'Free Larry Langford' Begins

I smelt this one coming.

At the social networking web site Facebook, one proud Larry Langford supporter put their foot towards the threshing floor to start up a militant campaign of awareness to help free Larry Langford. Since the trial ended, the fan page --Free Larry Langford -- has welcomed a staggering following of over 3,000 members.

Since most of the former Jefferson County commissioners have all been persecuted and lost in the court of law - including Gary White, Mary Buckelew, Jeff Germany and Chris McNair - the next in line ended up being former Birmingham mayor and former Jefferson County commission president Larry Langford.

Two of the former commissioners (White, Buckelew) were white. The other two were black. Still a considerable number of black citizens in Birmingham rush to his aid crying out that the trial was racially motivated. The group's description states that "racism is still in effect, yes he may be have been wrong but those crackers r doing da same thang he was doin n gettin away with it." *

In his defense, over 3,377 Facebook members have joined the Fan page to express their love and admiration for the embattled mayor. Strange isn't it. Where was that super large support group when Frank "God's Gangster" Matthews and SCLC drum major Rev. Calvin Woods initiated a prayer rally the Sunday before his bribery trial? Only 33 supporters showed up.

Goes to show you Birmingham can sometimes be mostly all talk, very little action.

Check out the special key chain Mr. Matthews wants every Langford supporter to have.

*Apologizes for the bad grammar, but we quoted the text from the original fan page. Author's actual words.

[A BIG LANGFRAUD]
Vote 2009: Let's do something (like select another mayor) [Wade on Birmingham]

Langford found guilty on all counts! [Birmingham Weekly]
The Life and Crimes of Larry Langford [Birmingham Weekly]
Birmingham mayor Larry Langford guilty on bribery, fraud, conspiracy [Wade on Birmingham]
The Trial of Larry Langford [Wade on Birmingham]
Trials in Alabama: Langford, Thomas [PRAYZE Report]

Mayor Langford Found Guilty

I may be setting my eyes on moving away from Birmingham, but today is a new day.

Larry P. Langford, mayor of Birmingham, Ala, was found guilty on all 60 counts in his federal bribery case. It only took 2 hours for the jury to come up with their decision.

This was what he had to say to the news media and his critics. Ouch. Feel pretty sad for NBC 13's Jon Paepcke. Please watch the clips for yourself.







He along with his wife blamed the verdict on race, even though the defense asked if the case be moved to another city than Birmingham; feeling as if the trial would not be fair for the defendant. Both Al LaPierre and Bill Blount, former co-defendants in the case, plead guilty earlier this year and even testified on the witness stand. Langford didn't.

Beginning today, Carole Smitherman, council president, will serve as interim mayor until a special election is help. Valerie Abbott will become acting council president.

A full report and quick bio on the now-former mayor can be read at:
Wade on Birmingham.

[THE FINAL VERDICT]

Langford found guilty on all counts! [Birmingham Weekly]
The Life and Crimes of Larry Langford [Birmingham Weekly]

Birmingham mayor Larry Langford guilty on bribery, fraud, conspiracy [Wade on Birmingham]

The Trial of Larry Langford [Wade on Birmingham]
Trials in Alabama: Langford, Thomas [PRAYZE Report]

Henry Panion and Kurt Carr Gets $75,000 from BCC

Love come quick/Love come in a hurry/There are thieves
in the temple tonight. - Prince, "Thieves in the Temple"
from the SIGN O' THE TIMES album (1989)

Dr. Henry Panion III, who still serves as a professor and department head in music at the University of Birmingham (UAB), has played with a number of musical greats ranging from pop to R&B to gospel. And when he's not waving his baton over a super symphony, he's orchestrating music set to another tune through his state-of-the-art music studio Audiostate 55 Entertainment, located in the heart of Birmingham, Ala. The forthcoming project from American Idol winner Ruben Studdard even boasts post-production credits at the newly-developed studio. So of course, it makes sense for the city of Birmingham, currently run by Mayor Larry Langford, to invest in Panion's future of music. And they did. Strangely, the investment smells like it went way beyond the expected limit.

In Black & White (Issue Number 369, May 14), a popular local paper, they recalled some of the major requests made for funding approved by the Birmingham City Council. On April 14, Item 42 points to a colossal offering of $75,000 to Audiostate 55 Entertainment to "provide two performances featuring Kurt Carr, Kurt Carr Singers, and a 150-voice choir made up of singers from Birmingham (actually it was a church choir named Faith Chapel Christian Center Choir that provided the background singing) on May 1 and 2, 2009." The event in question was the highly-publicized Gospel Goes Classical II event held at the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center; located on the campus of the University of Birmingham (UAB).

As the report unfolds, further logistics concerning the allotted donation include "necessary arrangements for the concert performances, including transportation, provide recognition of the City's sponsorship for events, and shall involve Birmingham's student-age citizens at entry level behind-the-scenes creative, technical and marketing activities."

With the global economy reaching a nasty sour note in today's news headlines and the city of Birmingham facing its own share of grim reports including an upcoming trial for the embattled mayor later on this year, $75,000 for an event so small smells suspicious. Considering Kurt Carr's consistent visits to the city over the last couple of years by playing at the annual City Stages festival in 2007 and 2006 and recently hosting a music workshop at a local church earlier this year, there is no way possible that Kurt Carr and his ensemble needed $75,000 for their performances.

If this was a non-profit organization, things would have been a bit more understandable. But to better interpret this sketchy scenario, you also have to question why was this event a ticketed event. Tickets were $25-$45 dollars, according to the Birmingham News. The event was also recorded, like its predecessor Gospel Goes Classical, and will hopefully be released as an album if he can reach a contract agreement with the artists and their respected labels of whom participated. A CD amounts to record sales and profits, which according to Panion, is "like icing on the cake."

Icing on the cake? Hmmm, smells like a party.

In 2007, Panion released Gospel Goes Classical, featuring performances from Juanita Bynum and Jonathan Butler, which went on to become a best-seller on both the gospel and classical charts.

Panion's intentions may be well, but it is hard to understand the scope of such a bewildering offering the size of $75,000. Surely Kurt Carr's honorarium doesn't come close to $10,000...maybe $2,000. So where did all that money go? You do the math.

Guess Prince was right. It made sense in 1989, and it makes sense in 2009....there are indeed "thieves in the temple tonight."

[$$$...SOME PEOPLE REALLY NEED IT]
UAB's Panion follows up popular concert that produced best-selling CD [Birmingham News]

Gospel Goes Classical II [Official Website]
Wrong notes alleged at Gospel Goes Classical [Courthouse News]

Mister McCoy Just Can't Take the Heat

While I am used to being in the hot seat, criticism is something that we all expect. Regardless if we are doing the best of our service or just lacking on a few accomplishments, we are met with pressure all the time. But the irony of the locals who celebrate their buddies and com padres is that while it is okay to attack others on their shortcomings and even their bloopers, you just can't point a finger at them when they end up on the hot seat.

Let's take a good long look at Mr. Brian McCoy. His personal home videos mainly feature Birmingham groups that are so dear to him (Arthur Beard & Elements of Worship, Chosen Generation, Prince Yelder). But he carefully screens the comments so that each piece of commentary reflects only good things and positive feedback from the public. I could okay that personal choice if only if McCoy reflected the same kind of fortitude with other groups and ministries. See, the old street saying rings aloud: "Be careful how you treat others, it just might come back to you and bite you in the ___." The same YouTube subscriber waddle on deep waters when he posts commentaries that criticize the recent BET Celebration of Gospel, men who sing like Karen Clark-Sheard and posting Chris Crocker parodies of embattled Birmingham, Ala. mayor Larry Langford. Goodness gracious, we have another pot calling a kettle black.



I was bugged by this episode while checking out a video of McCoy's local hero, Arthur Beard and his group. In a video titled Wonderful Is Your Name, where the group leaps into a 8-minute version of the Hezekiah Walker/Melvin Crispell mid-tempo jam bearing the same name, only positive feedback is featured. I wanted to toss up a joke...it was a light humor joke on how the director begins to jump up and down in a chaotic frenzy that looks more like Pokemon' doing jumping jacks [check it out at 3:11; video below]. The comment was never posted. That can be understandable since everyone can't take a joke. But McCoy easily pokes fun at other ministries and gospel singers and choirs...but it's totally unfair to talk about his own buddy system. How distasteful and...hmmm...hypocritical.



The hypocritical scale is tilted even more so when he writes that he "DO NOT TOLERATE CRITIQUES ON THIS CHANNEL! IF IT'S MINISTRY, NO CRITIQUING." Interesting, why is it okay for you to critique sharply and not your subscribers?

McCoy, here's some words of wisdom you may want to take heed to...don't talk about folk and their ministries aloud and you can't take the heat. Keep your thoughts to yourself. By the way, hasn't your pastor, the Rev. Gregory L. Clarke of New Hope Baptist Church (another person void of negative comments on his posts), been sentenced to 21 months in prison for "under reporting on his tax returns $110,000 in earned income during the years 2000, 2001 and 2002. I thought so.

[RESOURCES TO LOOK INTO]
Judge says convicted Birmingham pastor must go to prison Friday [Religion News Blog]

Judge says convicted pastor must go to prison Friday (CBN.com]

Three federal judges hear appeal in Rev. Clarke's tax fraud conviction [Al.com]