UPDATE: Blackwood Gospel Quartet evidently not disbanding

UPDATE (10/10/08, 9:59 AM): Jennifer Blackwood, Mark’s wife, comments below:

Mark and Ron have done concerts together recently and there are plans to do more in the future. However, Mark has no plans to discontinue HIS group. It is funny how there is so much ditscussion here, yet no one has even asked the folks involved.

ORIGINAL POST: SoGospelNews recently posted a feature interview with Ron Blackwood of the Blackwood Singers / Blackwood Quartet. It’s a fascinating read, and has one particularly newsworthy item. Ron was asked to list the three Blackwood Groups in existence today, and in the process of so doing mentioned that there would soon be two:

There are 3 Blackwood Groups The Blackwood Quartet which is ME! and then My Cousin Jimmy Blackwood & The Blackwood Brothers and Mark Blackwood. Mark is joining me after the first of the year and will no longer have his group. We are all Family and work well together. I do all I can to help Jimmy and Mark. They are my Cousins and I love them.

Mark Blackwood has run the Blackwood Gospel Quartet for several years and sings baritone. Since Ron and R.W. Blackwood hold down the lead and baritone positions, with John Rulapaugh on tenor and Rick Fair on bass, it’s not immediately clear what part he will be singing. But it will be a little less confusing to have just two Blackwood groups.

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73 Responses to “UPDATE: Blackwood Gospel Quartet evidently not disbanding”

1. Paul says:

   October 15, 2008 at 1:25 pm

   Gospel Insider, I am NOT losing any sleep over this. Please don’t use comments such as “Stop confusing yourself.”
2. Paul says:

   October 15, 2008 at 1:26 pm

   Thank you for your comments Jennifer. This amazes me that there have been over 50 comments on this post!
3. Gospel Insider says:

   October 15, 2008 at 6:04 pm

   Paul, I never said that you were losing sleep over it. I said it seems that there was a lot losing sleep. That doesn’t name any one individual. Yet, for some reason you decided to speak for everyone and say that NO ONE was losing any sleep.

   I will no longer use comments such as “stop confusing yourself” as long as you stop speaking for everyone in the thread.
4. Paul says:

   October 15, 2008 at 11:06 pm

   I said “no one is losing sleep” because you said “There seems to be a lot of people losing sleep over this issue.” I mistakenly stated that no one was losing sleep when I should have said I. But at the same time I am not speaking for everyone in the thread, and I do not appreciate being told so. Final comment.
5. Gospel Insider says:

   October 15, 2008 at 11:51 pm

   Well, I appreciate you retracting your statement, because before you did so your comment suggested that you thought you could speak for everyone. Now we all know it was a mistake on your part and that you don’t believe that to be true. No harm done.
6. Daniel J. Mount says:

   October 16, 2008 at 5:14 am

   I believe that what Paul said was appropriate, not over the line, and probably intended to speak for himself.
7. Gospel Insider says:

   October 16, 2008 at 9:45 am

   Well, that’s obvious now Daniel. Seeing that he properly explained himself, I don’t see any reason why anyone would believe otherwise.
8. Paul says:

   October 16, 2008 at 1:40 pm

   Thank you.
9. RON says:

   October 16, 2008 at 6:52 pm

   Jennifer Blackwood, It would be nice if Mark himself would post. All we are hearing is here say…..
10. Paul says:

    October 16, 2008 at 7:07 pm

    I agree.
11. RON says:

    October 17, 2008 at 2:33 am

    wondering if anyone really knows who is in Mark’s group today? Wondering if they have a zipper on the group photo? or just change it say 2 times a yr weather it needs it or not?
    I just found another web page http://www.bgqmusic.com/
    I am a big Burman Porter fan, & there are several songs Burman is singing & Burman has not been with the group for sometime now belive? around 2 yrs.
12. RON says:

    October 17, 2008 at 4:52 am

    Does anyone know if Rick Fair is still with Ron Blackwood? I am not finding his photo on Ron’s web page. Unless I am not looking in the right places??
13. RON says:

    October 17, 2008 at 4:57 am

    I find it very strange why both Ron & Mark Blackwood cover up 2 great singers.
14. Brandon Coomer says:

    October 17, 2008 at 8:26 am

    #59, I wouldn’t call comments made by the man’s wife to be “here say”. Especially considering that Jennifer Blackwood is a longtime, if infrequent, poster to various SGM websites. By calling her comments hearsay, you are, by definition, saying that she is spreading rumors about her husband. Isn’t that a little rude?

    Besides, if anything, her comments are protected by spousal privilege and we, the JURY, should have to disregard her comments on those grounds, not that they are hearsay. (I watch way too much “Law & Order”.)
15. Paul says:

    October 17, 2008 at 8:51 am

    Ron, Rick is all over the Blackwoods website…ckeck out: http://www.theblackwoods.com/index.php/about-the-blackwoods/
16. Paul says:

    October 17, 2008 at 8:54 am

    Ron, as far as I know the group is Mark, his nephew Daniel, and Brad Smith…and of course they just lost Derrick Boyd…so I think the photo is pretty accurate. Good find when you found the new webiste: http://www.bgqmusic.com/index.html
17. RON says:

    October 17, 2008 at 9:41 am

    [edited] … Mark himself lets his wife handels everything……..
18. Paul says:

    October 17, 2008 at 10:14 am

    RON, I do know that Jen does take care of some things for Mark, but how do you know that she handles everything?
19. Mark Blackwood says:

    October 17, 2008 at 10:52 am

    I normally do not post on these blogs and message boards. However, in respect for Deon Unthank and our friendship I will comment on this issue. I will be sending a press release to SoGospelNews as well.

    There has been a lot of confusion about what happened with Ron and I and what was said in the SoGospelNews article. What transpired was a meeting between the two of us where we came up with what we thought was a good idea. The result was Ron and I working together, changing some personnel and changing the name of my group. What looked really good at the outset started looking a little shaky and between the time I talked with Deon and the time the article had been published, we changed our minds about our plans. The article was correct at the time it was made, but in the interim, the situation changed causing a lot of confusion.

    My relationship with the Unthanks is strong. We talk on the phone once or twice a week. My relationship with my cousin Ron is still very solid. What looked like a good idea got changed in mid-stream and caused a lot of confusion. I am look forward to continuing working for the Lord with the Blackwood Gospel Quartet. We will be honoring all present and future dates.

    I am more thrilled and excited with our current group than I have ever been. Brad Smith, David Mann and Dustin Bearden are all three extraordinary singers. We just had our photo shoot Wednesday and will be updating the website shortly.

    Check back with sogospelnews.com and bgqmusic.com for further updates.

    Cecil Mark Blackwood
20. SouthernGospelBlog.com » Blackwood Gospel Quartet staying on the road says:

    October 17, 2008 at 11:00 am

    [...] Blackwood of the Blackwood Gospel Quartet posted a comment clarifying his intentions as to the future of his group: I normally do not post on these blogs and [...]
21. Paul says:

    October 17, 2008 at 11:20 am

    Thanks Mark. I appreciate the update. Good luck with the group!
22. BGQ Staying On The Road « Burke’s Brainwork says:

    October 17, 2008 at 2:27 pm

    [...] blog about the Blackwood Gospel Quartet, Mark Blackwood has cleared up the confusion with a comment on Daniel’s post.  Mark and Jennifer are good people, and I continue to wish them nothing [...]
23. Daniel J. Mount says:

    October 20, 2008 at 7:13 am

    Comments are closed. Let’s keep future discussions as productive as possible. Thanks!