Alvin Williams Promoted to Senior Director at Gospel Music Channel

Atlanta - Gospel Music Channel (GMC) announced today that Alvin Williams, an award-winning music producer, has been promoted to senior director, music industry development from director of music industry development. Williams joined GMC in 2004 as director of promotions.

In his new position, Williams is responsible for overseeing all music initiatives for GMC, including the management of the network’s Music Industry Relations division based in Nashville. Williams works with record labels, artists and their management, producers, writers and publishers to secure and develop exclusive, original content for GMC, helps to facilitate artist-driven marketing opportunities and is actively involved in the creation of brand extensions for the network.

Williams’s work at GMC has furthered his reputation as a driving force in the gospel music industry.

Before joining GMC, he worked with music mogul Mathew Knowles at Music World Entertainment to create the company’s Music World Gospel division, where he was A&R for Destiny Child’s Michelle Williams "Heart To Yours" project, which hit #1 on the Billboard Gospel Album charts, and was co-A&R of the Fighting Temptation soundtrack, which also hit #1 on the Billboard Gospel Album charts.

Williams served as a director of A&R at Word Records, where he helped create Grammy and Dove nominated albums and worked as executive producer on Shirley Caesar’s “You Can Make It,” “Hymns” and “Duets” projects.

Williams also was founder of A. Williams Entertainment Group, a Nashville-based independent production company and live event promotions company for various independent hip hop and urban projects. Launched during Williams’ sophomore year at Tennessee State University, A. Williams Entertainment Group consulted and handled the promotion for some of the biggest promoters in the country, including Walter Latham (Chris Tucker Tour, Kings Of Comedy Tour and Def Comedy Jam tours) and Bay Area Production/SFX (Chris Rock and Jamie Foxx tours).

Williams received his first exposure to the music business when he established A&W Mobile Detailing Service. There, he accumulated a host of clients including top music executives in country and contemporary Christian music. He learned the ins-and-outs of the music business by asking his clients questions.

Williams’ book, "The Business of Music for the Gospel & Christian Industry," co-authored with Jay King, is being used across the country on college campuses as a part of their music curricula.

Williams served in the U.S. Army from 1986-89.

About Gospel Music Channel

Gospel Music Channel (www.gospelmusicchannel.com) is the first 24-hour, all music entertainment network devoted to the uplifting, inspiring and diverse music that is gospel. From the soulful sounds of artists like CeCe Winans, to the country gospel roots of Johnny Cash and Randy Travis, to the contemporary Christian music stylings of Kirk Franklin and Jars of Clay – Gospel Music Channel celebrates music that has a deep, spiritual place in people’s lives. It embraces an audience that crosses cultures and captures generations delivering a fan base so large and passionate it deserves its own network.

According to the 2006 Myers Emotional Connections Study measuring viewers’ emotional connections to nearly 50 emerging and mid-sized networks, Gospel Music Channel ranks first in “overall emotional connections with audience,” first in “audience attentiveness to advertising,” first in “feeling comfortable viewing with family” and third in “audience engagement with network.”

From the soulful voices that fill the storied halls of Harlem to the contemporary sounds of today’s Christian pop, rock, hip hop and R&B, gospel music has never been more diverse, and Gospel Music Channel has it all.