BMI To Salute Coley, Smallwood at Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards

Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®) will salute gospel leaders Daryl Coley and Richard Smallwood at its 15th annual Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards Luncheon in Nashville.

The event will be held Friday, Jan. 17, 2014 at Rocketown in Nashville. Gospel music’s top songwriters, artists and industry execs will attend the invitation-only event. BMI will also announce the Most Performed Gospel Song of the Year at the luncheon.

Coley’s multi-decade career began as singer with Edwin Hawkins, which led to being a songwriter and musical director for Lady Tramaine Hawkins. Lead vocal appearances on recordings for James Cleveland’s Gospel Music Workshop of America resulted in Coley’s solo debut, Just Daryl. Coley has recorded more than 100 studio performances and worked with Stevie Wonder, Nancy Wilson and Philip Bailey. Most recently, Coley received a Doctorate of Sacred Music from the Ray of Hope Theological Seminary and Bible College International School of Divinity.

Smallwood has spent more than three decades as one of the most popular inspirational artists, with songs such as “Total Praise,” “Center of My Joy,” and “I Love the Lord.” His seminal recordings with the Richard Smallwood Singers and Vision include Psalms, Adoration: Live in Atlanta and Journey: Live in New York. His songs have been recorded by Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Destiny’s Child and many others. In 2006, Smallwood was inducted into the Gospel Music Associations’ Gospel Music Hall of Fame. He is currently exploring his gift as an author, as he works on completing his autobiography Total Praise, scheduled to be released in 2014.

BMI’s roster of gospel songwriters includes Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, Donnie McClurkin, Yolanda Adams, Jessica Reedy, Marvin Sapp, Twinkie Clark, BeBe Winans, Israel Houghton, Kim Burrell and many others.