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| Light Records | |
|---|---|
| Parent company | MNRK Music Group |
| Founded | 1966 |
| Founder | Ralph Carmichael |
| Genre | Gospel |
| Country of origin | U.S. |
Light Records is a gospel record label founded in 1966 by Ralph Carmichael, as a joint venture with the Waco, Texas-based Word Records. It is a subsidiary of the MNRK Music Group.
Light Records' first roster included Ralph Carmichael, the Carmichael Young People, Ralph Carmichael's 102 Strings recordings, and Ralph's daughter Kim (Carol) Carmichael. Other artists included Jimmy Durante and Thurl Ravenscroft (the voice of Tony the Tiger in cereal commercials). Light moved into Gospel music quickly, with the 1968 signing of future Grammy-winners Andrae Crouch & the Disciples and The Oral Roberts Singers, featuring Richard Roberts (evangelist) who had a hit with their opening theme Something Good Is Going to Happen to You and closing theme A God of Miracles for The Oral Roberts Hour.
Soon other gospel artists, including Kristle Murden, The Archers, The Winans, Walter Hawkins, Tramaine Hawkins and Bob Bailey joined the roster. [1] For a time, Light was also home to contemporary Christian artists such as Sweet Comfort Band, Reba Rambo-McGuire, Jamie Owens, Carman and Paul Porter.
The label gained a reputation for pushing the boundaries of gospel music at this time by employing people like famed A&R executive Bill Maxwell with a pedigree in secular rock. He and several other associates were in support of the sound of gospel progressing beyond that presented by the traditional church as long as the lyrics remained Christian. [2] Carmichael bought out Word's portion of Light/Lexicon in 1980, after ABC/CapCities had purchased Word in 1974. The Christian indie label struck a deal with Elektra Records to aid in distribution circa 1982. [3]
Light was later purchased by Platinum Entertainment in 1993. After Platinum filed bankruptcy in 2001, it was renamed Compendia Music Group, and the Light label continued as an urban-gospel label. Compendia was purchased by Sheridan Square Entertainment in 2004. [4]
In a 2002 interview, Phillip White, then-vice president of Light Records highlighted the history and significance of the label: "Light Records was simply a renaissance of creativity. It heralded a step taken in gospel that has never happened since, in terms of innovation, in terms of music that became more relevant and more accessible. Light Records released music that crossed outside the church and crossed racial boundaries." [1]
As of April 2010, Light Records was owned by Entertainment One. [5] Executive James Robinson ushered in a new era of gospel artists at Light Records circa 2010. [6] After developing artists such as Youthful Praise featuring J.J. Hairston, Robinson was instrumental in supporting significant new releases from Shirley Caesar, Dorinda Clark Cole, Jonathan McReynolds, Dawkins & Dawkins, as well as Destiny's Child member Michelle Williams. [7]
Savoy Records is an American record company and label established by Herman Lubinsky in 1942 in Newark, New Jersey. Savoy specialized in jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel music.
Word Records is a Christian faith-based entertainment company based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is owned by Curb Records, and is a part of Word Entertainment. It is distributed by Warner Records.
Word Entertainment is a Christian faith-based entertainment company based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is owned by Curb Records. Word Entertainment represents Francesca Battistelli, for King & Country, Switchfoot, Skillet, Sidewalk Prophets, Chris August, Big Daddy Weave, in addition to many others, and is home to Word Distribution, 25 Live, Word Music Publishing and Word Label Group's Word Records and Fervent Records.
Priscilla Marie Winans Love, known professionally as CeCe Winans, is an American gospel singer, the best-selling and most awarded female gospel singer of all time. She has garnerned 15 Grammy Awards, the most for any female gospel singer; 31 GMA Dove Awards, 17 Stellar Awards, 7 NAACP Image Awards, 1 Billboard Music Award along with many other awards and honors to her credit including being one of the inaugural inductees into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Music City Walk of Fame.
Tramaine Aunzola Richardson, known professionally as Tramaine Hawkins, is an American award-winning Gospel singer whose career spans over five decades. Since beginning her career in 1966, Hawkins has won two Grammy Awards, two Doves, and 19 Stellar Awards.
Donald Andrew McClurkin Jr. is an American gospel singer and minister. He has won three Grammy Awards, ten Stellar Awards, two BET Awards, two Soul Train Awards, one Dove Award and one NAACP Image Awards. He is one of the top selling gospel artists, selling over 13 million albums. Variety dubbed McClurkin as a "Reigning King of Urban Gospel".
Heart Warming was a gospel record label started by John T. Benson Jr. Heart Warming and their chief rival Canaan Records were arguably the two biggest and best gospel labels in their time. The Oak Ridge Boys, Jd Sumner and the Stamps Quartet, Jake Hess & The Imperials, Dottie Rambo, Bill Gaither Trio and Speer Family all signed to it and had many recordings on it. The Cathedral Quartet produced two of their most popular albums on it With Brass and With Strings.
Malaco Records is an American independent record label based in Jackson, Mississippi, United States, that has been the home of various major blues and gospel acts, such as Johnnie Taylor, Bobby Bland, Mel Waiters, Z. Z. Hill, Denise LaSalle, Latimore, Dorothy Moore, Little Milton, Shirley Brown, Tyrone Davis, Marvin Sease, and the Mississippi Mass Choir. It has received an historic marker issued by the Mississippi Blues Commission to commemorate its important place on the Mississippi Blues Trail.
Ralph Carmichael was an American composer and arranger of both secular pop music and contemporary Christian music. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of contemporary Christian music.
Walter Lee Hawkins was an American gospel singer, songwriter, composer, and pastor. An influential figure in urban contemporary gospel music, his career spanned more than four decades. He was consecrated to the bishopric in 2000.
Kurt Frederic Kaiser was an American contemporary church music composer and arranger.
Gentry McCreary Sr. is a gospel music executive. He's most noted as the First African-American Executive to be employed by Word Records, Light Records and Benson Records. McCreary's achievements also include the development of his own labels, Luminar and Onyx International Records.
Pattie Howard is an American gospel and R&B Singer-Songwriter, Producer, Composer and Vocal Arranger. She is a Grammy nominated music industry veteran who has released two albums with major record labels, RCA Records and Light Records. Howard, who owns her own full service entertainment company, PH Balanced Music, is also known for singing background for many major artists including Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, Brandy, Mary J Blige, Fantasia, Queen LaTifah, Madonna, Rick Astley, Andrae Crouch, Sandra Crouch, Michael Jackson, Curtis Stiger, Lisa Stansfield, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Reba Rambo, and Diana Ross. She has dozens of gold and platinum albums to her credits encompassing artists from almost every genre. Howard landed one of her most profound gigs traveling the world with Whitney Houston from 1992 to 2001, at the height of her career, The Bodyguard Era. During the early 2000s, Howard returned to songwriting, music production, mixing, and mastering and is currently singing, composing, arranging and producing various artists/bands. In 2016 Pattie released 2 singles through her record label PH Balanced Music. "Jesus Is His Name" introduces Pattie's daughter Shekinah Nicole Howard in a contemporary gospel duet produced by Wow Jones and co produced by Pattie Howard. The second single titled "Feel Me, Heal Me" was also Produced by Wow Jones, written and arranged by Pattie Howard. Pattie Howard is featured in the Nick Broomfield Documentary Whitney Houston "Can I Be Me".
Kevin Lamar Evans is an entertainment executive. Evans was Senior Vice President/Head of Urban Music Division at RCA Records; President, Urban Music Division at All American Communications; and Head of Gospel and Urban Music A&R at A&M Records.
Reach Records is an American independent record label specializing in Christian hip hop. The label was founded in 2004 by Ben Washer and the hip-hop artist Lecrae. In addition to Lecrae, the Reach Records roster contains artists like Tedashii, Trip Lee, Andy Mineo, 1K Phew, WHATUPRG, Anike, Hulvey, Limoblaze, and Jackie Hill Perry. The hip-hop collective 116 operates under the label and consists primarily of the label's solo acts. The artists Sho Baraka, Derek Minor, Aha Gazelle, KB, and Gawvi were formerly signed to the label, and DJ Official was under the label until his death.
Ricky Rydell Dillard is an American gospel musician. He started his music career, in 1987, as a Chicago house musician. His first Christian music album was Promise, by Muscle Shoals Records. His next album, A Holy Ghost Take-Over, was released in 1993 by Malaco Records. The subsequent album, Hallelujah, was released by them in 1995. Crystal Spring Records released, 1996's Work It Out, 2000's No Limit, and Unplugged in 2004. With EMI Gospel, he released, 7th Episode, that came out in 2007. He released, Keep Living, with Light Records in 2011. His next release, Amazing, came out in 2014 with Entertainment One Music.
Dawkins & Dawkins is an American gospel music and Christian R&B duo from Davenport, Iowa. The group consist of two brothers, Anson Dawkins and Eric Dawkins.
The Williams Brothers is an American traditional black gospel music group from Jackson, Mississippi, they were formed in 1960 by Leon "Pop" Williams, who was the Williams' father, and early on the Williams' brother Frank Douglas was a member. At its inception, The group consisted of three brothers, Doug Williams, Leonard Williams, Melvin Williams, and their cousin, Henry Green and a non-family member Maurice Surrell. Later on the group would add Derrick Horne, Maulty "Tuff" Jewell IV, Pharis "June Bug" Evans Jr., Ralph Lofton Jr., and Terrell Midge Gatlin. They released 42 albums with various labels during their tenure, and 23 albums charted on the Billboard charts, mostly on the Gospel Albums chart. They have been nominated for the Grammy Award in the Best Traditional Gospel Album category at the 34th, 37th, 43rd, 47th, and the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards. In 1999, the group was inducted into the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame, which is in Detroit, Michigan.
Alexis Marie Nucklos-Allen, better known by her stage name Lexi Allen, is an American gospel singer, producer, actress, comedian, television personality, and screenwriter.
Platinum Entertainment was an American record label that operated in the 1990s.
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