Gospel great Dottie Rambo—a famed singer/songwriter who penned classics such as Sandi Patty's "We Shall Behold Him" and Elvis Presley's "If That Isn't Love—died in a tour bus accident Sunday while en route to a Mother's Day concert in Texas. She was 74. A prolific songsmith, Rambo was a Grammy- and Dove-winning artist who wrote more than 2,500 songs in her lifetime, many of which were recorded by the likes of Dolly Parton, Bill & Gloria Gaither, Andraé Crouch, and the Oak Ridge Boys, among many others. She was inducted into The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame last year and the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame in 2006.

Gospel vocalist Marvin Sapp made history last week when his single "Never Would've Made It" became the longest-running No. 1 single ever across all radio formats, spending a staggering 32 weeks at the top of the gospel radio charts. "This is a great moment for Marvin Sapp and a great moment for gospel music that will stand for years to come," said B. Jeffrey Grant-Clark, Zomba Gospel's vice president of promotions and artist relations. "Never Would Have Made It" is the first single off of Sapp's breakthrough album, Thirsty.

Longtime Mary Mary producer Warryn Campbell was diagnosed with a form of kidney cancer, forcing the duo to pull out of a string of concert dates in Europe in late April. Campbell— who is married to Erica, one-half of the sister duo—had to undergo emergency surgery to remove one of his kidneys and is now recovering at home. Holly Carter, the group's manager, said the operation was successful and that God "performed a miracle." Campbell was heavily involved in Mary Mary's fifth album, The Sound, scheduled for release in August via Columbia/Integrity Music.

The same production crew behind Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour has signed up to work on a similar concert film for teen phenoms the Jonas Brothers. The feature film will capture the siblings on and off the stage during their up-and-coming Burning Up Tour, which kicks off July 4 in Toronto. In other news, the Jonas Brothers will have a new album out by August and will appear in the Disney Channel original movie Camp Rock, set to debut on June 20. The network also plans to premiere the new series J.O.N.A.S.! beginning this fall.

CeCe Winans, Chaka Khan, Dionne Warwick, Queen Latifah, Shirley Caesar, Yolanda Adams, and others are all set to perform at the AARP's "Songs of Soul and Inspiration," a star-studded concert that will be unfolded as part of the organization's 50-year anniversary celebrations. The show will be held at the Philips Arena in Atlanta on June 21. Click here for tickets.

Pollstar named Casting Crowns' The Altar and the Door Tour the highest-grossing Christian tour of the year, netting more than $10.5 million in ticket sales from more than 450,000 concert attendees in 83 markets since first launching in September. The tour, which snagged the No. 31 slot of the publication's overall concert chart, also managed to score nearly 20,000 World Vision sponsorships, bringing the band's lifetime total to more than 30,000. "Our goal from the beginning was to point people to a daily walk with Jesus through our music and testimonies," said bandleader Mark Hall. "I believe God has honored our efforts and people saw and heard him clearly."

In an interview with Gospelflava.com, renowned gospel vocalist Kim Burrell announced she'll record her long-awaited Columbia debut live at the Lincoln Jazz Center in New York on December 11 and 13. Burrell created a big buzz in gospel music after a trio of well-received albums, especially 2001's Live in Concert, a disc that earned her high marks from critics and fans.

Can't wait for new Kutless music? The band has made available a free download of "The Feeling," the first single off To Know that You're Alive, their new album set to release on June 24.

Former P.O.D. guitarist Jason Truby is prepping for his first vocal project and third solo project, to be unveiled in late 2008. "I believe that art and music should speak for itself," Truby said. "The more innovative and creative, the stronger the impact. For me to attempt to define what is beyond words would in turn defeat the point of the music itself."

In their MySpace blog, pop/rock band Inhabited has issued an explanation of their "uncensored" remix of their song "Hush," which contained eyebrow-raising references to BarlowGirl and former label Fervent Records. The band said their intent "wasn't to bash or put [BarlowGirl] down" and that they "never intended to bring Fervent's character into question." The original version of "Hush" appears on LOVE, the group's second national release and first with indie label 7SpinMusic.

© Andree Farias, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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