SouthernGospelBlog.com

In a thread on the Singing News forums discussing the perennial topic, revisited every decade for generations, of whether Southern Gospel is in decline, one poster posits that Southern Gospel is in decline because the major groups’ lineups are not as consistent. Though that’s somewhat of a chicken-or-egg situation, is group turnover faster than it used to be?

So I analyzed the question poster andygood posited: How many of this year’s artists have had a lineup change in the last two years, compared to in the 1990s?

Of the 55 artists on the mainstage at this year’s NQC:

• No change in past two years (27): Blackwood Brothers, Booth Brothers, Chuck Wagon Gang, Collingsworth Family, Down East, Original Couriers, Crist Family(?), Dove Brothers, Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, HisSong(?), Hoppers (change at piano, not in members on CD cover), Isaacs, Ivan Parker, Janet Paschal, Karen Peck & New River, Kingdom Heirs, Legacy Five, Lesters(?), Mark Bishop, Paid In Full, Pfeifers(?), Primitives(?), Priority(?), Reggie Saddler Family(?), Talley Trio, Triumphant Quartet, Whisnants
• No change in past year (9): Dixie Echoes, Greater Vision, Greenes, Jeff & Sheri Easter, Naomi & The Segos, Ricky Atkinson & Compassion, Soul’d Out, Specks, Tribute Quartet
• One change in past year (7): Brian Free & Assurance, Diplomats(?), Kingsmen, Mark Trammell Trio, McKameys, Mike & Kelly Bowling(?), Perrys
• Multiple changes in past year (5): Dixie Melody Boys (probably), Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Gaither Vocal Band, Gold City, Inspirations
• Unsure (4): Browders, Hunters, Roarks, Skyline Boys

I asked a friend who knows practically everything about Southern Gospel for a mid-1990s lineup. He had a 1998 list handy, so of the 67 artists that appeared that year, here are the 1998 stats:

• No change in past two years (18): Bishops, Booth Bros, Cathedrals, Crabb Family(?), Eva Mae LeFevre, Greater Vision, Howard & Vestal Goodman, Isaacs(?), Jeff & Sheri Easter(?), JD Sumner & Stamps, Kingdom Heirs, Martins, McKameys, Perrys, Pfeifers, Primitives, Reggie Sadler Family(?), Whisnants
• No change in past year (1): Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver,
• One change in past year (10): Anchormen(at least), Brian Free & Assurance(?), Dixie Echoes (if we count Stewart Varnado’s joining NQC weekend), Dixie Melody Boys (at least 1), Freemans, Gaither Vocal Band, Greenes (unless TaRanda joined after NQC), Hoppers (unless Childress/Denice Hopper switch was post-NQC), Inspirations (unless the Hutchins/Campbell switch was post-NQC), Melody Boys (unless Kramer/Raines switch was post-NQC)
• Multiple changes in past year (8): Florida Boys (if Gene McDonald had joined by convention—if not, 1), Gold City (pianists),  Karen Peck & New River (depending on when band left), Kingsmen, Nelons, Palmetto State Qt (unless the lineup restructure was pre-NQC ‘97), Poet Voices, Specks
• Unsure (31): James Blackwood Qt, Calvarymen, Crossmen, Cumberland Boys, Gospel Harmony Boys, Hayes Family, Hunts, Heavenbound, Heartland Boys, Homeland Quartet, Jericho, Kevin Spencer Family, Lesters, McGruders, McKeithens, Melody Boys, Men of Music, Naomi & Segos, Perfect Heart, Perry Sisters, Ruppes, Singing Ambassadors, Singing Cookes, Songfellows, Speer Family, Squire Parsons Trio, Steeles, Tony Gore & Majesty, Torchmen, Weatherfords, Wilburns

I’d appreciate clarification on the groups that I’m uncertain about, but even from this limited data, it is safe to say that the rumors of Southern Gospel’s demise are greatly exaggerated.

I hope Southern Gospel radio never goes away.

Testimonies abound about how people were introduced to the genre through radio. And, though fewer, there are testimonies out there about how people were introduced to the Lord through hearing a Southern Gospel song over the airwaves.

So this post is strictly hypothetical—a hypothetical situation I hope never transpires.

But here’s the question. Should we reach a point where 50% or fewer of Southern Gospel fans are within reach of a radio station, what online or other methods might we see groups using to introduce new projects to current and potential fans?

Of course, this discussion doesn’t really require the hypothetical. That’s because it’s probably fair to say that at least 25% of Southern Gospel fans already live outside the reach of a primarily-Southern Gospel station. But I believe the hypothetical helps frame the issue better.

There are a number of options.

Streaming 30-second sound clips. Virtually every group already does this. It’s a convenient way for someone who has already come across a group’s music to find a specific song they heard on the radio or in concert. Also, it’s a way for someone who likes a current CD to see if they would like the older material—or for someone who came across an oldie to see what they think of a current lineup.

What it isn’t is a way to bring in new fans. And that’s due to the nature of the genre. Thirty-second clips might mean more in a genre where it’s mostly about the music, but in this genre, it’s mostly about the message, and thirty seconds generally isn’t enough to really get a grasp for the message and delivery of a song.

Perhaps more than in other genres, Southern Gospel depends on the artist/fan connection—that the artist delivers lyrics a fan can relate to in a way that persuades the fan that they’ve been through a similar experience. And thirty seconds just isn’t enough to build that bond.

Streaming a complete song. This is an option we’re starting to see more often. Many groups are open to it, and I haven’t any trouble finding groups willing to feature a single (complete) song for streaming on this site’s relatively new mp3 player.

Streaming a complete project. This is something we rarely see—though two examples this week helped prompt this post. The idea was already percolating in the back of my mind, but pondering those two stories helped the scattered thoughts congeal into something readable.

Offering a complete project for free download. With the cost of producing projects running into the tens of thousands of dollars, I just don’t see this as becoming normative at any point. It might work as a good one-time publicity move for a new group—Daybreak Quartet being a recent example. But groups will not be able to make giving projects away a regular practice unless they come up with an entirely different model for funding both the studio time and the rest of their ministry. Not that that’s impossible, but it would require quite a bit of creativity.

Offering a single song for free download. This could be the future. Granted, labels, songwriters, and all other creative content owners would have to either give permission or be properly compensated. Provided the group has a track record of including several songs as good as the free track on the project, this would spur the group’s current fans on to prioritize purchasing the new project. And it would give potential fans an opportunity to give the group a test drive, to see if they like the song’s message and the group’s soundtracks and vocals enough to make it worth the $10-$15 for a project.

It might make sense to make free downloads available for a limited time (say a week), coupled with a limited-time special pricing for the complete project. This would limit response for the first and second times around, but would in the long term spur more listeners to subscribe to the group’s mailing lists to hear when the new single comes out.

Some groups may focus on hosting the song downloads on their site; others, especially those with smaller fan bases, may want to make the download available to a variety of news websites and blogs, in the hopes of attracting new listeners.

Likely enough, the solution for the future won’t be one-size-fits-all. But some of these avenues should help Southern Gospel grow in a future where either radio shrinks or the fan base grows in areas where radio still doesn’t cover.

Thanks to their Facebook page, we’ve known unofficially for a few weeks that the Blackwood Brothers were going to be signing with Daywind. Now it’s official; Jimmy Blackwood and the Blackwood Brothers are now a part of Daywind.

The record deal will include a project, to be released this fall, commemorating the group’s 75th Anniversary. Daywind’s Norman Holland stated: “What an honor to be a part of history. Blackwood Brothers’ music and songs are what established what we now know as Southern Gospel music. We are honored to pay tribute to this remarkable group and its heritage and on their 75th anniversary.”

The group today consists of James Blackwood’s son Jimmy Blackwood on lead, Wayne Little on tenor, Randy Byrd on bass, and Brad White singing baritone and playing piano.

Jimmy Blackwood stated: “We are gathering material for our first recording on the Daywind label and we are honored to be joining their roster of today’s top Gospel singers and to be associated with their outstanding team of writers and musicians. I pray that our efforts will be pleasing to the Lord, a blessing to all who listen, and that we would make my daddy proud.”

What should we call groups that are not one of Southern Gospel’s nationally known recording artists to distinguish them from the groups that are?

Of course, we must start this discussion by realizing that the line is blurred, and there are always artists in AAA, big league quality but one step away.

But when I’m writing a review of an artist that is indisputably good but not nationally known (recent examples: Daybreak Quartet, Shiloh Mountain Trio), oft-times I’m at a loss for words for what to call them. “Regional” seems to be the most common term, but it’s not strictly correct; a number of regionally known groups travel across 8-12 different states on a consistent basis, and the national groups often don’t go much further.

“Semi-pro” is a term used in other fields, but it implies a lower level of professionalism which is true of some groups but decidedly not true of others.

In CCM, the term “indie” is frequently used. And there’s some merit to the term: Though there are a few exceptions, practically every major group is or has been on a major label. Groups like the Dixie Echoes that might be independent but nationally known now came to prominence on major labels.

On this blog, I want to be accurate without demeaning. I’d like to use a term where if someone stumbles across the website without any prior knowledge of the genre (and this happens), they can understand which groups are nationally known and which aren’t. At least for the purposes of this blog—and to some extent, in our wider discussions elsewhere—which term is best?

In this genre, with how common encores are, we often take them for granted. “Encore,” as used in the patois of Southern Gospel music, refers to a turnaround, a repeat of a final verse and chorus. Typically, since most groups use soundtracks, encores are arranged and recorded in advance; sometimes but not always (depending on the group), they are performed by default.

Though most Southern Gospel groups will encore songs that get a good response, there are a few exceptions, most memorably Jake Hess. After years of doing encores with the Statesmen, when he started his own group, the Imperials, in 1964, one of the rules he made for the group was that they would never do an encore. He thought that if a song didn’t get all the response it deserved the first time through, a second time wouldn’t help things.

What place do (or should) encores have in our genre?

I’m personally in favor of (at least some) encores, though I think they may be over-used.  They are best when there is some spontaneity involved—i.e., the Perrys encoring “Who am I,” “God Walks the Dark Hills,” or “Did I Mention” acapella, or Arthur Rice holding a note nearly forever, before the band kicks in for an encore of “What We Needed.”

What do you think?

A number of fans and industry types have observed that the term “Southern Gospel” isn’t a particularly accurate brand. It’s a geographical distinctive, but it’s far from accurate. After all, the greatest group of the last quarter-century hailed from Stow, Ohio, and the most popular group today hails from Alexandria, Indiana.

A few years ago, there was an attempt to brand the genre as American Gospel Music, but that didn’t catch on, because it didn’t really say anything about the music that wasn’t true of certain other Christian genres.

How about Conservative Christian Music?

“Conservative” is more descriptive of the nature of the music and the nature of the genre than either “American Gospel” or “Southern Gospel.” Of course, conservative is often understood in the political sense, and a number of individuals in the industry are not politically conservative (though most are). And groups that pursue progressive arrangements probably wouldn’t care to be labeled “progressive conservative Gospel Music.”

If “Conservative Christian Music” is adopted, the genre’s acronym would be CCM, which is the current acronym for a neighboring genre, Contemporary Christian Music. That’s a minus in my opinion, but an industry friend pointed out that that’s a plus for some, since many feel that the contemporary world “kind of hijacked” Christian music and watered it down.

So I proposed another alternative, Conservative Gospel Music. My friend observed that Southern has been associated with Gospel for so long that “Conservative Gospel Music sort of says ’southern’ parenthetically.” He thought this might be a minus, but I could see where having some connection to the current name might be a plus.

Of course, if neither of those quite works, we could always reclaim a brand Bill Gaither is credited with starting, a brand CCM largely abandoned about ten years ago. Plus, it brings to mind a certain style, which Southern Gospel artists like the Collingsworth Family, Greater Vision, and the Perrys are far closer to than anything else in Christian music. Inspirational.

I had intended yesterday’s post as a standalone post. But something came up in the comments which comes up frequently enough that it deserves its own discussion.

Nobody really disputes that a singer/songwriter can bring a passion to their song that’s hard to match, since they’ve lived the lyrics.

But can it be done? Can an artist who has been down a similar path, with similar life experiences, bring the same pathos and enthusiasm as the original songwriter?

My personal opinion: It’s rare but possible. I think of someone like George Younce singing “Thanks to Calvary” (which, admittedly, the Gaithers wrote from his life experiences) or “Sinner Saved by Grace,” or Libbi Perry Stuffle singing “I Will Find You Again,” or Bryan Hutson singing “When God Ran.” So I think it can be done.

Songwriter Daryl Williams posted an insightful column over at SoGospelNews about singer/songwriters in Southern Gospel Music. One thing he said, in particular, caught my eye:

There are still a few artists out there today that deliver their own great material, but not near as many as we had in the past. There is something special about hearing the songwriter sing their own song.

Is this quantifiably true?

Are there fewer good singer/songwriters then there used to be? Of course, we have prolific songwriters like Bill Gaither, Rodney Griffin, Joseph Habedank, Jim Brady, Mark Bishop, and Scotty Inman at the forefront, who frequently are supplying groups other than their own with material regularly, and we also have less prolific writers like Ernie Haase, Misty Freeman, Dustin Sweatman, Sheryl Farris, McCray Dove, Ernie Haase, Gary Casto, and Kim Collingsworth.

Fortunately, singer/songwriters are still a major part of the genre. But are they less so now then they used to be?

I’m slow to adopt new technologies. I didn’t even get a CD player until the late 90s, and I wasn’t online until 2003 or so.

Honestly, I’ve yet to really warm to the idea behind Twitter: Expressing what’s on your mind in 140 characters or less. (That won’t surprise this site’s regular readers. A 140-word-post is a short post for me.)

Anyhow, I do have a Twitter account to follow a couple of artists’ tweets. I typically log in once every few weeks. Anyhow, one recent post from last night caught my eye. Michael English said:

I must say Wes Hampton is my fav. Singer now.

That’s interesting both as illustrative of what you might notice on Twitter that you wouldn’t see elsewhere, and (of course) it’s a fascinating and thought-provoking statement on its own.

(Wes Hampton’s reply: “I NEVER would have DREAMED M.E. would say that about me.We’ve talked whole way home about how much we love u & admire your vox!“)

Kyle Boreing makes an interesting observation—four of the five song clips he’s listened to on the Oak Ridge Boys’ latest CD are in the key of E. David Bruce Murray adds that on four consecutive songs on Brian Free and Assurance’s latest CD are in the key of D.

They pose the question of which other albums do this, but I think a far more interesting question is why. I think the answer is fairly simple. Some of this happens at random, but many song key decisions are based on the singer’s ranges. Chances are that Jeremy Lile of Brian Free and Assurance has a lot of confidence and a pleasing vocal tone at the low D, Bill Shivers is comfortable at the D above middle C, and Brian Free is comfortable at the F-sharp above that. Ditto with the Oak Ridge Boys a key higher, except that I think it may be that their bass is comfortable at low E and their tenor is often singing E above middle C.

Professional singers do pay attention to these sorts of things. One tenor singer, for example, has told me that he keys his signature song in the fairly obscure key of F-sharp because the third above F-sharp (A-sharp/B-flat) is the power note in the song, and B-flat is his personal strongest power note.

Now some groups may have a tenor who is confident at high A-flat and a bass who’s happiest at D. They would probably have more variety in their arrangements. But when groups are fortunate enough that their singers all click in the same key, don’t be surprised to see them using that key (and its fourth and fifth, e.g., A, D, and E) frequently.