BECKAH SHAE GIVES BIRTH TO THIRD DAUGHTER
Congratulations are in order to singer Beckah Shae and her husband, Jack Shocklee. The pair welcomed their third child (and third daughter), Hope, on May 16. The baby was born 7 pounds, 15 ounces, and stretched 20 and three quarters inches long. Beckah said she thanked God for a quick and easy delivery, and is overcome with love for the new addition, saying she is “one happy momma” who is “thankful God has trusted her” with such a responsibility. Beckah said the day was nothing short of “supernatural.”
Baby Hope joins big sisters Joy and Grace--who are singers in their own right, having most recently appeared on the Scripture Snacks Kids Volume 1. All indications point to an eventual trio between the Shocklee sisters and adorable family cover song videos for years to come.
As for Beckah, she and Jack are gearing up for Beckah’s much anticipated 2016 album, Mighty, which recently ended a successful Kickstarter campaign, raising nearly $33,000. The song has yielded fun retro-tinged single, “I’ll Be Alright.”
Keep up to date on Baby Hope, the new album and all the Shocklee family’s general hijinks by checking out Beckah Shae’s Facebook page.
TENTH AVENUE NORTH PREPPING NEW ALBUM
Tenth Avenue North has been hard at work in the studio producing their fifth record. Earlier this month they surprised fans by releasing their brand new single "What You Want" with an accompanying lyric video shot by Hawk Nelson's Jon Steingard. They’re already seeing positive feedback from fans enjoying the poppier-than-usual track from the band.
In talking about the song on the band’s Instagram account, frontman Mike Donehey said he wants to be done with overcomplicating things--done with heaping burdens on himself and on others. Ultimately he says he wants to trade he wants for what God wants--which is for His people to rest, to find joy, to simply trust and follow His wild heart wherever it leads.
Although no title or release date has been shared yet, fans are definitely ready and excited for new music since this will be the band's first full-length album in two years--the first since 2014's highly-successful Cathedrals.
The guys have been sharing sneak peeks at some of the new songs through their adventures on Snapchat and posting photos of their time in the studio on social media. To keep up with all the updates from Tenth Avenue North, make sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
SWITCHFOOT ANNOUNCES ALBUM RELEASE PARTY ON A BOAT
Switchfoot can pretty much tour with anybody. The San Diego rock band is currently on the road with superstar hip-hopper Lecrae on the Heartland Tour, taking them to various smaller locales throughout the country, and then this fall they’ll be hitting the road with another staple in Christian rock, Relient K, for the Looking for America Tour.
And just when you thought the only boat in Christian music was the one where dcTalk gets back together, Switchfoot announced this last week that they will celebrate their 10th studio album, Where The Light Shines Through, on a boat.
That’s right; their CD release party will be held on a sky deck 30 feet off the water on the largest charter yacht in California. They’re not heading to the Caribbean or anything, but San Diego is no slouch, either. The event promises to be a once in a lifetime kind of evening cruise, as the band will play its new tunes while setting sail under the Coronado Bay Bridge, watching the San Diego sunset and interacting with rabid fans.
Learn more about the band’s current tours and its release party at www.switchfoot.com.
SANDI PATTY CONTINUES FAREWELL TOUR
The Most-Awarded Female Vocalist in Gospel Music History and Christian Music Icon Sandi Patty is announcing the fall dates of her Forever Grateful: The Farewell Tour. After high demand for tickets led to consistently sold-out shows across the country on the spring leg of the tour, 28 more shows are continuing the run of her historic goodbye, which picks back up in September in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Celebrating her latest album, Forever Grateful, and her extraordinary 30+ year career, the tour is sponsored by World Vision with a lineup of special guests including Veritas and members of Sandi's family. Tickets for the Forever Grateful Fall Tour went on sale to the public Monday, May 23.
Following the fall dates and her Christmas Blessings Tour this holiday season, Sandi will bring the Forever Grateful Tour to the West Coast and Northwest in early 2017. The Tour will conclude its 100+ city run on the Forever Grateful Farewell Cruise from March 11-18, 2017, which will host the final Forever Grateful Tour performance live from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Sandi is one of the most highly acclaimed performers of our time with five Grammy® awards, four Billboard Music Awards, three platinum records, five gold records, more than 40 Dove awards, and 12 million albums sold. For more information on the tour, please visit: sandipatty.com.