Rev. W.R. "Smokie" Norful, Jr. is an American gospel singer and pianist, best known for his 2002 album, I Need You Now and his 2004 release, Nothing Without You, which won a Grammy at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album in 2004. Norful received his second Grammy in 2015 at the 57th Annual Grammy awards for his song "No Greater Love", ten years after winning his first.
Vanessa Bell Armstrong is an American gospel singer who released her debut album Peace Be Still in 1983. Armstrong is a seven-time Grammy Award nominee, Stellar Award winner, and a Soul Train Award winner. She has worked with many in the industry such as, Mattie Moss Clark, Daryl Coley, The Clark Sisters, Rance Allen, James Cleveland, and a host of others. The Detroit native also has an honorary doctorate degree in theology from Next Dimension University, received at the West Angeles Cathedral in Los Angeles in 2017.
Thomas Anthony Whitfield was an American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, pianist, choir director and producer best known for helping to shape the fabric of contemporary gospel music with his elaborate choral arrangements and the merging of musical styles ranging from jazz to classical into traditional gospel foundations. This style earned him the respectable title of "Maestro" by many of his colleagues and supporters. He was best known for organizing one of the popular contemporary gospel choirs of all time, the Thomas Whitfield Company, and for producing best-selling records for Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Shirley Caesar, Yolanda Adams, Douglas Miller, Keith Pringle, Paul Morton and for Aretha Franklin.
Asaph Alexander Ward is an American gospel music record producer.
WOW Gospel 2003 is a gospel music compilation album from the WOW series. Released February 4, 2003, it includes a total of thirty-three songs on two CDs. The album reached 29 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2003, and hit number one on the Top Gospel Albums chart in 2004.
WOW Gospel 2004 is a gospel music compilation album from the WOW series. Released January 27, 2004, it includes thirty songs on a double CD album. It reached number 27 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2004, and hit number one on the Top Gospel Albums chart that year and also in 2006; it made number 19 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in 2004. The album cover pays tribute to Houston, Texas.
WOW Gospel 2005 is a double CD gospel music compilation album in the WOW series. Released on January 25, 2005, it has thirty-one tracks. The album cover pays tribute to Washington, D.C.
WOW Gospel 2006 is a gospel music compilation album from the WOW series. Released on January 31, 2006, it comprises thirty-two songs on a double disc album. The release reached 20 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2006, the highest peak of any of the WOW Gospel series thus far, and made number one on the Top Gospel Albums chart. The album cover pays tribute to Chicago, Illinois.
WOW Gospel 2007 is a gospel music compilation album from the WOW series. Released January 30, 2007, it showcases thirty-one contemporary Gospel songs on a double CD set. It reached 21 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2007, and made number one on the Top Gospel Albums chart. The album cover pays tribute to Atlanta, Georgia.
WOW Gospel 2008 is a gospel music compilation album in the WOW series. Released on February 12, 2008, it comprises thirty-three songs on a double CD set. It reached 34 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2008, and number one on the Top Gospel Albums chart. The album cover pays tribute to Dallas, Texas.
WOW Gospel #1s included thirty of the number one gospel songs from the past decade on a double CD album. The tracks in this collection have all previously appeared on the annual WOW Gospel compilations. Although not critically well received it still reached number #74 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2007.
WOW Gospel Christmas includes thirty songs on a double CD album. In 2007 it reached #78 on the Billboard 200 chart, took first place on the Top Gospel Albums chart, and 20th spot on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In 2008 it reached 24th spot on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
WOW Gospel 2009 is a gospel music compilation album from the WOW series. Released on January 27, 2009, it includes thirty songs and two bonus tracks on a double album. It reached number 27 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2009, and number one on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart. The album cover pays tribute to the United States of America, particularly with the 2008 election and 2009 inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama.
WOW Gospel 2010 is a gospel music compilation album from the WOW series. It was released on January 26, 2010, and features thirty gospel hits on a double CD set. The album cover pays tribute to Detroit, Michigan. The album held number one position for several weeks on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart, and reached number 40 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2010.
Smokie Norful Live is a live album from Contemporary Gospel singer Smokie Norful. The album was released on April 7, 2009, through EMI Gospel.
WOW Gospel 2011 is a gospel music compilation album from the award-winning WOW series. Released on February 1, 2011, the double CD album features thirty contemporary gospel hits. The album cover pays tribute to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The album debuted straight at number one on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart, and peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 in 2011.
Life Changing is the third studio album by the contemporary gospel singer Smokie Norful. The album was released on October 3, 2006, through EMI Gospel.
Nothing Without You is the second studio album from Contemporary Gospel singer Smokie Norful. The album was released on October 5, 2004 through EMI Gospel. In 2005, a Special Edition which included a DVD was released.
Juan Winans is an American singer/songwriter, music producer, and a third-generation member of the Winans family.
VaShawn Mitchell is an American gospel singer and songwriter. He has produced several Stellar Award-winning projects and songs for Grammy Award winners Vanessa Bell Armstrong and Smokie Norful.
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