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PRODUCER STEPHEN FORD AT THE HELM OF 3 MAJOR PROJECTS: Vickie Winans, Richard Smallwood and Stephen Hurd get Ford's Anointed Touch
Steven Ford, famed producer, songwriter, conductor, orchestrator, arranger, and keyboardist, is known as one of the top producers of gospel music. Consistently considered one of the industry's most sought-after producers, Ford has produced gospel's most notable artists including Bishop T.D. Jakes, Richard Smallwood & Vision, Vickie Winans, Donnie McClurkin & The McClurkin Family, The Winans, Shirley Caesar, Maurette Brown-Clark, The Mighty Clouds Of Joy, The Williams Brothers, Alvin Slaughter, John P. Kee, Vanessa Williams, and Pastor Bruce Parham.
In the last few weeks, Ford's blistering schedule has had him in studios producing coast to coast. In one day, he was in Alameda, CA, at Infinite Recording Studios recording Walter Hawkins, Tramaine Hawkins, Edwin & Lynette Hawkins, then it was on to Los Angeles at the world famous Ocean Way studios recording Chaka Khan, then on to New York to the hit making studio, Right Tracks in Manhattan, to record Kelly Price, then completing arrangements orchestration, then off to Nashville, Atlanta, Chicago, then back to his production suite at Sparkle Studios in Delaware.
Ford has just completed a feat few, if any, have done in the genre of sacred music - he's produced three of projects by the top names in gospel, all releasing within weeks of each other.
For the past few months, he has been working feverishly in the studio for some of gospel music's top artists. Gospel's Hardest Working Woman, Vickie Winans, who just debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart for her double CD, Woman To Woman: Songs Of Life, tapped Ford to help produce the live portions of the phenomenal 30-song CD. The project moved an astounding 25,000 units during its first week of release.
In addition, Ford is putting the finishing touches on two highly-anticipated projects from maestro Richard Smallwood and praise and worship icon Stephen Hurd. Smallwood's upcoming release, Journey, features the legends of gospel including The Hawkins Family, The Clark Sisters, The Smallwood Singers, and mainstream singers Kelly Price, Chaka Khan,Aretha Franklin and Roberta Flack. Recorded live at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City last year, the Verity Records recording artist's live cuts were recorded to a packed house. Smallwood is scheduled to drop the first single in late September.
On October 3rd, Stephen Hurd, Integrity Gospel's recording artist, will be dropping his sophomore offering. Ford served as the producer and musical director of the live recording entitled My Destiny: I Know What I'm Here For. The live recording took place in Washington, D.C. and features Stellar Award winners Jonathan Nelson and Maurette Brown Clark. Ford, known for his dynamic live productions, believes his recent works are some of the best of his career.
With a strong desire to share the lessons he's learned from the decades in music ministry, Ford penned a book called "Can I Take Your Order?" which is an insightful manuscript delving into the Levitical order outlined in scripture. The book focuses on the reason behind music ministry and clearly defines the purpose God has laid out for those who serve in the position of music minister. A worship clinician, Ford has been sharing jewels from the book with ministers of music across the country and welcomes more opportunities to do so.
THE LA BLACK BUSINESS EXPO
Food, faith, finance, fashion, fun and more
will be featured at the 18th Annual L.A. Black
Business Expo and Trade Show, September 22 - 24,
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the L.A. Convention Center,
1201 S. Figueroa St. , L.A. Admission is $5
for ages 12 and older. For info, see
www.blackbusinessexpo.com.
