52-451: Christopher P. Warren (May 27, 1967 – June 12, 2016) was an American musician who performed in numerous bands, the last being New York band Bro-Kin. He is best known for being the lead singer in The DX Band (sometimes referred to as The Chris Warren Band ), a group who performed entrance themes for many stars and shows of professional wrestling over the years. They are mainly known for
104-433: A band who rotate singing lead between songs or within songs, such as with The Beatles or Fleetwood Mac , or two or more vocalists may share lead vocals on the same lines, as was often the case with ABBA . The lead vocalist may also be called the main vocalist or lead singer . Especially in rock music, the lead singer or solo singer is often the front man or front woman , who may also play one or more instruments and
156-467: A cornerstone of Christian media . The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is composed and performed for many purposes, including aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, and as an entertainment product for the marketplace. Gospel music is characterized by dominant vocals and strong use of harmony with Christian lyrics. Gospel music can be traced to
208-662: A fact that was commemorated in Albert E. Brumley 's 1937 song, "Turn Your Radio On" (which is still being published in gospel song books). (In 1972, a recording of " Turn Your Radio On " by the Lewis Family was nominated for Gospel Song of the Year .) The Soul Stirrers introduced R.H. Harris, Sam Cooke, and Johnnie Taylor. Sensational Nightingales , Swan Silvertones, the Soul Stirrers, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Five Blind Boys of Mississippi and
260-600: A new DX theme, coinciding with the return of the D-Generation X stable consisting of Triple H and Shawn Michaels , to active WWE competition. The recording session saw Warren re-united in the studio with WWE music composer Jim Johnston for the first time in over seven years. Warren was born in Huntington, Long Island, NY on May 27, 1967, to Christopher J. and Barbara Warren and lived in Rockland County, New York . Warren
312-444: A screeching version of " America The Beautiful " and " The Star-Spangled Banner ", for which he was booed, as the fans and national media in attendance considered the performance disrespectful and of poor quality. The performance was never released on home video and was edited out of the recent WWE Network version of the show. Warren and the band also performed the DX ring entrance music later
364-490: Is a bandleader who takes on this role. If the lead singer is a singer-songwriter, she or he may write some or all of the lyrics or create entire songs (including chords and melodies). Examples of a lead vocalist in rock music are Freddie Mercury from Queen and Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones . Similarly in soul music, Smokey Robinson was the lead singer of The Miracles . There may be two or more lead vocalists in
416-408: Is also a conductor onstage, as with a big band or unless an instrumentalist bandleader is providing this role). The lead vocalist also typically speaks to the audience between songs, to give information about a song (such as who wrote it or why it was chosen), introduce the band members, and develop rapport with the audience. The lead vocalist may also play a leadership role in rehearsals, unless there
468-418: Is often seen as the leader or spokesman of the band by the public. In K-pop , the lead vocalist is often referred to as a vocalist with the second-best vocal technique. It is uncertain when the term "lead vocals" was first used, but it may have emerged in the late 1930s, when rich vocal interplay with multiple voices where one or more voices may dominate began to impact on North American popular music, which
520-553: Is valid in its inspiration and in its employment." Today, with historical distance, there is a greater acceptance of such gospel songs into official denominational hymnals. For example, the United Methodist Church made this acceptance explicit in The Faith We Sing , a 2000 supplement to the official denominational hymnal. In the preface, the editors say, "Experience has shown that some older treasures were missed when
572-665: The African diaspora in the UK. It is also often referred to as "UK gospel". The distinctive sound is heavily influenced by UK street culture with many artists from the African and Caribbean majority black churches in the UK. The genre has gained recognition in various awards such as the GEM (Gospel Entertainment Music) Awards, MOBO Awards , Urban Music Awards and has its own Official Christian & Gospel Albums Chart . Southern gospel music comes from
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#1732883605722624-604: The Gospel Music Workshop of America , a Black gospel outlet. Late 20th–century musicians such as Elvis Presley , Jerry Lee Lewis , and the Blackwood Brothers were also known for their gospel influences and recordings. Urban contemporary gospel emerged in the late 1960s and early 70s with the Edwin Hawkins Singers highly popular gospel song " Oh Happy Day " (1969) which is still performed worldwide in
676-463: The Run-D.M.C. "The Kings" music video, directed by David Sahadi . Warren, along with Bro-Kin, recorded an unreleased song for WWE's Tough Enough II which never made it onto the show. In July 2007, Warren and Bro-Kin signed an agreement with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), which involved use of the band's music on TNA's TV shows (such as TNA Impact! ), PPVs and DVDs worldwide. Their song "Low"
728-711: The Southeastern United States ("the South"), where most Black Americans lived prior to the Great Migration . This music was highly influenced by the hymnody of the spirituals and of Watts and, later, the musical style and vision of Dorsey. Whereas northern Black churches did not at first welcome Dorsey's music (having become accustomed to their own more Eurocentric flavorings), after the Southern migrants' new churches became more popular, so did gospel music, gospel choirs, and
780-400: The abolition movement provided cross–fertilization. The first published use of the term "Gospel song" probably appeared in 1874 when Philip Bliss released a songbook entitled Gospel Songs. A Choice Collection of Hymns and Tunes . It was used to describe a new style of church music, songs that were easy to grasp and more easily singable than the traditional church hymns , which came out of
832-406: The 1920s greatly increased the audience for gospel music, and James D. Vaughan used radio as an integral part of his business model, which also included traveling quartets to publicize the gospel music books he published several times a year. Virgil O. Stamps and Jesse R. Baxter studied Vaughan's business model and by the late 1920s were running heavy competition for Vaughan. The 1920s also saw
884-559: The 1920s greatly increased the audience for gospel music. Following World War II , gospel music moved into major auditoriums, and gospel music concerts became quite elaborate. Black and Southern gospel music are largely responsible for gospel's continued presence in contemporary Christian music , with soul music by far the best–known popular music variant. The styles emerged from the African-American music and American folk music traditions and have evolved in various ways over
936-530: The 1960s, and in US groups such as The Beach Boys . From these various points – including Motown – it went on to become a standard device in much rock and pop music. In some bands – most famously, The Beatles – the role of lead singer alternated (in this case, principally between two performers), while in others – for example, Herman's Hermits – one lead singer dominated. There are as many types and styles of lead singer as there are styles and genres of music. However,
988-459: The 2000s. Artists such as James Cleveland , Aretha Franklin , the Clark Sisters, and Andraé Crouch followed them. And this pattern would repeat itself in subsequent decades, with new artists like Yolanda Adams and Kirk Franklin making increasingly more bold forays into the secular world with their musical stylings. The current sphere of Black gospel recording artists is almost exclusively of
1040-684: The Dixie Hummingbirds were popular in afroamerican gospel fans. In 1964, the Gospel Music Association was established, which in turn began the Dove Awards (in 1969) and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame (in 1972). Both of the latter two groups began primarily for Southern gospel performers, but in the late 1970s, began including artists of other subgenres, which brought in many Black artists. Also in 1969, James Cleveland established
1092-411: The Soul Stirrers, Swan Silvertones and the Dixie Hummingbirds were famous gospel groups. Christian country music , sometimes referred to as country gospel music, is a subgenre of gospel music with a country flair. Celtic gospel music infuses gospel music with a Celtic flair, and is popular in countries such as Ireland. British black gospel refers to Gospel music of the African diaspora produced in
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#17328836057221144-510: The South. Like other forms of music the creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of southern gospel varies according to culture and social context. Christian country music , sometimes referred to as country gospel music, is a subgenre of gospel music with a country flair, is also known as inspirational country. Webb Pierce, the Oak Ridge Boys and Granpa Jones recorded Christian country music records. Christian country over
1196-554: The Southeastern United States and is similar in sound to Christian country music, but it sometimes known as "quartet music" for its traditional "four men and a piano" set up. The genre, while remaining predominantly White, began to integrate Black gospel stylings in the 1960s. It has evolved over the years into a popular form of music across the United States and overseas, especially among baby boomers and those living in
1248-634: The United Kingdom. According to Yale University music professor Willie Ruff, the singing of psalms in Scottish Gaelic by Presbyterians of the Scottish Hebrides evolved from " lining out "—where one person sang a solo and others followed—into the call and response of gospel music of the American South. Another theory notes foundations in the works of Isaac Watts and others. Moreover,
1300-475: The dominant sound. In vocal group performances, notably in soul and gospel music , and early rock and roll , the lead singer takes the main vocal melody, with a chorus or harmony vocals provided by other band members as backing vocalists. Lead vocalists typically incorporate some movement or gestures into their performance, and some may participate in dance routines during the show, particularly in pop music . Some lead vocalists also play an instrument during
1352-592: The early 17th century. Hymns and sacred songs were often performed in a call and response fashion, heavily influenced by ancestral African music. Most of the churches relied on hand–clapping and foot–stomping as rhythmic accompaniment. Most of the singing was done a cappella . The first published use of the term "gospel song" appeared in 1874. The original gospel songs were written and composed by authors such as George F. Root , Philip Bliss , Charles H. Gabriel , William Howard Doane , and Fanny Crosby . Gospel music publishing houses emerged. The advent of radio in
1404-617: The early 20th century, the role of the lead vocalist became more established, although popular groups of the 1930s and 1940s such as the Ink Spots and the Mills Brothers generally used different lead singers on different songs rather than keeping the same lead singer throughout. By the 1950s, singers such as Sam Cooke (with the Soul Stirrers ) and Clyde McPhatter (with the Drifters ) took on more clearly defined roles as lead singers, and by
1456-533: The end of the decade credited group names often changed to reflect the leading roles of the main vocalists, with examples such as Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers and Dion & the Belmonts . Academic David Horn has written: The influence of US rhythm and blues recordings may well be a crucial one in the assimilation of the format of lead singer plus backing group into the guitar-based British ' beat ' groups of
1508-487: The first great gospel recording artist. The first person to introduce ragtime to gospel (and the first to play piano on a gospel recording) was Arizona Dranes . The 1930s saw the rise of Black gospel quartets such as the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi and the Five Blind Boys of Alabama . In addition to these high–profile quartets, there were many Black gospel musicians performing in the 1920s and 30s, usually playing
1560-423: The general public. In rock music, the lead singer is often the band's leader and spokesperson. While lead singers or spokespersons for any musical ensembles can be called a front man, the term is used very widely in rock music. Since the position commonly has an expanded role from simple lead vocalists, there have been cases in which the front man for a band is someone other than the lead vocalist. For example, while
1612-647: The general trend toward exclusive use of this music in Black churches. Dorsey, Whitney Houston, Mahalia Jackson, the Mississippi Mass Choir , and the Georgia Mass Choir are but a few notable examples. Developing out of the fusion of traditional Black gospel with the styles of secular Black music popular in the 70s and 80s, Urban Contemporary gospel is the most common form of recorded gospel music today. It relies heavily on rhythms and instrumentation common in
Chris Warren (musician) - Misplaced Pages Continue
1664-727: The genre arose during a time when literacy was not a guarantee, utilizing a great deal of repetition (which, unlike more traditional hymns, allowed those who could not read the opportunity to participate). Perhaps the most famous gospel–based hymns were composed in the 1760s and 1770s by English writers John Newton (" Amazing Grace ") and Augustus Toplady ("Rock of Ages"), members of the Anglican Church . Starting out as lyrics only, it took decades for standardized tunes to be added to them. Although not directly connected with African–American gospel music, they were adopted by African–Americans as well as white Americans, and Newton's connection with
1716-470: The gospel genre; Lecrae (the label's founder and preeminent artist) has charted in the top 10 of on the Billboard 200 three times, with his 2014 album "Anomaly" debuting at No. 1. See also: Traditional Black gospel music is the most well–known form, often seen in Black churches, non–Black Pentecostal and evangelical churches, and in entertainment spaces across the country and world. It originates from
1768-709: The guitar and singing in the streets of Southern cities. In the 1930s, in Chicago, Thomas A. Dorsey turned to gospel music, establishing a publishing house. It has been said that 1930 was the year traditional black gospel music began, as the National Baptist Convention first publicly endorsed the music at its 1930 meeting. Dorsey was responsible for developing the musical careers of many African–American artists, such as Mahalia Jackson (best known for her rendition of his " Precious Lord, Take My Hand "). Meanwhile, radio continued to develop an audience for gospel music,
1820-424: The late 19th and early 20th centuries, believing that it emphasizes emotion over doctrine. For example, Patrick and Sydnor complain that commercial success led to a proliferation of such music, and "deterioration, even in a standard which to begin with was not high, resulted." They went on to say, "there is no doubt that a deterioration in taste follows the use of this type of hymn and tune; it fosters an attachment to
1872-419: The lead singer of a group or band is usually the main focus of audiences' attention. The lead vocalist of band is sometimes called the "front man" or "front woman", as the most visible performer in a group. While most bands have a single lead singer, many others have dual lead singers or other members of the band that sing lead on particular songs. The lead singer often defines the group's image and personality to
1924-406: The lead vocalist for the band Fall Out Boy is guitarist Patrick Stump , the bassist and lyricist, Pete Wentz , is generally called the front man, both in the media and by the band members themselves, since he represents the band in most interviews and contributes most to the band's image in the popular media. Gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music and
1976-559: The marketing of gospel records by groups such as the Carter Family . The Pentecostal movement quickly made inroads with churches not attuned to the Europeanized Black church music that had become popular over the years since Emancipation. These congregations readily adopted and contributed to the gospel music publications of the early 20th century. Sister Rosetta Tharpe , pioneer of rock and roll , soon emerged from this tradition as
2028-508: The mass revival movement starting with Dwight L. Moody , whose musician was Ira D. Sankey , as well as the Holiness – Pentecostal movement. Prior to the meeting of Moody and Sankey in 1870, there was an American rural/frontier history of revival and camp meeting songs, but the gospel hymn was of a different character, and it served the needs of mass revivals in the great cities. The revival movement employed popular singers and song leaders,
2080-483: The most famous of them being Ira D. Sankey. The original "gospel" songs were written and composed by authors such as George F. Root , Philip Bliss , Charles H. Gabriel , William Howard Doane , and Fanny Crosby . As an extension to his initial publication Gospel Songs , Philip Bliss, in collaboration with Ira D. Sankey issued no's. 1 to 6 of Gospel Hymns in 1875. Sankey and Bliss's collection can be found in many libraries today. The popularity of revival singers and
2132-460: The openness of rural churches to this type of music (in spite of its initial use in city revivals) led to the late 19th and early 20th century establishment of gospel music publishing houses such as those of Homer Rodeheaver , E. O. Excell , Charlie Tillman , and Charles Tindley . These publishers were in the market for large quantities of new music, providing an outlet for the creative work of many songwriters and composers. The advent of radio in
Chris Warren (musician) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2184-450: The same night as DX came to the ring, and again five months later at the 1998 SummerSlam , which received a much more positive ovation from the fans and media. Later that year Warren recorded the vocals for Triple H 's theme "My Time". This song was featured on the platinum album WWF The Music, Vol. 4 . He also recorded the Superstars theme from 1997. His last appearance was a cameo on
2236-426: The secular music of the contemporary era (often including the use of electronic beats), while still incorporating the themes and heritage of the traditional Black gospel genre. Kirk Franklin is the foremost (and by far the bestselling) individual in this genre, while Andrae Crouch, the Clark Sisters , Mary Mary , and Yolanda Adams are also very popular and noteworthy. British black gospel refers to gospel music of
2288-408: The show, either in an accompaniment role (such as strumming a guitar part), or playing a lead instrument/instrumental solo role when they are not singing (as in the case of lead singer-guitar virtuoso Jimi Hendrix ). The lead singer also typically guides the vocal ensemble and band with visual cues to indicate changes of tempo or dynamics, stops or pauses, and the starts of new sections (unless there
2340-524: The songs "My Time" for Triple H and "Break It Down" for stable D-Generation X . Warren is known to professional wrestling fans as the voice behind the DX entrance music, and after this Jim Johnston (head of WWE music) became so impressed with Warren, that he offered him further vocal work. Over the course of the next four years, Warren recorded several songs for the WWF (now known as WWE). In 1998, Warren made his television debut at WrestleMania XIV , performing
2392-429: The trivial and sensational which dulls and often destroys sense of the dignity and beauty which best befit the song that is used in the service of God." Gold reviewed the issue in 1958, and collected a number of quotations similar to the complaints of Patrick and Sydnor. However, he also provided this quotation: "Gospel hymnody has the distinction of being America's most typical contribution to Christian song. As such, it
2444-468: The urban contemporary bent. Also of note is the rise of Christian (or gospel) rap/hip–hop , which has gained increasing popularity since the days of the Gospel Gangstaz and The Cross Movement . Often considered a subgenre of urban contemporary gospel, Christian rap has become dominated in present times by artists from Reach Records , who have seen perhaps the most commercial success of any artists in
2496-513: The years has progressed into a mainstream country sound with inspirational or positive country lyrics. In the mid–1990s, Christian country hit its highest popularity. This popularity was such that mainstream artists like Larry Gatlin , Charlie Daniels and Barbara Mandrell , just to name a few, began recording music that had this positive Christian country flair. These mainstream artists have now become award winners in this genre. Some proponents of "standard" hymns generally dislike gospel music of
2548-488: The years, continuing to form the basis of Black church worship even today. It has also come to be used in churches of various other cultural traditions (especially within Pentecostalism ) and, via the gospel choir phenomenon spearheaded by Thomas Dorsey , has become a form of musical devotion worldwide. Southern afroamerican gospel groups used all–male, tenor – lead – baritone – bass quartets. Sensational Nightingales ,
2600-411: Was employed by Local 638 NYC as a steam fitter for many years. He died unexpectedly on June 12, 2016, at the age of 49. Lead vocalist The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ensemble as
2652-455: Was previously dominated by solo vocals. The practice of using a lead singer in vocal groups, however, has a longer history: an early form is the " call and response " found in work songs and spirituals sung by African-American slaves. Songs of the late nineteenth century frequently used a leading solo voice (or "call"), followed by a choral response by other singers. As the style developed through early commercial recordings and performances in
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#17328836057222704-621: Was used as the theme for No Surrender 2007 , "Separate" for Genesis 2007 and "For the Vein" for Final Resolution January 2008 . Further cuts of other songs appeared (and continue to do so) on various TNA video packages. On March 5, 2009, Warren announced via Bro-Kin's website that the band had released their album La Violencia on iTunes, Amazon and Napster . Warren returned to WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut , in August 2009 to record vocals to
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