Wednesday, November 16, 2005

SolidGospel.com

I wanted to be a gospel singer. On the big stage. I still dream about it. My first taste of live Southern Gospel music was at the Hughes Center. The Rambos and the Galileans. Then Robinson Auditorium with the Goodmans and the Hinsons. Then Parsons Arena and the Cathedral Quartet. I've not been the same since.

Jubilee Quartet was pretty good. We sang in (mostly small) churches around the state for about 5 years. Michael Brashear was asked to be the baritone singer but had bigger things in mind so he suggested me. Some of the closest relationships I've ever known were with those guys who were total strangers. But we became so close because of our common love for gospel music and singing about Jesus.

We made some mistakes along the way. Like singing "I'm Getting Ready to Leave This World" when we sang on the same program as the Chuck Wagon Gang. That song was a staple for them. We should've let them sing it without there being a contest. We thought we sang them off the stage. We actually said that. Now, some folks don't appreciate Chuck Wagon Gang music but you have to respect them. I learned a good lesson from that.

We didn't make smooth transitions in personnel. I hope Johnny and George know I love them dearly. They taught me so much about being a quartet man. Things I'll never forget. I've been able to take much of those experiences into pastoral ministry.

I stood by Jack for most of those 5 years. I have deep respect for him. He's so down to earth and solid in the Lord. He and Becky are phenomenal business people - and they honor God.

In our very first performance we struggled terribly with a song and as the music died down Ricky said, "That's good enough." About a year later he told us that he had come to the point that he wanted to do his best for the Lord. I would still rather hear him sing the tenor line than just about anybody.

The original group consisted of three Free Will Baptists, one Assembly of God, and one Southern Baptist. We could have spent a lot of time debating doctrine but we decided Jesus was the common denominator so our uncommon denominations didn't matter. Oh, that God's church would take that point of view and work together to build up one another and reach the lost.

I'm listening to SolidGospel.com online. It's my kind of music. I'm really eclectic when it comes to music and I'm not one that has to have a certain kind of music in church. But given a choice, I'll almost always choose Southern Gospel. I was nominated for Favorite Syndicated Radio Program by the subscribers of The Singing News magazine. My program was Today In Gospel Music. That nomination ranks right up there with the time Joel Hemphill prayed for our quartet by name.

I sang in the quartet, did the radio program, and promoted Southern Gospel concerts. God has taken my life in different directions since then. But I miss it all. Songs about heaven, the blood, and Bible stories. The lyrics are often predictible and the harmony simple. But it's in my blood.

Thank you, Deed and Tuti, for making me sing the "special" almost every Sunday morning. I have a couple of hiding places when life gets hard: the Bible and Southern Gospel music.

I've been blessed to sing in person with a few of my heroes. But I can sing with any of them at any time...and often do.

My Southern Gospel heroes:
George Latham
Jack Hearrell
Johnny McCoy
Ricky Pruitt
Donnie Martin
Carri Corbitt
Ben Wiles
Tim Hayes
Joey Hannah
Larry Skinner
The Cathedral Quartet ("Live in Atlanta" is the greatest recording ever, any genre!)
The Kingsmen
Gold City
The Greenes
The Nelons
The Hemphills
Rueben Bean
Ed O'Neal
Rick Busby
The Bishops
Karen Peck
Jeff Stice
and a host of others...

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