Knoxville Gospel Blog

Photos from Cross 4 Crowns Concert - July 24, 2011

2011-07-24T23:19:00.000-04:00

Great Cross 4 Crowns concert at Highland Baptist Church.

Cross 4 Crowns returning to Highland Baptist Church!

2011-06-11T10:48:00.001-04:00

Highland Baptist Church is proud to once again be hosting the Southern Gospel Quartet, Cross 4 Crowns. This spectacular evening of worship will happen on Sunday, July 24, at 6:00 pm. There is no admission charge, a love offering will be taken.

For directions to the church CLICK HERE. For more info about Highland Baptist, visit their website at www.hbcknox.org or contact Byron Chesney.

About Cross 4 Crowns:

Cross 4 Crowns has been ministering in song since 2003. In September, 2005, we felt the calling to further our singing ministry. God has richly blessed us as we've expanded our ministry nation-wide.
The group currently consists of 4 members: Marcus Faulknor singing tenor, Justin Terry sings bass, Davis McCammon, Jr, lead and Allen Leath, the group founder, sings baritone. God has assembled an incredible amount of talent in one place for something special, and these men are using their gifts and talents for Kingdom purposes.
Cross 4 Crowns has performed with such Southern Gospel greats as The Kingdom Heirs, The Talley Trio, The Hoppers, and The Florida Boys among others.
In 2008, Cross 4 Crowns performed over 150 concerts in 18 states. The group has 3 recorded projects and is currently working on a 4th. From December, 2006 to present, Cross 4 Crowns has had at least 1 song in The Singing News National Top 80. In 2009, the group was nominated for Horizon group of the year by the Singing News Fan Awards.
There is something God created each of us to do, and someone God created us to become. We are so blessed to have the opportunity to do what God has created us to do, and above that, to share it with you.

For more about Cross 4 Crowns, please visit their website at www.cross4crowns.com.

What? Cross 4 Crowns in Concert
When? Sunday, July 24, at 6pm
Where? Highland Baptist Church, 6014 Babelay Road, Knoxville, TN 37924
Cost? Free, a love offering will be taken.

2nd Annual HCSAC Gospel Sing-Fest - Morristown

2011-03-20T07:37:00.001-04:00

Another great night of Southern Gospel Music is happening on Saturday, April 9, 2011 at First Baptist Church in Morristown, TN, starts at 7:00 pm.

Included in the line-up is: The Florida Boys, Sacred Calling, and Ray Michaels. Admission is free, an offering will be taken to support the work of the Hamblen County Substance Abuse Coalition. This will be a great concert for a great cause.

Last year's event was wonderful and this year's will be too. Directions to the church can be found here.

HisVoice Concert Review 2.27.2011

2011-02-27T14:48:00.004-05:00

This is the 3rd time that my church, Highland Baptist, has hosted the Southern Gospel Trio, HisVoice. Each time we have had them come out, they have really been a blessing. I would write a big long review of this morning's worship service but I don't think I could even put into words how wonderful the singing, and spirit was while HisVoice was singing. Allen, Kristen, and Kelly were spectacular and gave wonderful testimonies. I started crying almost from the very beginning and through the entire service.

They sang 12 songs, mostly from their new CD that is coming out soon. I was delighted that they sang one of my all-time favorites of theirs, Stacking Stones. I was equally blessed by, Have You Heard Of A King, and He Never Even Looked At the Man. Toward the end of the service Kristen and Kelly both gave testimonies of struggles they had been through and how God had brought them out. I was so touched by their words that I was just overwhelmed with the spirit. Then, Kelly sang one of the most powerful and touching renditions of, Through The Fire, that I have ever heard in my life. It was almost more than I could take. I just sat there sobbing great tears of joy for what God has done in my own life.

If you ever get the chance to hear HisVoice in concert I'm sure you will be blessed as much as I always am when I hear them. They are truly anointed and talented and I highly recommend them for your church.

Crimson Ridge, Michael Wayne Smith Benefit Concert Review

2011-02-26T22:21:00.001-05:00

Tonight my wife and I attended a benefit concert that featured Michael Wayne Smith and Crimson Ridge. The fundraiser was to help raise money toward the cost of chemotherapy treatments for a young lady that has cancer.

The concert was held at Union Baptist Church and started just a little after 6:00 pm. Dale Burress, from Ark Studios, was there to film the evening for the television show Southern Style Praise. There was a great turn out for the event. The middle section of the sanctuary was pretty much packed as well as the left side. We took a seat in the middle section about 5 rows from the front.

Things started off with a surprise performance by, Jeff Branam, who is the father-in-law of the lady the concert was for. He sang, The Anchor Still Holds, and did an outstanding job on it. After that, Michael Wayne Smith walked up on stage and took a seat behind the piano. He sang and played several rousing numbers from his latest CD. He is an amazing song writer and has an excellent voice. His love for the Lord really shone through the songs and music, however, the huge smile on his face revealed it all. My favorite song that he sang was one titled, Until the Storm Is Over. The words just spoke to my heart and caused tears to well up inside of me and spill over.

Crimson Ridge came up to the stage next and tore into the lively, Let's Have Revival, followed up with one of my favorite songs that they sing, An Old Sinner Like Me. I've had the pleasure of hearing these guys sing on several occasions when they were called, 3 For Thee, but this was the first time I had heard them under the new name of Crimson Ridge. Same guys (Greg Davis, Jackie Painter, and Warren Beeler) but they sounded tighter than ever. Great vocal harmonies and pitch, with a real nice full sound, which was really showcased on the catchy number, All I Ever Needed. My wife and I both agreed that probably our favorite song that they sang tonight was one lead singer, Jackie Painter, wrote, which is titled, He's In Control. I guess what I like most about this group is their heartfelt testimonies and clear presentation of the Gospel while on stage. Some groups will get up and try to sound real spiritual but you can always tell who is the real deal and the guys in Crimson Ridge are the real deal.

Special Musical Worship Service With HisVoice

2011-01-01T22:02:00.001-05:00

Highland Baptist Church in Knoxville, TN would like to invite you to a Special Musical Worship service with - HisVoice - February 27, 2011 at 10:30 A.M.

The Southern Gospel Trio, HisVoice, will be singing during the Sunday morning worship service. This is a free event, everyone is welcome!

For more information or directions to the church, visit http://www.hbcknox.org/

Greater Vision 20th Anniversary Celebration - Dec. 30, 2010

2010-12-28T06:42:00.000-05:00

Greater Vision is celebrating the group's 20-year anniversary and they have invited you. This could very well be the event of the year. A reunion of GV's original lineup, along with the Mark Trammell Quartet, man, it doesn't get much better than that!

The celebration is being held on Thursday, December 30th at First Baptist Church of Morristown. Driving directions here. Admission is free. Doors open at 5:30 PM, concert starts at 7:00 PM. Come early if you want an up-close seat. For more information visit http://www.greatervisionmusic.com/

Former Won By One bass, Paul Hyde, signs on with the Florida Boys!

2010-12-15T14:44:00.000-05:00

Charlie Waller and the Florida Boys announce the addition of Paul Hyde as new bass vocalist. The 2011 Florida Boys will entertain changes within the group moving Chip Cooper from the bass position up to the baritone spot. Chip has a fantastic range and will fit in nicely as the group’s new baritone. He has a powerful voice and will afford the Florida Boys another great solo voice as well as a fantastic third-part harmony.

Stepping into the bass position, Paul, a veteran of 20 years in the gospel music industry, will bring his deep, smooth tones to the Florida Boys. Paul’s greatest influence in gospel music is the late George Younce. Like George, Paul places great value on singing the bass lead with the feeling and vocal moves that you would typically associate with a lead singer. “George was the best at doing this of any bass vocalist that I have ever heard” Paul states. “There will never be another George but I plan to continue to emulate him for many years to come.”

Paul has over twenty years of gospel music experience under his belt having sung and been a partner most recently with Won By One (2008-2010) also sang bass for the Blackwood Quartet and Blackwood Singers (a mixed male-female group) in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee from 1999-2006. He previously had sung in two regional quartets, “Temple” and “New Revival” for a combined sixteen years.

Paul served two enlistments in the United States Marine Corps in the early eighties and also currently serves his community as the Executive Director of the Hamblen County Substance Abuse Coalition. Paul values serving others in this capacity striving to help folks in living lives free of substance abuse and coping with issues that are associated with alcohol and drug addictions. “Prevention is the key but intervention and treatment are elements that we must contend with on a daily basis” says Paul.

Paul also does Christian comedy and ventriloquism. Who knows, you might experience a little

of this at a Florida Boys concert. Go and visit a Florida Boys concert when they are in your area or better yet, go to their website: www.thefloridaboys.net and book them in your area!

2 Great Concerts at Bush's Family Cafe!

2010-09-30T20:20:00.003-04:00

Attention Southern Gospel music fans. There are 2 great concerts coming up this weekend at Bush's Family Cafe in Dandridge, TN. On Friday October 1st at 6:00 PM, the Parton's will be in concert. Then on Saturday, October 2nd at 6:00 PM, Southern Gospel artist, JP Miller, will be in concert. These are two great nights of Southern Gospel that you don't want to miss!

Bush's Family Cafe is located in Dandridge, TN on the property of the Bush Bean Plant. Directions Here.

For more information call: 865.509.3682

3 4THEE's 4th Annual Fall Gathering

2010-09-13T21:04:00.003-04:00

The Southern Gospel trio, 3 4Thee, will be holding their 4th Fall Gathering on September 25, at Graveston Baptist Church in Corryton, TN, from 6:30 - 9:00 PM.

This will be a great time of gospel singing and fellowship with the host group, 3 4THEE, The Oxendines, Undefeated Quartet, and Lauren King. Emceeing the event will be Praise 96.3's, Shane King.

Make sure and mark the date down on your calendar!

WHAT: 3 4THEE's 4th Annual Fall Gathering
WHEN: Saturday, September 25, 2010 @6:30 - 9:00 PM
HOW MUCH: No Admission charge, a love offering will be taken
WHERE: Graveston Baptist Church, Corryton, TN
See map below for directions:

View Larger Map

Read about last year's fall gathering here.

Radio-A-Thon for The Bowling Family a success!

2010-08-10T21:24:00.001-04:00

WJBZ - Praise 96.3 hosted a radio-a-thon to benefit The Bowling Family on Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at their station in Knoxville, TN. The Bowling Family, consisting of Mike Bowling, Kelly Bowling, and Terah Crabb Penhollow were en route to a concert when their tour bus was involved in a serious accident on July 1, 2010. "When JP Miller called to inquire about a benefit radio-a-thon for The Bowling Family I immediately wanted it to happen! It is obvious our listeners love The Bowling Family because of their response to the radio-a-thon." states Jamie Lewis (Director of Sales and Promotion for WJBZ.) Listeners of East Tennessee called in with over $5,000 in donations toward the family. Southern Gospel Music Artist, JP Miller stated: "I want to thank everyone who donated and participated in this special cause. It is humbling to see the outpouring of love from our area." Tony Gore, Southern Gospel Artist and local restaurant owner donated several free dinners and tickets to his concerts for those who called in with a donation for The Bowling Family. Other guests that came into the station for interviews were Eternal Vision, Brian Walker, and Tim Parton of The Parton Family. Listeners enjoyed call in interviews from Ivan Parker as well as Mike and Kelly Bowling. "We would like to personally thank the listeners of WJBZ. We are so touched. You will never know what this means." states Terah Crabb Penhollow.

For more information on The Bowling Family log onto their website at: http://www.bowlingfamilyonline.com/

Cross 4 Crowns Concert Review - Clear Springs Baptist

2010-05-31T11:58:00.001-04:00

Since I was ordained at my church yesterday afternoon, we canceled our regular evening worship services. So my family and I were free to attend services elsewhere. We decided to visit Clear Springs Baptist in Mascot, TN because one of my favorite Southern Gospel groups, Cross 4 Crowns, was scheduled to sing there at 6:30 PM.

We have visited Clear Springs several times for different concerts, it's a very nice church and we have a couple of friends that attend there. We arrived around 6:15 and had no problems finding a good seat up close. I've attended numerous C4C concerts in the past and have even hosted them at my church, Highland Baptist. They always do a spectacular job. They were very good again last night, however, their bass singer, Justin Terry, has strained his vocal cords and was not up to his usual barrel scraping, chandelier shaking, hair on the back of your neck raising, bass. Being a bass singer myself, I felt really bad for him. I know it was frustrating for him not to be able to knock the bottom out of the songs. Due to his throat problems they were not able to perform many of the bass-heavy songs that they normally do, such as; Good News From the Graveyard and Under Control. Despite Justin's vocal woes, the group did a fantastic job.

C4C sang for around an hour and a half with the second half of the evening starting out with taking requests from the congregation. They said that this was something new that they had started and it had helped to produce some "keeper" songs for them. I really enjoyed this part of the concert. Allen Leath, the group's founder and baritone, did a fantastic job tickling the ivory's and also playing the guitar. One of my favorite song's of the evening was actually one that Allen led while playing the piano, The King Is Coming. He has a very powerful voice which sometimes gets lost amidst the other guys, but when he's out there on his own you appreciate just how talented he is.

Overall it was a great time of Southern Gospel music. I thought that the group's lead, Davy McCammon, was probably singing the best I have ever heard him. Tenor, Marcus Faulkner, has been with C4C for a little over a year now and has solidified himself as "THE Tenor." I was disappointed that Justin wasn't up to his usual self but I know that he is one of the finest bass singers in all of the industry. Since the group is on Vacation all next week, hopefully he will get some vocal rest and once again be rocking the sub-woofers.

If you would like to hear one of the finest Southern Gosepel groups in all of the business, check out their schedule and find a place near you to attend. If you live in the Knoxville area, Cross 4 Crowns will be at Liberty Baptist Church in Maryville, TN on July 11 at 6:00 PM.

Mark Lanier In Concert - Piney Grove Baptist Church - July 10

2010-05-26T20:37:00.000-04:00

Southern Gospel artist, Mark Lanier, will be singing in concert at Piney Grove Baptist church in Knoxville, TN on Saturday, July 10th at 7:00 PM. Before starting his solo ministry Mark sang with Perfect Heart, Bibletones and Poet Voices. He has written many songs which have been recorded by James Blackwood, Jake Hess, The Nelons and Perfect Heart.

This is a free event, a love offering will be taken.

For more information about Mark Lanier, visit his website.

Piney Grove Baptist Church
2109 Piney Grove Church Road
Knoxville, TN 37909
Driving Directions Here

Tommy Spencer a concert review

2010-05-17T21:22:00.001-04:00

We hosted Southern Gospel soloist, Tommy Spencer, at my church, Highland Baptist, last night. I have heard Tommy sing numerous times and have enjoyed listening to him on WJBZ for many years. It was a pleasure to actually meet him face to face. Tommy is a great guy and a fantastic singer.

We enjoyed many of the songs he sang, which we still sing out of the old "red back" church hymnal, and we also enjoyed all of the ones that he wrote. He is a very gifted song writer. I'm not sure what my favorite tune was that he did, maybe Beulah Land because that's one of my all-time favorite songs and he does a really good job on it. Of course I loved his Tribute to Preacher Mull too, you watch a video of that song at the end of this post.

I wish more people would have turned out for the concert. It seems like pulling teeth anymore to get folks to come out to a gospel concert these days. It's not just at my church, I've attended several concerts at different venues, churches, auditoriums, gymns, outdoor settings, etc.. and I've seen a steady decline of attendance over the past 2 or 3 years. As a music minister and gospel music promoter, I have heard every excuse in the book from people as to why they didn't show up, it's pathetic really. Southern Gospel music fans are going to have to support the artists if we are going to keep this music that we love alive and well. Oh well, I guess I shouldn't let it bother me, I had a good time whether anyone else did or not and all I can say is that people missed a good concert.

If you would like to have Tommy Spencer sing at your church, go visit his website and contact him. I'm sure he will find time to accomodate you.

Cross 4 Crowns in concert, May 30 - Clear Springs Baptist in Mascot

2010-05-13T06:00:00.001-04:00

Reverend Chris Taylor, pastor of Clear Springs Baptist Church in Mascot, TN, would like to invite you to come out on Sunday, May 30th, at 6:30 PM for a great evening of Southern Gospel Music with the awesome quartet, Cross 4 Crowns!

Over the past few years, Cross 4 Crowns, has quickly grown to become one of the industry's premier quartets in all of Southern Gospel music. In 2009 they were nominated in the top 10 Horizon Artist award in the Singing News Fan Awards. This year they are in the running for Favorite Southern Gospel Group or Artist.

If you are like me and love to hear that rock solid Southern Gospel quartet sound, you will definitely want to attend this concert. I've been listening to Gospel Music for 43-years and Cross 4 Crowns ranks right up there with my favorite quartets such as the Kingsmen, Gold City, Cathedrals, Triumphant, and Kingdom Heirs. Last year, I had the pleasure of hosting C4C at my church, Highland Baptist, and can say without a doubt that these are some Godly men with a passion to spread the Gospel through their music. So don't forget to mark your calendar for this event!

Who? Cross 4 Crowns
Where? Clear Springs Baptist Church in Mascot, TN - Directions Here
When? Sunday, May 30th at 6:30 PM

Fantastic Time With LakeSide!

2010-04-18T23:04:00.002-04:00

Even before the worship service started, I knew that the guys from LakeSide were serious about the Lord. Each member joined us in the prayer room before church and each one participated. I felt like we had already had church by the time we were finished praying but I wasn't ready to leave just yet. I was looking forward to getting to listen to some great Gospel music played Bluegrass style.

I opened things up with a couple of congregational songs; Since Jesus Came Into My Heart, and Love Lifted Me. Then I had the choir sing, Let's Just Praise the Lord, and after that I broke into, I'd Rather Be An Old-Time Christian, and we had fellowship followed by altar prayer. The pastor then took the stage and invited LakeSide to come up and sing.

What a wonderful, spirit-filled group of guys make up the group LakeSide! As I've always said, I enjoy the testimonies more than anything and I was thrilled tonight to hear each member praising God and giving heart-felt testimonies. We heard of how one member survived terminal heart failure by receiving a heart transplant, and another member survived tongue cancer. Every single song lifted up the name of Jesus. There was no "fluff" thrown in, just straight pure Gospel.

LakeSide plays with a full set of instruments; Banjo, Mandolin, Guitar, Dobro, and Stand-up Bass. Their music wasn't overpowering like some groups. Everything was very pleasing to the ears and to the soul. It would be hard for me to pick out my favorite song of the night but I did really love their acapella version of, I Want To See Jesus. I guess the crowd favorite was, Because He Loves Me. There was much shouting and praising God during that song. It was like the services that I remember as a child where people shouted and weren't too timid to lift up their voices to God. It was very refreshing.

Before I knew it, the evening was over and I was helping the guys carry out their equipment. I am thankful for men like these that are willing to sacrifice their time to share their ministry with folks like us. God has really blessed them with talent and they use it well. If you are looking for a group to have out at your church, I HIGHLY recommend LakeSide. Check out their website and drop them an email. Tell them that Bro. Byron sent ya!

Jacob Kitson Departs Greater Vision

2010-03-30T20:22:00.000-04:00

Jacob Kitson Departs Greater Vision - from GreaterVisionMusic.Com:

March 29, 2010 4:01:15 PM

"Morristown, TN: Greater Vision has announced the departure of Jacob Kitson from the group. “Jacob has only been with us a short time, but he has made many friends across the country, and we’re certain he will continue to be successfully involved in ministry for many years to come”, Gerald Wolfe said. “Jacob is one of the most talented people I’ve ever traveled with, and we want to do all we can to help him reach his full potential in the work God has called him to”, Gerald continued." Read more here.

Won By One - Concert Review

2010-02-23T00:00:00.001-05:00

It was the moment I had been waiting for, the debut performance of the newly re-organized, Won By One. As I mentioned in this post nearly 2-years ago, I have always been a huge fan of theirs. I was thrilled when I heard that original founding member, Greg Shockley was singing with a new bunch of guys and resurrecting the old group name!

My son and I made it to First Baptist Church in Morristown, TN, right around 6:30 pm, for the First Annual Gospel Sing-Fest to benefit the Hamblen County Substance Abuse Coalition. The concert didn't start until 7:00 but we wanted to make sure we had good seats. Immediately after paying our $10.00 ticket price, we made our way over to Won By One's product table. There we met baritone singer, Bob Jenkins. We chatted with him for a few moments and purchased the 2-CD's that Won By One had available; Redeemed, and Something New. We then made our way into the large sanctuary and were excited to find an empty front center row seat, right in front of the stage. It was a perfect location to take plenty of photos, which I did.

Kicking things off was Won By One bass singer, Paul Hyde, and his ventriloquist dummy, J.D. Paul told a few light-hearted jokes, mostly aimed toward old folks and then introduced youth pastor/radio DJ, Chris Fritz, who opened up with a word about substance abuse and then lead us in prayer.

First to perform was worship violinist, Mark Lewis. He did an awesome job and gave a really heart-felt testimony about his former life playing music in the bars and getting into drugs and alcohol. After his testimony he went straight into about 45 minutes of just playing. As music videos would play on the two large screens overhead, Mark would just stand, often with eyes closed, and play the lead part of the music on his violin.

After Mark was finished, Paul Hyde, who just so happens to be the Executive Director of the Hamblen County Substance Abuse Coalition, introduced staff members of the HCSAC and asked chairman of the board, Tom Miles, to come forward and talk about the Coalition's purpose.

Finally, about 8:00, Won By One hit the stage with a soulful rendition of "When Jesus Came Knocking." As chills ran down my spine, I was transported back to 1996 when I first heard the original Won By One sing that song on their Road of Life project. Next Paul Hyde showed his stuff on the outstanding bass lead-in with, "In Gloryland." The all familiar, "Walk Right Out Of This Valley," was a real toe tapper and showcased the whole quartet. The fourth song, "Where The Nails Were," was one of my very favorites of the night and left me crying like a baby. On the fifth song, "Had It Not Been," Greg asked Mark Lewis to join them with his violin as they sat in chairs and sang. Up next, "He Was Dying To Know Me," written by Phil Cross, was also one of my favorites of the night and was beautifully done. The very catchy, "Full Circle, which is the first track from their new CD, Redeemed, was a real crowd-pleaser which ends with a round of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." Next up was a real treat when lead singer, Mike Whetsel, sat down at the Grand Piano and the rest of the guys gathered around for a beautiful rendition of, "Redemption Draweth Nigh," with the lead being handled by both Whetsel and bass, Paul Hyde. The ninth song of the night was my all-time favorite Won By One song, "King Jesus." I couldn't help but smile from ear to ear knowing that my son was getting to hear that song for the very first time in his life. One of the most impressive and touching songs of the evening was, "It Took A Lamb," which was superbly lead by baritone singer, Bob Jenkins. Last but certainly not least was the powerful, "And God Cried," which once again had me in tears thinking about what my Savior had done for me. The evening was followed up by a very fitting invitation and prayer given by Greg Shockley.

My son and I left the event that night feeling more like we had been to an awesome worship service instead of a concert because that was indeed what it was. I hope to have more opportunities to worship with Won By One in the future. I encourage you to attend one of their concerts if you get the chance. If you love Southern Gospel, quartet style music, and being touched by the Holy Spirit, then you won't be disappointed.

See all of the photos from this event here.

Photos from Won By One debut concert

2010-02-21T00:18:00.000-05:00

Some of the photos I took at the Won By One concert at First Baptist Church in Morristown, TN. This was the debut performance of the newly re-organized Won By One. Also performing was Worship Violinist, Mark Lewis. This was a benefit concert for the Hamblen County Substance Abuse Coalition. I will write a blog post about the event in a separate post. Meanwhile, enjoy the photos.

Concert Review - Jamey Hill Benefit Concert

2010-02-15T19:00:00.004-05:00

The setting for the concert was a benefit singing that was put together by Randy Smiddy, for his brother-in-law, Jamey Hill, who had a kidney transplant last year. Jamey's hospital bills added up in the thousands of dollars. This was a very worthy cause and several great Bluegrass bands stepped up to the plate to play at this benefit. I was invited by my good buddy, Jerry Butler, lead singer and founder of the Blu-J's, which was one of the headliners of the night. Besides Jerry Butler and the Blu'J's, there were three other groups, Rocky Flatts, Don Rigsby and Midnight Call, and Paul Williams and the Victory Trio were also on the playbill.

On the evening of the concert I called my parent's house to see if my dad would go with me. He had church obligations and couldn't go but my mother said she would love to go in his place. So, we drove down to Anderson County High School in Clinton, TN where the concert was being held. We were a little bit late but I was surprised at the amount of people that were attending. I'm not a good guesser at crowd numbers but I would say there was at least 500 people there. The concert was held in the gymnasium and the center section had metal folding chairs setup. There didn't appear to be a single seat available so my mother and I sat on the bleachers off to the side of the stage. As we were sitting there we notice that over on the far left of the stage on the front row, there were about 5 empty chairs. We kept eyeballing those seats while Rocky Flatts was on stage and we wondered if the chairs were reserved for them. After they finished playing my mother went over to the folks sitting beside the empty seats and inquired about them. "Nope, they ain't reserved," they said. We quickly sprinted across the gym and had the perfect front row seats right in front of the loudspeaker.

Since we had gotten there late, we missed most of Rocky Flatts set, however, I had hosted them at my church last year and was really familiar with their sound. From the few songs that I did hear, they did a fantastic job. They are pretty much no-nonsense on the stage, just straight picking, singing, and testifying. They are a talented group of guys. I wish I had gotten more pictures of them but like I said, I didn't have the most choice seat at that time.

Next up was Jerry Butler and the Blu'J's. Of course I have had the pleasure of hearing Jerry Butler on many occasions but this was the first time I had heard him with his new band, the Blu-J's. They were outstanding! Their mandolin player, Bobby Clark, was not able to be there due to the death of his mother, but, Don Rigsby gracefully filled that position and did a fantastic job. I had heard John Wade's bass playing skills when he was with the Carolina Road band and I knew he was top-notch. I was most impressed with their Resonator Guitarist, Tim Goins. Not only was his picking skills superb, he has nice rich vocals and he is an excellent song writer. Banjo player, Daniel Oxendine, plumb wore out the 5-string banjo and I really enjoyed his big smile and obvious enjoyment of playing with the band. What else can I say about Jerry Butler that I haven't said before? He is one of the finest lead vocalists and guitar pickers in the business. The rich quality of his voice sets apart any band that he is involved with and his stage presence and camaraderie with the audience is second to none. The band probably played every song off of their latest CD, Haulin' Grass, and a few others that I had never heard before. I can't wait to hear these guys in concert again.

Next to hit the stage was Don Rigsby and the Midnight Call. I had never heard Don Rigsby before. I wasn't sure what to expect. You know that old saying, "you can't judge a book by it's cover?" Well, let me tell you, just a casual glance at Don Rigsby you would never know how much talent he has hidden beneath his unassuming frame. From the first song he belted out, to the last, I sat in awe at his amazing tenor vocals. When I thought there was no way his voice could possibly go any higher, he would reach further up into the rafters. When he sang, Kentucky Waltz, I nearly cried it was so good. Then, by popular demand of the audience, he pulled off one of the best renditions of Rocky Top I have ever heard. I will definitely be looking for more opportunities to see Don Rigsby again.

Last but certainly not least, Paul Williams and the Victory Trio took to the stage. I have listened to Paul Williams' music for several years and knew that he was a superb singer and musician. I had never seen him perform in person and had no idea how spiritual he was. Being a minister of music myself, I was thrilled to see a group with such talent, dedicate their lives and music to the Lord. Sitting there in that gymnasium felt much like being in a really good church service. Shouts of Amen could be heard echoing off of the bleacher lined walls as Paul Williams would testify on stage. They sang for about an hour and every song was like listening to music from Heaven. Paul also had 2 special guests step up to the microphone, the first one was local Bluegrass/Gospel artist, Mavis Hughes, who had written a song that Paul Williams had recorded and he asked her to come up and sing it with them. Wow, talk about a voice! She reared back and let it rip, nearly bringing me to my feet with a shout. Then Paul asked the concert host, Randy Smiddy, to come to the stage. Randy sang 2-songs with them and he did a wonderful job. He has a very nice, rich baritone voice and was a delight to listen to. I know it was a thrill for him to sing on stage with Paul Williams & Victory Trio.

One of the deacons at my church has been trying to get me to book Paul Williams at our church for the past 3-years. I actually came close to achieving that about 2-years ago but the only date they had available was right before Christmas and we just had too much going on at the church to do that. After seeing and hearing them in person, I will go the extra mile to book them now. I'm thinking a Saturday evening concert might work out better than a Sunday booking. I'll keep you posted about that.

The entire evening was emceed by WDVX radio personality, Freddie Smith, and he did a great job keeping things running smoothly. It was one of the most enjoyable evenings of bluegrass/gospel music that I've experienced in a long time. From what I understand, there was around $5,000 dollars raised and there is talk of another benefit concert being held this summer. Keep checking back for more information. If you would like to send donations for Jamey Hill, you can send them to the following address:
Shultz Hollow Baptist Church
c/o Jamey Hill Kidney Fund
P.O. Box 1002
Clinton, TN 37717

See all pictures from this great night HERE.

Scenes from Jamey Hill Benefit Concert

2010-02-12T01:02:00.000-05:00

What a great turnout at the Jamey Hill Benefit Concert that was held at Anderson County High in Clinton, TN. Wonderful time of Bluegrass and Gospel music. Groups included; Rocky Flatts, Jerry Butler & the BluJ's, Don Rigsby, Paul Williams & the Victory Trio, & Randy Smiddy. Below are some of the pictures that I took while there. I will blog some more about this later on.

Jamey Hill Benefit Concert - Anderson County High School

2010-02-08T21:48:00.003-05:00

Click on poster to enlarge.

Directions to Anderson County School.

Won by One In Concert!!!

2010-01-22T18:00:00.002-05:00

Brace yourselves Won by One fans, the guys are back and will be holding their first concert in 5-years! The 1st Annual Gospel Sing-Fest will be held on Saturday, February 20th, 2010 at 7:00 PM, at First Baptist Church in Morristown, TN. Tickets are just $10.00. You may purchase tickets at the door or at Morristown Bible Bookstore and Davey Crockett Restaurant or by calling (423) 748-7494.

I was thrilled a couple of months ago when I blogged about Won by One making their return to the Southern Gospel Music scene, and have been patiently waiting to get to hear the new group of guys. A recent email from the group's bass singer, Paul Hyde, insured me that "I would not be disappointed."

This is a benefit concert for the Hamblen County Substance Abuse Coalition. Also appearing will be Worship Violinist, Mark Lewis. This is going to be a night you don't want to miss. Come on out and join me as the Knoxville Gospel blog, blogs live from this event!

New Preacher Mull Memory Page!

2010-01-15T00:11:00.001-05:00

If you are on Facebook, and you are a fan of the late Preacher Mull, then you will want to join the all new Preacher Mull Memory Page! It's a place for fans and friends to share and remember J. Bazzel Mull.

Jubilee's a coming!

2010-01-05T11:44:00.001-05:00

Fantastic opportunity for Knoxville area Southern Gospel music fans. On Friday, January 22nd, at 7:30 PM, three of the biggest names in the industry will be singing at the New Hope Church in Kodak (Sevierville); Legacy Five, The Booth Brothers, and Greater Vision!

All of this is made possible by Currington Promotions and Praise 96.3.
Tickets start at $15.00 and go up to $22.00 depending on seating level. Or try your luck at winning 2 tickets via This Week In Gospel Music.
For more information or to order tickets click here.

JP Miller a concert review

2009-12-06T22:07:00.001-05:00

Tonight we hosted Southern Gospel artist, JP Miller, at Highland Baptist church. I had heard JP a few times at various places but never been in a service where he was the only performer. There are only a handful of Gospel artists that I really enjoy sitting and listening to them sing solo for more than 30 minutes at a time; Tony Gore, Eric Bennett, Phil Cross, Kim Hopper, to name a few. Well, now I can add JP Miller to that list. He was fantastic!

As I've mentioned before, I enjoy hearing the testimonies more than I do the actual singing, but, when both the singing and testimonies are great then it's a winning combination. JP Miller kicked things off with a lively rendition of Heaven's Jubilee which really set a great mood. Our church mainly sings from the old red back church hymnal and of course that song is one of our favorites. He followed up with two more great ones; Oh I Want to See Him and I'll Fly Away. Then he sang what was probably my very favorite song of the entire night, He Made A Cross. I had never heard it before but it didn't take long for tears to start flowing. The words were so beautiful. The chorus went something like this; He made a cross that stood between the shores of death and eternity, He stretched his arms to form a bridge, that we could have that chance to live, because when sin did all it could to keep us lost, God reached out with love and He made a cross. Wow, what a message!

For nearly an hour, JP sang and shared several personal testimonies and stories with us. With this being the Christmas season he sang several songs from his new Christmas CD, which I purchased from his product table. I heard many wonderful things being said about him after the service ended. It looked like he sold several CD's from his product table, hopefully between that and the love offering we collected it was worth his time to come out. I know I sure did enjoy every minute of it.

If you are a music minister or the person in charge of booking groups and singers at your church, I highly recommend JP Miller. For more info and contact information visit his website at: http://www.jpmiller.cc/ tell him that Bro. Byron sent ya!

Kelly Henderson joins HisVoice

2009-09-30T22:24:00.003-04:00

This just in from HisVoice Fanclub Facebook Page:

Allen Davenport wrote at 7:01pm - Well Friends, God is Still alive & well, answering prayers & meeting needs. HisVoice Ministries would like to welcome Kelly Henderson to our Ministry Family, as our New Female Vocalist !! Look out Devil... We ain't Done Yet !!! Thank You Jesus !!

HisVoice has been praying and searching for a replacement female lead vocalist since the popular, Alysia Haluska, came off the road. We were fortunate enough to host the group at my church just before Alysia departed.

The Knoxville Gospel blog would like to welcome Kelly and wish her great success with HisVoice. Below is a picture that I took of Kelly last week at 3 4THEE's Fall Gathering:

Won by One is back!

2009-09-28T08:45:00.007-04:00

On a post a little over a year ago I wishfully wrote the following: "I would love to see the group name, Won by One, be used again. Maybe Greg and David could resurrect it! Probably just wishful thinking..."

Sometimes you get what you wish for! I am so excited at this moment that I can barely type these words out! Thanks to a comment left this morning, that left a link to http://www.wonxone.com/, all the world seems right again!

After a 5-year absence from the Southern Gospel music scene, the name Won by One is once again poised to become one of the biggest group names in the industry. Original founder and tenor, Greg Shockley, along with bass-Paul Hyde, lead-Mike Whetsel, and baritone-Bob Jenkins have already been in the studio laying down tracks of pure heavenly sounds. You can get a small taste on their music clips page. I was thrilled to hear one of my favorites again, King Jesus. This group has that traditional quartet sound that I love so much! I can't wait until these guys start booking dates and performing. Since they are based out of Morristown, hopefully they will have some local dates I'll be able to attend.

The Evidence was evident

2009-09-27T22:28:00.001-04:00

Although we were introduced via email and have been corresponding for well over a year, I had never personally met Buddy Coppock or heard his group, Evidence, sing until this evening. I have had the group booked at my church for many months and had been looking forward to finally being introduced to their ministry. From the first time I visited the group's website, I have been blessed, tonight was no different.

As I normally do, I made arrangement to arrive at the church early to unlock the doors so the group could set up their equipment. They were pulling in the parking lot around the same time we arrived. I was first warmly greeted by the group's lead singer, Diana, as she was carrying in pieces of equipment. Then Buddy, and Jo Jo, came in and I made their acquaintance. I knew from the get-go that these were my kind of folks.

Evidence poured their hearts and souls into delivering the Gospel message tonight. Each song they sang revealed the true evidence of Jesus Christ. I was pleased to hear that every song they sang except for one was written by the group. God has really blessed these folks with talent. As I've mentioned many times before, it's the personal testimonies that I love to hear more than anything else, and the members of Evidence proudly proclaimed theirs. I was touched many times tonight as I listened to how Jesus had worked his miraculous power in their lives. There was no proud boasting of self-accomplishments or anything like that, only sincere gratitude and glorification of the Savior.

Evidence sang for a good 45 minutes. They covered every single song from their latest CD, Under His Wings, which we purchased from their product table after the service. We were having a surprise Birthday party for our pastor tonight also and the group stayed for a great time of food and fellowship. My youngest daughter found a new friend in Diana and insisted that I take a picture of them together. That's all she has talked about ever since we left church tonight. Believe it or not, she even said she thinks she likes Evidence better than the Talley Trio. Wow, I never thought I would hear her say that!

If you have some open dates to book for your church, I strongly recommend Evidence. They are great folks with a great message and you won't regret it. Just tell them that Bro. Byron sent ya!

Great night of Southern Gospel with 3 4 THEE

2009-09-26T23:55:00.002-04:00

It was the first time I had been in Graveston Baptist church since they built the new church. I had visited there a few times in the old building several years ago. I brought my wife and son along with me to spend an evening of Southern Gospel music at 3 4THEE's 3rd annual Fall Gathering.

We arrived 30 minutes early to insure that I would get a good seat close to the stage so I could take photos. The sanctuary was very nice and the individual seats were very comfortable. The host group, 3 4THEE, started things off at 6:30 with a lively rendition of Cast Your Bread Upon the Water, which I really enjoyed. Then they asked soloist, Kelly Henderson, to come out and sing. She sang a 6-song set with my very favorite being Through the Fire, which she said was her testimony song.

After Kelly sang, 3 4THEE came back out and sang 5-songs and said they were trying to get out of the way to allow the other groups to sing. It was the first time I had ever heard this trio sing. I had made acquaintance with the group's baritone, Greg Davis, through email correspondence a couple of years ago. I've been keeping up with the group over the Internet but had never had the chance to hear them sing in person. They did a great job and harmonized well. Lead singer, Jackie Painter, has a very strong and outstanding voice which gives the group sort of a country sounding edge. Tenor, Warren Beeler, and baritone, Greg Davis, also have nice vocals and complimented the sound very well. I didn't ask, but I believe Warren and I may have went to elementary school together at Gibbs way back in the day. My favorite song that they sang was one called, Let's Have Revival. It was very uptempo and the words reminded me of my own experiences growing up in many old-time church revival services.

After 3 4THEE exited the stage, Mike Southerland, stepped up to the mic. He did a good job. His sound is reminiscent of Michael Combs. In fact, he mentioned Combs during his set and sang one of his songs. He sang 6 songs all together with my favorite being the Crabb Family hit, The Lamb, the Lion, and the King. Mike also proudly introduced his toddler grandaughter, who later took to the stage with Michael & Delilah Kitts (see slideshow at end of this post).

Next up, Michael & Delilah Kitts, came out and sang a 7-song set. They were clearly a big crowd favorite. I have always enjoyed hearing them myself and they did an outstanding job as usual. They even invited their daughter, Lauren, to the stage and she did a wonderful job singing lead on, Oh Happy Day. My favorite song of theirs was without a doubt, God Sent His Best.

Up next was one of my all-time favorite groups, the Berry Family. I've been a fan of theirs for many, many years. Ever since I heard them sing at House Mountain Baptist way back when I was just a young boy. I heard them sing, My House Is Full, with a little girl singing lead. I immediately bought their cassette tape and wore that thing completely out listening to that song over and over. I was amazed to see that the same little girl was still singing but was now a grown woman with a family. She still has a very beautiful voice. The whole family is very talented and there is nothing better than that rich family sound. They sang 6-songs with my very favorite being one which I believe is titled, Somebody Prayed. I guess what I liked the most about them was their very obvious sincerity and heart-felt testimonies from the stage. I was happy to also briefly meet and speak with the Berry Family at their product table as I was heading out the door. We swapped business cards and I hope to have them come out to Highland to sing for us next year.

Last on the schedule was a group called, Still Waters. They had a very good sound and sang several songs that were widely known to everyone. I enjoyed singing along with them on nearly every song. This group also had some good testimonies and did a great job. My favorite song of theirs was probably, My Home. I also enjoyed the last song that lead singer, Jason Allen, sang by himself called, Your Cries Have Awakened the Master. It was mentioned by his father that Jason is pursuing a solo career and asked for prayers for him.

The night ended with 3 4THEE coming back to the stage to sing an invitation song. During the invitation a young lady came to the altar for prayer and then a man came up to share his testimony of how God had healed him from a brain stroke. We then ended with everyone singing together on, Lord Prepare Me to Be a Sanctuary. It was a long but great night of Southern Gospel music. I appreciate 3 4THEE inviting me to come. I wish I could have hung around longer afterwards but we had to get home and relieve the babysitter. I wish the group great future success.

Enjoy all of the pictures from tonight's event:

Living social with the Gang at NQC - Goodbye Penny, hello Kelly

2009-09-17T23:15:00.014-04:00

I probably should have split this up into 2 separate posts, but when have I ever done anything I should have? Anyways, as any self-respecting Southern Gospel music lover knows, this is the week for the National Quartet Convention. It is being held September 13-19th at the Kentucky Fair & Expo Center in Louisville, KY. I’ve had the pleasure of attending the NQC in the past and can personally say it is the experience of a lifetime for SGM fans like myself. I was hoping to get to attend this year but things didn’t work out for me. I have been living my dreams through the posts of other people that were fortunate enough to be there. Several of my Facebook friends and personal acquaintances were/are there this week.

I was glad to see that America’s most beloved quartet, the Chuck Wagon Gang, took their rightful place on the main stage at NQC this year. If you remember last year there was considerable backlash from CWG fans to the inept decision of not featuring them on the main stage. We won’t go into that any more but let’s just say someone must have seen the error of their ways!

I’m pleased to see many Southern Gospel artists using social networking such as Facebook and Twitter to communicate with friends and fans. It gives me a more personal connection with my favorite singers and musicians. I’m not talking about in a creepy stalking way, but in a way that allows me interact and get to know these folks on a more personal level. I find that most are just human and have the same kind of hopes, dreams, problems, likes, and dislikes as I do. For example, I enjoyed reading Penny Greene’s Facebook post about trying to pull her daughter’s tooth before leaving for NQC and then on day 4 she posted about being excited to hear the Gaither Vocal Band with Michael English and David Phelps. Then today, Julie Hudson uploaded photos of the CWG’s booth and of their performance on stage at NQC and I was able to contact her to ask permission to post one of them on this blog (which she kindly gave me). None of this would have been possible if not for social media, something which was unheard of just a few short years ago.

Speaking of Penny Greene, if you haven’t heard by now, she is leaving the Chuck Wagon Gang in order to spend more time with her family. This morning I received a press release from the gang’s marketing director, Harold Timmons, announcing her departure and her replacement, Kelly Jennings from Kingsport, TN. Kelly was previously with the Living Waters Trio and will make her debut performance with the Gang this coming Tuesday, Sept 22nd, at Tony Gore’s Smoky Mountain BBQ & Grill. (You can read about my recent visit to Tony Gore’s here.) Penny will really be missed, but I guarantee you that if Dave Emery believes in Kelly Jennings enough to offer her the position, she must really be awesome! I’m excited to hear the Gang with the new addition. I have a sneaking suspicion that it won’t be the last we hear from Mrs. Greene though… at least that's what I hope!

3 4THEE 3rd Fall Gathering - September 26th

2009-09-16T00:15:00.000-04:00

The Southern Gospel trio, 3 4THEE, will be holding their 3rd Fall Gathering on Saturday, Sept. 26th at 6:30 PM. This event will be held at Graveston Baptist Church at 8319 Clapps Chapel Rd. Corryton, TN.

Lots of great SG music. Scheduled are: Michael and Delilah, The Berry Family, Kelly Henderson, Still Water, Mike Southerland, and the host group, 3 4THEE.

Info; (865) 247-6392 or e-mail

Special Musical Worship With Evidence at Highland Baptist

2009-08-29T07:40:00.000-04:00

Come out to Highland Baptist Church in Knoxville, TN, for a very special evening of musical worship with the Southern Gospel trio, Evidence! This is an anointed group with a passion to share the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. You will be sure to enjoy their sweet harmonies as they sing and worship. For more info and directions to the church, visit their website: http://www.hbcknox.org/ For more information about Evidence, visit their website http://evidencegospelmusic.com/

Download a flyer for this service in .pdf format.

My what a time with Tony Gore and Southern Style Praise!

2009-08-25T23:24:00.003-04:00

I had been looking forward to this night ever since I found out about it. It was a live taping of the television show, Southern Style Praise. It took place at Tony Gore's Smoky Mountain BBQ & Grill in Sevierville, TN. I have been hearing great things about Tony Gore's place for the past several years but I had not had the opportunity to try it. Boy, have I been missing out!

My wife and I pulled into the very crowded parking lot and found a spot over on the side in the grass. I paused to take a few shots of the front of the building. We made our way inside and were warmly greeted as we walked through the door. We were escorted to a table toward the back and settled in. We hadn't been sitting there very long when our waitress asked us if we would like to move up to the front table beside where they would be taping the show. Of course we quickly took her up on the offer and moved to the front. We shared the large row of tables with some other nice folks, a lady that was a regular patron of Tony's and a couple from North Africa. We had a great time just talking with those folks before the taping started.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Southern Style Praise host, J.P. Miller. Miller is a Southern Gospel artist himself and we traded business cards. He is a very enjoyable guy to be around and makes the perfect host. He was donned in a Tony Gore apron and chef's hat for this special taping. It was also great to see Ark Studio's owner, and SSP producer, Dale Burress again. I've met Dale on a few different occasions as we are both real big Southern Gospel music fans.

I had been told by my pal, and Cross 4 Crowns manager, David Hoskins, that Tony fixed one mighty tasty burger. My mother told me that Tony had the best BBQ in town and urged me to try it. I was so torn as to what to order, but, my burger loving ways took over and I gave in to the "Big T". It is 1 pound of Fresh Ground Certified Black Angus Chuck, and it is to DIE for! I was in hamburger heaven chomping down on that thing! My wife opted for the smaller 1/2 pound, "Little T" burger. Our food was delicious. You might get to see me eating it if you watch Southern Style Praise. Visit their website for show times: http://www.arkstudioinc.com/southernstylepraise.cfm

Finally the time came for the live taping. I was thrilled to see my favorite soloist in Southern Gospel music, Tony Gore, walk out of the kitchen and into the dining area. I've seen Tony sing numerous times in my life. I've been to several of his concerts and I've seen him at the National Quartet Convention. It had been around 3-years since I had seen him last. Tony got down to business, demonstrating how to prepare his special Seafood Casserole. He and Miller had a lot of fun cutting up the potatoes and onions for the first layer. While they threw that into the oven, Tony belted out one of his all time biggest hits, Meanwhile In the Garden. He sounded as great as I have ever heard him. I was hoping he would cut into a foot-stomping rendition of, Put On A Crown, but he only sang the one song and it was back to cooking.

In between takes, Miller called out Tony trivia questions and the winners received a gift certificate for a free CD from the product table. I won 2 of them! I picked out a Phil Cross & Poet Voices CD, and a Dixie Echoes CD. I also participated in a Sweet Tea drinking contest. One of the guys from the SSP crew won that one. Runner up was WJBZ radio D.J., Tim Guinn. I came in a miserable 3rd place. I blame it on the huge "Big T" that I had just scarfed down!

Finally a completed casserole came out of the oven and Tony dished it out into bowls for anyone that wanted some. Even though I was about to bust, I had to try it. Oh man, it was delicious! If you like hot seafood dishes, you will love Tony's Seafood Casserole. He is supposed to put the recipe on his website sometime in the future: http://www.tonygore.com/

If you are looking for a great place to take your family for a meal and experience they will never forget, I strongly suggest a trip to Tony Gore's Smoky Mountain BBQ & Grill. Telly Tony that Byron sent ya! For directions, click HERE.

See all the pictures that I took below:

Comments are fixed

2009-08-24T16:15:00.002-04:00

Sorry for everyone that tried to comment on the site and wasn't able to. I had the settings messed up in blogger. It should be fixed now!
-Bro. Byron

Tony Gore, BBQ, and live Southern Gospel!

2009-08-20T10:00:00.002-04:00

Wow, three of my favorite things all bundled into one! You do not want to miss this event that is coming up next week in Sevierville, TN: “Southern Style Praise” will be taping a show on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 7:00 pm at Tony Gore’s Restaurant in Sevierville, TN! This exciting taping will be open to the public! Come be a part of the studio audience! Get directions here.

I loved Tony Gore when he sang with the Wilburns and of course Tony Gore & Majesty was awesome, but I've got to say that Tony Gore is without a doubt my all-time favorite soloist in Southern Gospel music. I have yet to visit his restaurant in Sevierville even though it's only about 30 minutes from my house. I am really excited about this opportunity to visit, worship, and fellowship. Heck, you might even see my ugly mug on TV! So come out and join me if you can.

Southern Style Praise is hosted by Southern Gospel Music Artist and Television Personality, JP Miller. Join JP, Tony, and the crew of Southern Style Praise for a fun packed evening!

Fantastic Time With HisVoice!

2009-07-19T23:00:00.000-04:00

What a fantastic time of worship with the Southern Gospel trio, HisVoice! This anointed group of singers are some of the most spiritual and talented folks in the business. From the time they took the stage until they gave an ending invitational, the Holy Spirit could be felt by everyone in the building.

Speaking personally, as the Minister of Music, I have not been ministered to in song this much in a long, long time. As I mentioned to the group afterwards, I must have lost 5-lbs in tears alone this morning. They sang all of the touching songs that they are known for; Stacking Stones, He Chose this Valley For Me, The Broken Ones, and tons of others.

Even more than the beautiful music coming from the stage, I enjoyed the heart-felt testimonies spoken by each member. Groups can stand and sing a hundred songs and could deliver them with perfection but if they don't have the Holy Spirit that only Jesus can provide, it isn't worth 2 cents. I can testify today that HisVoice not only talks the talk, they walk the walk. If you haven't ever attended a worship service with them you should make it a point to do so.

HisVoice Returns to Highland Baptist

2009-06-26T15:04:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, July 19th, at 10:30 AM, the Southern Gospel trio, HisVoice will be ministering in song at Highland Baptist church during the morning worship service.

HisVoice is an East Tennessee Based Music Ministry, that incorporates tight vocal harmonies, exciting musical arrangements, and heart-felt testimonies to present the Timeless Message of God’s Amazing Love, and Saving Grace. The members of HisVoice are all Saved, Born-Again Christians who have personally experienced the Goodness of God’s Grace, and eagerly want to share their Salvation Experience through Testimony and Song to audiences and congregations all over the Southeast.

This is a free worship event, a love offering will be taken.

For more information or directions to the church visit http://www.hbcknox.org/

Read more posts about HisVoice here, here, and here.

The Kingsmen cure for what ails you

2009-05-22T13:30:00.000-04:00

Last week I was at the Christian Book Warehouse on Merchants Rd. here in Knoxville, looking for some VBS supplies. Of course I couldn't skip past the CD racks without checking out the latest bargains. Boy, am I ever glad that I did! Read on...

If you keep up with this blog or any of my other blogs, then you are well aware that the Kingsmen Quartet is my favorite quartet of all times. I collect old Kingsmen albums and have got to attend several of their concerts. Anytime I am ever looking through CD's or albums, my eye is trained to look for anything Kingsmen. As I was browsing through the rather large rack of miscellaneous CDs that they have at the Book Warehouse, I came upon their Southern Gospel section. They had several good CD's but much to my delight they had a whole slew of The Kingsmen Live Singing in the Sun! Get this...the price was only $2.99!!! My right hand nearly beat myself silly reaching for that CD. It was one that, believe it or not, I didn't already have in my vast collection! I quickly flipped it around and read over the song list. Old News But Good News, I'm Saved, I've Been Waiting, Forever In Eternity, Anthony's Anthology, Healin' Stream, All The Good Things, The Cross Has Won Again, He's All I Need, and Testimony Meeting.

What a wealth of great Kingsmen songs on this album! Now normally I'm not a fan of Live albums but when it comes to the Kingsmen, I actually prefer the live ones. Hearing my old heroes give their testimonies on stage and hearing the crowd roar and applause, it makes me feel like I'm there with them. This CD also has all of the lyrics to each song included, making it twice as good for the price!

My very favorite cut from this CD is, "Healin' Stream." Of course my bass singing hero, Ray Dean Reese, has the lead on this one. He also gives a very powerful testimony of how God healed him from cancer. There have been a lot of people in my church that have been diagnosed with cancer this past year and we have seen them miraculously healed as well. In this 3-year old interview with the Kingsmen, the following was asked: "If the Kingsmen were forced to retire tomorrow, what would be the last two songs that the guys would agree to sing and why?" Jim Hamill - "Love Lifted Me” because of the words and the message of the song, also I feel it was written for me. Ray Reese - "Healing Stream” for the strong testimony in the song and because of what it means to me in my life."

The first verse which Ray handles in a way that no other singer could: "There's a healin' stream, that's flowing down, from a higher place above, a healin' stream where heartaches drown, it's the healing stream of love."

What a wonderful song that Larry Gatlin wrote about God's healing power! You can listen to a small sample of it here.

Cross Connection coming to Highland Baptist

2009-05-14T11:40:00.000-04:00

A Special Musical Worship Service With Cross Connection.

Highland Baptist church would like to welcome you to join them on Sunday, May 31 at 6:00 PM for a special musical worship service with the Southern Gospel group, Cross Connection. This group has been singing for the lord for over 15-years. It is their desire through the power and leadership of The Holy Spirit to be a witness and inspiration to all in their ministry of music as well as in their daily lives. This is a free worship event, a love offering will be taken.

For more information and directions to the church, just visit our website at http://www.hbcknox.org/

Marcus Faulknor, THE tenor

2009-05-11T22:45:00.000-04:00

As mentioned in THIS post, Mother's Day, May 10, was the debut performance of Cross 4 Crowns new tenor, Marcus Faulknor. I was excited about meeting him and getting to hear how he sounded with the rest of the guys. When he walked into the church during setup, he walked over to bass singer, Justin Terry, and started talking in a really hoarse sounding voice, pretending to have a cold. Justin wasn't falling for it and told him so real quick. As I saw how they interacted together I knew that this new guy was a good fit.

There has been some speculation on some unscrupulous blogs that spend most of their time tongue wagging and gossiping, that because Cross 4 Crowns had went through 3 different tenors in the past 2 years, that there "must be some kind of internal problem." Rest assured, there are no "internal problems" with Cross 4 Crowns. Each of the former tenors vacated their positions in pursuit of different dreams. Instead of trying to dig up dirt on fellow brothers in Christ, why not hit your knees and pray for them instead?

Anyway, sorry to get off in a rant, that was just something that was eating at me.

I'm a quartet guy through and through. I was raised up listening to the Mull's Singing Convention and my favorite group of all time was the Kingsmen Quartet. There was just an excitement that the Kingsmen radiated. They could cut up on stage yet still be very sincere in the Gospel message. They would make you laugh and cry at the same time. They always had 4 solid parts. A full, rich baritone, a sure and steady lead, a rock solid barrel scraping bass, and a soaring tenor. Each member could be a soloist in their own right and mixed together the sound was, well, "Mighty." So, when I'm comparing quartets, I hold the Kingsmen as the top bar of comparison. There are a few quartets today that still hold to that traditional sound and I'm proud to say that Cross 4 Crowns falls right in there at the top of the ladder.

So, last night I had the privilege of hearing Marcus Faulknor for the very first time. Let me tell you, this guy is awesome! Group owner/baritone, Allen Leath, told the story last night of how Marcus came about being "THE" tenor for Cross 4 Crowns. It turns out that Allen was attending the funeral of his great aunt that lived in Georgia. During the singing part of the service he heard a voice behind him that he thought to be either a woman or an outstanding male tenor. After the service he turned around and looked and it was none other than an old friend that he had grown up with years ago, Marcus Faulknor. So, one thing led to another and now Marcus is THE tenor for Cross 4 Crowns! Don't you just love to hear how God works in ways like that?

Marcus was featured on one of the songs in last nights concert, "Hide Thou Me." He did an outstanding job. Also joining Marcus on piano is none other than, Andy Stringfield, pianist for the Kingdom Heirs. Take a listen as Marcus makes his Knoxville debut:

Cross 4 Crowns concert review - Highland Baptist Church

2009-05-11T14:45:00.000-04:00

I do not really like my post title for this because it wasn't really a "concert" it was a musical worship service!

Last night my church, Highland Baptist, hosted the Southern Gospel quartet, Cross 4 Crowns. I had booked them on pretty short notice and had to scramble to advertise to let folks know they were coming. I was worried with that, and the fact it was Mother's Day, that our crowd would be sparse. I shouldn't have worried so much! I didn't get a head count but the place was pretty full. The best part was that the people that were in attendance were apparently hungry for some good Southern gospel music!

Cross 4 Crowns arrived at the church right as scheduled, 2 hours before start time. They set up all of their equipment, did mic checks and warmed up. I always like this time because that is usually how I gauge folks and see them for how they really are when they aren't on the stage. I enjoyed seeing the camaraderie displayed between the group members. They are a close knit bunch of guys that like to cut up. I've been around some groups where you can tell one person feels like they have to be in charge and everyone else has to fear and tremble in their presence, not Cross 4 Crowns. I saw everyone in the group joking around and having a good time during setup, and right in the middle of it was the group owner/baritone, Allen Leath.

As the church began filling up, I could sense the excitement in the air. Folks were having fellowship and enjoying themselves right up to the start of the worship service. I opened up with 3-verses of "Power in the Blood" and folks were already feeling the Spirit. After a few announcements, fellowship, and altar prayer, our pastor invited the group to come up and start singing. Cross 4 Crowns immediately belted out 3 songs before ever saying a word. I knew we were in for a good service as people were lifting up their hands and shouting and hollering "Amen!"

After the first 3 songs, Allen Leath, paused long enough to welcome everyone and introduce the guys. As I mentioned before, this was the Knoxville debut for C4C's new tenor, Marcus Faulknor. Allen mentioned the group's past issues with keeping a tenor singer and said that they had always prayed for "a tenor singer." But, he said this time they prayed for "THE tenor singer," and that's exactly what God gave them. Marcus fits in perfectly with the group and he is a delight to be around and listen to. I hope he is with Cross 4 Crowns for many years to come. We were also treated to a special appearance by his father, Ray Faulknor, last night! Get this... his father is a bass that sang with the Trail Blazer Qt. for many years. Allen asked him to come to the stage to sing, "Have a Little Talk with Jesus." He did a fantastic job, in fact, his voice reminded me a lot of my very favorite bass singer, Ray Dean Reese.

Being a bass singer myself, I pay a lot of attention to that vocalists part. Justin Terry is outstanding. At just 25-years old, he is one of the best I have ever heard. He said that he had been struggling with some sinus issues (yeah, who hasn't!) this past week. I know how hard that is on bass singers. I suffer from it constantly. But, he did a fantastic job of rattling the sub woofers last night! Everything he sang was great but my very favorite was "Under Control." I used to love to hear Tim Riley sing that song with Gold City and I think Justin did just as good of a job on it.

Davis McCammon Jr. was superb, as usual, holding down the lead part. His range is remarkable and he has a very powerful voice. His part on "I Believe In A Hill Called Mount Calvary" ran glory bumps down my arms. He is also a hard worker, as he very nearly tore down the entire set by himself last night after the fellowship supper.

We were treated to another very special guest last night, Andy Stringfield, was in the congregation. You probably recognize that name as being the current pianist for the Kingdom Heirs. Andy used to play for Cross 4 Crowns a few years ago. He is a very talented pianist and a terrific baritone singer. Not only did he play several songs with the group and a few solos, he also got on stage and sang the baritone part on "Now I'm On My Way to Heaven." My kids were especially fond of Andy and they begged to have their picture taken with him last night. He was very gracious to comply.

Cross 4 Crowns sang for a good solid hour, only pausing briefly for a break and to give out carnations to all of the mother's in the congregation. It was a very nice added touch to the whole evening. After the concert we adjourned to the fellowship building for a great time of food and fellowship. A special thanks to my wife and daughter who missed the concert in order to prepare for the fellowship. We had tons of food and everything was homemade and delicious.

I heard from several church members last night who told me that Cross 4 Crowns was the best group we have ever had come out to our church and sing. I know I sure enjoyed it and felt both uplifted and blessed after it was all over with. If you ever have a chance to host Cross 4 Crowns at your church, be prepared for a wonderful time in the Lord! These guys know how to deliver the message of Jesus Christ through pure Southern Gospel quartet music.

Cross 4 Crown's new tenor to debut in Knoxville, TN

2009-05-08T23:00:00.000-04:00

For those wondering about the tenor position for Cross 4 Crowns, I've got good news! C4C's new tenor is Marcus Faulknor and he will be making his Knoxville, TN debut this Mother's Day evening -6:00 PM at Highland Baptist Church!

According to C4C manager, David Hoskins, "Marcus is going to knock your socks off!"

UPDATE: Click here and here for reviews of Marcus Faulknor's Knoxville debut performance.

Bio Info on the Cross 4 Crowns website:

Marcus Faulknor, from Cartersville, GA sings tenor for the group. Marcus joined C4C in April 2009 after singing 2 years with a Georgia based trio. With a stint as Choir Director at a large Dalton, GA based church in between, Marcus sang for some 7 years with Jericho, a progressive quartet under the direction of Dewayne Burke of Singing Americans notariety. Coming from a family of singers, his father was actually a professional bass singer! Marcus is the proud husband to wife, Dana. They live with their three daughters; Erin, 21, Lexi, 12 and London, 2.

Information about the special Mother's Day evening concert at Highland Baptist Church:

On Sunday, May 10th, at 6:00 pm, we will be hosting the Southern Gospel quartet, Cross 4 Crowns. These are 4 Godly men that exalt the name of Christ through Southern gospel music. We pray that God will richly bless this time of worship.

This will be a special Mother's day evening of worship and praise to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What a great gift to give your mother for Mother's day.

Refreshments will be served in the fellowship building after the service. There is no charge to attend this special time of worship. A love offering will be taken. For more info or directions to the church visit http://www.hbcknox.org/

Special Mother's Day Event with Cross 4 Crowns!

2009-04-28T13:15:00.000-04:00

Have you been struggling with the perfect gift to give your mother for Mother's Day? Something that she will remember for years to come? Well struggle no more! Treat her to a special night of Southern Gospel music with Cross 4 Crowns!

On Sunday, May 10th, at 6:00 pm, Highland Baptist church , at 6014 Babelay Rd. in Knoxville, will be hosting the Southern Gospel quartet, Cross 4 Crowns, in concert. Cross 4 Crowns is one of the most talented and exciting quartets in Southern gospel music today.

What a special Mother's day evening of worship this will be! Show your mother how much you love and appreciate her by spending this evening with her in church.

Refreshments will be served in the fellowship building after the service. This is a free event, a love offering will be taken.

For more information and directions to the church, visit Highland's website at http://www.hbcknox.org/ or call/email Byron at 865-219-0996 email: Byron@hbcknox.org

Rocky Flatts - Gospel Bluegrass at its finest

2009-04-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

Last night we hosted the gospel/bluegrass group, Rocky Flatts, at our church. What a great bunch of talented guys! As I was moving the altar furniture off of the stage around 4:45, the guys started walking in. Dustin, Shaun, Jeff, Jason, and Rusty, each one carrying an instrument of some kind. I was so excited that they had brought all of their instruments, banjo, guitar, dobro, stand up bass, mandolin, they had them all. I knew we were going to be treated to some awesome music.

Our crowd was a little down last night. From what I understand several folks had some kind of prior commitment and wasn't able to attend. We had around 50 people in attendance. The guys in the group didn't seem to let that bother them. They said they were there to worship and spread the gospel through their music, and that's exactly what they did! I video taped the entire service and hopefully will get a song or two uploaded soon.

Rocky Flatts sang 11-songs all together last night. Kicking things off with Jason Miller on the banjo ripping into an exciting rendition of "Over in the the Gloryland." They then moved into the inspiring story of our Savior on the cross with, "Three Men on a Mountain." Their next song was one of my all-time favorite hymns, "The Unseen Hand," which lead into an instrumental version of everybody's favorite, "I'll Fly Away." Next up was one of my favorites of the night, "Soul Train." I loved the instrumental work that they did on that one. The imitation sounds of a train being played by Dustin Atkins on the dobro was fantastic. After that they performed another beautiful song "Rock Of My Soul," sang by the very talented Shaun Kirkland. This song had a haunting instrumental sound that just seemed to stir my soul.

Probably the most heart wrenching and thought provoking song of the night was, "Sorry I Never Knew You," superbly sang by Rusty Watson with Jeff Amburn showcasing his awesome guitar playing. I had heard this song before but I don't think I ever paid that much attention to it as I did last night. I think everyone in the congregation was choked up of hearing the story of a man's horrible dream of not being able to enter Heaven because his name was not written in the Lamb's Book of Life. When the song ended there was dead silence, no one even clapped. I'm sure they were all like me, wrapped up in thought about the song and not really sure that it ended. Wow, talk about a song being able to reach someone! After that they played a rendition of "Amazing Grace," to the tune of "House of the Rising Sun." It was wonderfully performed and I enjoyed singing along. One of my kids was talking in the car about how much they enjoyed that song.

Next up was a song written by Dustin's mother, titled, "I'm Saved Today." What a great song! After that they went into another of my all-time favorite hymns, "He'll Hold My Hand." They did an excellent job on this song and I even heard my buddy, Jerry Butler, who made a surprise visit last night, say, "nicely done," when the song ended. They ended the night by asking our pastor to come forward to give an invitation and they played, "Pass Me Not."

It was a great evening of gospel/bluegrass. I felt that Rocky Flatts was very sincere in their desire to spread the message. I enjoyed their testimonies of their Salvation experiences. After the concert my son insisted he have his picture made with the guys. They were gracious enough to take time away from their tear-down to accommodate us. We visited their product table and purchased their new CD, "In the Beginning," which you can sample on their website. My son also bought a Rocky Flatts baseball cap and said it was the best hat he has ever bought.

If you are a music minister or concert promoter for your church, and you are looking for groups to come and worship, I highly recommend Rocky Flatts.

Rocky Flatts coming in concert - Highland Baptist

2009-03-23T18:25:00.000-04:00

Highland Baptist Church is proud to be hosting the bluegrass/gospel group, Rocky Flatts, in concert, April 19, 2009 at 6:00 PM. This is a free concert, a love offering will be taken. For more information or directions to the church, visit our website at: http://www.hbcknox.org/.

Visit Rocky Flatt's website HERE.

Listen to some of their music HERE.

No noise but a lot of joy!

2009-03-23T13:12:00.000-04:00

Last night at church we were blessed with some of the finest bluegrass/gospel music this side of Heaven. I had been looking forward to hearing my pal Jerry Butler and his friends for quite some time. Of course I was already very familiar with their sound and expected that it was going to be awesome. My expectations were exceeded last night!

The definition for the word noise is: noise (noiz)
n: Sound or a sound that is loud, unpleasant, unexpected, or undesired. Well, the Bible says to "make a joyful noise unto the Lord." Let me tell you, there wasn't anything last night that would have fit the definition of "noise," at least not in the sense that we normally think of, but, there sure was a whole lot of Joyful sounds coming from 3 very talented men. Read on...

Jerry Butler has been a professional bluegrass musician his entire life. From the time he was able to hold a guitar in his hands he has been on the stage performing. Starting out in the 70's playing at Buddy's BBQ (back when they used to have live Bluegrass), Jerry and his longtime friend, Phil Leadbetter, shot straight to the top of the bluegrass circuit playing right along with the top names in the industry. Jerry has played with several groups and is currently singing lead and playing guitar with Carolina Road. You can learn a little more about Jerry in an interview I did with him a couple of years ago.

Josh Goforth has more musical talent in his left pinkie than I have in my entire body. That feller could get music out of a tree stump! He showcased many of his talents last night by playing the guitar, mandolin, and the fiddle. Oh, and he also tickled the ivory's on our grand piano before church started...WOW! Josh is also has a very pleasing tenor voice which blends in perfectly with everyone he sings with. Josh is also a member of Carolina Road. Get to know Josh a little better over on his website.

Matt Leadbetter is one of the world's top resonator guitarist. He also grew up knee-deep in bluegrass, going show-to-show with his famous father, Phil Leadbetter. Through the years Matt has honed his musical skills on several instruments and last night he delighted us with his bass playing talent. I guess some church folks wouldn't appreciate a resonator guitar (dobro) in a church setting but it would have fit in right nice at Highland Baptist. Maybe he can come back sometime and spread the gospel with his instrument of choice! Check out Matt's website.

Now that I've talked about how talented these guys all are, let me tell you about the worship experience. Whether you are a bluegrass fan or not, you couldn't help but be touched by the sincerity that emitted from the stage. They spoke of their past church experiences, family worship time, and how they give God the glory for their musical talents. All too often when you have a group of guys that posses such talent and skill as these men do, it all becomes about "them." That is not the case with these fine men. It was all about the music, the lyrics, and the worship. I found myself clapping along with the beat and crying my eyes out over songs.

My two favorite songs of the night were, "Fly Away," which was written by Jerry Butler, and "You Gotta Believe." I have written about both of these songs before, HERE, and HERE.

The cute moment of the night was after the service, looking out across the church, was Jerry's pretty little daughter, Sami, fast asleep in a church pew. I sure do remember those days.

I know it's always a gamble to have a concert on Sunday because it is hard for folks to leave their home church to visit somewhere else. I know I couldn't do that either. While the size of the crowd last night was a little disappointing, especially after all of the time and effort I put into advertising and talking about it, the Spirit was there in a mighty way. Even my 16-year old daughter made the comment that it was the best she has felt in a service in a long time. I hated it for the guys because I know they took time out of their very busy schedules to come to our church. They didn't ask for a single penny to come out either which is something very rare these days. We took up pretty decent love offering considering the low attendance. The size of the crowd didn't seem to effect how the guys performed, they played a full 50 minutes and poured their heart and souls into it.

One thing about our church is that it is so large inside. Unless you have over a hundred people it looks like there aren't many people there. It also doesn't help matters that everyone tends to sit in the very back of the church, which is something I'll NEVER understand. But, all of that is out of my hands and I shouldn't let it bother me. The important thing is that I was there to worship, praise God, and listen to some good music, and that is what I did.

If you are interested in having Jerry Butler come out to your church, send me and email and we'll get you hooked up.

Like father like son

2009-03-16T23:30:00.000-04:00

For weeks I have been so excited about going to the 5th annual SGM FanFair in Pigeon Forge. I bought 5-tickets in advanced so I could take my entire family. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, my wife and I were celebrating our 24th wedding anniversary this weekend. We spent the night in a hotel in Pigeon Forge and we were going to go to the SGM FanFair. Our plans changed when a church member passed away unexpectedly on Saturday. Her funeral was held at the same time the SGM concerts were being held tonight. So, my wife and I went to the funeral and I gave my parents our tickets and they took the kids to the singing instead.

Before the kids left, I told them to make sure they get plenty of pictures and to make certain they get one of Ray Reese. I jokingly told them to ask Ray if he remembered having his picture made with me at the Tennessee Theatre in 1998. Of course I was joking around, But, leave it to my son to track ol' Ray down at the singing and asked him if he knew me! Much to his (and my) surprise, Ray told him, yes, he knew me and then offered to pose alongside him for a picture! My son came through the door tonight just beaming and bragging about getting that picture. I would be bragging too because it is as nice of a picture as I have ever seen. The two pictures at the top of this post are side-by-side comparison of mine and my son's pictures with Ray Reese. They are 11-years apart.

There were several more pictures taken tonight but they were so far away that they all turned out very grainy and they aren't good enough to post. I sure would have liked to been there with my Canon. Oh well, maybe next time.

An Evening With Jerry Butler at Highland Baptist Church

2009-03-09T22:25:00.000-04:00

Come out to Highland Baptist and join us as we host Bluegrass-Gospel recording artist, Jerry Butler. This event will take place on Sunday, March 22nd, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. during our regular evening worship service.

Jerry is an anointed singer, songwriter, musician, and full-time Bluegrass artist who has a desire to share the gifts that God has given him in order to spread the Gospel message.

This is a free event, a love offering will be taken. For more information email Byron or call 865-219-0996.

Download printable flyer here.(.pdf 130Kb)

An anniversary fit for a Triumphant Kingsmen!

2009-03-06T20:30:00.000-05:00

My wife and I are celebrating our 24th wedding anniversary next Sunday, March 15th. Some folks dream of going to far away exotic places and eating at fancy restaurants. Well, whatever floats your boat I reckon. I could care less about that sort of thing. I can't think of a better place to spend our anniversary than at the 5th annual SGM FanFair in Pigeon Forge!

Yes Southern Gospel music lovers, the 2-finest quartets in all of SGM are coming to Pigeon Forge, TN on Monday, March 16th, to participate in the 5th annual SGM FanFair; The Kingsmen, and Triumphant Quartet!!! It's no secret that the Mighty Kingsmen Quartet is my favorite quartet of all time. And, of course, my second favorite quartet of all time is Triumphant Quartet. Wow, Ray Dean Reese, Eric Bennett, and myself, all in one place on the same night! I'm excited just thinking about it! I'm hoping to be able to take a vacation day off from work on that Monday and spend all day long at the FanFair.

Not only are the Kingsmen and Triumphant going to be there but so are Gold City, and Michael & Delilah Kitts! Here is the entire scheduled lineup for Monday: Darlene Chapman, Gold City, Goodwins, Jeff Treece Band, Kingsmen, Lauren King, Mattingly Family, Melody Trio, Michael & Delilah, Mike Southerland, Rod Burton, Samaritans, Susan Ketron, Tim Parton, Triumphant Quartet, Yielded Ministries. See the entire week's schedule HERE.

I'd sure like to be able to attend on Friday as well because more of my favorites will be there; the Dixie Echoes, Dixie Melody Boys, Jeff & Sheri Easter, and the awesome Tony Gore & Majesty!!! I seriously doubt I'll be able to take off 2-days from work that week though so I won't be able to be there. Hmmm, maybe I can leave a little early and make it to Pigeon Forge in time for the concerts though! I'll have to see...

Southern Gospel Music FanFair is March 16 - March 21, 2009 at the Smoky Mountain Convention Center in Pigeon Forge, TN. Directions HERE.

Great Evening With the Chuck Wagon Gang Despite Odds

2009-02-28T23:55:00.000-05:00

When I first booked the singing date with Penny Greene of the CWG, neither of us realized the odds that were stacked against us. At that time we didn't know that tonight was going to be Archie Watkins last night with the Inspirations and one of Carol Woodards last nights with the McKameys. For the past couple of months, Praise 96.3 has bombarded the Knoxville airwaves with advertising of their Mull's Singing Convention - Inspirations/McKamey's Friends and Family tour being held on the exact same night as our CWG concert. Many of the same folks that would come out to hear the Gang, are the same folks that enjoy the Inspirations and McKameys. So to say we were at great odds is an understatement! Add that to the tough economic conditions, Flu season, rainy weather and a forecast predicting 3-inches of snow for Knoxville tonight. So, I was really nervous when around 5:00, only one person had arrived at the church!

My mind was quickly relieved when around 6:00, folks started trickling in. By the time the 7:00 starting hour rolled around, we had a full house despite several of our regular members not showing up. I saw many of the same folks that came out for last year's concert including a long-distance winner from Clinton, S.C. I got to meet the CWG's former pianist and current marketing director, Harold Timmons.

Things were kicked off behind the scenes as the Pastor and I slipped into the choir room and got on our knees in prayer. I opened up the service with 3-verses of Power In the Blood and then handed it over to the Pastor. He read a few passages of Scripture, prayed, and then welcomed the Chuck Wagon Gang to the stage.

Of course the Chuck Wagon Gang were their usual outstanding selves. Perfect harmonies along with perfect songs made for a perfect night! They sang all of the old-time favorites that we all love and count on; Echoes from the Burning Bush, Looking For A City, Jericho Road, Suppertime, Little Brown Church in the Vale, and many, many others. A few of my very favorites tonight were, He Wrote My Name, and I'm Gonna See Heaven. I was hoping that they would sing my favorite from last year, He Said It All For Me, but I couldn't think of the name of it during the concert so I didn't request it. I did mention it to Penny after the concert and she said that it was one of her very favorites as well.

One of the things that I really enjoy about the CWG or any group, is how they share their testimony. Without the testimony the songs are just hollow and meaningless. It was wonderful to hear Penny and Julie both give their personal testimonies and praise the Lord Jesus Christ for allowing them to do what they do. I love to hear the wonderful singing but honestly, I would rather hear folks talk about their Salvation story than anything in the world. It's uplifting and inspiring.

The night ended way too soon but it was nice to feel the cool night air when we stepped out on the front porch of the church. My wife, son, and I, went to Burger King after the concert and while we were in the parking lot we saw the Chuck Wagon Gang's bus roll by on the road heading for the interstate. No doubt they were on their way to share the Gospel message with some other folks just like me.

Enjoy all of the pictures that I took of tonight's concert below:

10 Steps for hosting a successful music event on a budget

2009-02-18T14:00:00.000-05:00

I posted the below information on one of my other blogs but I thought I should add it to the Knoxville Gospel Blog as well.
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As I have mentioned in the past, Highland Baptist does not have a music budget. So, I have to be very creative and frugal when it comes for extra things such as concert promotions. Everyone loves a good gospel concert (especially me) but what they tend to forget is that everything costs money and involves a lot of time. Through my years of experience as a church Music Minister, I have learned how to successfully host musical events without breaking the budget. Below I have listed 10 steps for hosting a successful low/no budget musical event.

1. Use free print ads. If you are in the Knoxville, TN market, there are numerous weekly newspapers that allow you to post your church events for free. I ALWAYS turn to them for my number one resource. It takes a little bit of time and effort but it is well worth it. Here are the ones that I use:

*Shopper-News Now - this is a weekly newspaper that goes out to all of the Knoxville area. They also have an online edition. They will add your event to their "Church Notes" section free of charge. Just send an email to news@shoppernewsnow.com

*Fountain City Focus - this is also a weekly newspaper with an online edition. I always have people tell me, "I saw the add in the Focus and that's how I knew about it." This is a very family friendly newspaper that is run by a great group of local folks. Send your event information to staff@knoxfocus.com and they will run it in their "Church Happenings" section for free.

*Knoxville News Sentinel - The News Sentinel will add your church event in the "Religion" section in both their print newspaper and on their website. They have a special section just for Church events. Contact the News Sentinel to have your event posted.

2. On-line Advertising - Many newspaper, radio stations, and other media outlets, have websites that will let you post your community, church, entertainment events for free. Below are a few that I use:

*Knoxville News Sentinel Classifieds - If your event is a non-profit event, you can post a full color add with pictures, on the News Sentinel's website. Here is the one I posted for a recent Chuck Wagon Gang concert: http://knoxnews.kaango.com/feViewAd/13646558 to add your event start here: http://knoxnews.kaango.com/feChoosePostAd

*Knoxville.com - Website just for posting Knoxville related events. It is free. All you have to do is sign up and post your event. HERE is a recent one that I added. To get started just click this link: http://www.knoxville.com/events/submit/

*SoGoCity.com - This is a social network site, however, it is more of a Southern Gospel promotion tool. Lots of groups are signed up on this site and there are many resources for you to advertise your Southern Gospel event. They have a special section called "Events" that lists concerts all over the U.S. I recently added my Chuck Wagon Gang event to the site. To get started, just sign up: http://sogocity.ning.com/main/authorization/signUp?

*Love 89.1 FM - The Christian Hit Radio station in Knoxville. They have a community events listing where you add your own events and concerts. Start here: http://www.love89.org/default.asp?pid=3350&f=psa

*Joy 62 WRJZ FM - Christian radio station in Knoxville, TN. Also has a free community events calendar that you can add your event to. Start here: http://www.wrjz.com/default.asp?pid=3324&f=psa

3. Radio Stations - Some local stations will announce church events for free. You simply have to call them or if they have a website, many times you can email them. If you, your pastor, or a friend has a radio broadcast on stations such as, WKXV, this is an excellent place to announce your event. Other stations will also announce your events for free. Just call them up and ask. Of course you can always run paid ads on radio stations but I'm not covering that in this post. To find out more about radio stations in your area, just do a google search. Oh, and don't forget to use their free online community event pages that I mentioned in step 2.

4. Social Networking - Do not discount the power of social networking sites! MySpace, FaceBook, Ning, Twitter, Bebo, and MyChurch are all excellent places to advertise your events. Many people spend hours on these sites and as long as you put forth some effort to get your event out there, it will be seen. You can create an event on Facebook that allows you to send invitations to your network and also to folks outside of Facebook. Also, these are great sources to interact with gospel groups, soloist, and other Christians. I know there has been a lot of negative publicity about these types of networking sites but it is just like anything else, you can use it for good or bad, I choose to use them for good. If you are nervous about getting started, just add me as a friend and I'll be glad to help you out: http://www.facebook.com/people/Byron-Chesney/659141097

5. Your own website or Blog. If you frequently plan events for your church or your music ministry, you owe it to yourself to start your own website or Blog. I have been in cyber space for many, many years and have amassed tons of experience with both of these resources. I am the webmaster for my church, Highland Baptist, and I run the Knoxville Gospel Blog, as well as several others. It is not as hard as you think to get started. If you aren't very skilled at html or web authoring tools, then you should probably start out with a blog. It is free and easy to get started. Just visit Blogger, Wordpress, or Xanga, and sign up. I have tried several and I prefer Blogger, but that's just my preference. I know if my 12-year old son and my mother can run their own blogs, then you can too!

6. Flyers, handbills, posters, etc... If your budget allows, you should always try to print out something to announce your event. Most Southern Gospel groups, soloist, and performers, have readily available flyers for you to print out from their websites. See THIS .pdf example from the Chuck Wagon Gang's appearances page. Print them out, fill in the information, make copies and distribute. Your best resource for these are your church members. Print out several hundred and place them in the church where members can get them. Ask them to give them to their friends and neighbors. DO NOT place paper advertisements on vehicles in parking lots. Nobody likes this type of advertising and it will give you and your church a bad name. Many businesses, towns, cities, have rules against this and you just might be breaking the law! Always ask permission before placing your printed add in a public or private place. Many local stores have places to post ads. If you aren't sure if you can place one somewhere, chances are you can't.

7. Web Forums - Forums can be a good place to advertise your events. I will caution you however, be very careful of which forums you post on. Many that proclaim to be "Christian," "Southern Gospel," etc... are not very Christian. Posting your event may not cause any issues, but since you don't have control over what other people say, you are at the mercies of the forum admins. I have witnessed many un-Christian and negative comments being made in these so-called "Christian" forums. Visit the forum for a while and see what kind of people are frequenting. If they are using fake names, anonymous names, posting rude or derogatory comments, or negatively speaking of groups, singers, etc....STEER CLEAR! There's a lot of miserable people out there and they want you to be miserable too. So, use caution.

8. Word-of-Mouth - Probably the very best form of advertising and certainly the cheapest and easiest. If you are excited about your event then others will be too. Work it up when you are talking with your friends, neighbors, co-workers, fellow church members. Nobody wants to waste a day or hours out of a day to attend something that isn't worth their while. Let people know that your event is worth attending. Make sure you announce it during announcement time at your church. If your church prints a bulletin or newsletter, make sure you get your event published in them. Use the resources that you have at your disposal.

9. Email and letters - Everybody uses email these days. We forward stuff back and forth among our friends and family. Most of it is useless junk. Why not email everyone in your address book a friendly announcement about your upcoming event? Surely with all of the SPAM that people receive, they won't mind something legitimate! If you are afraid of email (yes, there are still those folks out there) then sit down and write your friends a letter. Tell them how much you love them and miss them and also invite them to your event. Might as well add one of the flyers to your letter before you lick that envelope too!

10. Prayer - I started to put this as Number 1 on the list but I reserved it for last so you wouldn't forget it. This is without a doubt the most important thing for your event. Ask God to be in the center of every activity. Ask for His blessing on your event. Let Him know that you are counting on Him to be there, remember Matthew 18:20! If you skip this last step, none of the other ones will matter. So, get on those knees and talk to the Lord. He died for you, He certainly wants to hear from you!

____________________________________

I can tell you without any hesitation that the above information works! If you will just put forth a little bit of time and effort, you will have a successful event that you can be proud of and will be remembered for years to come, and the best part... it won't break your budget, even if you don't have one!

Great Southern Gospel resource

2009-02-09T08:15:00.000-05:00

I received an email from Allen Davenport (owner/baritone of the So. Gospel trio, HisVoice) this morning, informing me of a great site that all Southern Gospel fans will enjoy: SoGoCity. "A site for artists and fans and friends of Gospel Music. A place to connect with others who enjoy music that lifts up Jesus Christ."

The site was created by Charles Brady, of Caraway Media Group, and is filled with Southern Gospel groups, soloists, and fans. There are videos, music, blogs, forums, general discussions, links to artists, and a plethora of other great resources. If you are a Southern Gospel music fan, performer, promoter, etc., you should click on over there and sign up. It's a breeze, takes about 2-minutes in fact.

Don't forget to send me a friend request! http://sogocity.ning.com/profile/ByronChesney

Cross 4 Crowns in concert at New Beverly Baptist

2009-02-05T22:12:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, Feburary 7th, at 7:00 PM, the Southern Gospel Quartet, Cross 4 Crowns, will be singing in concert at New Beverly Baptist Church in Knoxville.

Also scheduled to sing that night are the New Calvary Echoes.

For more information and directions to the church, visit New Beverly's website.

Grand Ole Gospel Reunion Says Goodbye to K-town

2009-01-15T11:30:00.000-05:00

Bad news for Knoxville Southern Gospel fans. It was announced this week that the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion is packing up it's bags and heading back to Greenville, SC.

According to Charlie Waller: "By popular demand, the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion 2009 will be August 13 - 15, at the newly renovated Greenville Hyatt Regency. All events will be held in the Grand Ballroom. Higher staging so everyone can see and new wider comfortable seats. Everything under one roof - no shuttle, no driving - it's going to be GREAT!"

I began to wonder last year when I attended, if the GOGR would be able to sustain, as attendance was suffering. I honestly believe it was due to poor advertising for the event. I know that it was announced on Praise 96.3 a few times but there wasn't much fanfair in the months leading up to the event. Honestly, except for my close band of family and friends, I never heard any mention of it. We thoroughly enjoyed each night that we attended last year and the year before. We noticed a pretty significant drop in attendance though.

In all fairness, the economic conditions were really bad last year. Gasoline was right around 5 bucks a gallon, making it difficult for folks living outside of Knoxville to attend. Waller also had just reinvented the Florida Boys and was trying to work up some excitement there, but it just didn't happen. Add the fact that the theatre that the new Florida Boys had rented out to perform in, suddenly shut it's doors and locked the group out. All of that had to leave a bitter taste in Waller's mouth. I don't blame him for heading back to friendly grounds.

While my family will miss being able to attend the GOGR, we are excited about the SGM FanFair that has moved to Pigeon Forge. We have decided that we will attend there instead.

So long GOGR, it was fun while it lasted.

Chuck Wagon Gang in concert - Highland Baptist

2009-01-05T21:34:00.000-05:00

The Chuck Wagon Gang in concert Feb. 28, 2009 at 7pm at Highland Baptist Church in Knoxville, TN

The world famous Chuck Wagon Gang will be ministering in concert at Highland Baptist Church on Saturday, February 28, 2009 at 7:00 pm. Everyone is welcome. No admission charge. A love offering will be taken.

For the past 72 years, the Chuck Wagon Gang has continued to be one of the most popular and cherished gospel groups in the world. Today's group still stands by the tradition of singing the old gospel songs, the old time way, just the way Dad Carter taught.

We had a wonderful time last year when the CWG came to our church and we are excited about this year! You don't want to miss this glorious event! For more information about The Chuck Wagon Gang, visit their website: http://www.thechuckwagongang.net/

For directions to church, click here.

Tony Gore & Majesty Bargain Basement CD

2008-12-27T22:40:00.000-05:00

An after Christmas shopping trip proved to be fruitful today. I dropped in the Evangel Book Store here in Knoxville, and browsed their CD selections. Normally if you buy Southern Gospel Music from a retail store, you pay top dollar. I normally purchase my So. Gospel music when I go to concerts and buy them direct from the artists.

Today, I not only found an excellent Tony Gore & Majesty CD, but it was at a great price! Only $9.99 for a 2-CD collection! TG&M has always been one of my favorite groups and I've bought several of their albums over the years. I stupidly loaned out my collection a couple of years ago and haven't seen them since. So I've been meaning to replace my favorites. I was so pleased to find this CD today, which contains all of the best TG&M songs.

DISC ONE
THANK GOD
WHAT A HALLELUJAH MORNING
WITH GOD ON OUR SIDE
DANCIN' IN THE STREET
HOLY SACRIFICE
I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE
I'LL PUT ON A CROWN
I'M GOING YONDER
ON THE OTHER SIDE
TOO MUCH TO GAIN
MEDLEY: GOD'S PROMISED LAND, IT'S NOT SO HARD TO PRAISE HIM, WHEN DUST SHALL SING
WHERE THE ROSES NEVER FADE
OUTSIDE THE GATE
THE EASTERN GATE
WHEN THE SHEPHERD COMES HOME
HE IS MINE
THIS IS WHAT HEAVEN MEANS TO ME
I'M BOUND FOR THE LAND OF CANAAN

DISC TWO:
BETTER HURRY UP
THEY CAN'T EXPLAIN THE CHANGE
FINAL HOMECOMING
THIS BATTLE'S NOT OVER YET
FIRE SHUT UP IN MY BONES
GROUP INTRODUCTIONS
LIKE NEVER BEFORE
THERE'S A MANSION THERE FOR ME
ALWAYS THERE FOR ME
MEANWHILE IN THE GARDEN
INSIDE THE GATE
BETTER HURRY UP

Primitive Quartet coming to Rutledge Pike Baptist, Feb. 20

2008-12-17T22:20:00.000-05:00

The Primitive Quartet will be singing at Rutledge Pike Missionary Baptist church in Corryton, TN on Friday, February 20, 2009, at 7:00 PM. No admission charge, a love offering will be taken. For more information and directions, please visit the church's website: http://www.rutledgepikebaptistchurch.com/

Matt Felts joins Cross 4 Crowns

2008-11-27T09:30:00.000-05:00

Matt Felts joins Cross 4 Crowns as new tenor
Knoxville, TN (Press Release)

David Hoskins, manager of Crossroads Entertainment artist Cross 4 Crowns, is pleased to announce the addition of Matt Felts to the tenor position with the group. Matt, for the last two years, has sung with Monument Quartet. Allen Leath, owner of Cross 4 Crowns, states "Matt is truly a once in a lifetime find for our ministry. Matt's singing is incredible, but his heart for ministry and people is beyond words. All of the guys knew, after just talking to Matt, he was the one for us."

Matt continues, "I am excited to be a part of this incredibly talented group. It is wonderful to see the hand of God working in these men and it's an honor to be a part of that. I want to thank Monument, most especially Marshall, for the last two years. It was truly a blessing to go and spread God's love to countless thousands at fairs across America. Thank you to all the friends and fans who supported us night after night. I will miss Marshall, Jerry, Daryl and the band greatly but I am excited to begin this new chapter in my ministry."

Former tenor Dallas Rogers came to the group a few weeks ago and said the doctor had put him on complete vocal rest, and he felt it would be best to come off the road for now. We wish Dallas the best of everything and truly thank him for being a part of our group. We will miss him very much.

Cross 4 Crowns will be going into the studio shortly after the new year to begin work on their sophomore project with Crossroads Entertainment, so keep listening.

McKameys in concert November 29th, 2008

2008-11-25T21:50:00.000-05:00

The popular Southern Gospel group, the McKamey's, will once again be at Rutledge Pike Baptist Church in Corryton, TN. The concert starts at 7:00 PM. You might want to arrive early if you want an up front seat. It will be a packed house!

My family and I had an excellent time last year when we attended the McKamey's concert at Rutledge Pike Baptist. You can read about it here.

Visit the Church website for directions and more information.

13th Annual Drive-Thur-Nativity at Rutledge Pike Baptist

2008-11-24T22:00:00.000-05:00

Make plans now to visit Rutledge Pike Baptist's, 13th annual drive-thru-nativity. It is being held on Friday December 5th and Saturday December 6th, starting at 7:00 PM both nights. There is no charge.

If you have never been to a drive-thru-nativity before, you will want to make sure and take your family out. It will be something that you will never forget. They use live animals and real people in each of the different scenes. I took my family to see it last year and everyone was amazed at the detail and size of this spectacular display. You can read about our experience and see a few pictures that I took at THIS post. I'm excited about going again this year.

For more information or directions, please visit the church website.

Kenny Bishop concert review - Union Baptist Church Knoxville

2008-11-03T22:30:00.000-05:00

This is a review of my recent attendance of a live taping of the television show, Southern Style Praise, in which Kenny Bishop and the trio HisVoice was performing. It took place at Union Baptist Church in Knoxville, TN. I was honored to be their special guest Music Minister for the evening.

I've seen Kenny Bishop sing live several times in my life, mostly with his former family group, The Bishops. I met him one time, about 10-years ago, at the National Quartet Convention. I guess the thing that I've always liked about Kenny is his natural Kentucky country voice. I've always thought that he could probably have had a really successful career in Country Music. I'm glad he chose Southern Gospel instead.

I've seen more than my fair share of folks in the gospel music business that treat it as a job instead of a ministry. I can say first hand that Kenny Bishop is not one of those people. He appears to have an open and honest heart for the ministry. I watched him pretty closely because I was sitting just 2 rows behind him. He sat in the congregation with two older ladies in which he appeared to know. I saw and heard him shouting "amen" and praising God while HisVoice was on the stage. And, while he was on stage he spent more time talking about the grace and mercy of God than he did actually singing. He spent very little time talking about himself, he was fully focused on spreading the gospel message.

I enjoyed every song that Kenny sang, however, I've got to say that my very favorite was, 'The Prodigal's Dad.' It's track number 9 on his latest CD, simply titled, "Kenny Bishop." The parable of the Prodigal Son is one of my very favorite passages in the Bible. In fact, the next night after hearing Kenny sing that song, I preached a sermon on the Prodigal Son at my church. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Woody Wright penned, 'Under the Influence of Mercy,' which was a play on the old Buck Owens tune, 'Under the Influence of Love.' Another great tune was, 'More Than Amazing,' which was also written by Woody Wright, specifically for Kenny. According to Kenny, it is a song for everyone.

At the end of his performance, Kenny gave a very touching invitation for anyone that may have had a need. I could really feel God's presence during that time. Afterwards, I was privileged to get to meet and shake hands with Kenny. He said that he thought I looked very familiar and wanted to know if we had met before. I told him that we had but that it had been several years ago at NQC. I didn't hang around and bug him any because he was busy talking to other fans and selling his CD's and signing them.

My whole family enjoyed our evening of Southern Gospel and I left there an even bigger fan of Kenny Bishop than I was before I came. If you have yet to go to one of his concerts, you should make a point to do so. I know you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Read my separate review of the HisVoice portion of the evening HERE.

See all of the pictures that I took of the evening HERE.

Visit Kenny's Official Website HERE.

HisVoice concert review - Union Baptist Church Knoxville

2008-11-03T21:30:00.000-05:00

I was thrilled to receive an email from Allen Davenport of the trio HisVoice, asking if I would be their special guest music minister for their concert with Kenny Bishop, at Union Baptist. I gladly accepted the invitation and was really psyched up over it. HisVoice ministered at my church this past year so I was already familiar with them.

My family and I arrived at Union Baptist an hour before the concert. Dale Burress, owner of Ark Studios, was getting the stage prepared for the taping of the concert which will air on his TV show, Southern Style Praise. I have corresponded with Dale several times through email but this was the first time I had met him in person. He warmly greeted me and we briefly discussed what was going to unfold for the evening.

Finally, the 6:00 hour arrived. I opened up with a prayer and then led the congregation in all 3-verses of Victory in Jesus. Union Baptist's pianist, Gary Barnard, did an excellent job playing the music. Gary is the former member and pianist at my church, Highland Baptist, so I was already familiar with him. He is a very talented young man.

After the congregational, HisVoice, took to the stage. Since this was a live taping for a television show, things weren't as smooth as a regular concert but it wasn't distracting, even with the large cameras mounted to booms swinging back and forth. HisVoice was very professional with just the right amount of spiritualism. Allen does a great job with the emcee work and keeping things going. Once again my favorite songs of the night were, 'Stacking Stones,' and 'He Chose This Valley For Me.' Both of those songs brought tears to my eyes. They stuck strictly to the tracks from their latest CD, which I bought. I really enjoyed hearing them again but because of the live taping I don't think they felt as free to minister and they had to keep an eye on time. But, that's to be expected. They did an excellent job under the circumstances.

After HisVoice left the stage, I led the congregation in another hymn, 'At Calvary,' while we took up a love offering. After the offering, Gary, delighted the crowd by playing a beautiful hymn. Then Kenny Bishop took the stage. I'll write a separate post on Kenny's performance.

To see all pictures from this night visit THIS post.

HisVoice & Kenny Bishop Concert Union Baptist

2008-11-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

We attended a wonderful evening of Southern Gospel music last night at Union Baptist Church in Knoxville. The trio, HisVoice and soloist, Kenny Bishop were having a live taping for the television show, Southern Style Praise. I will write more about this great night, including CD reviews of their new projects. Meanwhile enjoy a few pictures from the event.

My Praise Cup Runneth Over!

2008-10-27T20:00:00.000-04:00

This past weekend the youth group at my church was having a rummage sale. They are planning a youth retreat and trying to raise money to fund it. My family and I stopped by to see if there was anything interesting to buy. We found all kinds of good stuff at really great prices. I purchased several good Christian books. My son bought a Halls football helmet and he loves it! However, the best thing that I found in the sale was 2-coffee cups. I am a huge coffee drinker and always have my eye out for good cups. They have to be just the right size and thickness and be comfortable in my hand. It helps a lot if I like the looks of them too. So, anyways, like I said, I found 2 great coffee cups. The best part is that they have my favorite radio station's logo and add on the side of them!

Apparently the cups originally came from the Senior Conference that was held at Black Oak Heights Baptist Church this past year. Their logo is on one side and the Praise 96.3 and Senior Home Assistance is on the other. I am delighted to be sitting here right now posting this entry and sipping coffee out of my new favorite cup!

Praise 96.3 was started by legendary gospel music promoter and preacher, Rev. J. Bazzel Mull. Of course I grew up listening to the Mull's Singing Convention and attending their famous concerts here in Knoxville. You can read my tribute post to preacher Mull at this link. The death of preacher Mull was a very sad day for me. To find out more about Praise 96.3 WJBZ, just visit their website. If you want to hear the very best in Southern Gospel music, tune in to Mike in the Morning on FM 96.3 every weekday from 6:00 to 10:00. It will make your morning, especially at 9:00 when Mike plays the Golden Gospel Hour. You can guarantee I'll be sipping my morning coffee every day while tuned in.

Bargain Won by One for the holidays

2008-10-25T21:15:00.000-04:00

Today while shopping at the Book Warehouse on Merchants Rd., I stumbled across an excellent buy. Right there on the rack of Christmas music was Won by One's 'Ring Those Golden Bells' CD. And, best of all, it was only $3.99! You can't beat that with a stick!

As soon as I got back in my vehicle, I ripped the shrink wrap off and popped that thing in the CD player. From the opening of 'Carol of the Bells,' to the ending of 'How Great Thou Art,' I was thoroughly delighted. Of course the lineup of singers in the group at the time this project was recorded, was the very best; Greg Shockley, Clayton Inman, David Jenkins, and Bob Caldwell. It doesn't get any better than that!

Songs on the CD include:

1. Carol Of The Bells
2. Come On Ring Those Bells
3. O Holy Night
4. O Come Emmanuel /What Child Is This
5. Winter Wonderland
6. Go Tell It On The Mountain / God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
7. Silver Bells
8. Home For The Holidays
9. The Christmas Song
10. O Come All Ye Faithful / Joy To The World / How Great Thou Art

If you enjoy Christmas music and good Southern Gospel music, do yourself a favor and head to the Book Warehouse and pick you up a copy. It'll be the best 4-bucks you'll ever spend. Oh, and tell my cousin Patsy hi, as she is ringing you up!

Directions to Book Warehouse here.

All Book Warehouse Locations here.

Read more posts about Won by One here.

Florida Boys - You keep a knocking but you can't come in!

2008-10-07T17:00:00.000-04:00

I guess my aunt and uncle were lucky to see the Florida Boys when they did. Looks like they've been locked out of their theatre.

Theater mysteriously closes
By ELLEN BROWN - October 3, 2008

"Mystery surrounds the closing of the Smoky Mountain Showplace Theatre in Pigeon Forge, which most recently featured gospel act The Florida Boys."

The theater was closed on Sept. 15 at the instruction of renters Sherry Bowman and Bob Deason, former general manager Lesley Duran said."We went into work Monday morning and the phones were already cut off -- none of us had any warning," Duran said. "Sherry and Bob came in and told everyone to go home because they were locking the doors. They said they weren't putting anymore money into the theatre. They didn't even have the decency to tell us beforehand." Read the rest of this article at the Mountain Press. (registration required)

According to the article, a large picture of the Florida Boys is still standing outside the theatre but hasn't been removed despite pleas from group owner, Charlie Waller.

I called the Smokey Mountain Showplace Theatre to see if I could speak to someone concerning this, but, just like the article stated, their telephone has already been disconnected. Their website is still up and running as of this writing.

HIsVoice - Special Event at Union Baptist

2008-09-25T22:00:00.000-04:00

I received word from the Southern Gospel trio, HisVoice, that they will be hosting a very special event at Union Baptist Church on Saturday, November 1st, at 6:00 PM. The group will be hosting "The HisVoice CD Release Concert."

Also appearing will be very special guest, Kenny Bishop, formerly of the Bishops, one of Southern Gospel Music's Most Beloved Family Groups.

On top of that, there will also be a Live Recording of the Television Show, "Southern Style Praise" taking place that evening. So make it a point to show up...you might just be on TV!!

Please Come praying & expecting Great things from The Lord. Hope to see you there!!!

Read a review of a recent HisVoice concert at Highland Baptist.

Cross 4 Crowns brings the house down!

2008-09-17T21:50:00.000-04:00

I received word today from David Hoskins, manger of Cross 4 Crowns, that the guys are back in Knoxville after a great time at the National Quartet Convention. Cross 4 Crowns was received very well by the crowds at NQC and even garnered an extended standing ovation following an acapella patriotic medley.

David says: "We were honored to be a part of this years NQC and meeting folks from all over the country. Many d.j.'s came by to talk to the guys and tell them how much they enjoy their music and was glad to be able to put a face with the voices." "Thanks to all of the wonderful people that came up and gave us encouragement and told us they were praying for us, you don't know how much that means to us."

The picture attached to this post was taken by Greg Bentley from Crossroads Entertainment. It's a shot from the overhead screen while the guys were singing.

Read more of the Knoxville Gospel Blog's Cross 4 Crowns posts:

Cross 4 Crowns Signs Distribution Agreement with Crossroads Entertainment

Cross 4 Crowns Official Press Release - Dallas Rogers

Dallas Rogers Debuts With Cross 4 Crowns

Cross 4 Crowns Concert Review - Corryton, TN

Cross 4 Crowns and Talley Trio in concert Corryton Baptist Church

18th Annual Fallen Water Farm Festival - Luttrell, TN

2008-09-16T15:30:00.000-04:00

Make plans to attend the 18th Annual Fallen Water Farm Festival in Luttrell, TN. This year's proceeds will go to help Teddy Fletcher, a cancer victim from Luttrell.

When: Friday, September 19 @6:00pm
Saturday, September 20 @11:00am

Where: Fallen Water Farm - 706 Archer Rd., Luttrell, TN. Driving Directions Here.

How Much: No Admission charge - Lots of Gospel, Bluegrass, and Country music in store. There will be plenty of homemade food items available to purchase including; Chicken-n-Dumplings, BBQ, Pinto Beans & Cornbread, Hamburgers, Hotdogs, Cakes, Cookies, Cotton Candy and more.

Scheduled to perform:

FRIDAY NIGHT September 19, 2008

Bluegrass, Country, Gospel

6:00 pm - Sheila & the Misfits

7:00 pm - Master Peace

8:00 pm - Greyland James Egan (Age 12)

9:00 pm - Dark Hollow Band

10:00 pm - New Union Grass

SATURDAY September 20, 2008

Opening Ceremonies - 11:00 am

**Wings of Eternity**

White Dove Release by Arthur Baham

Gospel music performed all day by:

Pamela Helton of Luttrell, TN * Michael & Delilah Kitts of Knoxville, TN * Sherritze Family * Joyful Sounds of Knoxville, TN * Marsha (Beeler) Hughes of Ringold, GA * Berry Family of Maynardville, TN * The Valley Boys of Maynardville, TN * Steps of Faith of Corryton, TN * The Merritt Family of Luttrell, TN * Thunder Road of Union County, TN * The McClure Family of Maynardville, TN * Ladeana & Ashlee Savage of Luttrell, TN * Doffsie Williams Family of Luttrell, TN * Faith Way Trio of Knoxville, TN * Natasha Muncey of Luttrell, TN * John & Randall of Knoxville, TN * Amanda Loope of Luttrell, TN * and others

For more information visit the Fallen Water Farm Festival website.

Chuck Wagon Gang Benefit Concert for Bobby All

2008-09-16T15:15:00.000-04:00

The Chuck Wagon Gang Presents:

AN OLD FASHIONED SINGING BY THE LAKE

Friday, September 19, 2008
Citizen Tribune- Jefferson Federal Amphitheater at Cherokee Park
Morristown, TN 6:00 PM - Get Driving Directions Here

Featuring:

THE CHUCK WAGON GANG
BEN SPEER
THE INSPIRATIONS

GATES OPEN AT 4:00 PM
Bring Your Lawn Chairs **
Concessions Available

TICKETS:
Adults $12 advance; $15 at the gate
Teens 13-18 $6.00; children 12 and under FREE
Immediate Family Pass $40.00

TICKETS AVAILABLE:
At All Chuck Wagon Gang Concerts
Timeless Elegance Tea Room - Downtown, Morristown, TN - 423-318-9292
Rachel's Christian Bookstore - College Square Mall, Morristown, TN - 423-581-5273
Olive Branch Christian Bookstore - Rogersville, TN - 423-272-0667
George Strickland & Kitty Strickland- Kingsport, TN 423-202-0344
Credit Card Orders - Call Toll-Free 888-319-1021
Mail Order: Chuck Wagon Gang, PO Box 140416, Nashville, TN 37214

HOST HOTEL INFORMATION:
Holiday Inn Express
2903 Millers Pointe Drive
Morristown, TN 37814
423-307-1111
Mention Chuck Wagon Gang Concert for special rate.
This is a brand new hotel, located about five minutes from the concert at Cherokee Park

CAMPING:
Cherokee Park Campground
3074 Floyd Hall Road
Morristown, TN 37814
423-586-5232
Hookups are $15 per night - Mention Chuck Wagon Gang Concert
There is electric, water, and two bath houses. Also, this campground is lakeside.

** IN CASE OF RAIN:
Concert will be held at Morristown-Hamblen High School West
One Trojan Trail off Sulpher Springs Road

Proceeds will go to help Nashville musician and producer, Bobby All.

Florida Boys Deliver In Pigeon Forge

2008-09-16T08:45:00.000-04:00

My aunt, uncle, and another couple from church, attended the Florida Boys show in Pigeon Forge last weekend. I did not attend but my aunt was kind enough to supply me with the pictures that she took while there. I also asked her about the show and she gave me a short run down on the evening.

The Florida Boys started out in their traditional Southern Gospel quartet mode, singing all of the beloved songs that F.B. fans have come to expect. Dressed in their finest matching suits, they performed hit after hit to the delight of those in attendance. Then it was backstage to change into more casual attire and reappearing to belt out a string of classic 60's pop hits. My aunt said that their young tenor singer, Dustin Bearden, really stood out on these numbers and his musical talents were very evident. A short film of some classic gospel quartets was also shown during the night, much like the ones that Waller shows at the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion. Wrapping up the night, the Florida Boys reappeared in white suits and paid tribute to our soldiers and country with some patriotic numbers.

From my aunt's account, it was an excellent show and the Florida Boys gave 100% despite the fact that there was only around 12-people in attendance. With the shape of the economy, gas prices, and the $22.00 admission charge, I suspect that it is difficult to fill up the Smoky Mtn Showplace Theatre. If you love Southern Gospel music and want to support it, why not save up your money and attend a Florida Boys show? For tickets and info click HERE.

Zach McGill still spreading the gospel

2008-09-15T21:45:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Zach McGill, who recently accepted the positions of Youth and Music Director at South Clinton Baptist church, in Clinton, TN. Zach is the former owner/baritone of Crystal River.

Zach is following in his father's footsteps, as the senior McGill was once a member of a very popular Southern Gospel group, the Kingdom Heirs, and went on to become the associate pastor and Music Minister at Ridgeview Baptist in Knoxville, TN.

I'm glad to know that the very talented Zach McGill is still spreading the good news of Jesus Christ through song and is a fellow Music Minister!

34Thee's 2nd Annual Fall Gathering

2008-09-06T13:00:00.000-04:00

I recently received word from, Greg Davis, of the trio, 34Thee, that they will be holding their 2nd annual Fall gathering on October 4, at Union County High School Auditorium.

This will be a great time of gospel singing and fellowship with: Dorothy Mitchell, Kingsway Quartet, Gary Willingham, and 34Thee. Also the popular, "Ernest T. Bass" (Chris Monday) will be there to share his comedy.

Make sure and mark the date down on your calendar!

For more information visit 34Thee's website: http://www.34thee.com/

WHAT: 34Thee's 2nd Annual Fall Gathering (download .pdf flyer)
WHEN: Saturday, October 4, 2008 @5:30 PM
HOW MUCH: $5.00 Admission
WHERE: Union County High School Auditorium
See map below for directions:

View Larger Map

Can't keep a good bass down!

2008-08-30T14:30:00.000-04:00

This is not really Knoxville related but I've had Tracy Crouch on my mind lately. Yeah, you know, bass singer formerly with the Dixie Echoes. I guess it all started this past month when I was attending the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion here in Knoxville. The Dixie Echoes are one of my cousin Brad's favorite groups and they are always at GOGR. Last year when we attended, Tracy was still singing with them. He did a fantastic job. I especially remember him singing on "The Devil and His Old Suitcase." Brad and I were hoping that the current lineup of Dixie Echoes would re-release that song on CD, but they haven't. Anyways, that was the last time I saw Tracy Crouch in person, as he left the group the following week, to pursue a career in law enforcement.

I check in on Tracy every now and then, through his blog, Cajun Bass. He is now working in law enforcement and enjoying fatherhood with his new baby boy, Ryan. I also discovered that he still has a love for Southern Gospel music because he has been filling in with the Southern Plainsmen. I stumbled upon some videos of that group, that include Tracy singing bass. They are from a live performance from just last month. They have the videos posted on their WEBSITE. I would post the video on this blog but they have some kind of weird statement posted on the beginning about it only being authorized for viewing on their website. Kind of strange considering it is on YouTube and they have the embed option wide open to anyone... But, anyways, you can visit their website or YouTube and watch Tracy singing with them.

Hopefully Tracy will be able to keep an active part in Southern Gospel because he is a fantastic bass singer and person. Like I said in the title of this post, you can't keep a good bass down!

Dusty Barrett's done went and Soul'd Out!

2008-08-29T15:30:00.000-04:00

Attention Knoxville Southern Gospel music fans. Your favorite Tenor, Dusty Barrett, is now singing with Soul'd Out Quartet.

Dusty has been living in Knoxville for the past 3-years or so, ever since he first began singing with the popular K-town based, Crystal River Quartet. He has been doing fill-in work with several groups since CR disbanded and now he is officially with Soul'd Out. You can check out his newly posted biography page HERE. According to his bio, he is filling the positions of "Tenor, Sound Engineer, Radio Promotions, and Emotional Support for Matt Rankin." Sounds like he's hooked up with a fun bunch of guys.

Soul'd Out is based out of Georgetown, OH. No word yet as to whether or not Dusty, his wife Alisa, and their daughter, Katelyn Faith, will be moving back up north or not, although he is originally from Greenfield, Ohio, so it would probably make perfect sense.

I wish Dusty great success with Soul'd Out and can't wait to hear them in concert. Looks like their next stop in our area will be at Dollywood on October 17-18th, during the National Gospel & Harvest Celebration.

Former Kingdom Heir now King of the Air!

2008-08-29T13:00:00.000-04:00

This is a cross post from my Knoxville Trivia blog, originally posted Oct 1, 2007.
Knoxville's high-flying land developing tenor

I was surprised yesterday when I opened up my Sunday News Sentinel and there on the front page, was an old familiar face. It was none other than Wayne Mitchell. Who is Wayne Mitchell you ask? Well, he just happens to be one of the best tenor singers that has ever came out of Knoxville, TN. I remember Wayne from way back in the day, when he went to my Papaw Spencer's church (North Acres Baptist). He also used to sing with my Uncle Ronnie in the King's Servants Quartet. He left the King's Servants to be a founding member of the Kingdom Heirs of Dollywood fame. He was with the Kingdom Heirs from 1981-1987. Like I mentioned in this post, if I hadn't of been so young and stupid I could have sang with him. Nowadays he is a land developer and apparently a pilot! Pretty cool.

The picture below is of the King's Servants. It was on the back of one of their albums, Wayne is circled in red.

Crystal River - Out with the old, in with the new

2008-08-28T17:30:00.000-04:00

The Southern Gospel group, Crystal River, started out as a proud Knoxville based quartet. A few years ago, Zach McGill took CR to new heights when they broke out with their Arthur Rice produced album titled, For the First Time. The group was comprised of owner/baritone, Zach McGill - lead, Jeff Snyder - Tenor, Dusty Barrett - Bass, Jeremy Lile. Despite their youth and sometimes eccentric hairstyles and stage appearance, Crystal River became an immediate hit with Southern Gospel fans. In fact, I posted a really enthusiastic comment back in 2005 on Southern Gospel News.com:

On Crystal River's first website they said the following: "With everything good that God gives us, the devil tries to use things to make you stumble," said Zack. "He will use anything. He has used financial troubles, sicknesses, and personnel changes to try and discourage us. However, the Lord has been there through it all, and He has been faithful to us and has blessed us with so much."

"We do what we do to see souls saved and lives changed and transformed through the power of God's Word through song," remarked McGill. "The proudest moment that we have in all of this is that God would allow us to do this full-time. It's been such a blessing."

When asked about the future of Crystal River , the group feels confident that they are in this for the long haul.

"We see our ministry expanding greatly. We feel that it's a matter of time before we're taken to the next level," said Zack. "No matter our plans, we also have to plan for what the Lord wants us to do. However, for now the sky is the limit!"

In September of 2005, Crystal River joined the Beckie Simmons Agency (BSA) and followed up in 2006 with a new album titled, Taking A Stand. These guys were quickly becoming Southern Gospel superstars and garnering much respect throughout the industry. In 2006 and 2007, they were nominated for “Breakthrough Artist of the Year” by the Southern Gospel news media and nominated for “Horizon Group of the Year” by the Singing News fans. Things began to unravel though, when in early 2007, bass singer, Jeremy Lile, and lead, Jeff Snyder, left the group. Lile went to sing with Brian Free & Assurance. I'm not sure where Jeff Snyder went.

Crystal River continued on as a trio with McGill, Barrett, and former Won by One lead, Chris Whitaker. In 2007 they produced one album for BSA, titled, Hope Is Alive. This trio didn't sound much like the CR of old, but rather more like something from the Crabb Family. Regardless it didn't quite catch on with fans. Shortly after that, McGill married his high school sweetheart and the group pretty much disbanded.

Apparently, McGill sold the rights to the name Crystal River. BSA is now representing a "new" Crystal River with a trio of guys from an acapella group out of Georgia, that were formerly called, Chozen. I don't know what they sound like, as the sound clips on the BSA site are still from the former trio. I'm sad that Crystal River is no longer based out of Knoxville. I hope these new guys do justice to the name.

Why Don't You Give This CD A Try?

2008-08-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

As I’ve mentioned a few times before, when I was growing up here in good old East, TN, my family spent many hours sitting around the living room picking and singing gospel music. We would pull out the old maroon (red-back) Church Hymnal and sing until our throats gave away. Those old songs always had a way of lifting you up when you were sad, or giving hope in times of trouble. I’m happy to say that the tradition lives on.

Being a Baptist music minister, a purveyor of music, and bluegrass aficionado, I can say with complete authority that the CD that I’m holding in my grubby hand, ‘Why Don’t You Give Jesus A Try,’ is the best Bluegrass/Gospel CD that I have listened to in years. I had the pleasure of listening to Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road perform most of the songs from this Blue Cirlce Record's project earlier this year. So, I already knew I was in for a treat before I even took possession of it. Jerry Butler finally had a free moment from his busy touring schedule and invited me to drop by and pick up my copy.

I couldn’t even make it home without tearing the shrink-wrap off and popping the CD into the disc player of my vehicle. Normally, my kids are sitting in the backseat with their I-pods stuffed in their ears, but tonight they were singing along with Carolina Road! Many of the songs they were already familiar with, as we frequently sing them during church services. Titles such as ‘Just A Little Talk With Jesus,’ ‘I Like the Old Time Way,’ and my youngest daughter’s favorite, ‘In the Sweet Forever,’ made this an instant hit. There are 12 cuts on this CD and not a stinker in the bunch. There are even two Lorraine Jordan penned songs, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Track 1 of the CD kicks off with Butler’s rich voice belting out the catchy, ‘I Like the Old Time Way,’ complimented with a nice 4-part harmony courtesy of the other Carolina Road members.

Track 2 is another catchy tune, which was penned by group founder, Lorraine Jordan, called ‘The Judgment Day.’ All 4 vocal parts are also showcased on this one.

Track 3, ‘Harp With Golden Strings,’ was an audience favorite when I heard them perform it at Boxcar Pinion Festival this past May. The song’s lyrics have Butler pining for the day he’ll “trade in his old guitar for a harp with golden strings.” However, if you have ever witnessed the way he cherishes his Mike Long guitar, you would be hard pressed to believe that anyone could ever pry it out of his fingers, even for a golden harp!

Track 4 is another Jordan written song called, ‘Smiling Faces.’ According to the liner notes in the CD, Lorraine wrote the words after visiting an orphanage in Russia and witnessed that even among the sadness she saw the smiling faces of the children.

Track 5, ‘It’s Time to Give Jesus A Try,’ was written by Tom T. and Dixie Hall, and is also the title cut. It talks of how after you’ve tried everything in the world and discovered that nothing can cure your troubles, you just need to turn to Jesus and give Him a try.

Track 6, features the high tenor voice of Josh Goforth, as he leads the gospel standard, ‘Just A Little Talk With Jesus.’ If you were brought up in an old fashioned kind of church, you will quickly recognize this as being page 92 in the Church Hymnal. Coincidentally, a fellow Tennessean, Rev. Lister Cleavant Derricks, wrote this song. Derricks once lived in Knoxville where his two famous actor twin sons, Cleavant and Clinton, were born.

Track 7, is another old-time gospel tune, ‘Just Over In the Glory land.’

Track 8, ‘Let the Church Roll On,’ is a refreshing song with a sense of humor. “Well there’s a deacon in the church (oh my Lord) and he won’t do right (oh my Lord) what shall we do? Turn him out and kick him out and let the church roll on!” Read all of the lyrics here.

Track 9, ‘I Saw the Light from Heaven,’ is an old traditional gospel folk song. In it’s entirety the song tells 5 different Bible stories all packed into a neat 2 minutes and 30 seconds, Josh Goforth, arrangement.

Track 10, ‘In the Sweet Forever,’ as I’ve already mentioned is my youngest daughter’s favorite. We sing this song quite frequently at church. Our Alto section really shines on it. In fact, we just sang it this past Sunday. Carolina Road does a wonderful job on this one as well.

One song that I have taken particular liking to is track 11, ‘You Gotta Believe,’ written by Tony Rackley and Pat Terry. I had never heard this one before. It is reminiscent of an old George Jones song with a catchy upbeat tempo likening to a Ricky Skaggs or Michael Martin Murphy hit. I believe it would be instant radio success. The first verse of the song tells the story of a church congregation that loses their church to a fire. The second verse tells the story of an alcoholic finding the strength to give up his drink, and how his loving wife stood beside him through it all. Both stories are followed with the chorus; “You gotta believe through the darkest hour, put your faith in a higher power, find the strength to start again, you can’t give up and you can’t give in, hold on with all your might, let love be your guiding light, everything will turn out right, you gotta believe.” Beautiful song beautifully performed.

Last but certainly not least, track 12, an instrumental of, ‘Tell It To Jesus Alone,’ really showcases the musical talents of this fine bluegrass group. It’s just the kind of tune you would expect to hear at the end of a Carolina Road performance, just before the audience is standing and yelling for an encore.

If you are a bluegrass or a gospel music lover, you will not be disappointed with this new Carolina Road project. So come on, why don't you give this CD a try? You know you want to!

Listen to samples and buy a copy from the official Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road Website.

(this article was previously posted on my Knoxville Trivia Blog)

Gaither's Lovin' Life Tour '08 Coming to Johnson City

2008-08-26T00:00:00.000-04:00

Gaither Homecoming - Lovin' Life Tour 2008 at Freedom Hall Civic Center, Johnson City, TN.

Lovin' Life Tour 2008 with Gaither Vocal Band, Jeff and Sheri Easter, The Hoppers, Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, Gordon Mote, Janet Paschal and Kevin Williams*

*Artists subject to change

Event times: 4 Sep 2008 (Thu) 7:00 PM
Ticket Information: On Sale Now

Ticket Prices: $44, $42, $34, $32

Tickets for this event will be for Reserved Seating. Ticket prices, including building surcharge, will be as follows: FLOOR, LOWER LEVEL, UPPER LEVEL SECTIONS 1,2,26, 6,7,8,20,21,22 and 1/2 OF 5 AND 23:$44 each - (Adults and children)UPPER LEVEL SECTIONS 3,4,24,25 and 1/2 OF 5 AND 23: $34 each (Adults and children)Groups of 10 or more will be able to purchase either price ticket at a discount of $2 per ticket. Groups will also receive 2 complimentary tickets for each 10 tickets purchased. - Additional credit card and convenience fees may apply.

Tickets website: Buy Tickets

More info website: http://www.gaither.com/

Parking info: $5 per vehicle in all lots

Time doors open: One hour prior to show time

Directions to Freedom Hall

Blackwood Brothers on the cutting edge of technology

2008-08-25T22:25:00.000-04:00

I was digging around in some old albums tonight, that I recently acquired from my mother and my aunt. I began reading the cover notes and such, and I couldn't help but laugh at this "important notice" that I found printed on the back of a 1961 Blackwood Brothers album. "This is a "New Orthophonic" High Fidelity recording, designed for the phonograph of today or tomorrow. Played on your present machine, it gives you the finest quality of reproduction. Played on a "Stereophonic" machine, it gives even more brilliant true-to-life fidelity. You can buy today, without fear of obsolescence in the future."

I'll bet the Blackwoods never dreamed that one day folks would be downloading their music with a single mouse click and listening to it in MP3 format. So much for the fear of obsolescence! Another amusing thing on the album; on the liner notes it says that the record contains "miracle surface" which has the anti-static agent 317X. Supposedly it helped to keep the record free from dust. I guess it worked pretty good because this old record still sounds good 47-years later! You can read a little history of RCA's Victor Red Seal records HERE.

Speaking of the Blackwood Brothers, it was great to hear the new group perform at this year's GOGR here in Knoxville. My aunt Barbara really enjoyed them and she says that Jimmy Blackwood looks and sounds just like his daddy. Check out more pictures HERE.

Mull's Singing Convention coming to the fair

2008-08-25T15:45:00.000-04:00

Praise 96.3 WJBZ and PreView, are proud to bring the Mull's Singing Convention to the 2008 Tennessee Valley Fair! September 8th, starting at 6:30 pm. Reserved Seats - $5.00 Order now.

Featuring: The Roarks, The Parton's, Tommy Spencer, Eternal Vision, Lauren King, ReignSong.

DJ host: Shane King from Praise 96.3 WJBZ

Coordinator and Soloist - Harry House

SGM FanFair Moving to Pigeon Forge!

2008-08-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

Good news Southern Gospel fans!

Pigeon Forge Welcomes SGM FanFair
SGM FanFair Heads To The Great Smoky Mountains

The SGM FanFair Board of Directors is pleased to announce the new location for SGM FanFair - Pigeon Forge, TN.

"The first four years in Chattanooga were great, but we felt it was time for a change," comments board member Dale Burress. "The vote for Pigeon Forge was unanimous among the board of directors, and city officials have welcomed the event with great enthusiasm."

Executive Director Randall Wilds states, "Offering a huge variety of shops, restaurants, museums, amusement parks, entertainment and the beauty of the smoky mountains, Pigeon Forge has long been a family favorite vacation hot spot. With SGM FanFair added to the city's spring events, folks have one more reason to visit and enjoy Pigeon Forge."

One of the largest of it's kind, this annual concert event features performances by a huge roster of artists - from quartets to soloists. Thousands of southern gospel music fans and enthusiasts will gather for six days of the finest in southern gospel music, fellowship and family fun!

The 5th annual SGM FanFair will be held March 16 - 21, 2009, at the Smoky Mountain Convention Center which includes on-site parking - another added improvement for the 2009 event.

Make plans now to attend the 5th annual SGM FanFair!

Hop on over to see the Hoppers!

2008-08-24T23:30:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday, September 3, at 7:30 PM, America's Favorite Family of Gospel Music, The Hoppers, will be singing live at the Sevier County Fair in Sevierville, TN. Admission price $5.00.

It's a shame this is taking place on Wednesday, as I, and many other church going folks, will not be able to attend. I love to hear the Hoppers though. Kim Greene Hopper has one of the strongest and best voices in all of Southern Gospel music. And, even though the Hoppers are a big time group, they still minister during their concerts and are always very spirit filled and bring a lot of excitement.

So, anyways, if you are able to make it out to the Sevier County fair, make sure you hop over and listen to the Hoppers!

Directions to the Sevier County Fair.

Here's to the preacher

2008-08-23T06:00:00.002-04:00

Another great video posted by Ark Studios. The song, Here's To The Preacher, is written and sang by Tommy Spencer. It conveys the feelings of thousands of folks that loved preacher Mull. The video was shot at my parent's church, Union Baptist. My mother is singing in the choir on the 2nd row, 2nd from the right. She was proud to be part of this great tribute to preacher Mull.

Preacher Mull is one of the biggest influences in all of Southern Gospel music. As I sadly posted on the day of his death, Rev. Jacob Bazzel Mull was a true Christian business man and follower of Christ. His name will forever be synonymous with Southern Gospel music.

I also posted a tribute to him a year after his death. It details his life and also includes his obituary. It is hard to believe that it has already been nearly 2-years since he passed away. I still miss him.

Remembering Won by One

2008-08-21T18:05:00.000-04:00

This Knoxville based group started out as a trio. In August of 1994, Tenor-Greg Shockley, Lead-Clayton Inman, and Baritone-David Jenkins, made their debut appearance as 'Won by One.' The next year they won the coveted, Singing News Horizon Group Award for 1995. They continued on as a trio for the next 4-years, delighting Southern Gospel fans of all ages. Then, in 1999, they smartly added Bass singer, Bob Caldwell, and rose to the ranks of one of the greatest quartets of the day.

The Singing News cover on the left, was from August 1999. In that issue they were booked solid all across the United States. Singing in Hueytown, AL to Lake Charles, LA and everywhere in between. Their number one (June 1999) smash hit single, 'King Jesus,' was sitting in the 10th spot on the Top 80 Chart. They quickly followed up with another hit song, 'Dead Man Walking,' which was written by David Jenkins. It looked like there was no stopping this awesome quartet.

The article from the Singing News had the following statement; "As they step into the future with great anticipation, Won By One has one common goal: they want to remain in the center of God's will as they continue and unmistakable sound of seamless harmony that has stood strong for five years, without so much as even a membership change."

Sadly, that didn't last very long. A year later, Greg Shockley left the group and was replaced by Nic Holland. Two year's later, Bob Caldwell and Clayton Inman left the group to pursue other opportunities. Inman went on to join his buddy, Eric Bennett, former bass with the Kingdom Heirs, to form a new group called, 'Integrity Quartet,' which was later changed to 'Triumphant Quartet.' Caldwell spent more time at home and did some bus driving work for the popular Morristown, TN trio, Greater Vision. He also made a few guest appearances with various groups. To my knowledge, he isn't singing with anyone as of this writing.

Won by One continued on as a Trio for 2 more years, changing out the Tenor position a couple of times and a new lead, Chris Whitaker. They never did achieve the success that they once had, and in 2004 they disbanded. Founding member, David Jenkins, lasted throughout the entire history of the group and in July 2005 went on to sing baritone for a trio out of Dayton Ohio, called 'New Life.' I'm not sure what he is doing currently.

I would love to see the group name, Won by One, be used again. Maybe Greg and David could resurrect it! Probably just wishful thinking...

Hooked on Faith 3

2008-08-21T08:30:00.000-04:00

While Faith 3 is not a Knoxville based Southern Gospel group, I stumbled across them via Knoxville's Ark Studio's website. This trio of ladies was featured on their Southern Style Praise program. I think they have a great sound and I've been singing the song, Brand New Mansion, from the video below ever since I heard it. Give them a listen and I bet you'll be hooked too!

Visit Faith 3's website.

Visit their MySpace page.

Attention Southern Gospel Groups - DVD's needed!

2008-08-20T22:00:00.000-04:00

Gospel USA, a popular program on BBB Communications Cable Channel 12 in Oak Ridge, needs your Gospel DVD's!

Gospel USA is one of Channel 12's most popular programs. They feature 24 hours a week of GREAT Southern Gospel Music from such national groups as The Crabb Family, Gold City, Michael Combs, The Martins, Legacy Five and The Talley Trio, just to name a few. Plus hometown favorites like The McKamey's a well known national group based in Clinton. And don't forget local groups like The Evans Family, Dave Raby, New Direction and 5-Star Jubilee.

It's a great two hours of live programming starting every weekday morning at 6am until 8am and then a replay from 9am to 11am, and Sunday's from 7am - 9am with the replay from 12pm until 2pm. The host takes requests, announcements, and of course prayer requests.

Gospel USA can be seen in Roane County (Harriman, Kingston, Rockwood, Midtown) Anderson County (Oak Ridge, Clinton, Oliver Springs, Norris, Lake City) Morgan County (Oakdale)

So help spread the gospel message by sending your latest DVD to the station:

BBB Communications
170 Randolph Road
Oak Ridge, TN 37830

http://www.bbbtv12.com/

New Florida Boys Debut in Pigeon Forge

2008-08-19T23:10:00.000-04:00

You just thought that the Florida Boys had retired. Nope, they are now under the ownership of legendary Southern Gospel music promoter, Charlie Waller. They aren't in Florida anymore either. They are now based in Pigeon Forge, TN and will be singing 6-nights a week. Press release here.

Their debut performance is tomorrow, Aug. 20 at 7:30 p.m at the Showplace Dinner Theater in Pigeon Forge, TN. Shows at the theater are Monday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $22 for adults and $11 for children 12 and under. Discounts are available for groups and tour buses. For more information, call (877) 333-9330. Or visit the Florida Boy's website.

“We are so excited to be able to bring our show to Pigeon Forge on a regular basis,” Waller said. “This is a tremendous opportunity for a quartet to get a chance to entertain for the receptive audiences that visit the Smokies. We are going to bring folks a little bit of everything, hand clappers, tear jerkers, and songs that will leave a smile on their faces and joy in their hearts. How else can you leave them when you are singing about Jesus?”

I'd like to wish Charlie Waller and all of the Florida Boys much success in this new endeavour. I hope they sell a million tickets and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to millions!

Waller's Last Stand?

2008-08-19T22:40:00.000-04:00

If you attended this years Grand Ole Gospel Reunion, then you know that the last words that came out of Charlie Waller's mouth concerning the continuation of the GOGR was, "I just don't know...maybe by January I'll know something, but right now...I just don't know." A quick follow up to that statement, Buddy Burton, asked how many people would commit to coming back next year and selling one package to someone. A few folks clapped in agreement, at which Waller jokingly said, "seven...seven people would be willing to do that."

I've only been to the last two GOGR's, last year as a birthday present from my mother, and this year as a birthday present from my mother and my aunt. I can honestly say that it was worth every penny that they spent! ;) Seriously, for less than $20.00 a night, to see some of the best Southern Gospel groups in the world, it is a basement bargain. Which leads me to wonder how Charlie is able to put on such a show? I don't know what rent costs at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium, I imagine it's not cheap. I also don't know how much he pays the singing groups probably not outlandish because of the number of folks that grace the stage, but still has to be a lot of money going out. The city of Knoxville states that the GOGR draws around 700 people. I know some of those folks purchase the VIP package, which is $595.00 per person, which includes 3 nights stay at the Marriott ($130.00 per night) and tickets to the concerts and events (which adds up to about $100 bucks total) so I'm not sure how much money Charlie actually clears from all of this. With everything else in the world going up, I have to wonder if he is breaking even? But, what do I know? I'm certainly not a big time promoter.

So the question still remains, will the GOGR continue on? Waller hinted around at possibly ending on the 25th anniversary, but who knows? He said that he should know something in January. Is he biding his time to see if the new Florida Boys will catch on at the Smoky Mtn Showplace Theatre in Pigeon Forge? Sorta weighing out his options? I guess only time will tell. One thing is for sure, in order to put on a show like the GOGR, you have to fill the seats. That's where we come in as fans of Southern Gospel music. We have to be willing to attend events like this and spend our money. I'd sure hate to see the GOGR end.

Triumphant Quartet Caught On Tape!

2008-08-19T21:30:00.000-04:00

I just recently discovered Southern Gospel Tube. Just as the name implies, it is an alternative to YouTube, only it is for Southern Gospel music videos! This is the most awesome site that I have ran across in a long, long time! Tons of old and new videos of some of my very favorite SG groups, including, the Kingsmen, Inspirations, Happy Goodmans, Cathedrals and the list goes on and on. I even found the excellent video below of Triumphant Quartet doing 'Don't Let the Sandals Fool Ya.'

Check out http://www.southerngospeltube.com/