NEW YORK, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Susan L. Taylor, editor-in-chief of Essence magazine, will be honored in part by famed TV host Oprah Winfrey at a New York event, a press group says.

DOVER, N.H., Oct. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said a gay minister will offer an invocation at a series of gospel concerts in South Carolina.

CHICAGO, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- U.S. gospel music star Donnie McClurkin, under fire for suggesting in an interview that sexuality is a matter of choice, denies he is anti-gay.

NASHVILLE, March 21 (UPI) -- Gospel music superstar Donnie McClurkin saya he will retire from the music business after he completes his contract next year, Billboard.com reported.

ALICE IN CHAINS The surviving members of Alice In Chains -- guitarist Jerry Cantrell, bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney -- said they're "heartbroken" over the death of the band's lead singer, Layne Staley.

ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME The first generation of punk rockers joined Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, former teen idol Brenda Lee and soul singer Isaac Hayes in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2002 Monday night.

OZZFEST The 2002 edition of Ozzfest will feature the first appearances by the as-yet-unnamed new band formed by Soundgarden's Chris Cornell and Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello, Brad Wilk and Tim Commerford, ...

SOUL TRAIN MUSIC AWARD NOMINATIONS Alicia Keys leads the list of nominees for the 16th annual Soul Train Music Awards with four nods, while India.Arie, the late Aaliyah and the Isley Brothers featuring Ron Isley follow with three apiece, MTV News reports.

AMA NOMINATIONS