For nine years, BET’s Celebration of Gospel has become the staple of ceremonies related to gospel music. For the ninth year, the master of ceremonies will be none other than Steve Harvey.
With BET once again “Raising the Praise” on Sunday, January 25 for its 9th annual COG performance telecast, veteran comedian, actor and popular syndicated radio personality, Steve Harvey will be the man behind the microphone.
Harvey may have entered the entertainment industry as a standup comedian, but he has since evolved into one of the most respectable faces in the industry. His hilarious stand up opened numerous doors for Harvey to spread his wings and become involved in other endeavors. From acting in his self titled WB sitcom (“The Steve Harvey Show”) and taking his standup to the big screen via Spike Lee’s “The Original Kings of Comedy” to his widely popular radio show and his upcoming book on relationships titled "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think about Love, Relationships, Intimacy and Commitment," Harvey has truly evolved as an entertainer.
If his accomplishments as an author, radio personality and comedian are not enough, Harvey also has released a grill (a la George Foreman) called the G Broil. Always one not to forget how important giving back is, the Steve Harvey Foundation continues his endless commitment to the community by contributing to high schools throughout the country.
Although his time may be limited with all he has going on, Harvey simply couldn’t turn down the opportunity to host the 9th annual Celebration of Gospel. After all, Harvey has been along for the ride since the beginning so why change drivers now?
When Harvey originally was cast to host the show, he was still doing “The Steve Harvey Show” and since then has become even a bigger star than ever.
“I think they just wanted to add some secular star power to the show so it wouldn’t be all gospel and might attract some more viewers,” Harvey said in a previous interview with BET.com. “I think what they found out was that I really understood what they were doing because I grew up in church, and I had a real relationship with the audience of church people.”
Whatever the original reason for Harvey’s involvement may have been, the relationship has grown to the point where nobody but Harvey could be seen hosting the show.
“I think they saw that I had a real affection for the spiritual side of my life, and that made it a good marriage,” Harvey continues. “We’ve had a lot of great moments over the past eight years.”
You can catch Steve Harvey hosting for the 9th time when you tune in to BET’s Celebration of Gospel on Sunday, January 25th 2009.