Elder Goldwire McLendon Making Debut at 81 Years Old
Music World Gospel Recording Artist and 81 Years Old
Elder Goldwire McLendon’s New CD Jumps This Week to #7 from #22 on
Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums Chart
(Houston, TX – May 14, 2012) –Music World Gospel recording artist and BET’s Sunday Best Season 3 first runner-up’s debut solo CD project, The Best of Elder Goldwire McLendon, jumps to #7 this week from #22 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart. McLendon is the oldest American contemporary solo artist signed to a record deal.
Preparing for a series of concert dates this summer, and wrapping up a promo tour in the Northeast and Southwest, the spirited and charismatic McLendon has been singing and ministering the gospel for seven decades. Two of his hometown papers, the Philadelphia Daily News and Philadelphia Tribune, rave about his talent and appeal and bestow some brotherly love on the elder (see links below).
http://articles.philly.com/2012-05-09/news/31627190_1_tv-land-awesome-experience-new-lease
http://www.phillytrib.com/religionarticles/item/3868-at-age-81,-mclendon-signs-debut-cd.html
The Best of Elder Goldwire McLendon features seven songs. McLendon puts a contemporary spin on traditional and classic gospel songs, which were all produced by Stanley Brown. His first single is an upbeat rendition of Sam Cooke’s “Jesus Be A Fence Around Me.”
He also offers a hand-clapping, foot-stomping rendition of “He’s All Over Me.” Written by Alvin Darling, this song gained international exposure when it was performed by Whitney Houston and Shirley Caesar in the movie The Preacher’s Wife. McLendon says the song has a special meaning to him. “It expresses how I really feel because I know that the spirit of the Lord is all over me and it’s keeping me alive—literally.” He performs a soulful rendition of “The Battle Is The Lord’s,” putting his own stamp on a signature song of gospel great Yolanda Adams, which was written by V. Michael McKay. McLendon’s contemplative and worshipful version of the classic, “How Great Thou Art,” written by Carl Boberg and Max Morris, is followed by a lively take on Edwin Hawkins’ gospel treasure, “Oh Happy Day.” His performance of “I Know It Was The Blood,” written by Chester D.T. Baldwin, takes him back to the church songs of his youth, and he takes the listener along for the ride. “The song has been a part of my nature ever since I first heard it as a kid,” he says. “I wanted to bring some of that old-time gospel to my version of the song.” He rounds out the CD with a soulful take on the Staple Singers’ classic (written by Alvertis Isbell), “I’ll Take You There,” which McLendon performed with Le’Andria Johnson on Sunday’s Best. “It was really something,” he says of that duet.