David "Pop" Winans Passes

***UPDATE***

We'd like to extend our sincere condolences to the Winans family. David Winans, affectionately known as Pop, went home to be with the Lord today. According to the Detroit Free Press, the 76-year-old patriarch of the Winans family -- which includes his wife, Delores "Mom" Winans, and children BeBe, CeCe, Marvin, Debbie, Angie, Daniel, and the late Ron -- died in a Nashville, Tennessee-area hospice. Mom was at his side when he transitioned.

Even though Pop lived in Detroit for most of his life, he had been in Nashville since October 2008 because several of his 10 children lived there. His health took a turn for the worst late last year. In all, he'd suffered a series of four strokes, seizures and a heart attack beginning in the fall of 2008.

Vickie Winans, who was married to Marvin, told The Detroit News, "He was a person who loved Jesus through sickness and health. To see him sick was the worst thing but he kept on lifting up the name of Jesus. I loved him with all my heart."

Services will be held Tuesday and Wednesday at Perfecting Church in Detroit where Marvin is the senior pastor. Please pray for the family as they walk through this difficult time.

Five More Go Home on "Sunday Best"

The theme of this week's edition of Sunday Best was Sowing Seeds of Faith and Overcoming Doubt, and Kirk Franklin's performance of his Grammy Award winning song, Help Me Believe from The Fight of My Life album fit in nicely.

The ten finalists were competing for five spots. Here's how it went down...

Dontavies Boatwright kicked off the competition with Glory to Glory to Glory. His rich baritone was well complemented by the Fred Hammond tune. Judges Bebe Winans, Erica Campbell, and Tina Campbell all agreed that his rendition was the bomb. Erica even went so far as to say that there wasn't a voice in Gospel like his at this moment.

Jessica Reedy was next with a jazzy rendition of Kirk Franklin's Brighter Day. This Saginaw vocalist has a smooth tone that really made it work. Kirk was outdone -- and it showed. The judges loved it.

Clifton Ross III sang Total Praise. His take on the song was beautiful and smooth. He took it all the way up and brought it back down on the chorus, which was nice. Even though Bebe mentioned his nervousness, he said that Clifton brought it home. Erica said that while the restraint and low-register singing he used in the beginning was nice, she thought he could've distributed the power of his voice more. Meanwhile, Tina was of the opinion that he could've used his middle range more. Overall, though, they liked it.

Long Island, New York's finest, John McClure Jr., gave his testimony in song, and it was pretty good. Bebe wanted less growling and movement and more singing. Both Tina and Erica liked the way he took them to church.

Y'Anna Crawley wore out Grandma's Hands. And when I say wore out, that's exactly what I mean. Kirk said it just don't make no sense. She rendered Erica and Tina practically speechless. Bebe called her sassy and said it was great to be her because she has "it." Kirk asked her to do that last line and she hit it on the money. Incredible.

Zebulon Ellis' take on He's Able was a little different. The arrangement was familiar, but just barely. He did a good job, but I wasn't impressed. Bebe wasn't, either. He thought it wasn't the greatest performance, but he enjoyed it. Erica enjoyed it, and Tina said that he brought the experience to the people.

Jeff Spain's performance was, by far, the weakest one this week. His take on Mary Mary's version of Yesterday was dry at best, and his expression was very bland. Erica wanted more intensity, more energy, and more audience connection. Tina wasn't impressed at all. Bebe said he lost the connection but remained smooth.

Carolyn Johnson White sang Karen Clark Sheard's A Secret Place. The elder stateswoman of the competition wasn't as impressive this week as she was last week, but it wasn't the worst thing I've ever heard. The judges liked her restraint and professionalism.

Kalind Hayes' Balm in Gilead really did bring a healing to the competition. His smooth yet intense delivery made the song work. Bebe didn't like the song selection, but he liked how he sang it. Erica said that his smooth voice would be a welcomed addition to the Gospel industry. Tina didn't think it was his best performance, but appreciated his skill.

Latice Crawford finished it off with another Karen Clark Sheard tune, A Praying Spirit. This New Yorker sang the song well, but the last note wasn't that great. Tina called her amazing. Bebe went into tongues, and Erica said she was blessed have experienced her voice.

The five singers that advanced to the next round are:

Jessica Reedy
Dontavies Boatwright
Y'Anna Crawley
Latice Crawford
John McClure

Kirk said that one of the singers was a wildcard. He said we'd have to tune in next week to find out who that person was and what that would mean. And that's just what we'll do.

Ten Finalists Named on "Sunday Best"

This was the second competition installment of Sunday Best, and this was the week they made eliminations. After a stellar opening by Byron Cage and the contestants singing I Will Bless the Lord, the festivities began...

Pete Robinson was first up. The Vineland, New Jersey resident sang Through it All. His delivery started off pretty shaky, but it came together in the end. Judge Tina Campbell didn't think it was his strongest performance and she thought he didn't connect with the audience. In addition, there were pitch problems. Both BeBe Winans and Erica Campbell agreed. Erica also thought it would be good if he sang the chorus -- the known part of the song -- along with the background singers.

Y'Anna Crawley did Mt. Rainier, Maryland proud with her rendition of For Every Mountain. To let you know how good it was, the audience gave the 31-year-old a standing ovation. The judges had no choice but to agree. BeBe went so far as to say that she was a great singer that he could listen to all day.

Maurice Griffin had a great voice that was showcased nicely with In the Midst of it All. This 22-year-old minister of music from Chicago came out in a low-key fashion, but brought it together as he sang. BeBe said Griffin sounded like a grownup, but he looked like an elementary school student. All the judges liked him.

One of the shakiest performer of the night was Sharon Gomez. The Baltimore, Maryland resident Great is Thy Faithfulness. While her sincerity shined through, her voice wasn't that impressive. While the judges thought her voice was nice, there weren't impressed with her performance. Tina blamed it on her nerves, and Erica agreed.

I'm Lost Without You was John McClure Jr's choice of song. While I wasn't impressed with his take on the BeBe and CeCe Winans classic, the judges liked it. Of course, BeBe reminded us why we loved the song by taking his turn on it.

Host Kirk Franklin liked the arrangement of Melodies From Heaven that Crystal Holland chose to sing. The Chicagoan gave it a jazzy feel that was really nice. Erica thought there was something inconsistent about Holland's performance, Tina thought she didn't connect, and BeBe felt like it was mechanical.

While I realize that Sunday Best is a singing competition, I think it's important to look good when you sing. Unfortunately, Sacramento native Ian J. Knighton obviously didn't agree. Even though his take on The Presence of the Lord is Here was good, his suit didn't fit him well. Erica liked the way he engaged the audience, BeBe thought the song was too short, and Tina invited him to her church.

Another shaky singer was Cecoya Burch. The Atlanta, Georgia native's weak performance of Mary Mary's In the Morning left a lot to be desired. While Tina and Erica were kind and said decent things, it was obvious to me that they weren't overjoyed at Burch's rendition.

Kirk called Dontavies Boatwright a Black Pavarotti -- a reference to the great operatic singer, Luciano Pavarotti -- and he was absolutely right. Boatwright's take on What the World Need Now is Love was awesome, and the judges agreed.

The final performance of the night was Los Angeles' own Carolyn Johnson White. This seasoned singer took it old school with I Know I've Been Changed. Even though she had some pitch problems in the beginning, she managed to pull it together before her time was up, and that note she hit at the end was well worth the wait. Jesus showed up, and the audience almost went in. The judges were thoroughly impressed with the 60-year-old, and when she talked about how grateful she was to be in the number with all the children, the audience went wild.

In the end, ten singers were eliminated. They were Tammy Turner, Cammille Betton, Jonathan Johnson, Audrey Lewis, Pete Robinson, Maurice Griffin, Sharon Gomez, Cecoya Burch, Crystal Holland, and Ian J. Knighton.

Here are the ten Sunday Best finalists:

John McClure Jr.
Kalind Haynes
Jessica Reedy
Zebulon Ellis
Y'Anna Crawley
Carolyn Johnson-White
Dontavies Boatwright
Latice Crawford
Jeff Spain
Clifton Ross III

Tune in next week to see how this thing turns out...

BeBe's Lawyer Weighs In

The BeBe Winans assault case is getting a little uglier now that his lawyer has weighed in on the situation. Lisa Binder released the following statement in response to Debra Winans' allegations of assault.

"In response to Mrs. Winans' recent statements to the media, the public should also know that on March 11th, 2009, Judge Carol Soloman issued an Order of Protection in favor of BeBe Winans against Debra Winans arising out of the incident which occurred on February 13th. Judge Soloman specifically stated from the bench (and in her order) that Debra Winans was 'not found to be a credible witness.'

"Mrs. Winans has been unsuccessful in repeated attempts to interfere with Mr. Winans' visitation with his children and there is a Criminal Contempt Proceeding pending against her in Williamson County, the arena in which these custody disputes should and will be tried."

It is unfortunate that Mrs. Winans has now chosen to attack her children’s father on television. Mr. Winans will not participate in any public display that may affect his children’s well being, but will instead use through the proper judicial channels to insure that his rights as a father are protected.”

Let's keep this family in our prayers...

BeBe Winans Accused of Pushing Ex-Wife

Say it ain't so! Sunday Best judge BeBe Winans has been accused of assaulting his ex-wife, Debra, on Valentine's Day weekend.

According to the Chicago Tribune, BeBe went to pick up his 13-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son on February 13th. He and Debra got into an argument over custody issues when she alleges that he pushed her to the ground in front of their children. He was booked on a misdemeanor domestic assault charge and released on a thousand-dollar bond. He's due back in court on Wednesday, April 29th.

BeBe posted the following statement on his website:

“To be accused of these allegations, which arose out of a child custody right dispute and my desire to spend time with our children as court ordered, is nothing less than heart wrenching. Since I choose to say nothing negative about my children’s mother, I will make no comment other than to say the allegations are inconsistent with my character and the foundation upon which I was raised and I am prayerful that the matter is straightened out very soon for the sake of our children.”

BeBe and Debra were married for 16 years before they divorced in 2003. While it's easy to rush to judgement -- especially in this era of domestic violence -- I would ask that we all be in prayer for this family at this difficult time.

My Take on "Sunday Best"

The second season of BET's Sunday Best premiered last night with a theme of change. While the players -- host Kirk Franklin, and judges Tina and Erica Campbell of Mary Mary and Bebe Winans -- stayed the same, the venue was moved from Los Angeles to Atlanta.

This year's winner will receive a recording contract and a 2009 Lincoln MKS. We were allowed to watch the audition process, which started in ATL and ended in Chicago.

There were some interesting characters. Most notably was Margaret Fowler. This woman from the Atlanta audition was dressed from head to toe in pink -- and let's just say it wasn't pretty. Her intention was to sing Amazing Grace, but Erica asked her to do a song that would utilize the bells on her shoes. After her not-so-rousing rendition of Joy Bells Ringing in My Soul, she was sent away.

Naturally, there were some inspirational moments. One that stood out for me was a young lady named Danielle. Even though she was a stutterer from way back, she could sing. Even though her take on When the Saints Go to Worship didn't make the cut, the judges gave her some encouraging words.

When all was said and done, ten finalists made the cut:

Dontavies Boatwright
Sequoia Burch
Zebulon Ellis
Maurice Griffin
Ian Knighton
Jeff Spain
Kaylon Haynes
Audrey Lewis
Crystal Holland
Jonathan Johnson

Tune in next week when Sunday Best finishes up the audition process in Washington, DC.

"Sunday Best" Returns!

Sunday Best is returning to the BET lineup. The second season of gospel's answer to American Idol will debut on Sunday, March 8th at 9pm ET/PT. Last year's team -- host Kirk Franklin and judges Mary Mary (Erica and Tina Campbell) and BeBe Winans -- remains intact.