News
Gospel Music Legend Rance Allen Passes Away At 71
Bishop Rance Allen, of the Grammy® Award nominated inspirational soul and gospel trio, The Rance Allen Group, has passed away at the age of 71. “While recovering from a medical procedure at Heartland ProMedica [in Sylvania, OH], Bishop Rance Allen passed away around 3 AM this morning,” said Allen’s wife of 49 years, Ellen Allen, and his manager, Toby Jackson, in a joint statement. “I wasn’t expecting to hear this news this morning,” said Tyscot Records President, Bryant Scott, who was nearly speechless upon hearing of the singer’s death. “This is a great loss to us personally but also to the church community at large.”
The Rance Allen Group’s progressive brand of Gospel and Allen’s signature grunts and squalls have inspired a generation of gospel artists ranging from Kirk Franklin and Fred Hammond to John P. Kee and Bryan Andrew Wilson.
In the 1970s, they pioneered a fusion of R&B rhythms with spiritually charged message music on hits such as “Ain’t No Need of Crying,” “I Belong to You” and their cover of The Temptation’s “Just My Imagination” as “Just My Salvation.” The retro-soul vibe carried over into the group’s hits of the last two decades such as “You That I Trust,” “Miracle Worker,” and “Something About the Name Jesus,” which has clocked over 175 million streams. It’s a brand that won them fans beyond the Gospel world such as American Idol’s Randy Jackson, and Pop rockers Huey Lewis & The News.
In a 2019 Rolling Stone interview, Lewis cited “Ain’t No Need of Crying” as one of his all-time Top 5 favorite soul songs alongside tracks by Ray Charles and others.
Rance Allen was born November 19, 1948 in Monroe, MI. One of twelve children, he began singing and preaching as Little Rance Allen at the age of five. “We were raised in a family where you went to church every single night,” he once said.
“To keep our interest, my grandmother Emma Pearl went to a pawn shop and brought instruments, drums, guitars and amplifiers.” Using records by the Rev. James Cleveland and Ray Charles as his guides, he learned to play the piano before picking up the guitar with Chuck Berry as an influence.
His grandparents served as his agents, but he once told writer Lee Hildebrand, “I didn’t have a life like most kids had. I wasn’t allowed to go out and play baseball with the guys and do the things a kid does.”
Circa 1967, Rance, with himself on guitar, started the Rance Allen Singers with his older brother Tom on drums and younger brother Steve on bass.
They recorded their first song “Let’s Get Together and Love” – a psychedelic song with Allen’s stratospheric high notes and a direct message about Jesus Christ sacrificing his life on the Cross so that mankind could love one another – for the local Reflect label.
Then, in 1971 they won a prize of $500 at a Detroit talent contest where legendary Stax Records promotion man Dave Clark was in the audience. Clark liked what he heard and took the renamed Rance Allen Group into the studio and recorded an album’s worth of material that was purchased by Stax Records.
Stax President Al Bell loved the trio’s music so much that he started The Gospel Truth subsidiary specifically to promote it. Their first single was “Just My Salvation,” a 1971 gospel cover of The Temptations’ “Just My Imagination.” Soon, they were appearing on bills with the likes of The Dramatics and Barry White and taking their R&B-infused gospel to an un-churched audience. Their following was built off of hits such as “I Got to Be Myself,” “Ain’t No Need in Crying “and “That Will Be Good Enough for Me.”
In 1975, they moved to Capitol Records where they recorded a couple of albums before returning to Stax in 1979 after the company was purchased by Fantasy Records. During this period, the group enjoyed its biggest Stax-era radio hit, “I Belong to You,” which reached the Billboard R&B Singles Top 30 chart. From there, they moved to Myrrh Records where they recorded two albums, including, I Give Myself to You, which peaked at #5 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart in 1985.
It was during the l980s that Rance Allen really began to focus on evangelism. Church of God in Christ (COGIC) leader, Bishop G.E. Patterson, began to mentor him. Under his guidance, Allen founded the New Bethel Church of God COGIC in Toledo, OH in July 1985 and he was elevated to Bishop within the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) in 2011.
Aside from preaching at his own church, Allen spent a lot of time on the road evangelizing with Bishop Patterson. Allen didn’t record again until former Stax chief, Al Bell, launched Bellmark Records in 1991. The Rance Allen Group rolled out the album, Phenomenon. It hit #1 on the Billboard gospel albums sales chart with the radio hit “Miracle Worker,” and earned them a performance slot on “The Arsenio Hall Show.”
A decade later, they signed with Tyscot Records and entered a new phase of their career with the Deitrick Haddon-produced set, All the Way, in 2002.
However, it was 2004’s The Live Experience that has become the biggest selling album of the group’s entire career. It featured Kirk Franklin on “Something About the Name Jesus” which has amassed over 175 million streams alone. The album also featured appearances from Fred Hammond on “Miracle Worker” and LaShun Pace on “I Can’t help Myself.” In the years since, the group has scored radio hits with “Do Your Will,” “You That I Trust” with Paul Porter, “Closest Friend” and “A Lil Louder (Clap Your Hands).”
In 2018, rap icon Snoop Dogg featured Rance Allen on his Top 10 Billboard Gospel Digital Songs Sales chart hit, “Blessing Me Again.” It won a BET Award for Best Gospel/Inspirational Song in 2019.
At the time of his death, there were plans in the works for Allen to record a new gospel album with contributions from PJ Morton, Charlie Wilson and Kirk Franklin before the COVID19 pandemic put the project on hold. The Rance Allen Group’s most recent studio recording, “I’m So Glad It’s Christmas (Tyscot),” was released on all digital music platforms on October 30, 2020.
Allen is survived by his wife, Ellen Marie Allen, and his brothers, Steve and Tom, and other extended family members.
Waysteam — In a world where ministry is no longer limited by geography or walls, technology has opened up new ways to preach, teach, and reach hearts across the globe. Waystream, a Nigerian-founded spiritual content live-streaming platform, is designed specifically for churches, ministries, and Christian broadcasters.
Waystream provides a simple yet powerful platform to stream sermons online, host live prayer sessions, deliver Bible studies, and share faith-based audio messages to a local and global audience — all without the high costs or tech-heavy demands of video streaming.
With Waystream, any ministry can start audio broadcasting immediately with a laptop or mobile phone. Currently serving over 40,000 users broadcasting to millions of listeners across the globe, Waystream provides features that meet the needs of the modern church, offering the ability to:
Launch a custom audio channel for your church or fellowship
Receive donations directly through your stream page
Store sermons for midweek listening or small group sharing
Schedule future services and weekly teachings
Allow real-time listener interaction for prayer requests or encouragement
Most importantly, Waystream supports local payment audio platforms, so churches can subscribe using Nigerian Naira with no international card stress. The platform also offers embedded links for easy sharing on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and email.
Waystream has flexible plans suitable for all ministry sizes:
Talk Free: Great for new or small fellowships
Talk Lite: Unlimited daily streaming for budget-conscious ministries
Talk Pro: Scheduling, donations, and archiving included
Talk 24/7: Best for ministries running daily radio or devotional broadcasts
More than a platform, Waystream is a religious broadcasting platform that puts the Gospel within earshot of those who need it. Whether you’re in Lagos or Lome, Aba or Atlanta, you can now reach souls with clarity, simplicity, and faith.
Visit www.waystream.io to start your 14-day free trial. Because ministry doesn’t need a building — just a willing voice and the right tools to send it forth.
Pastor Emmanuel Iren of Celebration Church International is set to release his debut movie “What About Us?”, out in cinemas on July 12, and we’re loving it!
Full episode of the show on #ThePraiseworldPodcast available everywhere you listen to your podcasts.
https://youtu.be/x5gRe6PI3vg
Annatoria who has been buzzing about being on the Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin “Kingdom Tour” for the last couple of weeks has suddenly pulled out for personal reasons.
Why exactly did she pull out of the tour?
Listen to full episode of the show on #ThePraiseworldPodcast available everywhere you listen to your podcasts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa4LGOKFOGc
A Modern Reimagining of Timeless Biblical Narratives: “DISTORIA: Bible Stories” by Tola Omoniyi
Tola Omoniyi, media entrepreneur and founder of Praiseworld Radio, proudly announces the release of his debut book, “DISTORIA: Bible Stories.” This innovative collection reimagines 30 classic Biblical stories, breathing new life into them with contemporary context to captivate today’s readers.
Many are familiar with Bible stories, but how many truly grasp their meaning? Often, these stories seem distant and unrelatable due to their ancient language and context. Tola Omoniyi’s acclaimed podcast, “Telling Bible Stories with TOLA,” launched five years ago and spanning over five seasons, has successfully bridged this gap by presenting these timeless tales in a modern, engaging manner.
Inspired by the podcast’s success, Tola decided to extend his reach to book lovers. “Seeing the impact of the podcast and how it inspired my listeners, I wanted to spread these stories to a wider audience, those who would rather read a book than listen to a podcast,” he explains.
“DISTORIA: Bible Stories” is far from a simple retelling. Tola’s vibrant prose and compelling storytelling bring a fresh perspective to these ancient narratives, making them feel immediate and relevant. He skillfully bridges the past and present, exploring the depths of Biblical values in a way that speaks directly to the soul and resonates with today’s world. Each story is followed by practical lessons and the original scriptural reference.
“Whether you’re a seasoned believer or a curious seeker, ‘DISTORIA’ promises to captivate, inspire, entertain, and challenge you in unexpected ways,” says Tola Omoniyi. “Dive in and relive ancient experiences that speak to our contemporary world like never before.”
Purchase “DISTORIA: Bible Stories” here: https://linktr.ee/tolaomoniyi
- Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D2RD3QGC
- Kobo https://www.kobo.com/pl/en/ebook/distoria-bible-stories
For Nigerian readers
• Roving Heights https://rhbooks.com.ng/product/distoria-bible-stories/ and Roving Heights bookstores (Lagos and Abuja)
About the Author:
Tola Omoniyi is a dynamic media entrepreneur, celebrated for his roles as a Radio/TV and Podcast host, Public Speaker, Event Compere, and Communications Expert. He has significantly influenced the Nigerian church community, earning spots among the 100 Most Influential Nigerians in Church by YNaija! in 2021 and being named one of the Top 100 most influential Nigerian gospel personalities by GospelXperience in 2023.
In 2012, Tola founded Praiseworld Radio, Africa’s leading online gospel radio station, and hosts the award-winning ‘The Praise O’Clock Show.’ His innovative approach has reshaped gospel broadcasting. Tola also hosts several podcasts, including The Praiseworld Podcast, The Afrogospel Podcast, and Telling Bible Stories with TOLA, the latter inspiring this book.
Follow Tola Omoniyi on social media: @tola_omoniyi
Contact Information:
For more information about the book or to request an interview with Tola Omoniyi, please contact:
• Email: praiseworldshow@gmail.com
• Instagram: @tola_omoniyi
Don’t miss the opportunity to experience “DISTORIA: Bible Stories” and embark on a journey that connects ancient wisdom with modern living. Purchase your copy today and share this transformative collection with friends and family.
More than just a concert, seminar or exhibition, Livingspring is a celebration of gospel music. An actual festival. There will be singing and dancing, colour, drama, exhibitions, art and history. You may also get to catch up with some of your favourite artistes. Still, the festival manages to deliver a lot more than that.
Dreams are born at Livingspring. Stars are made at Livingspring. You walk away from the Livingspring experience feeling totally energized. It’s the kind of atmosphere better experienced than retold. It’s why people have made the trip from all over the world for over 40 years.
There’s simply nothing like it!
Register below to be part of Livingspring 2024. Come loud, come colourful! Click here to register: https://livingspringcmf.com/register/
Do you enjoy playing background music while you pray and worship God? Would you like to charge up your atmosphere with songs that provoke you to spend more time in God’s presence?
We’ve carefully curated a Spotify playlist that will help you do just that.
It’s named Pray And Worship with over 4 hours of songs from anointed minstrels. This will be updated every week, so make sure to save this so as not to miss out.
Here is the direct link to the playlist – https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4duLZszOESUPHvzhmX7T06?si=9d461b43dd744be3
Feel free to share with your loved ones as an encouragement to pray and worship. We hope this blesses you and further fuels the fire on your prayer and worship altar, and helps you in spending longer time in God’s presence.
Incorporating worship songs into your prayer routine can enhance your spiritual experience and deepen your relationship with God. Whether as a gentle background melody or a soul-stirring anthem, let the power of music accompany you on your journey of faith and transformation.
Remember, we’re committed to keeping the pray and worship playlist fresh and vibrant, updating it weekly with new tracks to keep your spiritual journey dynamic and invigorating. So be sure to save this playlist and stay tuned for the latest additions.
To access the pray and worship playlist, click https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4duLZszOESUPHvzhmX7T06?si=9d461b43dd744be3 .
The pray and worship playlist contains songs by some of your favorite anointed minstrels, including Nathaniel Bassey, Dunsin Oyekan, Ebuka Songs, Moses Bliss, Sinach, Victoria Orenze, Mercy Chinwo, Greatman Takit, Kaestrings, Sunmisola Agbebi, Abbey Ojomu, Yadah, SteveHills, Peterson Okopi, Victor Thompson, Clement Whyt and many more.
This comes as an addition to our “Morning Starter” show on radio where we play similar songs to get your day started.
Follow us @praiseworld_ on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok for more updates. God bless you.
With Love from all of us at Praiseworld Radio
❤
The 2024 Grammy Awards saw Lecrae, Kirk Franklin, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Tye Tribbettt, and Blind Boys of Alabama shine bright. See below the full list of winners for the gospel/Christian music categories.
Best Gospel Performance/Song
- Stanley Brown ft. Hezekiah Walker, Kierra Sheard & Karen Clark Sheard – God Is Good
- Erica Campbell – Feel Alright (Blessed)
- Zacardi Cortez – Lord Do It For Me (Live)
- Melvin Crispell III – God Is
- Kirk Franklin – All Things
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
- Blessing Offor – Believe
- Cody Carnes – Firm Foundation (He Won’t) [Live]
- Lauren Daigle – Thank God I Do
- for KING & COUNTRY ft. Jordin Sparks – Love Me Like I Am
- Lecrae & Tasha Cobbs Leonard – Your Power
- Maverick City Music, Chandler Moore & Naomi Raine – God Problems
Best Gospel Album
- Erica Campbell – I Love You
- Tasha Cobbs Leonard – Hymns (Live)
- Maverick City Music – The Maverick Way
- Jonathan McReynolds – My Truth
- Tye Tribbett – All Things New: Live In Orlando
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
- Blessing Offor – My Tribe
- Da’ T.R.U.T.H. – Emanuel
- Lauren Daigle – Lauren Daigle
- Lecrae – Church Clothes 4
- Phil Wickham – I Believe
Best Roots Gospel Album
- The Blackwood Brothers Quartet – Tribute to the King
- Blind Boys of Alabama – Echoes of the South
- Becky Isaacs Bowman – Songs That Pulled Me Through the Tough Times
- Brian Free & Assurance – Meet Me at the Cross
- Gaither Vocal Band – Shine: The Darker The Night The Brighter The Light
News
Tope Alabi, Ebuka Songs, Mike Abdul, Gordons to headline the second edition of Alimosho Arise, in Lagos
Alimosho Arise is a concert that seeks to mobilize people within its environment and beyond to the call for a better Nigeria. It is a night of praise, prayer, miracle and salvation. It’s a night of ‘songfare’ and warfare.
With a star-studded line up of performances from top Nigerian artistes including Tope Alabi, Ebukd Songs, Lilian Nneji, Bidemi Olaoba, Mike Abdul, Beejay Sax, Psalmos, and other gifted music ministers, it promises to be a night of high energy praise, worship, and diverse expressions of God with something for everyone. Also, top comedians like Gordons, Forever rfc, Asiri comedy, and Saco are set to crack your ribs with hilarious jokes.
The event will hold live in Alimosho LGA in Lagos State, on Friday, 19th January 2024 from 8pm. Venue is Calvary Bible Church, Church Street, End of Anjorin Street, Calvary Bus stop, Ikotun-Idimu road, Lagos.
The event will also be streaming to thousands of viewers all around the world on YouTube and Facebook on @cbcnigeria, with Dj Horphuray and Dj Mordu grinding the wheels of steels.
Get ready, for something is about to happen!
Be a part of this movement by spreading this message.
In His Steps Movement will be holding the 13th edition of its annual Youth Camp in Lagos, Nigeria from December 26 – 29. The IHS Camp is a flagship event that has traversed various Nigerian cities and has been transforming lives since its inception in 2011.
Known for delivering outstanding gospel projects, the In His Steps Movement has become synonymous with impactful initiatives such as the In His Steps magazine, The Judah Project, and the widely acclaimed Thr3e Podcast, that was previously syndicated across Nigerian and US radio stations, including Praiseworld Radio.
This year’s IHS camp promises to be an unforgettable experience, building on the success of previous editions that featured guest ministers like Pastor Ayo Okeowo, Florocka, Pastor Jimmy Odukoya, Tosin Sanni, Okey Sokay, Tola Omoniyi, among others.
The 2023 edition will continue this tradition of excellence, featuring an esteemed lineup of guest ministers, including Chimamaka Ige, Pastor Yele Adebiyi, Gaise Baba, Funmilola Banjoko, and more. The camp will offer three days of spiritual enrichment, fellowship and fun, providing a unique opportunity for young Christians to connect with fellow believers and be encouraged on their faith journey.
In His Steps camp has earned a reputation as the go-to event for young Christians, offering a transformative experience that goes beyond the ordinary. Participants can expect dynamic worship sessions, impactful teachings, lots of fun and a supportive community that fosters personal and spiritual growth.
You should watch this video for an insight into what to expect at the camp and visit their website: www.ihsmovement.org, for more information
Follow for updates on Instagram @ihs_mag
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