Melinda Doolittle "Lifts Every Voice"

Feb. 16, 2013 - PRLog -- Nashville, TN – Former ‘Idol’ Finalist and Recording Artist Melinda Doolittle can be heard this month on an historical recording project entitled “Lift Every Voice”. The digital release, which coincides with Black History Month, showcases Doolittle as she lifts her voice in a rare celebration of legendary African American songwriter James Weldon Johnson. From “The Black National Anthem” to some of Johnson’s rarest works, Melinda approaches the songbook in a fashion true to the music’s roots.  

“Lift Every Voice” was a special recording collaboration produced by celebrated biographer and music producer, Don Cusic. Mr. Cusic is a premier historian of country music and an internationally known scholar and writer. A pioneer in Music Business education, Cusic is presently Professor of Music Business at Belmont University.  

Melinda Doolittle, a graduate of Belmont University, was elated to partake in the historical endeavor of unearthing this rare catalog. “The significance of this man’s music in African American culture is”, as Melinda describes it, “priceless”.  In nearly 30 “stripped down” songs, Doolittle embodies different genres of music with merely a piano, just as they were crafted by James Weldon Johnson.  

James Weldon Johnson is most iconically known for his leadership within the NAACP, and his lyrical composition of the song “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing”. Johnson’s influences in African American culture and leadership spanned from poetry to diplomacy, and remain historically celebrated.

“Lift Every Voice - The Historic Songs of James Weldon Johnson”, featuring Melinda Doolittle, was released on February 12, 2013 by Curb Records. The album is available now by digital download.