the 10 best Gospel artist ever

When most people hear the term “Gospel music” they think of the standing up in church to sing songs like “Amazing Grace”, “Jesus loves me”, and “Make a joy noise”. They don't think abut Grammy award winners, multi-plantinum artist, or best selling author. Truth is the is so much to Gospel than just the church congregation singing hymns.

The following are just some of the biggest names in Gospel. Even if you are not a listener of this genre you have probably heard of some of these artist. A few of them you might even be surprised to hear they sing Gospel.

• Sandi Patty: When you talk about Gospel singers Sandi Patty is going to be at or close to the top. She started singing in the church when she was 2 years old in the late 1950's. It wasn't until 1978 that she hit the national scene and has become one of the biggest Gospel singers in the world and dubbed simply “The Voice”.
• Aretha Franklin: You probably think of Aretha Franklin as the “Queen of Soul” but she was also one of the great Gospel singers. In 2012 she was inducted into the Gospel music hall of fame.
• Clark Sisters: Jacky, Elbernita, Karen, and Dorinda have been one of the biggest Gospel acts for almost five decades. They have sold 10's of millions of copies of their albums.
• Mahalia Jackson: Known as the “Queen of Gospel”, Mahalia Jackson was the voice of Gospel for over 4 decades from the late 1920's to the early 1970's. In the 1960's she also meet and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
• Kim Burrell: For the last two and a half decades Ms. Burrell has been a multi-award winning singer of both Gospel and Jazz.
• David Phelps: For just over a decade Mr. Phelps rich tenor voice has made him one of the biggest names in Gospel/Christian music.
• Yolanda Adams: For slightly over four decades Ms. Adams has used her rich vocals to top the Gospel, R&B, and Soul charts. Along with her singing she has a morning radio show that can be heard on 39 stations.
• Cathedral Quartet: For three and a half decades from the mid 1960's through the 1990's the Cathedral Quartet has been a multi-award winning gospel group. They have seen members come and go over the years but they remained at the top of their game until the group parted ways in 1999.
• Gaither Vocal Band: Since 1981, and still going, the Gaither Vocal Band has been a multi-award winning Southern Gospel group. For awhile the group featured David Phelps before he went solo.
• Jeff & Sheri Easter: For the last two and a half decades Jeff & Sheri Easter have been a multi-award winning duo in the Gospel genre.

Best Halloween concerts in Seattle

In the original Celtic origins there was much more to the day's celebration. To them the celebration that we would later come to know as Halloween meant honor the those that died, celebrating the coming new year, and protecting us from evil. Today, Halloween is known as a time for trick-of-treat, watching scary movies, and going to costume parties. Even though some of the original meaning has changed over the centuries, Halloween still remains a day of celebration. One of the biggest parts of any celebration is music.

The following are some of the best concerts for celebrating what Halloween was then and what is has become today:

Hallows at the cathedral

On the night before Halloween, 8 pm, and on Halloween, 2 pm & 8 pm, you will have three chances to hear the Seattle's women's chorus put on an emotionally charged concert. The music ranges from classic to pop and from romantic to spooky. Ticket prices for the concert will be between $15-$45. Location is at Saint Mark's Cathedral in Seattle.

Psycho with the symphony

You might have watched Alfred Hitchcock's “Psycho” many times on Halloween but not like you will at this Benaroya Hall showing. With the Seattle Symphony playing the sound track and seeing it on a big screen will make the movie more terrifying. Tickets for this concert & movie event run from $31 - $112. Showing times are at 8 pm on both October 30 & 31.

All Hallow's Eve

If you are look for a Halloween concert that is more budget friendly then head on down to the Teatro De La Psychomachia at 1534 First avenue. There you will be treated to night of music for just about every taste. The concert stars at 8 pm on Halloween and is free to the public but donations of $5 - $15 are suggested.

Cabaret Macabre

Just the name alone says this is a must for Halloween. If you are over 21 then the Columbia City Theater at 4916 Rainier avenue is the place to go for a night of music, burlesque, drinking, and dance. Tickets for the event are $17 if you buy them in advance or $20 at the door.  

best free kid-friendly Halloween events in Seattle-Tacoma

 Sometimes Halloween can be a scary time to let our little ones go out and walk the streets. So, we are always looking for safe places that they can go and still enjoy the fun of the holiday.

The following are a few places around the greater Seattle area that you can take the little ones. All of these events are free and in a safe environment. So, if any of these are near you then get the kids dressed in their favorite costumes and head on out..

BAM-O-WEEN

On the Saturday before Halloween, Oct 24, the Bellevue Art Museum is offering a free Halloween themed hands-on art & craft event. It will give your children a reason to get dressed up in their costumes and create their own spooky decoration. The event runs from noon-3:00 pm.

HOWL-o-ween at Islandwood

One of the biggest traditions for Halloween is for the kids to carve their Jack-o-lantern. On this Sunday, Oct 25, Islandwood on Bainbridge Island is free workshop where your children can carve their pumpkins and get lessons from the staff. Their will also be plenty of other activities, such as, face painting and games that will keep the little one entertained. You will need to provide your own pumpkin and carving tools. The event last from 1 pm- 4 pm.

Springfree Trampoline Halloween Party

Who says you need to wait until it is dark out before trick-or-treating. If you are in the Issaquah area they don't think you make the children wait that long. Just get them dressed in their costumes and take them down to 1875 Poplar Way. There they will be able to get their early candy fix, jump on trampolines, have snacks, and watch the Reptile Man. The even runs from 2 pm-3 pm on Halloween.

Costume carnival at the museum

It can get a little to scary and dangerous out on the streets at night for your little ones. So, Seattle's Children's Museum is offering an alternative for the 10 & under crowd. They are welcome to trick-or-treat, go on a scavenger hunt, play games, and more. The fun begins at 4 pm on Halloween and last until 8 pm. The museum is located at 305 Harrison St. at the bottom of Queen Anne Hill.

Pumpkin decorating party

On Saturday, Oct 24, at 3 pm you can bring the little ones to Ray's Cafe where they can get & carve a complimentary mini-pumpkin. They will be provide with kid-friendly carving kits that they can use on the covered, heated deck to make their Jack-o-lantern.  

Some of the most haunted places in Seattle-Tacoma

Most of us love a good ghost story. We sit around on stormy nights telling them, we read books about them, and even like to watch movies and television show about ghost. Some of us even go as far as looking for haunting locations to go visit around Halloween hoping to spot a ghost.

If you are one of the people that always wanted to go to ghost-hunting you are in luck because there are plenty of places around the greater Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area that should satisfy your ghostly needs.

Thornewood Castle

One of the most famous places to visit is Thornewood Castle located just south of Tacoma in the city of Lakewood. It was featured in Stephen King's “Rose Red” miniseries.

The history of the Castle goes back to the 16^th century when it was built in England where it remained until the early 20^th century. In 1907, Chester Thorne purchased the Castle and had it torn down to be relocated over here in Washington State.

It is said that the ghost of Chester Thorne can still be seen roaming the halls of his beloved Castle. Along with the ghost of Mr. Thorne some of the past residence from when the Castle was in England may still be roaming the hallways of Thornewood.

The Castle is now a bed & breakfast and is open for tours and other events.

Pike Place Market

If you live around downtown Seattle you might want to take your ghost-hunting Pike Place Market. One of most predominate spirits said to haunt the marketplace is that of Kikioblu aka Princess Angelina, the daughter of Chief Sealth, whose house occupied part of the site in the latte 1800's. The Market is said to also be haunted by other Duwamish Indians and some of the people that built the historic marketplace.

Cadillac Hotel

The Cadillac Hotel was built in the heart of historic Seattle right after the fire of the 1880's that destroyed the old city. For decades strange happenings at the old hotel have lead some to believe that former residents might still be around.

The Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery

When you are looking for ghost there is no place better than a cemetery. Located at 1200 East Howe Street in Seattle is The Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery that is dedicated to Civil War Veterans. There have been those that have sworn they have seen some of the spirits of those Civil War Veterans patrolling around the Cemetery.

Old Tacoma City Hall

The Old Tacoma City Hall has been the scene of many strange events. There have been reports of works being locked out off their offices and objects flying around the building. Could it be past disgruntled employees or maybe residents still fighting the city?

The 5 most common Facebook scams

Identity theft, computer hijacking, credit card fraud, and destructive malware to destroy our data. Scams have always plagued us on the Internet and World Wide Web. The people that run these scams are always out to target the largest number of people at one time.

For this reason social networks have been the main target. Facebook being the largest of the social networks has been especially lucrative for scammers. The following are some of the most prevalent scams to watch-out for as you interact with your Facebook friends:

• Subscription fee hoax: Every few month there are these post going around telling us that Facebook is going to charge us for our accounts. The truth is Facebook does not now and will not start charging its users. This is phishing scam intended to get personal information.
• Free offer scam: We see these quite often where you can click on a link to get a free smartphone, tablet, or some other gadget. If you click on these they either take you to a third party site to get you to sign up for thing, download malware on your computer, or trick you into giving out personal information.
• Privacy policy scam: This has been going around the last few months. Usually, you will see a post telling you about a new policy change that will put your privacy in danger. Sometimes, the people that run the scam even go as far as contacting victims with a personal message. In either of these is just a way of trying to get personal information and possibly take over your account.
• Clickjacking scam: These have been around for a long time. You run across a video, celebrity's picture that promise some outrageous story, or any number of enticements. By clicking on these you could be downloading malware or tricked into doing any number of unwanted actions.
• The dislike button: There was a story not too long saying that Facebook will be introducing a new “Dislike” button. The story is true but the scam going around telling people they can download the “Dislike” button.

5 things you didn't know about Flatt & Scruggs

Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs started playing together when they were both members of Bill Monroe's blue grass band. A few years later they redefined blue grass when they formed their own band the Foggy Mountain Boys. For 21 years the band was a big influence on both country and folk music. The Foggy Mountain Boys broke up in 1969 when Lester Flatt and Earl Scrubbs split up over creative differences. After the parting of ways Lester Flatt formed the Nashville Grass band and had success with it until his death in 1979. Earl Scrubbs went on to put together the Earl Scruggs Revue that lasted until his retirement in the mid1980's. In his later years Mr. Scrubbs did do some touring with other banjo players.

The following are some more facts about these two country legends:

They hosted a television show

From 1955 until the duo separated ways 1969 they hosted “The Grand Ole Opry Show”. On it they had a mix of downhome humor, cooking tips on the live commercials they would do during the show, and feature various artist like Uncle Josh Graves and Curly Seckler and others that were experts in various instruments.

They appeared on the “The Beverly Hillbilies”

Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs would occasionally guest star on the television show “The Beverly Hillbillies”. They also played the theme song for the show. The song went on to be the first television theme song to go to number 1 on the billboard chart.

They are in the country music hall of fame

In 1985 the duo's contributions to blue grass had garnered them an induction into the country music hall of fame. Those contributions can still be still be seen in country music with tribute bands and a style of playing the banjo that was popularized by Earl Scruggs.

The Coen brothers paid homage to Flatt& Scruggs

In the 2000 movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” the Coen brothers paid homage to Flatt & Scruggs. When writing the movie they named the band “Soggy Bottom Boys” as tribute to the Flatt & Scruggs' band “Foggy Mountain Boys”.

Earl Scruggs toured with Steve Martin

Steve Martin is known for his comedy but he is also a great banjo player. In 2009 he teamed up with Earl Scruggs and other banjo players. The newly formed group went on tour hitting the talk show circuit and put on concerts.