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Vicki Mack Lataillade is the one of the most influential executives in gospel music. As the founder and owner of Gospo Centric and B-Rite Music, the Los Angeles entrepreneur has changed the face of gospel music and in the process has created a roster of superstar artists selling millions of CDs. Her multi-platinum award winning gospel artists include the sensational Kirk Franklin, Kelly Price, Kurt Carr, God’s Property, Dave Hollister, and the Gotta Have Gospel Compilation. Gospo Centric Records was named the 1 gospel label in America by Billboard Magazine with sales topping more than 30 million CDs. In addition to Gospo Centric, Mack Lataillade's projects and companies in the music industry have resulted in sales of more than 100 million records sold! Vicki Mack Lataillade started in the music business in the mid 70’s as the first African American woman in the RCA Music Internship program. She was recruited by the then owned Random House Publishing company while attending UCLA. Her influence soon reached far and wide. Revolutionizing the genre from the moment she stepped onto the Faith-based platform, she cut her teeth by breaking then unknown artists like The Winans, Hawkins, Commissioned (Fred Hammond), Richard Smallwood, Tramaine Hawkins, The Clark Sisters, Andrae Crouch and Vicki Winans just to name a few, all still cornerstones of the gospel industry today. During her time at both Light and Sparrow Records she created revolutionary marketing concepts never used before in this genre. A native of San Mateo, California, where her mother, the honorable Claire Mack resided as mayor for almost a decade, it was her supportive father who gave Vicki a $6,000.00 loan in 1993 from his postal retirement money to launch Gospo Centric Records. Vicki and Claude Lataillade, her husband and partner, were soon on their way to making entertainment business history. One of their first projects was from a little known artist named Kirk Franklin and his self titled project changed the game forever. While rap was the 1 music among the young, churches and congregations of parents, tried to pretend it didn’t exist, says Mack Lataillade. Unable to convince major labels that it was possible to create music that praised God while appealing to the musical inclinations of urban youth, she developed the kind of spiritual music her own children would like. Her instincts proved once again spot on. Gospo Centric, and the sound she helped to create, had gone on to becoming a leading force in today’s urban Gospel marketplace. In 1996, her husband Claude Lataillade founded B-Rite Music, envisioned as a more eclectic and avant-garde label. The two labels were merged in 2001. Gospo Centric and B-Rite Music artists include Platinum selling, Kirk Franklin, Gold-selling Stellar Award winner Kurt Carr and the Kurt Carr Singers, near platinum Trin-i-tee 5:7, Gold Compilation Project “Gotta Have Gospelâ€, Kelly Price, J Moss, Byron Cage, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Reggae legend Papa San, Natalie Wilson & the SOP Chorale, Percy Bady and American Idol "Wild Card" R.J. Helton, just to name a few. In 2005, Vicki and Claude sold their record companies to Zomba Records, part of the Sony BMG family of labels. After spending a year and a half helping them through the transition to new ownership, the couple left Zomba in 2007 to pursue the next phase in their illustrious careers. "I have come full circle from my start as an intern for RCA some 30 years ago, to selling my own successful label," said Mrs.Lataillade. "This has been my own American Dream."
5-21-08 8:00am
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