Norristown, PA
Bicentennial Celebration
Gospel Jazz & Blues Festival
Elmwood Park
Norristown, PA
The Living Ground P.O. Box 98 Norristown, PA 19404
Saturday
June 23, 2012
Noon til Dusk
Call 973-332-7626
Fax 1-877-261-7134
A Tribute to Thomas A. Dorsey
"Father of Gospel Music"
NORRISTOWN, PA ─ In honor of Norristown’s 200th year anniversary, the county seat of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, kicks off a year-long celebration of community, culture and heritage at Elmwood Park on Saturday, March 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Live music, historical re-enactments, community art, local foods, and more will highlight the Bicentennial Kickoff presented by Conicelli Autoplex, 6ABC, and The Times Herald. Residents from the 19401 and 19403 zip codes will enjoy free admission to Elmwood Park Zoo made possible by donations from Dave and Buster’s in Plymouth Meeting..
“We appreciate how the community has supported us for the past 50 years and we always try to give back,” said Dominic Conicelli, Sr., presenting sponsor, Conicelli Autoplex. “The people of Norristown have always been so great to work with, plus I won’t be here to see another 200 year anniversary. This is significant.”
Montgomery County commissioners Josh Shapiro, Leslie S. Richards, and Bruce Castor will join the opening ceremony at the Elmwood Park band shell, from 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. The ceremony will feature a performance of the original arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner and the Norristown High School Color Guard, followed by a Federal Period (1820s) daily life historical re-enactments by the W.S. Hancock Society of Norristown, at noon.
Members of the Norristown Karate Club will demonstrate their skills from 1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. the eight-piece Norristown-based Allen Reynolds Band will take the stage.
Throughout the day the Montgomery County Historical Society will provide guided tours of Norristown with stops at Selma Mansion and St. John’s Church, also celebrating its bicentennial.
The ACPPA Community Art Center will encourage families to release creative energy with paint and brushes in an organic color study on recycled vinyl. Kids can enjoy old-time games, inflatable play structures, balloons and clowns. They can even have their faces painted.
Norristown eateries La Poblanita Mexican Cuisine and Bar and Chef Keith Taylor’s Zachary’s BBQ will be among the food vendors. Norristown Bicentennial flags, cookbooks, lapel pins and other memorabilia will be available for purchase.
Bicentennial events throughout the year include a May 19 Bike Race, hosted by the Norristown Police Department and organized by the Main Line Cycling Club; a June 23 Gospel and Blues Festival; a July 4 Parade and Fireworks; and a September 15 Festival del Grito de la Independencia de Mexico (Mexican Independence Day Festival).
Additional sponsors of the Norristown Bicentennial are the Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau, Reflections, Telemundo, El Zol, Keystone Mercy Health Plan, Albert Einstein Healthcare Network, PECO, Law offices of Cullen and Conwell, LLC, and Shoprite.
Featuring
Keith Wonderboy Johnson
From “Send A Revival” to “I Just Wanna Be Right” Keith Wonderboy Johnson has undoubtedly made his mark on the Quartet music scene and today he seeks to further his music ministry, and continues pursuing his mission with his very familiar theme and successful song.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Keith Wonderboy Johnson began singing at the age of 5 as a member of the Spiritual Voices, a group that was founded by his father. As fate would have it, he would soon become a member of the famed Harlem Boys Choir. It was here where Johnson’s vocal abilities were fine tuned and valuable lessons in the areas of showmanship and professionalism were acquired and honed.
In 1998, Johnson signed with independent label, World Wide Gospel Records and released his first project, “Through the Storm.” It featured the instant hit single, “Hide Behind the Mountain,” and changed the face of Gospel Quartet Music forever. Johnson was a young man with an old fashioned style that appealed to audiences of all ages and brought an entire new generation of listeners to his brand of Gospel music. The success of this project was only exceeded by his electrifying live performances.
Johnson garnered media attention and success once again, in 1999 with the release of his sophomore project, “Live and Alive” that turned out the smash, “I Just Wanna Be Right,” which quickly became a Gospel anthem. Later that same year, Johnson released his first Christmas project, “Our Gift to You” that included the upbeat, foot-stomping, “12 Days of Christmas” that is still one of the most requested and frequently played Gospel holiday songs.
He would go on to release three more albums with World Wide Gospel; “Tribute to Quartet Legends,” “Send A Revival” and a greatest hits compilation project. Among the memorable moments from these albums project include, “Stretchin’ Out,” “Peace in the Midst of the Storm,” “Angels,” and the ubiquitous smash hit “Send a Revival.”
Definitely a product of ‘old school’ Gospel music … the invoking sounds of hands clapping and foot-stomping on a wood floor are trademark Keith Wonderboy Johnson. He draws his influences from great Gospel legends like Shirley Caesar, the Mighty Clouds of Joy, the Hawkins Family, The Canton Spirituals, Dixie Hummingbirds and the Caravans. “These are artists whose ministries and careers have longevity … they are the real thing,” Johnson said.
As a credit to his tireless work and commitment to his ministry of serving God’s people through music, Johnson has earned many awards, recognition and prestigious nominations including GMWA Excellence Award, Stellar Awards, American Gospel Quartet Convention Awards, and Gospel Truth Magazine Awards. In addition to being honored in various cities with “Key’s To the City,” Johnson has appeared on Billboard’s Top Gospel Album Charts for multiple weeks throughout his career. In 2007, Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson and The Spiritual Voices won the Quartet of the Year Stellar Award for their groundbreaking album “Just Being Me.”
The horizon looks bright for Johnson and we look forward to his performance at GospelFest 2012 in Norristown, PA
Vicki Yohe was born in a minister's family, where she wrote and sang her first song at the age of 5. At the young age of 17, Vicki entered bible school and at age of 19, she accepted a Music Director's position and iduring that time that she recorded her first project, Vicki Yoh'e. In 1994, Vicki released three projects with GIANT Records that included such hits as "The Mercy Seat", "Under The Blood," and “Something About My Praise.” After her season with GIANT, Vicki recorded two projects with Aluminum Records, which included her holiday release Christmas Presence and Beyond The Song. In 2002, she signed with PureSprings Gospel, a CeCe Winans company. Her debut release under her new label, I Just Want You, included the hit “Because of Who You Are,” which earned Vicki her first nomination for Gospel Music’s Dove Award. In 2005, Vicki released He’s Been Faithful, which she was nominated for a Stellar Award. Vicki has ministered in various parts of Africa, Europe and Asia and Vicki Yohe Ministries has opened NEW DESTINY for CHILDREN, an orphanage in Jinja, Uganda for children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic. She has ministered in song along side some of today's well-known pastors and evangelists such as Bill Winston, Juanita Bynum, Benny Hinn, TD Jakes, Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Darlene Bishop, and Paula White.
Starring the Sensational
Vicki Yohe
Sponsor/Vendor Application
