New York, NY — Black Smoke Music Worldwide gospel artist James Fortune & FIYA new CD, ENCORE debuted at # 2 on Billboard Top Gospel Album chart, #7 on the Billboard Independent Album chart, #14 on Billboard’s Current R&B Album Overall chart and #51 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album chart. The album debuts at #2 on iTunes’ Christian/Gospel Chart and #66 on the Overall chart.
The first single and title track, “Encore” is co-written by Fortune and produced by Terence Vaughn (“I Trust You” and “You Survived”). The single “Encore” is currently on both gospel and urban mainstream radio and charted at #7 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Song chart. The single is also crossing over in the Top 20 at the Urban Adult Contemporary radio format.
The CD features 18 songs, all co-written by Fortune. The album producers are Terence Vaughn and Ay’Ron Lewis (Rizen, The Mighty Clouds of Joy). ENCORE is executive produced by Kerry Douglas, President of Black Smoke Music Worldwide. The DVD for ENCORE will be in stores in May 2010.
ENCORE features five duets with Fortune and other special guest artists including Kierra “KiKi’ Sheard on “The Greatest;” “I Need Your Glory” with William Murphy; “I Want To Praise You” with Men of Standard’s Isaac Caree; “Can’t Stop” with Nikki Ross; “Draw Me” with Anaysha Figueroa; along with a trio performance of “You Are Here” with Fortune, Men of Standard’s Lowell Pye and Zacardi Cortez. The CD includes a live version of the hit song, “I Trust You” from Fortune’s ground-breaking sophomore CD, THE TRANSFORMATION which is currently #11 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Album chart.
“’Encore’ is the first follow-up single and has an on-time message that reminds us that the same God that brought us out before can do it again,” says Fortune regarding his new CD release. “God is a God of repeat performances and you can depend on Him for an encore. He did it before, He will fix it again. This is not the first time we’ve faced challenges, or had our heart broken, or the first time we’ve experienced the economy decline. This is a message that speaks to the churched and unchurched, young and old and all races.”
“We are excited about ‘ENCORE’ debut at # 2 and the crossover airplay we are gaining on the urban mainstream charts” says Kerry Douglas. “This new release and the healing it will bring to God’s people. “God has truly blessed us with the awesome opportunity to work with an anointed and very gifted artist and songwriter. We are expecting big things on this project and our prayer is that ENCORE reaches millions of souls and becomes one of the biggest albums of 2010.”
In Billboard magazine’s year end results, Black Smoke Music Worldwide was named #2 for Hot Gospel Songs Imprint; #2 for Hot Gospel Song Artist for James Fortune & FIYA; #8 for Top Gospel Album Imprint and #9 for Hot Gospel Producer for James Fortune. The label’s biggest success story for 2009 was Fortune & FIYA’s ground-breaking #1 song “I Trust You” from the critically-acclaimed CD, THE TRANSFORMATION. Making music history, breaking and setting records, “I Trust You” is the longest #1 hit single running consecutively in gospel music, eclipsing Marvin Sapp’s six-month run with the hit single, “Never Would Have Made It.” “I Trust You” remained at #1 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Song charts for 29 consecutive weeks. THE TRANSFORMATION peaked at #3 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Album chart. Fortune is a Stellar Award nominee and the winner of two prestigious ASCAP Awards for Gospel Song of the Year for “I Trust You” (2009) and “You Survived” (2006).
For information on booking, please call Kerry Douglas at 713-245-6204.
