"Who has saved us and called us to a holy life -- not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time." -- 2 Timothy 1:9
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SEARCH FOR "BEST CHRISTIAN VOCALIST" CONTINUES
After weeks of reviewing thousands of auditions from over 20 cities, the producers of GIFTED have selected close to 100 competitors who will advance to the Super Regionals and compete to be one of only eight finalists. Super Regional auditions will be held Mar. 20-29 in Dallas, Nashville, Cleveland and Costa Mesa, with a possible appearance from host and recording artist Brian Littrell.
"I have been through a lot of auditions in my life," said producer Johnny Wright. "Whether it be for artists that are on my roster or the auditions we went through for MTV's Making the Band 3, the audition process for GIFTED and the quality of talent that has come out of it make my knees buckle -- in a good way! And it takes a lot for my knees to buckle."
Once chosen, the eight finalists will be flown to Los Angeles where they will compete on national television. The show, set to air on TBN in May, will be hosted by Littrell.
The winner will receive a major-label recording contract, management by the Wright Entertainment Group and day-to-day support from Wright Gener8Xion Entertainment. The winner will also be invited to open for Brian Littrell on the road. Additionally, a $10,000 donation will be made to the church where the winner originally auditioned.
For more information on GIFTED go online to www.GiftedTalentSearch.com or www.myspace.com/GiftedTalentSearch or call (323) 874-9888.
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SPIRITUAL SIDE OF POP CUKTURE
Publishers Weekly reports on the next wave of books coming out that examine the spiritual messages of music created in the general market. In fact, three titles coming up examine the spirituality of The Beatles:
For Steve Turner, author of a wide range of books on religion and popular music, taking on the Beatles was an obvious next step. David Dobson, editor of Westminster John Knox's "The Gospel According to…" series, told RBL, "Not only is The Gospel According to The Beatles (Aug.) a new addition to our collection, but it is written by one of the best music writers in the business. Steve Turner has covered the music scene from his hometown of London since the early '70s, and interviewed the members of the Beatles when they were still Beatles." Dobson expects the book to reach a broad audience, including "Beatles fans, music fans, and those interested more generally in the intersection of religion and popular culture."
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U2 POSTPONES 10
Associated Press reports that U2 has postponed the final 10 dates of the "Vertigo" world tour because of the illness of a family member.
U2 was scheduled to play Auckland, New Zealand, Mar. 17-18 before kicking off the Australian leg of their world tour in Brisbane on Mar. 21, followed by concerts in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney. The band was scheduled to play in Yokohama, Japan, on Apr. 4 and in Honolulu Apr. 8.
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RECENT HEADLINES AT CHRIS WELL: LEARNING CURVE
LEIGH NASH: ONEPENCE NONE THE RICHER
ITW BULLETIN: ARRESTED IN ITALY
ASK FOR IT WHEREVER CRIME FICTION IS SOLD (Deliver Us From Evelyn update)
SNEAK PEEK: "THE GOLDEN AGE" (Preview Deliver Us From Evelyn)
CHRISTIAN FICTION REVIEW: BEST OF 2005
ANTHOLOGIZED (Infuze Magazine's best short fiction and poetry from 2005.)
FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2006 UPDATE (Get FREE comics!)
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Chris Well is a member of International Thriller Writers, Inc. Find him online at StudioWell.com or at his blog Chris Well: Learning Curve.
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