[jitterbug13]

NASHVILLE (Billboard) - No one can accuse Shirley Caesar of taking it easy, as a recent weekend in the life of the Gospel Music Hall of Famer proves.

She spent the evening of September 9 performing with Alicia Keys in New York for a Hurricane Katrina benefit. By the next morning she was in Washington, D.C., speaking and singing at an event for black families. That evening, she did a concert in West Palm Beach, Fla., and by Sunday morning, she was in the pulpit at Mount Calvary Word of Faith Church in Raleigh, N.C., where she has served as pastor for 15 years.

It is a schedule that would make a lesser artist cringe, but Caesar handles it all with indomitable spirit and an unwavering passion for spreading the gospel. A legend in the gospel music community, Caesar is about to embark on a new chapter in her distinguished career with the launch of her own label, Shu-Bel Music. Her 41st album, "I Know the Truth," is the first release on Shu-Bel, which is marketed and distributed through Artemis Gospel.

"I wanted something for everybody -- something for the children, for the young adults and for the seniors, and we were able to do that," she says of her new project, which hit stores on September 6. "It's traditional mixed with hip-hop and contemporary, and from there I can speak for all ages."

TEAMING WITH NEW TALENT

Caesar enjoyed working with Tonex, one of the gospel community's hottest new talents. He is featured on the album's title track. "Tonex is crazy," she says with a laugh. "Tonex is a fine young man. He's a seasoned preacher (who preached at Caesar's Outreach Ministries conference) this year, and he's just wonderful."

Her new set covers wide territory. Caesar says that one song, "Jailbird," "speaks of a young man who's getting ready to go to his death, but repents." Another one, "Everyday Is Like Mother's Day," "simply says, 'Don't wait until Mother's Day or (your mother's) birthday to be a blessing to her ... Show her now how much you love her."'

Before launching Shu-Bel, Caesar recorded for Word Records for more than 20 years. "I was unhappy, because every time I would put out a new CD, they would always have a changing of the guard," she says, "and it meant that nobody there really knew me, so our CDs would die."

She has high hopes for Shu-Bel, which is named after Caesar and her late sister Anniebell Caesar Price. "I will sign many others," she says of mentoring new acts, "but I really wanted to break the ground myself and break it up with a vengeance."

Caesar's niece, Carolyn Sanders, serves as label VP, and has big expectations for the new venture. "I see this label as being a linchpin for other artists," she says. "I see us one day being right up there with the top five recording labels."