Donnie McClurkin, "Duets" (RCA Inspiration)
Donnie McClurkin's vocals continue to soar smoothly on his sixth studio album, "Duets."
McClurkin, a three-time Grammy winner best known for...
In this Feb. 3 photo, Beyonce performs during the halftime show of the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens, in New Orleans. The singer headlines at the 2013 Essence Music Festival, with other nightly concerts held in the Superdome to include, Maxwell, Jill Scott, Charlie Wilson, LL Cool J, New Edition, Emile Sande, Trey Songz, Janelle Monae and several others. The festival dates are July 4-7, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) by Chevel Johnson NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Nearly two decades after Essence magazine launched a festival here to "party with a purpose" and celebrate Black culture, music and people, the Essence Fest may be facing some new competition. Like Essence this weekend, last weekend's BET Experience, held in Los Angeles, had Beyonce as a headliner. It also had panels discussing topics important to the community and spanned a three-day weekend — a format Essence until recently had used for years. But Michelle Ebanks, president of Essence Communications Inc., said the similarities end there.
