Gospel singers vie for awards

YOUNGSTOWN -- Two locally based music groups are finalists for the American Gospel Music Awards, which will be presented next weekend at Sea World in Orlando, Fla.
The American Gospel Music Awards, which has an office in Staten Island, N.Y., was founded by Deborah Stewart in 2001. It specifically honors unknown, professional gospel and Christian artists -- "tomorrow's gospel stars today," as AGMA refers to them. Musicians must have sold fewer than 10,000 copies of a recording in the previous year to qualify.
AGMA gives awards in many categories, including plays, spoken word, dance, choirs, comedians, films and musical soloists and groups.
The finalists
Competing for AGMA's best contemporary group award will be Rachell Joy of Struthers and Brian Palumbo of Hubbard. As the duo Brian & amp; Rachell, they have toured the New York and Boston areas and released a CD titled "Understood." They were introduced to each other by Bob Noble of The Lost Then Found Ministries of Struthers.
Joy and Palumbo will perform their renditions of "The Prayer" and "I Believe in You and Me" in a showcase that will precede the awards ceremony. Both songs are on the "Understood" CD, which is available at Rich Blessing in Eastwood Mall, Niles, and Family Christian Store in Boardman.
SounDoctrine is one of five groups to be nominated for best jazz band. Led by Jere Beulah of Youngstown, SounDoctrine calls its musical style "alternative Christian funk" because of jazz and funk influences. Locally, the band has performed in churches and nightclubs as well as First Night Youngstown and Youngstown State University's Summer Festival of the Arts. SounDoctrine also has played throughout Ohio and at a New York restaurant that is owned by hip-hop star Sean "P. Diddy" Combs.
SounDoctrine currently is recording a new CD titled "Endurance." The musicians will travel to California in late June, where a documentary about the band by local filmmaker Art Byrd will be shown at the Hollywood Black Film Festival.
Tony Award-winning actress Melba Moore will be the host of the AGMA awards ceremony. Among celebrities expected to attend is Judge Glenda Hatchett of the syndicated TV show "Judge Hatchett." She has been named AGMA's Humanitarian of the Year.