Life Story of One of Gospel's Leading Men Told in Revealing Faith & Fame: Smokie Norful

World Premieres Weds. Feb 20 at 7:30 PM (ET) on Gospel Music Channel

Contact: Jim Weiss, Gospel Music Channel, 770-692-4579, jim@gospelmusicchannel.com; Tricia Whitehead, Spinhouse PR, 615-599-7746, spinhouse@bellsouth.net

ATLANTA, Feb. 13 /Christian Newswire/ -- Smokie Norful, one of the top gospel artists of today, shares his heart, ministry and music in a revealing new portrait of the multi-talented performer in Faith & Fame: Smokie Norful, world premiering on the Gospel Music Channel television network Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m. (ET) as part of Gospel Music Channel's Black History Month programming.

Faith & Fame: Smokie Norful will feature candid interviews with Norful, friends and family, sharing never before told stories about his musical and spiritual journey, which have shaped him into a GRAMMY-winning artist and new church pastor. The show features music performance clips and videos of Norful performing hit songs like "I Need You" and "Nothing Without You."

Norful has been one of the biggest success stories in recent gospel music history, with more than one million record sales to his credit. Since the release of his Gold-certified debut CD (and smash single of the same name), I Need You Now in 2002, Norful has never left the Gospel charts. His follow-up sophomore CD, Nothing Without You, has remained on the sales charts since its release in 2004. Norful has earned numerous awards, including a 2004 GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album and multiple Stellar Awards, Dove Awards, and Gospel Music Excellence Awards. He was named Gospel Artist of the Year for 2003 and 2004 by Billboard magazine.

Life Changing, his third album with EMI Gospel, released in 2006 just after Norful embraced the call to ministry and to plant his own church. Victory Cathedral Worship Center, is now one of the fastest growing churches in the suburbs of Chicago. In February, Norful headlines McDonald's "Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour 2008" with Myron Butler & Levi.

Faith & Fame: Smokie Norful will have encores on March 12 starting at 10:00 a.m. (ET). For all listings, check www.gospelmusicchannel.com. Faith and Fame is Gospel Music Channel's original biography series featuring Gospel artists sharing stories of their lives, family, music and faith. GMC viewers go behind the scenes for a tour of the private world of stars such as Amy Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman, Yolanda Adams, Michael W. Smith, Shirley Caesar and many others.

Gospel Music Channel is the nation's first and only 24/7 all music television network devoted to the uplifting, inspiring and diverse music that is Gospel/Christian music. It is one of the fastest-growing cable channels in television today; the network doubled availability in 2007 alone and is now carried in all ten of the top ten markets and 23 of the top 25. Gospel Music Channel can be seen on various cable systems around the country.