Michelle Williams to Judge Gospel Singing Competition
Michelle Williams, singer-songwriter and actress who was introduced to the world while singing in Grammy Award-winning group Destiny's Child, recently announced that she will judge a gospel singing competition that will benefit the American Stroke Association.
Williams, 32, will co-judge a competition called "Most Powerful Voices". Along with Williams, 31-year-old gospel rapper Marcus "Flame" Gray and James Robinson, president of A&R at Light Records, will host the competition open to independent artists, groups and choirs.
According to the Most Powerful Voices website, performers 18 years of age and older can enter the competition with an original song before Jan. 31. Artists entering the contest will compete for various prizes including the opportunity to sing with well-known gospel artists in New York City's Central Park along with cash prizes and personal vocal coaching.
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People can register to become fans of the competition by voting for their favorite acts in the competition. The contest was created by The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Power to End Stroke along with GMC TV, America's uplifting entertainment TV network.
The website for the contest states that the competition seeks to raise awareness for stroke and heart disease.
Philip Manwaring, senior vice president of strategic planning for GMC TV, spoke about the network's support of the gospel singing competition in a BlackNews.com report.
"Embracing our commitment to uplift and inspire our viewers with quality faith-friendly programming, we are pleased to support Most Powerful Voices, which allows aspiring artists to lift their voices and showcase their talents while raising awareness about an important health issue -- the prevention of strokes," Manwaring said in a statement.
Williams explained the importance of being involved in the competition.
"My father and my grandmother suffered from strokes," Williams said on BlackNews.com. "My father's stroke left him unable to walk or talk and I am sad to say that my grandmother is no longer with us. Stroke has really devastated my family, so being involved with the competition gives me the opportunity to share my story and to empower people with stroke knowledge to help them to reduce their risks."
