CMU reports on this interesting bit of bandwagon jumping.
...US management company Wright Entertainment and religious broadcaster Trinity will hold 11 auditions across American next month. Budding singers aged between 18 and 24 are invited to enter, on the condition they perform a gospel or contemporary spiritual song. Winners from each audition will then fly into Hollywood for a grand final.
A spokesman for the show - Philip McIntyre - explained: "It is our goal to wrap God's message - His love - in acceptance, in a way that blends seamlessly into pop culture."
Article comments
1 - Ms. Tek
'Twas the night Jesus came and all through the house,
not a person was praying, not one in the house.
The Bible was left on the shelf without care,
for no one thought Jesus would come there.
The children were dressing to crawl into bed,
not once ever kneeling or bowing their head.
And Mom in the rocking chair with baby on her lap,
was watching the Late Show as I took a nap.
When out of the east there rose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
tore open the shutters and lifted the sash.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but Angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
The light of His face made me cover my head,
it was Jesus returning just like He'd said.
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.
In the Book of Life that in which he held in hand,
was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as he searched for my name,
when He said "It is not here," I hung my head in shame.
The people whose names had been written with love,
He gathered to take to his Father above.
With those who were ready He rose without a sound,
while all the others were left standing around.
I fell to my knees but it was too late,
I waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight,
Oh, if only I'd known that this was the night.
In the words of this poem the meaning is clear:
the coming of Jesus is now drawing near.
There's only one life and when comes the last call,
We'll find out that the Bible was true after all.
2 - Ms. Tek
Jesus Walks
Kanye West
The College Dropout
I need to recruit all the soldiers
All of god?s soldiers
We at War
We at war with society, racism ?terrorism, but most of all we at war wit ourselves
Jesus Walk- God show me the way because the devil tryna break me down
Jesus Walk With Me
[Verse 1]
Ya know what the mid-west iz? Young and Restless
Where restless niggaz might snatch yo necklace
And next these niggaz might jack yo lexus
Somebody tell these niggaz who Kanye West iz
I walk through the valley where the shadow of death iz
Top floor?the view alone will leave you breathless
Try to catch it
Its kinda hard getting chocked by the Texas
Yeh Yeh now check the method
They be askin us questions, harrasin, arrest us
Sayin we eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast, huh
Yall eat pieces of shit? Whats the basis?
We aint goin nowhere?..but got suits and cases
A trunk full of coke, rental car from Avis
My momma used to say only Jesus can save us
Well momma I know I act a fool?but ill be gone to November
I got packs to move, I hope..
[Chorus]
Jesus Walk- God show me the way because the devil tryna break me down
Jesus Walk With Me- The only thing that I pray iz that my feet dont fail me now
Jesus Walk-And I dont think theres nothing I could do now to right my wrongs
Jesus Walk With Me-I wanna talk to God but im afraid cuz we aint spoke in so long..
[Extended a bit]
[Verse 2]
To the hustlers, killers, murderers, drug dealers, even the strippers
To the victims of welfare, feel we livin in hell here, hell yeh
Now hear thee hear thee, wanna see thee more clearly
I know he hear me when my feet get weary
Cuz we?re thee almost nearly extinct
We rappers is role models, we rap we don?t think
I ain?t here to argue about his facial features
Or here to convert atheists into believers
Im just tryna say the way school need teachers
The Way Kathy Lee needed Regis...thats the way i need Jesus.
So here go my single dawg, radio needs this
They said they could rap about anything except for jesus
That means guns, sex, lies, videotape
But if I talk about God my record wont get played, huh?
Well if this take away from my spinz...which will prolly take away my endz..
Then i hope it take away from my sinz and bring the day that im dreamin bout...
Next time im in the club, erybody screaming out...
(I almost had an accident when I was driving and that came on the radio.)
3 - Eric Olsen
didn't God rather forcefully request that all idols and graven images be destroyed?
4 - Natalie Davis
That's right -- the only permissible Christian idol is Jesus. And stupid America would vote Nikki McKibbin or Diana DeGarmo instead.
5 - Kurt Nordstrom
Given the state of CCM though (pop music with 'Jesus' stamped on it), can anybody pretend that they didn't see it coming?
6 - Just Call Me Jesus
My name is Jesus Christ and I approve of this ad.
7 - Bob A. Booey
You stole that bit from the Bud donkey.
8 - boomcrashbaby
I wonder how much the success of gospel-singing Fantasia had to do with this decision?
9 - jack e. jett
brilliant!
now, if we really want to get on the bandwagon, we need a gay christian american idol.
jack
10 - Bob A. Booey
Redundant, Jack. American Idol and all singing talent shows are already the campiest gay experience possible. All those kids in the Christian singing show would be firmly closeted, I'm sure.