said.

For information about the CD or to order the recording, call (205) 934-6155 or (205) 975-7421. CDs are available at local record stores, the UAB Bookstore.

Turner wrote and arranged all 13 tracks on the recording and produced the compact disc with Grammy-award winner and UAB University Professor Henry Panion III, Ph.D., on the UAB Entertainment record label. The CD was recorded at UAB Entertainment Recording Studios and the Alys Stephens Center in Birmingham. In addition, local talent is featured on the UAB Gospel Choir “Lessons For Life” CD.

The Rev. Al B. Sutton, pastor of Birmingham’s Sixth Avenue Baptist Church, is heard on “Perfect Peace.” Cynthia Bender of Faith Apostolic Church and Belinda George Peoples of New Hope Baptist Church team up on the song “Thank You.” Jeannie Jackson of the Leeds AOH Church of God is featured throughout the CD singing ballads, duets and mainstream gospel. Lynitra Eskridge of Parkhill Full Gospel Church teams up with Jeannie Jackson on Turner’s arrangement of the hymn, “There is a Fountain.” Huntsville native Carrie Davis is featured on “In the Lord’s House, On the Lord’s Day.”

Mobile native Tina Molette of Guiding Light Church is featured on “Great Change and Nothing Goes Unnoticed.” Montgomery native Jamila Jackson and Birmingham native Valerie Harris-Smith provide lead vocals on the remake of the Deborah Cox rhythm and blues tune, “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here,” now renamed “I'm Glad You Got Here.” Turner is featured on solo and duet performances.

The UAB Gospel Choir is a class in the UAB Department of Music. Its enrollment continues to grow each quarter, rising from 38 voices five years ago to an average of 130 members each quarter. The UAB Gospel Choir is open to all UAB students of all majors for credit. They perform traditional and contemporary American gospel music.

The group’s first CD, “UAB Gospel Choir - Live!” released in September 1997, was the first offering from the UAB Entertainment! record label. The CD went to No. 3 on the Canadian charts and was one of the most popular videos on Black Entertainment Television for several weeks. The UAB Gospel Choir has performed with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Daryl Coley and Lee Greenwood, and has opened for artists including Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, Karen Clark-Sheard and Dottie Peoples.

Visit the UAB Department of Music’s Web site at www.music.uab.edu.