Edwin Hawkins Joins The Southern California Chapter to Celebrate Their 24th Anniversary and Honor Bishop Walter Hawkins

Online, October 30, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Southern California Chapter Anniversary Musical featuring Edwin Hawkins
Antioch Church of Long Beach,
1535 Gundry Ave. Long Beach CA
Saturday, November 6, 7pm
Cost: Free and open to the public; Product and dinner available for sale.

Long Beach, CA - Gospel music legend Edwin Hawkins will be the special guest as the Southern California Chapter of the Edwin Hawkins and Walter Hawkins Music and Arts Love Fellowship Conference celebrates 24 years of ministry. Dr. Edwin Hawkins will celebrate with one of his inaugural chapters in a musical on November 6, 2010 at Antioch Church of Long Beach, to begin at 7pm.

Joining Dr. Hawkins and the Chapter in celebration are singer/songwriter Pastor Calvin Bernard Rhone and vocalist Kesha Ealy. We will take time to honor the memory of Bishop Walter Hawkins whose recent passing was a sharp blow to the gospel music world and the Southern California Chapter founder, Pastor Selestene "Tina" Sterling, who was an instrumental figure in gospel music in the Los Angeles area.

Sponsored by S&T Records, this free event will also promote the release of Exploring the Music and Arts Workshop CD which features Pastor Rhone, Kesha Ealy, Vadia, Rusty Watson, David Bratton, Joel Smith, David Blakely and Edwin Hawkins. The CD will be available for purchase on the day of the musical.

Other featured guests include rising gospel star Kesha Renee, Minister Rodney Nichols and the Antioch Young Adult Choir. Following the service, dinners will be available for purchase, provided by Sistah Soul Food Restaurant

For more information or interview requests:
Monesia Hobbs, 562-212-3604, [email protected]

About the Southern California Chapter: In 1986 Pastor Daryl Coley & the late Pastor Selestene "Tina" Sterling organized the Southern California Chapter of the Edwin Hawkins Music & Arts Seminar in Los Angeles, California, as an extension of National Convention which was formed in 1979 by Edwin Hawkins.

As a Christian based (Christ-centered) organization their mission is to provide valid and relevant information on the history and development of Black religious music, focusing on modern day contemporary gospel, and its place in music as an art form and provide spiritual support, as well as, instruction.

With departments in the areas of voice, dance, drama and musicianship the focus is always JESUS and ministry. The Southern California Chapter Choir has performed professionally in studio recordings and live performances. The Choir was also the featured "house" Choir for the 2003 BET Celebration of Gospel, providing background vocals for such artists as Smokey Norful, Pastor Shirley Caesar, Bebe Winans, Mary Mary, Kelly Price and the legendary Hawkins family.

In 1994, Edwin Hawkins and his brother Bishop Walter L. Hawkins, founder of the Love Fellowship Convention in 1988, merged their conferences to form the Edwin Hawkins and Walter Hawkins Music & Arts Love Fellowship Conference. The Love Fellowship Conference nurtures and supports its independent minded pastors through good Christian fellowship. The Conference provides pastors and their congregations the opportunity to refresh their spirits joining praise, worship and education without regard of denominational affiliations, providing professional instruction in culturally relevant areas of Christian music, dance and drama.

The Southern California Chapter provides its members with spiritual support, musical (i.e. vocal technique, choir decorum, etc.), dance, and drama instruction.
Mark K. Smiley, Chapter Leader/Asst. Choir Director
Shannon Sterling-Tyler, Choir Director
Monesia Hobbs, Publicity and Admin Asst
Mickey Amann, Treasurer
Ezel Cornwell, Spiritual Leader

About S&T Records: S&T Records was founded in November 2008 by Scelester Ford and LeMorrious Tyler to create a platform for local aspiring gospel artists to produce their projects. Visionaries Ford and Tyler have both spent a number of years working in music. Ford was pioneer in the male quartet gospel sound of the 1950s and 60s while Tyler currently works as a music engineer and spent many years working with such Westside hip hop artists as Snoop Dogg, Daz and Korupt, Goldie Loc and his own artist Drastic. Also an accomplished drummer, Tyler was fortunate enough to have worked on the Tupac record Me Against the World, being featured on the track "Young Niggaz." Together Ford and Tyler hope to give young artists and choirs an opportunity to share their gift with the world