Tonja Rose Celebrates Chart Debut & New Album Release

By Tmothy Yap Jun 09, 2018 05:35 AM EDT

July will be a special month for Tonja Rose and BlueGrass Valley / Mansion Entertainment as there will not only be a chart debut single but the debut of a new album.

"When The Mountain Can't Be Moved" will debut in the Singing News Bluegrass Gospel Top 10 for the month of July. The single was released prior to the completion of Tonja's new album and was co-written by Tonja and John Mathis. The idea for the song began through an exchange of emails before the concept of doing an album was conceived. The single has also landed in the SGN Scoops Christian Country Top 40 with the official video release receiving organic response through social media and is scheduled airing on several national television programs including Harmony Road TV.

After months of planning, writing songs, selecting material and recording in the studio, the debut album from Tonja Rose official will release during the month of July. 'Me, Jesus & The Highway' is being released by Mansion Entertainment on its BlueGrass Valley label and will be available through all world wide digital outlets on July 6, 2018, including digital streaming outlets. Mansion Entertainment digital releases are distributed through The Orchard, a division of Sony.

The new album was co-produced at Mansion Entertainment by Tonja Rose and John Mathis and contains 12 songs from songwriters such as Tonja, Erin Ashleigh, Jim Gaines, Sandy Carroll, Karen Staley, Tricia Walker, AJ Masters (songs recorded by Faith Hill, The Oak Ridge Boys, John Berry, etc), Ken Harrell, Phil Everly (of the Everly Brothers), John Mathis and Mark Narmore. The title cut of the album was co-written by Tonja, John Mathis and Mark Narmore (songs recorded by Josh Turner, Craig Morgan, Shenandoah and many others). This trio of songwriters also penned another song for the album, "Walking Each Other Home", which features a duet between Tonja and Benjy Gaither. 'Me, Jesus & The Highway' also includes a few favorite traditional songs like "Jesus On The Mainline", "Pass Me Not" and "Softly and Tenderly".

Label manager John Mathis commented, "Tonja has been in Nashville for several years, she's had songwriting deals and been a part of other vocal endeavors. I always thought her voice would be a great fit for Bluegrass Gospel and it is! I think vocally and artistically she has found a home. Tonja is not only a great singer, she is also a great songwriter. It's obvious she worked hard on crafting and selecting the songs for this recording. My good friend George Hairr was involved in some of the post production work and after spending the evening at the studio working on the album he called me the next morning and said 'John, there are some great songs on here!' I always consider an unsolicited opinion like that from an industry peer, who has heard thousands and thousands of songs, a huge compliment. I think the songs on this album contain messages that will connect and resonate with listeners across the Bluegrass and Southern Gospel genres ... and beyond."

Tonja recently joined Devin O'Day on The Legendary 650 WSM to talk about the album and will be the special guest artist at several concerts for the Multi-Dove Award Winning group, Selah, throughout the summer.

TRACK LISTING:

When The Mountain Can't Be Moved
(Tonja Rose, John Mathis)

Jesus On The Mainline
(Public Domain)

Me, Jesus & The Highway
(Tonja Rose, John Mathis, Mark Narmore)

Softly And Tenderly
(Public Domain)

Standing On The Rock
(Sandy Carroll, Mark Narmore, Jim Gaines)

Pass Me Not
(Public Domain)

Walking Each Other Home (feat Benjy Gaither)
(Tonja Rose, John Mathis, Mark Narmore)

Keep Walkin' On
(Tricia Walker, Karen Staley)

He Does
(Tonja Rose, Mark Narmore)

Hide Me Behind The Cross
(Tonja Rose, Mark Narmore)

Call On God
(AJ Masters, Ken Harrell, Phil Everly)