[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 38 (Thursday, March 30, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E474]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           GOSPEL MUSIC WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM COOPER

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 30, 2006

  Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, beginning this weekend, more than 3,000 
individuals will gather in my hometown of Nashville to celebrate one of 
the most exciting and fastest-growing segments of the music industry. 
While most people around the world think of Nashville--Music City--as 
the place to come to enjoy the best country and bluegrass music in the 
world, Nashville is also home to another powerful music force: the 
Gospel Music Association.
  From April 1st through April 5th, Nashville will host Gospel Music 
Week. It is five days of concerts, worship services, performance 
showcases, educational seminars and exhibits, all culminating on 
Wednesday evening with the GMA Music Awards. Known as the Dove Awards, 
this year's ceremony will be held at the Grand Ole Opry House and 
hosted by Rebecca St. James and Kirk Franklin, both Grammy and Dove 
Award winners themselves. St. James and Franklin will also perform 
during the evening's program that will feature artists ranging from 
soulful gospel to guitar driven pop to powerful quartet harmonizing and 
more.
  The sold-out event is a testimony to the popularity and power of 
gospel music today. Christian and gospel music sales have increased 
from $381 million in 1995 to over $700 million annually, an 80 percent 
increase over the last decade. Over 43.5 million units of Christian and 
gospel music CDs, cassettes, digital albums, and digital tracks were 
sold in 2005. That figure represents over 6 percent of all music sales 
in 2005 and ranks higher than Latin, Soundtracks, Jazz or Classical 
releases.
  As John W. Styll, president of the Gospel Music Association has said, 
this growth in the Christian and gospel music isn't surprising. ``The 
heart of gospel music may be in the lyrics, but the soul is in the 
passion with which these artists perform.''
  Clearly, the world is passionate about gospel music and the many 
outstanding artists who will appear in Nashville in the coming days. I 
salute each of these individuals, and the Gospel Music Association, as 
they prepare for the 37th Annual GMA Music Awards and Gospel Music Week 
and another year of inspiring performances that touch the hearts and 
souls of music lovers worldwide.

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