Get Your Music on Amazon!
Get Your Music - and everything else - on Amazon! All purchases made on Amazon through this link earn a commission for Jesusfreakhideout.com!

JFH Music News Report

Powerhouse Singer MELISSA BETHEA Leaves Jersey Roots for New Chapter in Texas, Drops "Awesome" New Radio Single


Powerhouse Singer Melissa Bethea Drops 'Awesome' Single


RSS Icon 

NEWS SOURCE: Bill Carpenter PR
August 29, 2022

Houston, TX: Former Jersey Girl Melissa Bethea’s debut radio track, “You’re Coming Out,” snatched over a half million digital streams in 2021. The mesmerizing gospel belter who shot to church fame as the soloist on the GRAMMY® Award nominated group JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise hits such as “No Holding Back” and “You Are Worthy,” is ready for her next close-up. On August 26th, the Houston, Texas transplant will release the bouncy track, “Awesome” (New Flavor Entertainment/ Tyscot), on all digital music platforms. Link: https://smarturl.it/am9wn7

“Awesome” was written by Bethea’s production duo of Eric Davis ((known for writing and producing for JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise) and Clarence Singleton (known for writing and producing for Marvin Sapp, Hezekiah Walker) along with Makeba Riddick-Woods who has co-written pop hits such as Beyonce’s “Déjà Vu,” Jennifer Lopez’s “Holding Me Down,” and Rihanna’s “Rude Boy.” The close of summer track boasts the zest of a Jamaican street festival with a soulfully commercial flavor that should bring Bethea a diverse audience of new fans.

In 2021, the 30-something singer was recruited to join the music department staff at the 28,000-member New Light Church in Houston where she is now one of the worship leaders. Bethea, her husband Joseph, and their four-year-old daughter Jade packed up their belongings and moved to H-Town where they have made a new life for themselves.

The life isn’t that different from the one she knew in her hometown of Newark, NJ. Her world revolved around church and music. Her mom was a singer with regional choirs. Her dad didn’t sing, but he loved music. “My father loved music,” she says of the man she lost to diabetes when she 13 years old. “Because of him, I listened to blues, a lot of Motown. I feel like a 90-year-old person because I know all about ZZ Hill, The O’Jays, The Temptations.”

On the church side, Bethea became a fan of worship music when she started attending her uncle, Bishop Charles Harris Jr.’s Bethel Church of Love and Praise in Bloomfield, NJ. “I had gone to church all my life, but I never heard praise and worship music before that time. Their music department showed me that there’s another way of getting God’s attention.”

“Initially, I did not want to sing,” Bethea admits. “I went to the New Jersey Institute of Technology to become a pharmaceutical engineer with a minor in biology. I was good at math, but that wasn’t my purpose. When I learned about praise and worship, that became my calling.” Bethea began singing with gospel artists in the New York Tri-State area such as Hezekiah Walker and Lance Williams. She also began to develop her own style. “Cece Winans and Oleta Adams are my favorites,” she confesses. “With Oleta, I like the tonality of her voice and how she approaches a song. She doesn’t do a whole lot, but when she does add a little sauce, it’s impactful, and on top of that, she plays piano.”

Bethea and Singleton have known each other since they were teenagers, running into each other at various church services in New Jersey. Singleton formed New Flavor Entertainment with Eric Davis in 2017. They have since collaborated on recorded music by gospel megastars such as Marvin Sapp, Ricky Dillard, and Bryon Cage, among others. Now, the duo is working together on Bethea’s first full-length project. “I believe the album will be used to encourage, uplift, and inspire,” she says. “So many people need hope because they’ve lost so much with this pandemic This is going to refresh, revive, renew, and point people to Jesus.”

Music Video Link: https://youtu.be/NZdxMUBIrks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iammelissabethea/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iammelissabethea

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelissaCBethea1



###




Leave a Comment

 

News Report Archives

[2025]
Jan. | Feb. | March | April | May | June | July | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec.

[2024]
Jan. | Feb. | March | April | May | June | July | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec.

[2001 - Present]
Visit our complete MUSIC NEWS ARCHIVE

 



Return to Main News Page

 

 

 

                 
Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 13!

Search JFH



This Friday, July 25, 2025
ALBUMS
Anchor & Braille New Mexico [Equal Vision]
B. Tee Told You [Syntax]
Bride Scarecrow Messiah CD Re-Release [Girder]
Empowered SALT - EP (independent)
Homesick Prodigals Different Good (independent)
KDNS After Eden [Syntax]
Olivia Lane Songs About Jesus (Deluxe Edition) [BEC]
Tasha Cobbs Leonard TASHA [Motown Gospel]
Kevi Morse Kingston We Winning [Syntax]
Pulpit Vomit Hospital Lens [Rottweiler]
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno Dance for Jesus - EP (independent)
Taylor & Co Worship Breakthrough - EP (independent)
Josh Wright LEAD (independent)

SINGLES
abenezer i was lost - Single [Gotee]
Joe L Barnes Good Shepherd (Studio Version) - Single [Provident]
Sho Baraka Still Got Faith (ft. L3xdivine) - Single [Syntax]
Gracie Binion Easy To Please - Single [BEC]
Katty Camargo Shine Upon Me - Single (independent)
The CCC Collective Thankful - Single (independent)
C4 Crotona Mr. Gritty - Single [Syntax]
CXMMXNS Trust and Obey (feat. CAIN) - Single [Provident]
EJ Swavv & Nickwit2Ks Growth - Single [Syntax]
Forrest Frank GOD'S GOT MY BACK - Single [River House / 10K]
Andrew Gonoude Closer To You - Single (independent)
Noah Paul Harrison Oh Lord My God (Live) - Single [Bethel]
J.Solo All I Have (ft. Kaboose & MotionPlus) - Single [Syntax]
Kings Kaleidoscope + Kings Kaleidoscope Hymns Amazing Grace - Single [BEC]
Tasha Layton Life In Me - Single [BEC]
Lecrae Bless You (feat. Torey D'Shaun) - Single [Reach]
TobyMac God Did It (feat. Jamie MacDonald) - Single [Capitol CMG]
Matt Maher Wait (Radio Version) - Single [Provident]
Hunter Plake Down to Earth - Single [BEC]
QEW JOYXFIX (ft. Stevie Rizo) - Single [Syntax]
Naomi Raine God Will Work It Out - Single [Tribl]
Rave Jesus Runnin' - Single [Provident]
Saints in Exile Bad Vibes - Single [Syntax]
Xander Sallows infinite - Single [DREAM]
Silent Reflection Left Me for Dead - Single [Syntax]
Michael W. Smith Your Love Is A Flood - Single [The Fuel]
John Stratton The Body and the Blood - Single [Pure Mosaic Services]
Regina Vandereijk You're the Light - Single (independent)
Joel Vaughn Feel It - Single [DREAM]
Zach Williams Killed A Man - Single [Provident]
Zauntee Jesus Down In Florida - Single [BEC]

VINYL
Bride Scarecrow Messiah Vinyl [Girder]

DVD
Jordan Smith The People's Hymnal DVD [Gaither]

This Saturday, July 26, 2025
SINGLES
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno What Would You Do? - Single (independent)

Next Friday, August 1, 2025
ALBUMS
Crash Rickshaw Big Sir - EP [Velvet Blue]
McKamey Legacy Holding to Truth [Horizon]
Ordained Thunder Roar [Girder]
V1 Worship Archives [DREAM Worship]

SINGLES
Dan Bremnes Human - Single [Curb]
Lauren Daigle Let It Be A Hallelujah - Single [Centricity]
Sleeping At Last Believe - Single (independent)

VINYL
Disciple Attack! (Limited Run Vinyl) Vinyl [Girder]



For all release dates, click here!
 

Join honey and save on online purchases!
Get all of JFH's indie compilation now totally free!
Check out depositphotos for royalty free images