Entertainment News

ATLANTA – Rapper Gucci Mane's lawyer is denying accusations that the musician pushed a woman out of his Hummer as he drove down a suburban Atlanta street in January.

Attorney Ashutosh Joshi said Tuesday the artist intends to plead not guilty.

DeKalb County prosecutors on Tuesday announced formal charges of battery, reckless conduct and disorderly conduct against the rapper, also known as Radric Delantic Davis, 31.

DeKalb Solicitor-General Sherry Boston said the rapper's conduct "shows a willful disregard for a woman's personal safety."

Joshi said he and his client look forward to having the opportunity to fight the charges in court.

A police report said Davis pushed the woman, 36-year-old Diana Graham, out of his Hummer as it traveled down a street on Jan. 28.

"Ice: A Memoir of Gangster Life and Redemption - from South Central to Hollywood" (Ballantine Books), by Ice-T: A lot of vocalists sing and rap about situations and events they haven't experienced.

Ice-T isn't one of them.

One of the first "gangsta rappers," Ice-T rhymed about hustling, banging and pimping on the mean streets of south-central Los Angeles.

Turns out, the lyrics Ice-T spewed, first as a solo rapper and later as the frontman of the thrash-metal outfit Body Count were the musings of a man who has lived them.

In his book, "Ice: A Memoir of Gangster Life and Redemption — from South Central to Hollywood," Ice-T describes how he "rapped about the (stuff) I knew firsthand... To me, it was just the life I was living. If anyone asked me at the time, I called it 'reality rap.'"

Based on that definition, let's call this a "reality book" — a tell-all that really does tell all.

And it's as cool as its namesake.

"Ice" is full of vivid descriptions of the never-boring life of the man born Tracy Marrow.

Raised as an only child in New Jersey, he became a pre-teen orphan whose parents both died of heart attacks. Shipped to live with his alcoholic aunt in L.A., Marrow had a front-row seat for the early years of the West Coast gangs as a student at Crenshaw High School.

He eventually graduated to becoming a street hustler and thief who was shot at by a security guard and nearly killed in a car accident. Hospital officials didn't know who he was, since, as a criminal, he never carried identification.

Marrow served a nearly four-year stint in the Army, stationed in Hawaii, where he credits an old-school sergeant with shaping his later career arc.

The Vietnam vet, referred to only as Donovan, screamed at Marrow that he was in the service simply because he couldn't make it in civilian life.

"More than anything else, that's the one statement that propelled me to where I'm at today. I give Sergeant Donovan all the credit," Ice-T writes.

"Ice" also provides readers with a behind-the-scenes look at his genesis as an actor, including how director Mario Van Peebles came across Ice-T in a club and hired him to portray an undercover cop in the influential early '90s flick, "New Jack City."

These days, Ice-T is in his second decade as a star of NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," where the one-time law-breaker again is portraying a member of law enforcement.

He also speaks to inmates and at colleges around the country.

"Who could have imagined that an ex-hustler from Crenshaw Boulevard would be spitting game to Ivy League students," he writes.

Or becoming the author of a fascinating memoir, the pages of which are jam-packed with tales of a guy who "actively did everything I rhymed about."

By MIKE HOUSEHOLDER, Associated Pres

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The inaugural O Music Awards -- the new anti-awards show that celebrates the growing power of digital music -- will be hosted in Las Vegas next week, organizers MTV Music Group said on Wednesday.

But the precise location for performances, flash mobs and other events is being kept secret for a while longer, in line with the venture's bid to promote creativity over the red carpets and trophy handouts that mark traditional award shows.

English folk rock band Mumford & Sons, rappers Lil B and Lupe Fiasco, Nashville-base string band Old Crow Medicine Show and others will perform during the week-long event starting on April 25, both from the Las Vegas hub and at other locations around the country.

The main event on April 28 will jump start with Chidera "Chiddy" Anamege of alternative hip-hop group Chiddy Bang attempting to set a world record for the longest freestyle rap, MTV Music Group said.

"I've been freestyling since I was 14 years old and this is definitely me putting myself to the test," Chiddy said of his attempt to enter the Guinness Book of Records.

The award event will begin on Thursday evening when a flash mob will descend on "a surprise iconic Las Vegas location", organizers said.

The O Music Awards will showcase a range of artists and appearances by web celebrities and innovators. Awards will be presented throughout the week in several ways, including live streaming, viral videos and on social media sites to reflect the growth of music buying and sharing on sites like iTunes, YouTube and blogs.

"The advent of the digital space has changed forever the way we discover, experience and enjoy music," said Dermot McCormack, executive vice president, digital, for MTV Music.

"The time has come to celebrate and award achievements and innovations in this space with an experimental, ever evolving unorthodox and forward facing event," McCormack added.

The O in the title stands for open to interpretation, or online or ongoing, organizers said.

Fans have so far cast more than 1.9 million votes on the O Music Awards website and through social media for categories ranging from Must Follow Artist on Twitter, to Funniest Music Short and Most Viral Dance.

Leading nominees include Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Funny or Die, Tyler the Creator and YouTube star Antoine Dodson.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Christine Kearney)

NEW YORK – MTV is taking its inaugural O Music Awards to Las Vegas.

The network announced Tuesday that its planned show honoring digital music and fandom will take place at a "mystery location" in Las Vegas on April 28. The hourlong live show will stream online and on mobile.

The show includes categories like "must-follow artist on Twitter" and "best fan cover." Fan voting will decide the awards. MTV says 1.9 million votes have been cast.

At the Vegas event, rapper Chidera "Chiddy" Anamege of the hip-hop group Chiddy Bang will try to enter the Guinness World Records for longest freestyle rap.

Other scheduled performers will include Lupe Fiasco, Lil B, Matt & Kim and Mumford & Sons.

INDIO, California (Hollywood Reporter) – Kanye West doesn't have the best track record as a festival attraction: remember the ill-planned performance at Bonnaroo 2008 when he emerged hours late to perform a lighting-show-reliant set as the sun came up to a bitter, rapidly-emptying corral of fans.

So, his festival-closing set at Coachella on Sunday was under a fairly intense microscope: Another major screw-up in such a high-profile environment would shred his reputation.

Thankfully, that was far from the case. Starting just 15 minutes after his scheduled 10:30 start time (the blame for which rests squarely on other acts earlier in the day), West delivered a grandiose, theatrical performance destined to be remembered as one of the great hip-hop sets of all time.

Every moment of the carefully-choreographed set was larger than life, beginning with West's entrance. He rose above the audience via an enormous crane that swung him over nearly the entirety of the main stage's gigantic swath of real estate while blasting through "Dark Fantasy."

The high-intensity start was followed by a run-through of nearly all of West's hits ("Stronger," "Gold Digger," "Through The Wire") divided into a cinematic, three-part arc that was mostly special-guest free and hit surprising emotional resonance mid-set, when West declared his Coachella performance the most important to him since his mother's unexpected death in 2007. The heft of that statement carried through the performance's end, when West nearly teared up during the poignant "Hey, Mama."

West's strength felt needed on a day of mixed performances. Other than a solid, stoned main-stage set from "Black and Yellow" rapper Wiz Khalifa, not much resonated with the sold-out (if exceedingly tired) crowd. A much-hyped reunion of Canadian rockers Death From Above 1979 turned out to be more noisy than worth making noise about, and LA's cute Best Coast were just that, no more. Even the National -- the moody, dark rockers who seem to be on the verge of a breakthrough -- had a hard time connecting, with many fans sitting or sleeping rather than appearing engaged.

Standing above the fray in the evening were Duran Duran, out to re-prove their hipness after years as a state-fair mainstay, and Coachella veterans Chromeo, a Palestinian/Israeli dance-pop duo. Both delivered different versions of 1980s-style, synth-heavy, interaction-encouraged pop (though only one actually helped invent the genre).

The Strokes drew a monstrous crowd, while PJ Harvey attracted considerably fewer fans to a drab, if well-intentioned set that found her playing everything from auto-harp to acoustic guitar.

(To read more about our entertainment news, visit our blog "Fan Fare" online at http://blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/)

DETROIT – If it wasn't already clear to those who have seen or heard Iggy Pop during the past four decades, his latest moves confirm he's not one to back down from a challenge.

The punk pioneer and sonic provocateur returns to the Michigan town that spawned his band the Stooges to pay tribute to fallen band mate Ron Asheton in an ambitious, eclectic show in Ann Arbor. The Tuesday concert comes on the heels of a surprise appearance April 7 on "American Idol," where the 63-year-old Pop sang "Real Wild Child," writhed shirtless among enthusiastic contestants and shimmied up to host Jennifer Lopez.

Despite the differences, the two appearances underscore a career of avoiding the expected.

"On the one hand, it's good to go into it ... saying, 'Look, it's just a gig, it's what I do,'" Pop told The Associated Press by phone from his home in Miami. "On the other hand, try to leave room open for whatever you feel on the occasion."

The decision to appear on "Idol" was at once simple — "they invited me" — and complex: He had little love for the long-running show but even less for people "who lurk in the shadows" and complain.

"I was informed very quickly by people who love me and care about me that if I went on the show, everybody who liked the show was going to hate me and everybody who liked me was going to hate me for doing that show," he said. "I'm kind of a stubborn person, so that just made me really determined: 'I'm going to ... do it anyway.'"

For the Michigan show, there's also determination born of a desire to give his late friend a proper musical send-off. He's excited to hear and play Stooges' songs with the band as well as other musicians such as Henry Rollins, and even a classical ensemble.

"(Asheton's) best themes are particularly really, really good and fun and easy for people to use as get-together songs_ they're almost like campfire songs," Pop said of such songs as, "I Wanna Be Your Dog," "No Fun" and "T.V. Eye." "That's why so many groups record early Stooges songs as B sides or album tracks, because they're simple and a hell of a lot of fun to play and they have a certain dynamic."

Plus, he said, "When you pass away, why not have a trumpet, kettle drum and some string players? That doesn't sound too bad to me."

The show is a benefit for the Ron Asheton Foundation. Asheton died in 2009, a year before his band's long-awaited induction into the Rock and Hall of Fame.

The accolades are a far cry from the late 1960s, when the man born James Osterburg met Asheton and his drummer brother, Scott. Pop, who dropped out of University of Michigan after a semester, nonetheless stuck around the university town near the trailer park where he grew up and played area venues with the Ashetons.

"We really benefited and grew our horns on that campus," he said.

The university also exposed him to culture that equipped him for a career that's taken him down paths far beyond bare-bones, riff-heavy rock.

On tap is a solo project, a French-flavored album of "love and angst" ballads that could be out by year's end and serves a sequel to a 2009 collection called "Preliminaires." Working title: "Apres."

Still, the Stooges, which reformed in 2003 after a three-decade layoff, occupy much of his body and mind. He's begun working on songs for an eventual Stooges album and has been consulting on a documentary of the band by filmmaker Jim Jarmusch.

Lest anybody be fooled, the eternally wild child says he works hard behind the scenes to prepare for whatever comes on stage. That means sitting down with the old records and si

April 24: Actress Shirley MacLaine is 77. Actress-singer-director Barbra Streisand is 69. Country singer Richard Sterban of the Oak Ridge Boys is 68. Drummer Doug Clifford (Creedence Clearwater Revival) is 66. Singer-keyboardist Rob Hyman of The Hooters is 61. Actor Eric Bogosian is 58. Singer-bassist Jack Blades of Night Ranger is 57. Actor Michael O'Keefe ("Roseanne") is 56. Bassist David J (Love and Rockets, Bauhaus) is 54. Actor Glenn Morshower ("24") is 52. Bassist Billy Gould (Faith No More) is 48. Actor-comedian Cedric the Entertainer is 47. Actor Djimon Hounsou ("Blood Diamond," "Amistad") is 47. Drummer Patty Schemel (Hole) is 44. Drummer Aaron Comess of the Spin Doctors is 43. Actress Melinda Clarke ("The O.C.") is 42. Bassist Brian Marshall of Creed and of Alter Bridge is 38. Actor Eric Balfour ("24") is 34. Actress Rebecca Mader ("No Ordinary Family," "Lost") is 34. Actor Austin Nichols ("One Tree Hill") is 31. Singer Kelly Clarkson is 29. Singer-bassist Tyson Ritter of All-American Rejects is 27.

April 25: Songwriter Jerry Leiber is 78. Actor Al Pacino is 71. Bassist Stu Cook of Creedence Clearwater Revival is 66. Singer Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA is 66. Actress Talia Shire is 65. Actor Jeffrey DeMunn ("The Green Mile") is 64. Keyboardist Michael Brown of The Left Banke is 62. Country singer-songwriter Rob Crosby is 57. Actor Hank Azaria ("The Simpsons") is 47. Singer Andy Bell of Erasure is 47. Bassist Eric Avery of Jane's Addiction is 46. Guitarist Rory Feek of Joey and Rory is 46. "Early Show" host Jane Clayson is 44. Actress Gina Torres ("I Think I Love My Wife") is 42. Actress Renee Zellweger is 42. Actor Jason Lee ("My Name Is Earl," "Almost Famous") is 41. Actor Jason Wiles ("Third Watch") is 41. Singer Jacob Underwood (O-Town) is 31. Actress Allisyn Ashley Arm ("Sonny With A Chance") is 15.

April 26: Actress-comedian Carol Burnett is 78. Guitarist-songwriter Duane Eddy is 73. Singer Maurice Williams of Maurice and the Zodiacs is 73. Singer Bobby Rydell is 69. Singer Gary Wright is 68. Actor Giancarlo Esposito is 53. Drummer Roger Taylor of Duran Duran is 51. Actress Joan Chen is 50. Drummer Chris Mars of The Replacements is 50. Actor-singer Michael Damian is 49. Actor Jet Li is 48. Guitarist Jimmy Stafford of Train is 47. Actor-comedian Kevin James ("The King of Queens") is 46. Fiddler Joe Caverlee of Yankee Grey is 43. Singer T-Boz of TLC is 41. Country bassist Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts is 40. Country bassist Michael Jeffers of Pinmonkey is 39. Drummer Jose Pasillas of Incubus is 35. Actor Jason Earles ("Hannah Montana") is 34. Actor Tom Welling ("Smallville") is 34. Actor Nyambi Nyambi ("Mike and Molly") is 32. Actress Jordana Brewster ("The Fast and The Furious") is 31. Actress Marnette Patterson ("Something So Right") is 31. Actor Channing Tatum ("Step Up") is 31.

April 27: Actor Jack Klugman is 89. Actress Anouk Aimee is 79. Announcer Casey Kasem is 79. Actress Judy Carne is 72. Singer Cuba Gooding of the Main Ingredient is 67. Singer Ann Peebles is 64. Singer Kate Pierson of The B-52's is 63. Singer Herbie Murrell of The Stylistics is 62. Actor Douglas Sheehan ("Knots Landing") is 62. Guitarist Ace Frehley (Kiss) is 60. Singer Sheena Easton is 52. Actor James Le Gros ("Ally McBeal") is 49. Bassist Rob Squires of Big Head Todd and the Monsters is 46. Singer Mica Paris is 42. Singer-guitarist Travis Meeks of Days of the New is 32. Actress Ari Graynor ("Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist") is 28. Singer-guitarist Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy is 27. Actor William Moseley ("The Chronicles of Narnia") is 24.

April 28: Actress-singer Ann-Margret is 70. Actress Marcia Strassman ("Welcome Back Kotter") is 63. Actor Paul Guilfoyle ("CSI") is 62. "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno is 61. Actress Mary McDonnell is 58. Singer-bassist Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth is 58. Rapper Too Short is 45. Actress Simbi Khal

April 24: Actress Shirley MacLaine is 77. Actress-singer-director Barbra Streisand is 69. Country singer Richard Sterban of the Oak Ridge Boys is 68. Drummer Doug Clifford (Creedence Clearwater Revival) is 66. Singer-keyboardist Rob Hyman of The Hooters is 61. Actor Eric Bogosian is 58. Singer-bassist Jack Blades of Night Ranger is 57. Actor Michael O'Keefe ("Roseanne") is 56. Bassist David J (Love and Rockets, Bauhaus) is 54. Actor Glenn Morshower ("24") is 52. Bassist Billy Gould (Faith No More) is 48. Actor-comedian Cedric the Entertainer is 47. Actor Djimon Hounsou ("Blood Diamond," "Amistad") is 47. Drummer Patty Schemel (Hole) is 44. Drummer Aaron Comess of the Spin Doctors is 43. Actress Melinda Clarke ("The O.C.") is 42. Bassist Brian Marshall of Creed and of Alter Bridge is 38. Actor Eric Balfour ("24") is 34. Actress Rebecca Mader ("No Ordinary Family," "Lost") is 34. Actor Austin Nichols ("One Tree Hill") is 31. Singer Kelly Clarkson is 29. Singer-bassist Tyson Ritter of All-American Rejects is 27.

April 25: Songwriter Jerry Leiber is 78. Actor Al Pacino is 71. Bassist Stu Cook of Creedence Clearwater Revival is 66. Singer Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA is 66. Actress Talia Shire is 65. Actor Jeffrey DeMunn ("The Green Mile") is 64. Keyboardist Michael Brown of The Left Banke is 62. Country singer-songwriter Rob Crosby is 57. Actor Hank Azaria ("The Simpsons") is 47. Singer Andy Bell of Erasure is 47. Bassist Eric Avery of Jane's Addiction is 46. Guitarist Rory Feek of Joey and Rory is 46. "Early Show" host Jane Clayson is 44. Actress Gina Torres ("I Think I Love My Wife") is 42. Actress Renee Zellweger is 42. Actor Jason Lee ("My Name Is Earl," "Almost Famous") is 41. Actor Jason Wiles ("Third Watch") is 41. Singer Jacob Underwood (O-Town) is 31. Actress Allisyn Ashley Arm ("Sonny With A Chance") is 15.

April 26: Actress-comedian Carol Burnett is 78. Guitarist-songwriter Duane Eddy is 73. Singer Maurice Williams of Maurice and the Zodiacs is 73. Singer Bobby Rydell is 69. Singer Gary Wright is 68. Actor Giancarlo Esposito is 53. Drummer Roger Taylor of Duran Duran is 51. Actress Joan Chen is 50. Drummer Chris Mars of The Replacements is 50. Actor-singer Michael Damian is 49. Actor Jet Li is 48. Guitarist Jimmy Stafford of Train is 47. Actor-comedian Kevin James ("The King of Queens") is 46. Fiddler Joe Caverlee of Yankee Grey is 43. Singer T-Boz of TLC is 41. Country bassist Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts is 40. Country bassist Michael Jeffers of Pinmonkey is 39. Drummer Jose Pasillas of Incubus is 35. Actor Jason Earles ("Hannah Montana") is 34. Actor Tom Welling ("Smallville") is 34. Actor Nyambi Nyambi ("Mike and Molly") is 32. Actress Jordana Brewster ("The Fast and The Furious") is 31. Actress Marnette Patterson ("Something So Right") is 31. Actor Channing Tatum ("Step Up") is 31.

April 27: Actor Jack Klugman is 89. Actress Anouk Aimee is 79. Announcer Casey Kasem is 79. Actress Judy Carne is 72. Singer Cuba Gooding of the Main Ingredient is 67. Singer Ann Peebles is 64. Singer Kate Pierson of The B-52's is 63. Singer Herbie Murrell of The Stylistics is 62. Actor Douglas Sheehan ("Knots Landing") is 62. Guitarist Ace Frehley (Kiss) is 60. Singer Sheena Easton is 52. Actor James Le Gros ("Ally McBeal") is 49. Bassist Rob Squires of Big Head Todd and the Monsters is 46. Singer Mica Paris is 42. Singer-guitarist Travis Meeks of Days of the New is 32. Actress Ari Graynor ("Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist") is 28. Singer-guitarist Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy is 27. Actor William Moseley ("The Chronicles

Mind Over Money is pleased to announce the talented rap group from Fort Pierce, FL “21 SOLJAZ”. They are set to release there hot new single “Blow Dro, Count Stacks” coming this May 2011. Marketing a huge stage in their career of multi-talented acoustic rappers and songwriters, “21 SOLJAZ” has put the final touches to the hit new single. They are now preparing for the immediate release that will hopefully build upon their fan base and get their music heard by more fans than ever.

Fort Pierce, FL (PRWEB) April 18, 2011

Mind Over Money is pleased to announce the talented rap group from Fort Pierce, FL “21 SOLJAZ”. They are set to release there hot new single “Blow Dro, Count Stacks” coming this May 2011. Marketing a huge stage in their career of multi-talented acoustic rappers and songwriters, “21 SOLJAZ” has put the final touches to the hit new single. They are now preparing for the immediate release that will hopefully build upon their fan base and get their music heard by more fans than ever.

The single switch consists of a combination of hi energy, down south rhythm playing drum kits from “Real Talk Production” and also mix by Terrence Barnes at Mind Over Money In-House studio. The melodious vocals and raw felt lyrics are by the group “21 SOLJAZ”. The rhythmic undercurrent bears testament to many well-known Florida Rappers around their way but to name one Florida rapper that they always looked up to is Miami national rap artist “Trick Daddy”. Their style and flow will remind you of him, “21 SOLJAZ” have a traditional down south slang and their music is punctuated throughout with elements of a hardcore edge. So to all the “21 SOLJAZ” fans out there be on the lookout for a group of three young brothers from Fort Pierce, FL who’s about to blow straight to the top.

Their single was recorded at Mind Over Money in house studio in Fort Pierce, FL and its creation was supported by Terrence Barnes & Antonio Gardenhire CEO/Founders of Mind Over Money. The single was produce by “21 SOLJAZ” and engineered by Jermaine Taylor.

Comments about 21 SOLJAZ When I first heard this group of guys, I was like Wow! They are really serious about what they want in this business. They have the flow the voice and the lyrics to make it happen. Willie Waters Sumter, SC.

From the first time I listened to their music I felt in love all over again with this music. I knew they needed some practice so that’s when i came in the picture so I had to sign them to my label (Mind Over Money). Terrence Barnes, CEO/Founder

About 21 SOLJAZ “21 SOLJAZ” are three brothers from Fort Pierce, FL that have a special love for music and on their way to the top “21 SOLJAZ” had to start from the bottom were every rapper started from. They wrote, rap and talked about life in their hood and had it was affected by drugs and blood money. The three brothers started out with only one CD which was recorded in their room. The title of the CD was “TRU SOULJA’S” standing for self-independent. The CD did not move as well so the brothers took some time off from the rapping and focus on things that doesn’t relate to music. Lee Taylor a.k.a. “Lee Skeezy” stayed home to take care of his new born while his brother Deshun Harris a.k.a. “G” stayed also. It all fell in place when Leshun Harris a.k.a. “SOULJA SHUN” visited his family in Manning, SC where he found out that his cousin Terrence Barnes and Antonio Gardenhire was getting ready to start his very own record label. Leshun gave them a copy of their CD which the three brothers had done before Leshun ca

ATLANTA – Even though Marvin Sapp has reached the pinnacle of success career wise, the gospel singer still wakes up with mixed emotions when reminiscing of his wife who died seven months ago.

"Every day is a new day," Sapp said in a recent phone interview. "There are days when I get up and I cry, thinking of her. There are days thinking of her and I smile. There are days when I'm angry. Days that I'm not. ... We miss her."

Last year, Sapp's latest album "Here I Am" debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart, making it the highest ranking gospel album in the chart's 54-year history of tracking album sales. His eighth album was led by single "The Best in Me."

But about seven months after the release of his record-breaking album, his world was rocked when his wife MaLinda Sapp died in September 2010 after a nearly 18-month fight with colon cancer. He and his 43-year-old wife had three children together — a 17-year-old boy and two girls at the age of 14 and 12.

Sapp says his wife played an integral part of his crossover success into the gospel secular realm, saying she encouraged him to release the inspirational "Never Would Have Made It," which ended up being a hit in 2007. Along with managing his career, she was also the administrative pastor of his Lighthouse Full Life Center Church in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The 44-year-old Sapp says he still finds it hard to imagine not having his wife around.

"She was a wife that I planned on having for life," says Sapp, who had three children with his wife of 20 years. "It's still a process. It'll probably be a life-long process. No matter what happens in my future. Some things you just don't get over."

After his wife's death, Sapp took 25 days off within a four-month span to grieve. He returned to preaching and music in January, despite some advising him not to rush back.

But Sapp says he couldn't keep away from his career, realizing the preaching and singing is a therapeutic outlet for him to express his feelings. He hopes his music can bring some more solace to himself and other who are dealing with the death of their mate.

"It can be a testimony to others about how God can keep you in a difficult time," he says.

Since Sapp's return, he already claimed four awards, including artist of the year at the Stellar Awards this year. He's also received four nominations the Dove Awards, which will be taped on April 20. The show will be aired on April 24 on the Gospel Music Channel.

If Sapp is able to come away with any awards — which includes his nomination for artist of the year — he'll dedicate it to the memory of his wife.

"I think it'll be some icing on the cake on my career and that we accomplished something together," he says. "Even though she's not here, I know she'll be there in my mind and spirit. We left our mark musically on the world. We showed it's all about family."

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Online:

http://www.marvinsapp.com