::THE SLICE REPORT WITH MONA AUSTIN

buzzz worthy. . . George Henry Jackson wrote "Down Home Blues" and "Old Time Rock n Roll"   (Jackson, MS) - Internationally acclaimed songwriter George Henry Jackson passed away Sunday, April 14, 2013. Born in Indianola, MS on March 12, 1945, to Otis and Letha Jackson, George moved with his family in 1950 to Greenville, MS, grew up there, and dedicated his life to Christ at an early age. George spent his teen years listening as the radio played records by the fabulous gospel groups and soul singers who frequented the Mississippi River Delta towns.  George always had a song on his mind.  His career in music began in the early 60's as an active vocalist and songwriter in Memphis, where he made his home for the next 26 years.            In 1969, George’s reputation as a songwriter caught the attention of Rick Hall at Fame Records in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and he was signed as a Fame songwriter. Geor...

buzzz worthy. . . Ricin-laced mail headed to The Capital and The White House has been intercepted.  The letters tested positive for the poison, which can be fatal when inhaled. One  letter was postmarked in Memphis addressed to Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi.   The other letter was addressed to President Obama. The sender wrote "to see a wrong and not expose it is to become a silent partner to its continuance," according to a source familiar with an investigation of the incident. "I am KC and I approve this message," it reads. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told ABC News that Capitol offices were on high alert.  Incoming mail has been halted as the FBI investigates these incidents. WASHINGTON, DC – On Thursday, April 18, the President and First Lady will travel to Boston to attend  Healing Our City: An Interfaith Service  dedicated to those who were gravely wounded or killed in Monday’s bombing near the finish line of the Boston Marath...

buzzz worthy. . . New York, NY – (April 16, 2013) – Following a legacy of great hosts, BET Networks has announced that actor and comedian Chris Tucker will host the BET Awards 2013 on Sunday, June 30, 2013 at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, CA.  Tucker, who commanded Hollywood’s attention as the highest paid actor during his blockbuster Rush Hour film series, once again is taking Hollywood by storm with his recent role in the Oscar-nominated film, Silver Linings Playbook.  “We cannot wait for Chris to set fire to the BET Awards stage with his unique brand of mayhem,” said Stephen Hill, President of Music Programming and Specials.  “We’ve been chasing him for years and we couldn’t be happier that he is hosting the show in this special year: the year we embark on the three–day long BET Experience.” “I am honored to be asked to host this year’s BET Awards.  I’m looking forward to being part of a really great show,” says Chris Tucker. For 12 years, BET...

buzzz worthy. . . BET revealed programming for the year at its annual upfront meeting. On the faith-based front, the network is welcoming Bishop T.D. Jakes as the host of  T.D. JAKES PRESENTS: MIND, BODY & SOUL  premiering this Fall.   Sunday Best, Dr. Bobby Jones Gospel are returning, but there was no mention of Lift Every Voice . BEING  MARY JANE  – From the producers of the award-winning, record breaking BET comedy THE GAME, GIRLFRIENDS and box-office hits JUMPING THE BROOM and SPARKLE comes an original series starring the gorgeous and talented  Gabrielle Union  . The series is a follow up to the release of the BEING MARY JANE movie of the week slated to launch on BET this summer.  This is a story to which millions of modern women will both relate and respond.  Mary Jane Paul  is a one-woman-show: a successful TV news anchor, and an entirely self-sufficient powerhouse who remains devoted to a family that doesn't...

ON APRIL 18, 2013 @ 7:30 PM AT THE KINGDOM CHURCH IN ORLANDO, FL Tims Will Announce Plans For An Enrichment Center In Her Late Former Husband’s Memory     Orlando, FL: In honor of the late pastor Dr. Zachery Tims, Jr., his former wife Pastor Riva Tims and their children (Zoelle, Zachery III, Zahria and Zion) are coming together with others to celebrate his life and legacy on April 18, 2013. Family, friends, local pastors and others will gather at The Kingdom Church to remember the late Dr. Tims. He touched thousands of lives with his preaching and television program. Now, Riva Tims and the family are planning to establish The Dr. Zachery Tims, Jr. Enrichment Center to continue his good works.   The center will function as a retreat oasis for ministerial leaders suffering from emotional and spiritual burnout and will also serve as a rehabilitation facility for people struggling with addiction and depression. The center will allow leaders to recuperate,...

buzzz worthy. . .   Deal Expands Relationship with Campbell and eOne   NASHVILLE, TN (April 16, 2013)  – Top independent music brand Entertainment One Music (eOne Music) has inked a new deal creating a strategic partnership with My Block Records (My Block), the label and entertainment enterprise helmed by multiple Grammy®-winning super producer Warryn Campbell, announced this week for eOne Music by James Robinson, SVP of eOne Music Nashville.  Both known as formidable powers for award-winning top talent – excelling as independent labels in developing brilliant, distinctive voices in Gospel and other genres – eOne Music and My Block forge a strategic partnership to bring the latest outstanding, fresh music from new and superstar artists, with a slate of new music on deck for 2013 and more.           In this deal, the strategic partnership will utilize eOne Music’s multi-faceted channels of production, distribution, sales,  marketin...

buzzz worthy. . . CHARLOTTE, N.C. ,  April 16, 2013  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- George Beverly Shea, 104, of  Montreat, North Carolina , soloist of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), died this evening following a brief illness. Since  George Beverly Shea  first sang for Graham in 1943 on the  Chicago  radio hymn program, "Songs in the Night," Shea has faithfully carried the Gospel in song to every continent and every state in the Union. Graham's senior by ten years, Shea devotedly preceded the evangelist in song in nearly every Crusade over the span of more than one-half century. Shea was the recipient of ten Grammy nominations, a Grammy Award in 1965, and was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Grammy organization in 2011. He was also a member of the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame (1978), and was inducted into the Religious Broadcasting Hall of Fame in  February 1996 . Shea was also inducted into ...