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WHEN SUNDAY COMES
A POWERFUL SHOW HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT ON ITS AUDIENCE — AND ON THE LIVES OF ITS WINNERS
By Lottie L. Joiner
er of three was homeless in Orlando, FL, with no money and no transportation. “At that time in my life I was pretty
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much tired ... and burned out,” says John- son, 29. “I said, ‘God, is there anything else out there for me?’ ” With the help of friends, John-
son made it to the auditions in New Orleans, and sang as though her life depended on it. “At that moment I was just pouring
out everything that I had been through — everything,” says Johnson. “I was really talking to God on that day. It wasn’t about the lights, camera, action. It wasn’t about the fame or none of that. I was just pouring out, praying to God in the midst of the struggle.” The judges — and viewers — felt
Johnson’s praise through her pain, and she was crowned the season 3 winner of Sunday Best in 2010. Since her win, Johnson has seen the blessings overfl ow. In February, she took home a Grammy Award for her single “Jesus” from her debut album The Awakening of Le’Andria Johnson. Her Sunday Best experience has encouraged her to take her ministry to a new level. “I want to let people know that God is
hen Le’Andria Johnson tried out for Sunday Best, it was a call for help. The talented moth-
still alive and you can put all your trust in him,” says Johnson. “Know that you’ll get a struggle, but your struggles don’t last always.” No one knows that better than Amber
Bullock, the season 4 winner of Sunday Best. Bullock was sleeping on the fl oor of a co-worker’s small, cramped apartment and working as a call center represen- tative in Dallas when she decided to audi- tion for Sunday Best. But a car accident that occurred earlier that year had left her without transportation. “I auditioned for Sunday Best because
I didn’t have anything to lose,” says Bullock, 26. “I told my friends, ‘if you guys give me a ride down there, I’ll go.’ ” The St. Louis native is still shocked
that she won the gospel competition. “I’m still blown away by the daily
opportunities that come my way,” says Bullock from her home in Louisville, KY. Indeed. Since winning Sunday Best,
Bullock released an album and opened for Kirk Franklin on his Fearless Tour. She’s now working on her second album with some of the most talented produc- ers in the music industry. The album, which is titled Seven, is scheduled to be out this summer. Bullock says her Sunday Best expe-
rience has certainly changed her life for the better. “I haven’t had to want for anything,”
AMBER BULLOCK
LE’ANDRIA JOHNSON
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