R&B Divas Sing Songs of Praise

Grammy-winning R&B singer Regina Belle is readying her first full-length gospel recording. The CD, titled 'Love Forever Shines,' will hit stores this spring on Pendulum Records, which is distributed by Fontana Distribution. The 44-year old singer, born in Englewood, New Jersey, is no stranger to the gospel community, most recently being featured on a song called 'My Offering' on Nolan Williams, Jr.'s CD, 'inSpiration.' place Atlanta in 2007. In 1994, Belle won a Grammy alongside Peabo Bryson for the duet, 'A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme).The song also won an Oscar for Best Song. Song stylist Patti Austin is gearing up for her next CD, which is being dubbed as an "inspirational pop" record. The 58-year-old diva has already penned one track with songwriter Gordon Chambers (Anita Baker/Yolanda Adams) and also has plans to collaborate with Brenda Russell (Oleta Adams/Patti LaBelle) and singer/songwriter Gloria Loring, who happens to be the mother of R&B star Robin Thicke Austin will begin production on the compilation in mid-February, with an anticipated release of May 2008.The Harlem, New York-bred talent was nominated for both a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album, as well as a 2008 NAACP Image Award for Best Jazz Performance for her CD 'Avant Gershwin.'The one-time plus-sized singer topped the scales at 300 pounds before having gastric bypass surgery in 2005 after discovering she was a candidate for a stroke, is the goddaughter of music icon Quincy Jones and in the March issue of Interview magazine, the singer interviews Jones about his 75^th birthday. SOURCE OF THIS STORY