Press Release: Let’s Lift Each Other Up

Let’s Lift Each Other Up, says Mayor Sylvester Turner.

1 Thessalonians 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as indeed you are doing.

The vision of a cultural, historical, and educational arts center in Houston will be a place where Gospel Music will have a permanent venue for musical presentations. A synergy of gifted musicians, professionals and leaders facilitated by V. Michael McKay and Yolanda Adams will oversee the design of a facility inspired by Revelation 21. It will be the home of creative musical expressions of gratitude, testimonies, and hymns to edify our God of all people. It will be the place for musical artifacts, archives, biographical sketches, and documentaries on the lives of those who have impacted lovers of Gospel Music in Houston, Harris County, reaching national and international groups and audiences.

A permanent home for Gospel Music in Houston is well overdue since many gifted musicians have complemented ministries in Houston. It will be a place for education of the next generation of Gospel musicians in a city where Mrs. Alfred J. Bonner, Paul Jones, Eugene Williams, and many others laid a foundation, contributed, and sang melodies enhanced by vibrato, pitch, intensity, timbre, rhythm, syncopation and more.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee presented congressional documents to McKay and Adams to benchmark the conception of Gospel Music Haus and Museum, marking the enterprise as unique and relevant to establishing and confirming that Houston is a unique epicenter. It will be a place that is of greatest importance to sharing and documenting Gospel Music and the lives of Gospel singers and musicians. The continued development and recognition of Houston as a Gospel capitol in the United States will be achieved by the presence of the Gospel Music Haus and Museum.

The creative bond between V. Michael McKay and Yolanda Adams serves as a model for aspiring Gospel singers and musicians. It is evidence of the benefits of dedication and perseverance to attain numerous accolades such as Grammy Awards, Dove Awards, and other national awards possessed by Adams and McKay.

The eloquent event was held at The Bell Tower, 901 West 34th Street, on May 22, 2021 with the 24 member Houston Gospel Legends Choir sharing songs that awakened emotions, evoking responses from all who were present. Great enthusiasm and support for Gospel Music Haus and Museum were evident. Mayor Sylvester Turner acknowledged the role of Gospel Music in his journey, and he appealed to the participants saying, “Let’s Lift Each Other Up.” His quote is profound during an era of medical, social, and legal challenges in Houston and the United States.