Saints Unified Voices

Last updated
Saints Unified Voices
Choir
Founded2002 (20 years ago)
Founder Gladys Knight
Genre Gospel
Members100
Music directorGladys Knight
Headquarters Henderson, Nevada
United States
Associated groups Gladys Knight
Awards2005 Grammy Award for "Best Gospel Album"

Saints Unified Voices is a Grammy Award-winning American gospel music choir based in the Las Vegas Valley of Southern Nevada. The Saints Unified Voices Foundation, the governing organization of the choir, is directed by a board of directors, which includes Gladys Knight. The choir is affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Contents

Early years

In the Spring of 2001, Gladys Knight put together a small singing group to perform with her at Women's Conference at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Later, Sullivan Richardson asked her to form a choir to perform at a special fireside event back home in Henderson, Nevada. [1] Vocalists came from as far away as Los Angeles to audition for the choir and members of the choir even travel from Utah for practices. [2]

In 2003, the choir was invited to perform at Salt Lake Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah as part of the anniversary celebration of the priesthood being available to all worthy men. [3]

Recordings

One Voice

The choir released a CD, One Voice, on January 4, 2005. In the first week, the album soared to Billboard's #1 on the Hot Shot Debut, while it simultaneously shot to the #1 Gospel Album and #2 Inspirational Album on iTunes. It remained in the top 40 on Billboard′s Gospel charts for 48 weeks. [4]

Track Listings

  1. One Voice (Interlude) - Gladys Knight, written by Matthew Pittman
  2. Over My Head - Gladys Knight
  3. Come, Come, Ye Saints - Gladys Knight, written by William Clayton
  4. Love One Another - Gladys Knight, written by Luacine Clark Fox
  5. Pass Me Not - Gladys Knight
  6. Right Here Waiting - (Damon Andelin and J. Johnigan) written by BeBe Winans
  7. Prayer - Gladys Knight, written by Mauli B
  8. Did You Know - Gladys Knight and John Fluker, written by BeBe Winans
  9. I Am a Child of God - Gladys Knight, lyrics written by Naomi W. Randall
  10. Jesu Me Kanaka Waiwai - (Joe Apo soloist)
  11. Blessed Assurance - Gladys Knight
  12. He Shines on Me - (Kelly Eisenhour soloist), written by John Fluker and Kelly Eisenhour
  13. Uphold Me - (Whitney Te'o soloist) written by Fred Manns
  14. He's Worthy - (John Fluker soloist)
  15. He Lives - Gladys Knight

A Christmas Celebration

The 100-voice choir released its second album A Christmas Celebration in October 2006.
Track Listings

  1. Introduction/Opening - Gladys Knight
  2. Breath of Heaven - (Kenya Jackson soloist), written by Chris Eaton
  3. Silent Night/O Holy Night - Gladys Knight, written by Joseph Mohr
  4. I Wonder as I Wander - (Heather Goedel soloist), written by John Jacob Niles
  5. We Three Kings - (Jay Young soloist), written by John H. Hopkins Jr.
  6. Little Drummer Boy - Gladys Knight, written by Katherine Davis
  7. Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful - (Rashida Jordan soloist), written by John Francis Wade
  8. Jesus, Oh, What a Wonderful Child-(Quartet) Gladys Knight, Damon Andelin, Whitney Te'o, Rashida Jordan, & the incomparable SUV BASE section
  9. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) - (Whitney Te'o soloist), written by Mel Torme
  10. White Christmas - Gladys Knight, written by Irving Berlin
  11. Winter Wonderland/Jingle Bells - Gladys Knight, written by Richard B. Smith
  12. The Lord's Prayer - (Damon Andelin soloist)

Live performances

The choir presents its program "One Voice: An Evening of Music & Testimony" at stake centers and other buildings owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across the US, and has traveled as far as England and Hawaii to share the gospel through music and song. [4] [5]

Awards and certifications

Shortly after learning that her choir had been nominated for a Grammy Award, [6] Gladys Knight said: "A Grammy nomination is always an honor, but this means even more to me because I share it with my choir. We worked hard making this album for the Lord. It's wonderful that it also pleases the music industry." [4] On February 8, 2006, it was announced that the album One Voice won the 2005 Grammy Award for Best Gospel Choir Or Chorus Album as part of the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tabernacle Choir</span> American choir

TheTabernacle Choir at Temple Square, formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, is an American choir, acting as part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It has performed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle for over 100 years. The Tabernacle houses an organ, consisting of 11,623 pipes, which usually accompanies the choir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gladys Knight</span> American singer (born 1944)

Gladys Maria Knight, known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys Knight & the Pips, which included her brother Merald "Bubba" Knight and cousins William Guest and Edward Patten.

The 16th Annual Grammy Awards were held March 2, 1974, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1973.

The 28th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 25, 1986, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year, 1985. The night's big winner was USA For Africa's "We Are The World", which won four awards, including Song of the Year which went to Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie. It marked the first time in their respective careers that they received the Song of the Year Award. For Richie, it was his sixth attempt in eight years. The other three awards for the latter single were given to the song's producer, Quincy Jones.

The 36th Annual Grammy Awards were held on March 1, 1994. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Whitney Houston was the Big Winner winning 3 awards including Record of the Year and Album of the Year while opening the show with "I Will Always Love You".

The 39th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 26, 1997, at Madison Square Garden, New York City. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Babyface was the night's biggest winner, with 3 awards. Celine Dion, Toni Braxton, Sheryl Crow, and The Fugees won two awards. Celine Dion for "Best Pop Album" and "Album of the Year" and Toni Braxton for "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" and "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance". The show was hosted by Ellen Degeneres who also performed the opening with Shawn Colvin, Bonnie Rait, and Chaka Khan.

The 31st Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 22, 1989, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.

The 29th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 24, 1987, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.

The 30th Annual Grammy Awards were held March 2, 1988, at Radio City Music Hall, New York City. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.

The Winans family is a U.S. family of gospel music artists from Detroit, Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Cleveland</span> American musician

James Edward Cleveland was an American gospel singer, musician, and composer. Known as the King of Gospel, Cleveland was a driving force behind the creation of the modern gospel sound by incorporating traditional black gospel, soul, pop, and jazz in arrangements for mass choirs. Throughout his career, Cleveland appeared on hundreds of recordings and earned four Grammy Awards. He was the first gospel musician to earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1984. For his trailblazing accomplishments, he is regarded by many as one of the greatest gospel singers who ever lived. His best known recordings include "Lord, Help Me to Hold Out", "Peace Be Still", "I Don't Feel No Ways Tired", “Where Is Your Faith", "The Love of God", "God Has Smiled on Me", and "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BeBe & CeCe Winans</span> American gospel music duo

BeBe & CeCe Winans are an American gospel music brother and sister duo. BeBe and CeCe Winans are the seventh and eighth of the Winans family's ten children, most of whom have had gospel music careers. Together, they have received several awards, including three Grammys.

Music has had a long history in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, from the days in Kirtland, Nauvoo, and the settlement of the West, to the present day. In the early days of the Church, stripped-down Latter-Day Saint folk music, which could be sung without accompaniment due to the lack of instruments in Utah, was popular. In the 19th century, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was created and began touring, while musicians began writing devotional and praise music with a Latter-Day Saint influence, paralleling the success of Christian Contemporary Music. Several organizations have existed and do exist to promote these artists, such as Deseret Book and the now-defunct Faith-centered Music Association. Starting in the late 20th century and to the present day, Latter-Day Saints have been increasingly involved in modern popular music in America and elsewhere in the World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenny Oaks Baker</span> American violinist

Jenny Oaks Baker is a Grammy nominated American violinist and former member of the National Symphony Orchestra. She has released eighteen studio albums, several of which have topped or nearly topped Billboard charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vickie Winans</span> American gospel singer

Vickie Winans is an American gospel singer.

Kelly Eisenhour is a jazz vocalist. Her album Seek and Find which also featured Bob Mintzer went high on the jazz charts. She has also co-operated in productions with Gladys Knight, such as the 2006 Grammy award-winning One Voice. She has also toured as guest soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by Keith Lockhart.

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".

Kristle Murden, also known as Kristle Edwards, is an American singer-songwriter, musician, music producer, author and ordained minister. Murden is the soloist on the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King. She made her professional debut in 1979 singing the duet "I'll Be Thinking of You" with Andraé Crouch, for which Stevie Wonder played harmonica. She signed as a solo artist with Light Records, also in 1979. She was nominated for two Grammy awards: her solo album I Can't Let Go was nominated in 1980, and in 1984, she was nominated for her solo vocal performance for "Jesus Come Lay Your Head on Me" from Andraé Crouch's No Time to Lose album. In 1981 she was nominated for a Dove Award for her I Can't Let Go album in the category of Best Soul Black Gospel album.

<i>A Christmas Celebration</i> (Gladys Knight album) 2006 studio album by Gladys Knight

A Christmas Celebration is a studio album by American singer Gladys Knight along with the Saints Unified Voices music choir. It was released by Many Roads Records on October 3, 2006 in the United States.

<i>One Voice</i> (Gladys Knight album) 2005 studio album by Gladys Knight

One Voice is a studio album by American singer Gladys Knight along with the Saints Unified Voices music choir. It was released by Many Roads Records on January 4, 2005 in the United States. Aat the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, the album became the last recipient of the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Choir or Chorus Album.

References

  1. Osborn, Cheryl Stewart (9 Feb 2006). "Gladys Knight and the Saints Unified Voices Choir". LDS Living . Salt Lake City: Deseret Book . Retrieved 5 Dec 2016.
  2. Wadley, Carma (27 Mar 2005). "3 Utahns go distance for Knight's choir". Deseret News . Salt Lake City: Deseret Digital Media . Retrieved 6 Dec 2016.
  3. Osborn, Cheryl Stewart (9 Jun 2005). "Gladys Knight, Sharing the Gospel with Music". Meridian Magazine . Scot and Maurine Proctor. Archived from the original on 6 February 2010. Retrieved 6 Dec 2016 via web.archive.org.
  4. 1 2 3 Osborn, Cheryl Stewart (20 Dec 2005). "Grammy Nomination Gratifies "One Voice" Choir". Meridian Magazine . Scot and Maurine Proctor. Archived from the original on 2 February 2010. Retrieved 6 Dec 2016 via web.archive.org.
  5. Jenkins, Colette M. (27 Sep 2014). "Gladys Knight uses her voice to evangelize for the Mormon Church". Akron Beacon Journal . Akron, Ohio: Black Press . Retrieved 6 Dec 2016.
  6. "The 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards Roundup: Gospel Field". grammy.com. Santa Monica, California: The Recording Academy. 30 Jan 2006. Retrieved 6 Dec 2016.
  7. "48th Annual Grammy Awards Winners List". grammy.com. Santa Monica, California: The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on 9 February 2006. Retrieved 6 Dec 2016 via web.archive.org.