From the very end of April into the earliest of May, BEN*JAM was praying The Lord with some of God’s finest at the 9th Annual Southern Gospel Music Fanfair in Pigeon Forge, TN. We felt highly blessed to be a part of it & anticipate being the again for the music, fellowship, and worship in the Spring of 2014. SGM FANFAIR is brought to you by “Christian Voice Magazine“; a leading publication in Southern Gospel, Country Gospel, Bluegrass Gospel, and Ministry.

Yes, CHRISTIAN VOICE MAGAZINE along with SGN SCOOPS, RENO’S SPORTING GOODS, WOOD’S MUSIC, WKXV AM900 are also one of the sponsors for our label, BEN*ADDICTION‘s Event: “FARMAGGEDON: SOUTHERN GOSPEL MUSIC FESTIVAL & CANNED FOOD DRIVE”. It will be an all-day singing, and playing extravaganza, featuring an onslaught of some of this area’s best talent. All of the music will be “LIVE”. The artists are booked and ready to roll. All Canned Food Goods will go to feed the hungry via our friends at SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF EAST TENNESSEE. For more information on September 28th 2013′s “FARMAGGEDON: SOUTHERN GOSPEL MUSIC FESTIVAL & CANNED FOOD DRIVE”, all of the artists appearing, and so forth please go to: “www.BENJAMS.com/BENADDICTION“.

Christian Voice Magazine is a true blessing. Beginning this month of May, BEN*JAM will be featured on a compilation disc sent out to National Radio via their mother company “WILDS & ASSOCIATES“ (www.WildsAndAssociates.com). The BEN*JAM song that will be featured on this album is “GOD SAID IT, I BELIEVE IT (I’M GONNA RECEIVE IT)” from our 4th album “PREPARE TO MEET GOD - VOL. 2″. With that being said, we kindly encourage everyone to please call in and request it, with extreme prejudiced. Likewise,  we’d again like to point out all of these wonderful individuals that have been so kindly, and willing to work with us in our joint labors for The Kingdom of God. All information can be found on the BEN*ADDICTION site. Support these artists, and sponsors. In future updates unto the time of FARMAGGEDON (SEPT 28th 2013), and likely after, we will be showcasing anyone of them with a bit more detail, as we have here today. If you are not a subscriber of Christian Voice Magazine, please visit them at:” www.ChristianVoiceMagazine.com“. If you are an artist yourself in Gospel Music, you may perhaps want to visit Wilds & Associates as well, as they host an array of companies which ideally would meet all your music needs. Visit them today at: www.WildsAndAssociates.com.

*More info about our upcoming albums will be up in June-July. They will be out this fall. Expect “YOU NEED THE HOLY GHOST – VOL 3″, along with a few other  pleasant surprises.

It’s mid-April & so many exciting things have been going on. Lots of work has been being put in on “FARMAGGEDON: SOUTHERN GOSPEL MUSIC FESTIVAL” (i.e. SEPT 28TH). We’re working hard to get the word out. Been speaking with several television & radio stations/programs about coming on air this SEPTEMBER to tell people about this great event. Our sponsors CHRISTIAN VOICE MAGAZINE & SGN SCOOPS will be advertising in their JULY, AUG, & SEPT Issues. Likewise our sponsor WKXV AM900 will be out spreading the word in the months prior. Flyers & Posters are out now, Concert Shirts are readily available for purchase ($10 each); thank you RENO’S SPORTING GOODS (i.e. Sponsor). And a big thanks to the rest of our sponsors: WOOD’S MUSIC & JUDY’S BARN for helping make all of this possible. The artists appearing include:    Because of Jesus, Branded Souls, Rhonda Frye, Blount County Boys, Everlasting, BEN*JAM, Undivided, Donny Young & New Beginning, Rick Alan King, Heart To Heart, Gordon Killcollins, and Terry Weeks. All canned food goods donated will go to feed the hungry via the help of our friends at SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF EAST TENNESSEE. For more information on “FARMAGGEDON 2013“ please visit BEN*ADDICTION‘s homepage @: ”www.BENJAMS.com/BENADDICTION“.

BEN*JAM will be recorded live for a future Television broadcast for the upcoming series “GOSPEL IN SESSION“. Gospel In Session is recorded LIVE at BIG MAMA’S Studio in Seymour, TN by recording veteran Norbert Stovall. The show will feature the group doing a selection of our original songs. For more information on this program, please visit their page @ “www.GospelInSession.com“.

On April 27th (i.e. Benjamin’s Birthday) BEN*JAM is set to record their 6th album; “You Need The Holy Ghost – VOL 3“. This will be the conclusion to the first series they released & will then be the second full series which they’ve released. “You Need The Holy Ghost – VOL 3” will be a very up-tempo album with the highlighted subject being praise. Iconicly, this series has sought to capture the old-timey Pentecostal sounds of yesteryear on which (BEN*JAM founder/lyricist) Benjamin Blankenship grew up. Heavily inspired by the music of Mike Purkey, The Hinsons, and a variety of others, this album may stand to remind others why BEN*JAM fans describe BEN*JAM‘s music as “Fun”.

It’s very exciting to see everything God has been doing for us this year. Ideally, 2013 is a year of new things. Rather than progressively put ourselves out their solely as a band, we will be diversifying. Benjamin is recording, running sound, working with other artists. He is also monitoring all of BEN*JAM‘s iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, CD Baby, etc. activity with great pleasure. Gordon is networking, and playing frequently with friends. Jonelle is always busy. She’s a woman of many talents, who keeps taking on new hobbies; currently the newest is raising chickens.

#1)  On MARCH 16th BEN*JAM will be filmed for a new Gospel Music television program called GOSPEL IN SESSION. We are very excited to be working with Norbert Stovall.

#2)  Currently preparations are underway for our 6th album, which is also the conclusion to the first series we brought you, ”You Need The Holy Ghost – VOL 3″.  Some new songs are being worked out, some friends are coming in on it with us, and we’re all just ready to let God be God. We record on Benjamin Blankenship’s 32nd Birthday; April 27th. This album will be recorded via BEN*ADDICTION.

#3)  We’re working hard to put the last pieces together for SEPT 28th 2013′s “FARMAGGEDON: SOUTHERN GOSPEL MUSIC FESTIVAL & CANNED FOOD DRIVE”. It’s a great cause! All canned food goods go to feed to hungry via Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee. We’re bringing you LIVE MUSIC – ALL DAY LONG (10AM-8PM). The fun will take place at Judy’s Barn in Maynardville, TN.  The date has been set. All artists are book & have been confirmed. Details will be listed shortly. The entired envent will be recorded live via BEN*ADDICTION.

Thank you all for your continued support. We’re all so grateful for God, our friends, fans, coworkers, allies, and associates in the music & entertainment industries. Our network is still up and running. We survived Y2K in 2000 AD & Now The Mian Apocalypse in 2012 AD. And we’re not done yet! There are currently just a handful of 2013 appointments on BEN*JAM’s calendar, but over all that’s due to financial and restructuring issues involving our other subsidiaries, new ventures all together, and dealing which involve our personal lives. As it stands, we aren’t currently planning on taking on many more. However, that could change as it’s much due to finances and work. BEN*e*FACTOR plans to keep rolling as it has been. We’ve currently added one new member of staff, who has informed us that she should be writing and releasing some reviews early into next year. BEN*ADDICTION has a 1-Day Music Festival featuring an onslaught of artists. Albums will be recorded live. As our followers might imagine, all of the music is live. The event is set to be held in the Fall of 2013 in Maynardville, TN. Admission will be Free. This venue is strictly for Gospel Music. All artists have been booked by invitation. All of this aside there are several perspective endeavors which are related in some capacity. At some point in the future there has been some thought to some work in photography. Also, Rev. Benjamin Blankenship currently has a song entered in a contest via Singing News Magazine & Crossroads. If he wins at any level, it will open up more opportunities for him musically through that label. Likewise, Rev. Blankenship has currently written a book which is in the process of being proofed and illustrated. While all issues are subject to change, this is where everything currently stands in this moment.  Please remember us in your prayers. Thanks.

Our friends “WKXV AM 900″ of Knoxville, Tennessee & BEN*JAM have partnered together to bring you “JAMMIN’ THROUGH JAM*UARY WITH BEN*JAM”. While there are a number of stations that play us, WKXV is in our front door. WKXV is currently this area’s ONLY SOUTHERN GOSPEL STATION broadcasting LIVE 24/7 on the World Wide Web. Formerly listed as a charting station they have continued to provide quality programming, and superior artist relations. Their station & staff put the “Christian” in Christian Music. WKXV plays both old and new music; playing locally, regionally, and nationally acclaimed artists alike.

Notably BEN*JAM has personally been regarded by other artists for helping & working with so many artists in music. With that in mind we ask, “How much more should we work along side a station that so willingly helps us, other artists, the community, etc?” WKXV AM 900 is that station. As we work in the music industry we know they meet the mark. They’re now packing a retail value of around $1,000 in prizes (BEN*JAM apparel, and CDs). For more information on contests, programming, or to listen live 24/7, please goto their website at “www.WKXVradio.com“.

If you live in the Knoxville, Tennessee area tune into our friend deejay extraordinaire EDDIE MANUEL & The Gang at WKXV AM 900 for your chance to win. If you live elsewhere or simply prefer to listen online please visit WKXV at “www.WKXVradio.com“.

BEN*JAM has been named as one of the many live gospel music artists to appear at “FARMAGGEDON: SOUTHERN GOSPEL MUSIC FESTIVAL” being held on SEPT | 28TH | 2013 in Maynardville, TN @ locally renowned music venue “Judy’s Barn”. This event is brought to you by BEN*ADDICTION.  More details can be found upon their site.

BEN*JAM scheduled events for both “SATURDAY | OCT | 6TH | 2012″ & “SATURDAY | OCT | 13TH | 2012″ have both been cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control. We were just notified yesterday & are making the necessary arrangements to spread the word to all other groups & individuals effected by this sudden change. Thank you.

On August 17th 2012, the Rev. “Saint Benjamin” Blankenship takes to the airwaves to discuss Rockwood, Tennessee’s very own multi-award winning live band “BEN*JAM”, the music review site that’s rocking the internet “BEN*e*FACTOR“, & their brand spankin’ new seedling music label “BEN*ADDICTION“. It’ll all take place on internet radio’s “The Josie Show” @ (www.JosieShow.com). Tune in live, or catch it later in their archives section.

The Bible says, “A three fold chord is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12), and while it’s not specifically talking about the unification of “BEN*JAM”, “BEN*e*FACTOR”, & “BEN*ADDICTION”, just like the Holy Trinity & the Volumes of  our album series “Prepare to Meet God” – the three are one! ..well, sorta.

Our first subsidiary BEN*e*FACTOR is really reaching out to others. Now covering most genres & venues. People from all over the world & from all types of music (on Reverbnation, etc) are standing in support of BEN*JAM, and we’re giving them a shout-out right back by covering  them on BEN*e*FACTOR. We just want to say thank you to all of our friends. Likewise BEN*e*FACTOR will display articles on all sorts of venues & artists whom we have & will be working with. Just for fun we are featuring some back newspaper articles from when Benjamin Blankenship was the Music & Entertainment writer for local newspaper (Daily News Express – Roane County Edition) too.

BEN*ADDICTION has just made it’s way to “BENJAMS.com”, with several concerts already in the works artists are contacting us more and more frequently asking to be a part of it all. It’s opening doors for us in several new ways at once. And we’re blessed to see it happen.

We hope you’ll check out the wealth of new exciting articles & happenings all across BENJAMS.com. Thank you for your support & prayers.

After overloading a server from high volume internet traffic BEN*JAM, BEN*e*FACTOR, and all that you love on www.BENJAMS.com has returned to the web. And while it’s always nice to be popular.. Thank God we’re back up and running! Not surprisingly, both BEN*JAM & BEN*e*FACTOR have a variety of things planned which will occur during the course of the year.  However, pushing that aside – our second subsidiary (which is hoped to be big) is slowly beginning to emerge from the shadows of our thoughts. This new, great, and wonderful thing is known as BEN*ADDICTION.

BEN*JAM originally gained it’s name as it’s founding member (songwriter) Rev. Benjamin Blankenship felt that it’d be easier for artists to remember as he sent them songs. It caught on and later stuck as the band name. BEN*e*FACTOR, a subsidiary of BEN*JAM, is a benevolent based blog which honors and reviews excelling singers, songwriters, albums, musicians, deejays, veejays, organizations, recording studios, magazines, etc within or associated with Southern, Country, &/or Bluegrass Gospel.

BEN*ADDICTION differs from both of these. As it has always largely been the vision of BEN*JAM to help other artists, our second subsidiary continues ahead to do just that. BEN*ADDICTION (inevitably hoped to be a record label, etc) is beginning by offering artist services. The first of these is that we’re currently in the process of booking artists at a growing number of music venues. In addition to this BEN*ADDICTION has been offered the support and is working in part with the IMEA (International Music & Entertainment Association) on a number of venues.

While we do not wish to make promises that we can not keep, or claim to do things which are beyond our capacity to do in the moment – we’re taking things one step at a time. Eventually (God willing) BEN*ADDICTION will also have a home on BENJAMS.com. Until that time we’re growing it from a seed. You may find it there on Facebook. Thank you all for your ongoing support.