Gospel's Leading Man, Earnest Pugh, is scheduled to perform at the 49th AME Quadrennial Session General Conference this Sunday, July 1st at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, TN. First Lady Michelle Obama is scheduled to give the conference's keynote address on Friday June 28th at 11 a.m. The conference will mark the first time that Pugh performs his new "Rain & Glory Medley" since he debuted it at the same complex at this year's Stellar Awards television taping in January. The song is a fusion of Pugh's #1 Billboard Hot Gospel Songs hits "Rain On Us" and "I Need Your Glory." After the television broadcast, Pugh was flooded with fan requests to release the medley as a single. "I listened to what they were saying," Pugh says. "When you get that many requests there must be something to it so we went into the studio and recorded the medley."

The song is now available on iTunes, Amazon mp3 and other online music stores and the YouTube concept music video has already gathered over 25,000 hits in less than a week. The song will be the lead single on Kerry Douglas' forthcoming CD, "Gospel Mix VI", which is due in stores during the fourth quarter of 2012. "Pugh is a very forward thinker when it comes to the timing and positioning of songs at radio to keep him relevant," says Blackmsoke Music CEO, Kerry Douglas. "This medley is a good look for both he and I."

The video setting is a recovery group meeting. One man battles alcoholism, a girl fights to walk again, some man is facing divorce while yet another has a porn addiction. As the song ministers to the people they are delivered from their individual struggle and transformed by the Word of God. "The individual songs speak truth on their own," says Pugh. "But, together, it really shows that the glory of the Lord is what brings us God's power to heal and renew us. So, of course, we'd then pray for God to rain those sorts of blessings on us and it really makes a powerful statement about what happens when we surrender ourselves to God." Visit www.epmmusicgroup.com for more information.