Sherrie Keys
Beautiful, articulate, vivacious with razor-sharp intellect, Chubby Girl Records CEO Sherrie Keys is staking claim that her business formula is recession - proof. If there’s truth to the saying “It’s not over until the fat lady sings” then her music label is destined to become a profitable niche in gospel music. In an industry where gospel music is distinctive and revered, Chubby Girl Records celebrates and embraces gifted gospel artists who just happen to be ‘pleasingly plump’.
The primary focus of the label is gospel music. Gospel music is one of the few genres where physical appearance takes a backseat to good old-fashioned singing. According to Sherrie Keys: “The beauty of the cross is the focus of gospel music. People who hunger for God’s presence really don’t consider a singer’s image as part of gospel music’s appeal.”
Keys states that praise and worship is the passion and mission of her label and that music ministry takes precedence over image-conscious trends. “Our calling is higher than gospel music. Our mission is to exalt Christ, to magnify Him with such artistry that listeners look beyond our externals to experience Christ alone”.
Keys believes gospel music marketing offers a compelling and unique opportunity to positively influence the way plus-size women view their bodies. A gospel music collaboration with a fashion-forward, plus-size artist represents both a new retail offering for Christian music lovers and a breakthrough business model for the plus-size industry. Keys, a gifted singer in her own right, will be the first recording artist distributed under the Chubby Girl flagship.
According to a Purdue University study, 65% of churchgoers are in the overweight or obese category. Gospel music lovers are an influential demographic with considerable purchasing power. “Music is an integral part of pop culture. The message to plus-size consumers should be that living a life with purpose can be achieved at any size. We don’t advocate obesity as a healthy lifestyle choice. We advocate a positive self-image as the foundation to holistic health.”
In conjunction with the music label’s launch, Sherrie Keys is designing a clothing line targeting the plus-size consumer. Keys believes that plus-size women deserve fashion equality and that the demographic has strong growth potential in an otherwise stagnant retail market. So are consumers poised to buy fashionable Sunday clothes and Sunday music from Keys? Keys laughs, “Of course! We won’t need couture robes when we get to heaven but a few designer garments and some foot-stomping music on earth would be divine.”
http://www.facebook.com/
http://www.chubbygirlrecords.com/
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
