[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15032]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING KINARD & MYLES TRUE GOSPEL PRODUCTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 19, 2012

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a 
remarkable team, Mr. Johnny Kinard and the Reverend Marvin Myles, 
together they are Kinard & Myles True Gospel Productions, Inc. They 
have been in business for over twenty years in a promotional 
partnership showcasing some of this nation's finest gospel acts and 
artists alike.
  Kinard and Myles believed there was no need for two promoters in a 
region as small as theirs and that they could expand their horizons if 
they joined in partnership. The competition was tough in the region and 
that is what drove them into their partnership. Kinard was inspired by 
Early Wright, so he started recruiting local artists to perform in 
February, in observance of ``Black History Month,'' and this tradition 
has lasted thirty years. Every year now, this annual event it is 
headlined by some of the biggest names in the field but it is the local 
groups that are the center of attraction. Kinard gives much credit to 
the success of this event to the community of churches. Beyond 
marketing through the church's network it is the nurturing of talent 
within these congregations, whether they are soloists, groups or choirs 
making gospel music entertainment in demand.
  Johnny Kinard is also a radio personality; he is simulcast on KJIW-
94.5, WJIW-104.7, and KCAT-1340, every Thursday from 8 p.m. until 11 
p.m. and on the internet at www.lordrgdio.com, where he reaches over a 
million listeners. The Mississippi Broadcasting Network named him the 
number one Gospel Music Promoter. Johnny Kinard is the recipient of the 
2007 Mississippi Gospel Radio Announcer of the Year Award.
  Over the years, Kinard & Myles True Gospel Productions, Inc. was very 
good at booking local acts, working with other events and hosting 
concerts but on December 30, 2006, they had their greatest challenge, 
the Pre-New Year's Eve ``Gospel Jamboree'' at the 4000-seating 
accommodation Pinnacle Gymnasium on the campus of Coahoma Community 
College in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The biggest names in the field of 
traditional quartet gospel music and Grammy Award winners were present. 
These were such groups as The Mighty Clouds of Joy, Lee Williams & 
Spiritual QCs, the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi and Alabama, the 
Jackson Southernaires, the Pilgrim Jubilees, Doc McKenzie & The Hi-
Lites, the Violinaires, The Gospel Keynotes and the list went on. Even 
the great Early Wright, Johnny's mentor, had never attempted such an 
undertaking. Failure to deliver a ``great show'' could destroy any 
gospel promoter's reputation. The task of trying to persuade businesses 
to sponsor gospel, not blues, and sell four thousand tickets at twenty 
to fifty dollars a ``pop'' tested this two-man operation to the max. 
The team, Kinard and Myles, believed that with God all things are 
possible; they said ``We called it faith'' and when applied properly it 
works every time. Dr. Vivian Presley, President of Coahoma Community 
College, attended the event and confirmed it was the first time a 
concert of any kind had sold out at the college.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mr. Johnny 
Kinard and Reverend Marvin Myles of Kinard & Myles True Gospel 
Productions on their work of putting Traditional Quartet Gospel Music 
at the forefront of American Music, again.