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"Justin Bieber" Holds Strong With The Help Of Daily Prayer

On the evening of Justin Bieber's 3D Film opening, Justins mother Pattie Mallette is asking for his fans to pray for his protection against the sceamier inside of the entertainment industry. "My prayer is for Justin to be protected against the temptations of this industry," Mallette says.


LOS ANGELES, CA - Mallette spoke to Catholic Online by telephone on the eve of the release of her son's 3-D concert film, "Never Say Never," which is packing in his countless fans from coast to coast. Mallette acknowledges that Justin and her worlds are a million light years away from when she was a single mom trying to raise her singing sensation son all alone in their hometown of Stratford, Ontario in Canada.

Mallette says Bieber had musical inclinations at a very early age. "He would bang on things in time to music. He studied the drums for one year and then the trumpet when he was in school," she says.

Stardom came to Bieber when he posted a song for his grandmother on the video Web site YouTube. Mallette says she had no idea that the video of Justin singing would propel him to multi-million music sales. "The video was strictly intended for his grandmother to see in another province," Mallette says.

Bieber, who turns 17 on March 1, is surrounded by "great people," such as his fellow musicians, his manager, his bodyguard and Mallette, "Who keep him grounded in reality."

Mallette is keenly aware of the high expectations that are placed on her son. "The more success you have, the more pressure there is on you," she reasons.

God and Jesus Christ remain central to both Bieber and Mallette's life. Mallette was baptized and raised a Catholic, and Justin attended a Catholic school. Currently, she does not practice her Catholic Christian faith but identifies as a "non-denominational Christian . I meet so many wonderful pastors in the United States and Canada," she says.

On God, Mallette says that "I think He plays the main role. I had an encounter with God, and since then, we have enjoyed His mercy and His grace. My whole walk is what I believe. I brought Justin up in the faith."

It's to Justin's many Christian fans that Mallette asks for prayers. As for the entertainment world, Mallette says "that this is a dark industry. I'd like to think that Justin and his music is a light in the darkness.

"My prayer is for Justin to be protected against the temptations of the industry," Mallette wants Justin's many fans to prayer for his "wisdom and discernment."

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Christian/Pop Band Opens For Taylor Swifts 2011Tour

Taylor Swift has announced the opening act for the North American leg of her 2011 world tour--and, while we're willing to bet it's not a name you'd come up with off the top of your head, you're sure going to know more about them in a few months.


The lucky band to score the slot is South Carolina-based Needtobreathe, an outfit that actually established itself in the Christian music world before crossing over to pop success. They've won several Dove awards (which are the Christian equivalent of Grammy awards), including one for 2010's group of the year. You may have heard their music on TV or at the movies--their songs have been featured on a variety of shows including the film P.S. I Love You and MTV's hit The Hills.

If you've never heard of Needtobreathe, the band has a warm, guitar-oriented, southern-rock feel to its tunes; and cites U2, Wilco, Tom Petty, and Pearl Jam as influences. Frontman Bear Rinehart's vocal style reminds me a little of Dave Matthews. Sound interesting? Here's their latest video, for single "Hurricane," if you'd like to check them out:

The choice of a pop band is a bit out of left field for Swift--her 2009 Fearless tour featured solidly country openers: Kellie Pickler, emerging-at-the-time quartet Gloriana, and Keith Urban (on a few select dates). Nevertheless, her choice seems to stem from simply being a big fan of the band. As she tweeted on Wednesday, "It'll be a nightly challenge to get ready for my show instead of watching theirs."

"It means a lot to us that Taylor handpicked us for her Speak Now tour," Needtobreathe guitarist Bo Rinehart said in a statement. "Everyone knows she has amazing fans, and we thrive on performing live, especially in front of new audiences."

The North American leg of the Speak Now tour will begin May 27 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Well, leaving it up to the fans again. Do you think this band is a good choice to open for what will undoubtedly be one of the biggest tours of 2011? Do you think they mesh well with Taylor's style? Be sure to let us know what you think.

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