Billboard – Mitch's Muse

According to a recent news release, Grammy Award nominated recording artist Deitrick Haddon made a big splash two years ago with his starring film debut in “Blessed & Cursed” that has aired on The GMC Channel and Showtime. Now, Tyscot/Manhaddon Films and Releve Entertainment are enjoying new success with Haddon’s second major film vehicle, “A Beautiful Soul,” which opened at selected AMC Theaters nationwide on May 4, 2012, and brought thousands of churchgoers into theaters around the country.

In the film, Haddon stars as Andre Stephens, an R&B superstar who loses his spiritual compass after he and his best friend barely survive a brutal attack. Haddon has assembled an ambitious twelve-song set of songs inspired by the movie and its theme entitled, “A Beautiful Soul” (Tyscot Records/ $9.99 SLP). The CD features the funky retro-styled radio single, “No Betta” (by Faith Evans and Deitrick Haddon), that is #35 on this week’s Top 100 Gospel chart.

The set also includes the breezy urban pop tune “Running to You” (Regula leads) and the straight up urban track “New Life” (featuring Fonzworth Bentley, Haddon and raspy-voiced, Nikki Potts). Adia leads the whimsical “Incomplete” and Haddon leads the title song, “A Beautiful Soul”. It’s 12 songs in all with Haddon’s choir, Voices of Unity, in the middle of the musical musings. Among the cameo soloists are Kierra Sheard; former P. Diddy sidekick, Fonzworth Bentley; Jason Champion; Joint Heirs; Candy West, among others. For more information, go to www.abeautifulsoulmovie.com.

Earnest Pugh

Gospel singer Earnest Pugh continues to make big strides in his career. His recent No. 1 Billboard gospel radio smash “I Need Your Glory” has now crossed over to the urban adult contemporary radio charts. This week the song moves up to #23 on the Mediabase Urban AC chart and No. 30 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart.

“It’s an honor to be embraced by Urban AC radio,” Pugh says in a news release. “This milestone in my career solidifies my belief that in bad times people gravitate to The Good News and good ole hard work pays off!”

A Memphis native who was mentored by Grammy Award winning choir leader O’Landa Draper back in the 1990s, Pugh released his first solo CD in 2006 and showed off his five-octave vocals on the radio hit “Wrapped Up, Tied Up, Tangled Up.” After years of making respectable forays into gospel, Pugh finally hit it big in 2009 with his No. 1 smash “Rain on Us.” He followed-up with other radio chart smashes such as “The Great I Am” and “Perfect Peace” before hitting No. 1 again with “I Need Your Glory.” For more information, go to www.earnestpugh.com.