Steven Curtis Chapman considered quitting after tragedy

I know so many people — Christian music fans and non-fans alike — were touched by the tragedy in Steven Curtis Chapman’s family a few months ago.

You might remember that Steven lost his little girl Maria in an accident on the family’s property in Williamson County.

He took it very hard at first.

“Initially Steven talked about never doing any concerts or media ever again,” his manager, Jim Houser, said in a statement.

“But quickly God began to show Steven that if he ever believed the songs he was writing, singing and recording before May 21 and Maria’s loss, that they must still be true now,” he said.

Steven’s first interview on the tragedy airs Wednesday morning on Good Morning America on News 2. Steven, his wife, and their three older children will appear in a six-minute interview with GMA’s Robin Roberts, who once was a sportscaster here in Nashville. Later that day, he’ll appear with Larry King on CNN.

“It’s the family’s hope that these appearances will serve as a chance to proclaim to a watching world what they know and are deeply convinced of even in these difficult days, the Gospel is true and faith in Christ is our Hope,” Houser said.

Steven’s publicist told me today that Steven is receiving amazing support from fans during the few shows that he has done since Maria died. At one point during the song Cinderella, each audience member illuminated a cell phone or some kind of light in a show of support.

Reports: Rock singer exposes himself at Rocketown

From WKRN.com:

The lead singer of a local rock band is facing accusations he exposed himself to a crowd of teens and adults at a Nashville music venue.

Deborah Burnett, a security worker at Rocketown, was in the crowd Friday night during a performance by the Legendary Shack Shakers when lead singer Joshua Wilkes reportedly opened his pants and exposed his genitals.

Rocketown is a Christian-based teen entertainment complex that provides a safe, alcohol and drug free environment for youth to enjoy concerts, classes, videogames and skateboarding, according to its Web site.

Both teens and adults were the audience at the time of the alleged incident.

Burnett filed the complaint with police.

Amy Grant loved Bonnaroo, but Kanye? Not so much

Baby, baby, guess who went to Bonnaroo? Amy Grant and some of her kids headed down, and Amy says she loved rocker Jakob Dylan, Canadian identical twins Tegan and Sara and soul-funksters Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings.

What she did NOT love was Kanye West going on about two hours late for his overnight glow show. Kanye’s folks said the delays were caused by Pearl Jam playing an exta hour and by some problems putting together Kanye’s high-tech set.

Still, says Amy: “My daughter Sarah was one of the people that waited for his 2:45 a.m. show that started at sunrise. And that’s tough to do to a crowd when they’ve been in a hot sun all day and they’re willing to stay up ’til 2:45 a.m.”

Can Amy Grant really walk through the Bonnaroo crowd without getting swamped? Apparently so.

Amy says only a few folks approached her to ask for pictures.

Steven Curtis Chapman’s daughter dies in accident

The five-year-old daughter of Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman has died after an SUV struck her on the family’s property around 5 p.m. Wednesday, the Tennessee Highway Patrol tells News 2.

Maria Chapman — one of three daughters that Chapman and his wife adopted from China — was pronounced dead at Vanderbilt University Medical Center after she was taken there by LifeFlight.

A THP spokeswoman says one of Chapman’s two teen-aged sons was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser around the family’s Franklin home, and the driver didn’t see the little girl.

Police said this appears to be an accident.

Authorities have sent an accident reconstruction team to the site, and the district attorney has been notified, but no charges are pending at this point. And no charges are expected.

UPDATE

Steven Curtis Chapman’s manager, Jim Houser, issued a statement on the family’s Web site today.

“Just hours before this close knit family was celebrating the engagement of the oldest daughter Emily Chapman, and were just hours away from a graduation party marking Caleb Chapman’s completion of high school,” he wrote.

“Now, they are preparing to bury a child who blew out 5 candles on a birthday cake less than 10 days ago. These words are unthinkable to type. And yet we trust in a God who was not surprised by this and because of Jesus I am certain through faith in Him we will see Maria again.”

The family is asking donations be made to the Chapman’s adoption initiative, Shoahanna’s Hope.

SERVICES

Christ Presbyterian Church, 2323 Old Hickory Blvd., will host visitation 5 to 8 p.m. Friday and a public memorial service at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Lascassas Elementary kids spell w-e-l-l

I got to host the Lascassas Elementary third-grade spelling bee today, and I’ve gotta say, I’m glad I had the answers in front of me. FYI, the word “remnant” can really trip up a kid.

Special surprise celeb: Former Lonestar lead singer Richie McDonald was there to cheer on his third-grader, Mollie. Richie has an inspirational album out in June, a solo country album out this fall.

Anyhoo, the kids were great. Check out the pics.

Gospel groups honor Dottie Rambo with her songs

Dottie Rambo wrote more than 2,000 gospel songs, songs that were recorded by a whole range of stars, from Elvis Presley to Whitney Houston to Porter Wagoner. So it seems only appropriate that a dozen or so of her biggest songs were performed at today’s funeral.

The Isaacs, the Oak Ridge Boys, the Crabb Family and Lulu Roman were among those who performed songs that included I Will Glory in the Cross, I Go to the Rock, Behold the Lamb, I Will Lift You There and others.

Barbara Mandrell spoke, called Ms. Rambo her “heroine.”

And a pastor read a greeting from President Bush, who also sent the family the U.S. flag that was flying above the White House on Mother’s Day, the day Ms. Rambo died in a bus crash in Missouri.

Ms. Rambo’s body will be in a mausoleum at Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Memorial Park.

Public memorial service set for Dottie Rambo

That happens at 1 p.m. Monday at Christ Church, 15354 Old Hickory Blvd. in Nashville, near Brentwood.

All friends and fans of gospel great Dottie Rambo are invited to that service.

Ms. Rambo died early Sunday when storm winds blew her tour bus off the road in Missouri and the bus crashed into a guard rail and an embankment.

Visitation has been set for 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home, 660 Thompson Lane in Nashville.

A private reception for close friends and relatives happens at the church at 11 a.m. Monday.

Donations in Ms. Rambo’s memory may be made to the Dottie Rambo Memorial Fund, P. O. Box 50508, Nashville, 37205.

Gospel legend Dottie Rambo dies in bus crash in Mo.

Gospel great Dottie Rambo, 74, died in a bus crash near Springfield, Mo., early Sunday morning, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report.

The bus driver, Ronnie Meadows, is in serious condition and Ms. Rambo’s manager, Larry Ferguson, and his wife and his two children, are also hospitalized in Springfield, Mo., the report says.

Chris Barnes, 22, Ms. Rambo’s Web master and Mr. Ferguson’s assistant, was in serious condition.

Few details were available, but there were reports that overnight storms and high winds caused the 1997 Prevost bus to crash into a guard rail and an embankment around 2:20 a.m. on I-44, two miles east of Mt. Vernon, Mo.

Ms. Rambo was reportedly traveling from Springfield, Mo., to Texas when the crash occured.

Ms. Rambo was a prolific writer and singer whose hits include We Shall Behold Him, Holy Spirit Thou Art Welcome (In The Place), I Go To The Rock, and Sheltered In The Arms Of God.

Elvis Presley, Barbara Mandrell, Carol Channing, Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton are among those who have recorded Ms. Rambo’s songs.

As a young girl, Ms. Rambo fell in love with country music while listening to the Grand Ole Opry in her Morganfield, Ky., home. She started writing songs at ate 8, and by age 10, Ms. Rambo was singing covers of country songs on a local radio station.

By age 12, she became a born-again Christian, a decision her dad abhorred. He ended up kicking her out of the house, and Ms. Rambo started her Christian career.

Ms. Rambo met Buck Rambo at age 16 and they married soon after, forming a gospel trio that would launch a 50+ years career in Christian music.

Barbara Mandrell inducted Ms. Rambo into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame late last year, only the 10th woman to enter the hall.

Ms. Rambo was slated to release a new album, Sheltered, in the summer. The album was to include a duet with the late Porter Wagoner, Sheltered in the Arms of God, and Dottie was set to dedicate her album to Mr. Wagoner.

A regal night for Casting Crowns at the Dove Awards

Red-hot Christian group Casting Crowns cleaned up at the 39th annual GMA Dove Awards at the Opry House.

The group won three trophies, including its fourth straight for Group of the Year. And lead singer Mark Hall won an additional four trophies for his songwriting, including one for Song of the Year for East to West.

All this for a bunch of guys who still consider the band a side job.

“It’s really odd for us, really, ’cause I’m still a youth pastor back home. And we’re home Sunday through Wednesday with our students,” Mark told me.

“So we just sort of get on the bus and travel three days a week. We’re not usually around all this.”

Another highlight: American Idol alums Mandisa, Phil Stacey and Chris Sligh sang songs in a tribute to the 25 years of artistry from Michael W. Smith (Place in This World).

And Wynonna joined Female Vocalist of the Year winner Natalie Grant for a killer duet.

The Dove Awards have been living in relative TV obscurity for years, airing on a hobbled-together syndication distribution that had the show airing at different times on different dates on a wide variety of channels throughout the country.

This year, the show aired live on the relatively new Gospel Music Channel, or Comcast digital channel 189.

Other big winners:

TobyMac won artist of the year for the first time since 1996, when he was a member of dc Talk. Chris Tomlin won best male singer for the third year in a row. Brandon Heath beat out Mandisa for best new artist.

Jordin Sparks to skip Doves because of vocal injury

Indeedy, you have have heard about American Idol champ Jordin Sparks (Tattoo, No Air) having a vocal injury and canceling all of her April appearances. Those appearances included a song Wednesday night at the GMA Dove Awards at the Opry House.

But Jordin’s fans need worry not, her record label says.

“Jordin Sparks is on vocal rest and is expected to make a full and complete recovery,” according to a statement from 19/Jive Records. “Sparks has been going nonstop over the past two years and now she’s going through the normal course of learning how to manage and care for her voice.”

American Idol still will be well represented at the Doves. Mandisa, Phil Stacey and Chris Sligh are on the bill.

Also scheduled: Wynonna, Ricky Skaggs and, oh yeah, some Christian artists will be on the bill.

If you’re not at the Opry House, the Gospel Music Channel will air the Doves live.

Pages (2): [1] 2 NEXT PAGE