Leon Patillo -Former Santana Vocalist

FORMER SANTANA VOCALIST AND CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL MUSIC PIONEER LEON PATILLO RETURNS AFTER SIX-YEAR ABSENCE Singer/Songwriter Partners With Tag Artist Group For New Live Concert CD Release By Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE (ANS) -- 

Contemporary Gospel music pioneer and former Santana front-man Leon Patillo has partnered with the Nashville-based Christian music distributor TAG Artist Group for the release of a new CD called "Live Experience 2." According to a media release from the Brian Mayes at the Nashville Publicity Group, the live concert CD will be released by Patillo's Positive Pop Records to Christian retail outlets worldwide Aug 16. 

 The singer/songwriter is perhaps best known in music circles for fronting the multi-platinum group Santana, as well as for his work with Funkadelic and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas. But for the past 25 years, Patillo has been on a groundbreaking contemporary gospel solo career. "Man, let me tell you, it’s been an incredible ride," states Patillo. "The Lord is good and He's been using all the experiences I‚ve had in music to help me become a more effective minister." After stepping down from Santana in 1979 after six years recording and touring, Patillo signed with Word Records and released the cutting edge gospel project Dance Children Dance. Numerous projects followed throughout the 80s and 90s, spawning such hits as "J.E.S.U.S.," "Cornerstone," and the wedding anthem "Flesh of My Flesh." Since 1999, Patillo has been performing for the "Get Motivated" conferences, which has put him on stage with everyone from Colin Powell to George Foreman to all of the living U.S. Presidents. 

But after several years away from recording, Leon decided it was time to finally get back to recording -- resulting in a new live CD project. Live Experience 2, the follow up to the 1983 Word Records release Live Experience, is a live concert recording featuring new songs along with several of Patillo's biggest hits including "J.E.S.U.S." and "Born Again Woman," a reworking of the Santana hit "Black Magic Woman." "There‚s something for everyone on it," says Patillo. "Those that have followed me since the beginning and the young people who may be hearing me for the first time. It's sure to give you all the feelings and energy of coming to a Leon Patillo concert and hopefully help start a foundation for someone‚s spiritual life that may not already have one." Marketing highlights include national concert appearances, continued performances at the Get Motivated Conferences, and numerous television appearances on Christian networks worldwide. Patillo joins the TAG roster alongside such artists as Phil Keaggy, Bryan Duncan, Bruce Carroll, Chuckie Perez, Chronos, Steve Archer, Anthony Burger, Substance, Kent Bottenfield and Joy Oliver. TAG Distribution is a subsidiary of TAG Artist Group, LLC. 

The company was formed in 2004 by industry veteran Dan Huisinga, whose broad experience includes a recording contract with Warner Bros., and his previous role of Director of International Sales and Marketing for Provident Distribution. TAG is a part of his continuing personal mission statement, "To increase the sales and marketing of Christian music throughout the world." For more information, contact: Brian Mayes, (615) 417-8149 or brian@nashvillepublicity.com; See also: www.leonpatillo.org and: www.tagartistgroup.com Nashville Publicity Group, Post Office Box 291705, Nashville, TN 37229 ** Michael Ireland is an international British freelance journalist. A former reporter with a London newspaper, Michael is the Chief Correspondent for ASSIST News Service of Garden Grove, CA. Michael immigrated to the United States in 1982 and became a US citizen in Sept., 1995. He is married with two children. Michael has also been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. 

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