Thursday, April 1, 2004; Page B06

Ernesto McKenzie Phillips, 50, a Columbia resident who was a musician in pop rhythm-and-blues groups and then produced a series of local entertainers, including singers Toni Braxton and Kimberly Scott, died March 25 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore after a stroke. He had hypertension.

Mr. Phillips, a native Washingtonian, was raised in Crownsville and graduated from Arundel High School in Gambrills. He was a self-taught guitarist, and during high school he attended the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore to study trumpet.

He was a graduate of Anne Arundel Community College and attended Howard University, where he intended to study medicine as his father -- a psychiatrist -- had. He decided instead to make music his career.

With his four brothers -- George, Lloyd, Orlando and Gregory -- Mr. Phillips formed Licyndiana, an R&B group named after his mother and his sisters. Ernesto Phillips sang and played guitar. He also wrote songs and did production work.

Singer Renee Diggs, who was Mr. Phillips's longtime companion, and musician-songwriter Kayode "Ky" Adeyemo later joined Licyndiana.

Mr. Phillips had greater success as leader, co-producer and primary songwriter of a successor pop R&B band called Starpoint, which included the same members except for Lloyd.

The band toured nationally, opening for such performers as Luther Vandross, and appeared on "Soul Train," "Solid Gold" and other television programs. Its album "Restless" (1986) sold more than 500,000 copies, according to news reports, and included the hit song "Object of My Desire."

At the 1990 Washington Area Music Awards, Starpoint was named best R&B/urban group. Mr. Phillips, on guitar, was named best instrumentalist.

The group disbanded about 1990 as members went in different directions professionally. Until his death, Mr. Phillips worked as a producer. He owned and operated Longevity Records and Pearl Studios, both in Columbia.

"I pledged that once we made it, I was going to prove there is a lot of talent in this area," he told The Washington Post in 1995.

His best-known find is Braxton, the Grammy Award-winning singer whom he met through a friend.

In recent months, he worked as a counselor for teenagers at Sheppard Pratt psychiatric clinic in Ellicott City.

Survivors include his mother, Ana Phillips, of Columbia; four brothers, George Phillips and Lloyd Phillips, both of Columbia, and Orlando Phillips and Gregory Phillips, both of Annapolis; and two sisters, Diane Laguerre of Elk Ridge, Md., and Lisa Phillips of Columbia.

I introduced a new structure for listing the albums and 12inches. You can now better view per period which albums an artist has recorded. Period 1980-1989 is the default, because these years are Black Music DB speciality. If you want see the albums/12inches of an other period you can click the appropriate years. The default album sorting order is by year (descending).

MarkB

(New York, NY) Gospel Superstar Kirk Franklin is featuring gospel's it girl and JDI Records artist Beverly Crawford on his upcoming new CD, to be released March 22nd on Gospocentric/Fo Yo Soul/Zomba. After a nearly 3 year hiatus from recording, Kirk Franklin returns this spring with the most highly anticipated gospel release of the year "Hello Fear".

The top selling gospel artist of all-time, with over 12 million records sold, Kirk Franklin is renown for his collaborations and his selection of Grammy winner Beverly Crawford speaks volumes about the resurgence of her career as one of the top female artists in gospel.

Fresh on the heels of her of electrifying performances at the BET Celebration of Gospel & the Stellar Awards, Beverly Crawford's smash hit single "It's About Time For A Miracle!" continues to burn up gospel radio! Likewise, everywhere you turn on TV, radio & on her 100-city tour, the red-hot Beverly Crawford continues to demonstrate why she is universally regarded as one of the top vocalists in the world!

The #1 Most Added Song at Radio (Billboard),"It's About Time For A Miracle!" is the follow-up to Beverly's #1 chart-topper "He's Done Enough", which dominated the Billboard Charts for over 70+ weeks & garnered 7 Stellar Award nods including CD of the Year, Artist of the Year, etc.

With a legion of ardent fans including Ochocinco, President Obama, Fantasia, Natalie Cole, etc, Beverly Crawford's new CD Live from Los Angeles - Vol. 2 is garnering rave reviews all over the country!

Soul Brother Records are delighted to offer a limited of pairs of tickets to see Keni Burke and Charlie Wilson live at the Indigo O2 on Friday 16th September. See Soul Brothers Advertiser page on soulandfunkmusic.com

For the 4th year running soulbrother.com will be participating in Record Store Day, which is on 21st April. We will be stocking most of the soul, jazz and reggae record store exclusive releases as well as some of the blues and more general releases. There are more soul and jazz releases for this year than in previous years including :- Gregory Porter 1960 What 12" Fame Records Singles 5 x 7" Box set Clarence Carter Unreleased Fame 7" ep Charles Bradley – Stay Away 7" Dizzy Gillespie –The matrix 7" Otis Redding/Aretha Franklin – Respect (gold vinyl) 7" Stax 10 x 7" box set Plus others, a full list will be published in store and on the site a couple of days before RSD. Click here for full list of RSD releases These exclusive releases will be only available in the shop on 21st April, and we are allowed to offer online and mail order any that are not sold out after midday on 28th April. UP TO 20% OFF ORIGINAL VINYL Enjoy up to 20% Off Original Vinyl purchases in store on RSD. Spend £50 or more and get 10% OFF, Spend £100 or More and get 15% OFF, Spend £200 or more and get 20% OFF. Offer excludes records priced £35 or more and Reissues, and is subject to a minimum order of 3 records. SALE LP'S £5 EACH OR 3 FOR £10 There are literally 100's of LP's on offer in store price at £5 each or 3 for £10 on RSD only.

Lamar Thomas Prom Clips

Send For Me, R & B, Soulful track, taken from the new CD, "Dry Water Wet Tears"