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The City Of Refuge Sanctuary Choir
Biography
The City of Refuge Church, located in Gardena, CA, boasts more than 20,000 members. Due to its proximity to the teaming media hub of Los Angeles, the church has many members who work in the music industry -- small wonder, then, that the church would be home to one of the nation's finest gospel choirs, the City of Refuge Sanctuary Choir. Founded in the mid-'90s by Bishop Noel Jones (brother to singer/actress Grace Jones), the church and its choir are only pieces of the puzzle that make up Noel Jones Ministries. The son of a pastor, Jones is a best-selling author, speaker, regular teaching pastor at City of Refuge, and emerging Christian media mogul. His Fresh Oil television program reaches viewers nationwide via BET and The Church Channel. Through the Fresh Oil program, the Sanctuary Choir have reached countless viewers every week, building an immense fan base and demand for an album. On June 25, 2006, the City of Refuge Sanctuary Choir recorded their debut album, Welcome to the City, in front of a standing-room-only audience. On the strength of album single "Not About Us" and their fervent fan base, the choir's first-time long-player was an extraordinary success, going directly to the top of Billboard's Gospel chart and even landing a spot in the Top Independent Albums and Billboard 200 categories. Having backed artists like Patti LaBelle, Kanye West, and Mariah Carey, the 150-member choir found themselves front and center. A multiple-city tour was soon to follow, and a DVD was released shortly thereafter. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, All Music Guide
Selected Discography