Worth Knowing

• The Gospel Music Association has announced that the Hoppers will be inducted into their Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will be August 14th.
• Long-time NQC emcee Buck Morton’s wife Annette passed away last Saturday.
• Former Sego Brothers & Naomi member Lamar Sego, the last surviving Sego brother, also passed away last Saturday. In recent years, his sister-in-law Naomi Sego Reader has continued the group as Naomi and the Segos.
• Radio promoter Donna Beauvais King will be leaving Daywind at the end of the month to focus on the artists associated with her own promotions company, Vertical Sky. She will be replaced by Southern Gospel soloist Taj Rohr.

Worth Watching

Here’s an in-the-studio sneak peek of a new Mark Bishop song:

Worth Discussing

It’s open thread Saturday—you decide!

Worth Knowing

• On Tuesday, Tim Surrett’s bluegrass group, Balsam Range, launched a new membership program, Balsam Nation.
• Paul’s Journey has hired Joe Kitson as their new lead singer. He has previously sung with the Dixie Melody Boys, the Toney Brothers, Statement of Faith, and In the Vine. The group has also hired Dodd Meadows to add vocals and instrumentation and help run sound.
• Scott Godsey, who produced Legacy Five’s recent “Ask Me Why” concept video, has launched a media and marketing agency, Godsey & Associates.
• Danny Funderburk’s father, Bill Funderburk, passed away on Wednesday. He was 82; his health had been declining for some time, and he had suffered a heart attack last month.
• Channing Eleton’s mother, Janice Eleton, passed away this week after a long battle with cancer (hat tip, DBM).
• Ryan Seaton’s quartet, Union Street, has launched a Kickstarter campaign to attempt to fund their debut album.

Worth Watching

Worth Discussing

It’s open thread Saturday—you decide!

Worth Knowing

• Doyle Lawson’s mother passed away several days ago at age 96; the funeral was on Wednesday. On his Facebook page, Doyle commented: “I and my family thank you from the depths of our hearts. Mom was one of the most loving and caring people I have ever or ever will know. She would have been 97 in July. God gave a long life and I had her for 68 years. Lots of people are not so fortunate. The best part is that I know she crossed over to a place prepared for all who believe will share. God’s blessings be with you all.”
• Matt Felts has released a project of Civil War hymns, Angels on the Battlefield. He brought in Nashville studio musicians playing period instruments and an all-star cast of guest vocalists. It was released to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the conflict, and is scheduled to be carried by National Parks across America, Best Buy, and Borders. More information (and several complete song previews) are here.

Worth Watching

Here’s a video of the Weatherfords in 1957, before Henry Slaughter came on board. (George Houston was at the piano.) Yes, that is a young Glen Payne on lead and a young Armond Morales on bass.

Worth Discussing

It’s open thread Saturday—you decide!

Worth Knowing

• The Dove Awards were given out on Thursday in Atlanta. Because they will be televised, the Gospel Music Association has not published a list of winners yet. However, from social media, here are some winners pertinent to Southern Gospel:
• Jason Crabb won Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year. No, that is not just Southern Gospel artist. That is overall artist of the year. He is the first Southern Gospel nominee in decades to be thus recognized.
• Long Form Recorded Video of the Year: Fear Not Tomorrow, The Collingsworth Family. Some Dove Awards make no sense. This one does. The DVD, reviewed here, is one of the two strongest Southern Gospel DVDs released since the turn of the century (the other being Greater Vision’s Live at First Baptist Atlanta.) For most Southern Gospel DVDs, where an orchestra appears, it’s on a soundtrack. This one had a live orchestra in addition to a stellar live band.
• Southern Gospel Recorded Song of the Year: “Celebrate Me Home,” The Perrys. Also very deserving.
• Country Song of the Year: “Good Things are Happening,” Karen Peck & New River
• Country Album of the Year: Dreaming Wide Awake, Doug Anderson
• Bluegrass Recorded Song of the Year: “Mama’s Teaching Angels How to Sing,” The Isaacs, Naturally
• Bluegrass Album of the Year: Remembering the Rambos, Grassroots Rambos (i.e. Rambo McGuire)
• Southern Gospel Album of the Year: Reach Out (Karen Peck & New River)
• Instrumental Album of the Year: Unfailing Love: 20 Worship Songs of Comfort and Peace (Stan Whitmire)
• Jim Brady and Mark Trammell have joined the National Quartet Convention’s Board of Directors.
• The Greenes (formerly the Tim Greene Trio) have added a new tenor, Keith Skiles, and a new baritone, Jason Gordon.
• The second-round Singing News Fan Awards ballot is now open.

Worth Reading

• Danny Jones has an incredibly funny story about Loren Harris singing in his sleep.
• Debbie Bennett has posted an extensive update.

Worth Watching

Worth Discussing

It’s open thread Saturday—you decide!

Worth Knowing

• The Harper Family, featured in last week’s video of the week, has signed with Crossroads’ Pisgah Ridge label.
• Blackwood Quartet tenor Tim Williams has been diagnosed with Temporal Arteris. In a Facebook status update, the group commented that it has left him with “terrible headaches” and requested prayer for healing.

Worth Reading

• Check out WZZK’s featured artist article on Gold City (hat tip, CH).

Worth Watching

Also worth watching: Singing News’ backstage look into the making of Legacy Five’s upcoming concept video. Will it prove the truism that making-of videos are every bit as interesting and sometimes more interesting than the finished product?

Worth Discussing

It’s open thread Saturday—you decide!

Worth Knowing

• The Dixie Melody Boys have launched a Hall of Fame page on their website highlighting notable members. Of particular interest to Southern Gospel LP collectors who digitize their old albums: It includes cover art for many old DMB albums.
• Remember the Jody Brown Indian Family? Here’s what Stephanie (Brown) Scragg is doing lately: A popcorn business with her husband, former Karen Peck and New River drummer Dale Scragg. (Hat tip, Dean.)
• This year’s AbsolutelyGospel Music Awards will be next Tuesday, April 10. The awards ceremony will be played on Sirius/XM’s enLighten nightly from April 13-15.
• Liberty Quartet has reissued God’s Been Faithful (reviewed here) with vocals from new lead singer Doug Wiley (interviewed here).

Worth Reading

Worth Discussing

It’s open thread Saturday—you decide!

Worth Knowing

• The Mark Trammell Quartet’s “I Want To Know” hit the top of the Singing News weekly chart. (Side note: This is also the first instance I’ve seen in the wild of a group highlighting a Singing News weekly #1 on their website.)
• Of interest to artists: Sirius/XM wants to dissolve SoundExchange.
• UPDATE, 2 P.M.: Brandon Reese confirmed on the Kingsmen Fan Club Facebook page that Ernie Phillips’ last concert filling in at tenor was last Sunday; he said a new tenor is in the works.

Worth Reading

• Eaton & Murray’s take on the new Anchormen album.
• Legacy Five members share the greatest lessons they’ve learned since joining the group.
• Diana Brantley’s review of the Rebels Quartet re-debut concert (with videos!) Here’s Brian Fuson’s take.
• Off topic but also worthwhile: R.C. Sproul Jr.’s musings after a fiftieth-anniversary celebration.

Worth Watching

We haven’t had a Dixie Echoes song in a while:

Worth Discussing

It’s open thread Saturday—you decide!

Worth Knowing

• 

  The Old Paths with Chris White (left to right: Tim Rackley, Jeremy Peace, Chris White, Daniel Ashmore, Doug Roark)

  Crossroads has signed The Old Paths to a long-term recording agreement (video).
• The Booth Brothers recently taped a video at Gaither Studios. They “sat down with Bill to discuss music, life, family and their faith. After their interview, they all gathered around the piano with Bill to enjoy a little impromptu harmonizing.” They have posted a photo gallery here. (Hat Tip, TGF)
• Jeff and Sheri Easter are hosting a contest on their Twitter account, with a prize package gained once they add 1,000 new followers.
• The Mark Trammell Quartet had a bus fire last week; since it was confined to a bay, thankfully, they only have to replace a wiring harness, several air conditioners, and some wiring. They’re expecting that the bus will be back on the road within a few days.

Worth Reading

• In a first for Southern Gospel, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound debuted an online Magazine on Issuu.
• Worship Leader Magazine interviews Bill Gaither.
• Off-topic but also worthwhile: Bruce Ware on Psalm 2 (video). It’s the best response to Rob Bell and The Shack that I’ve seen to date—largely because the focus is on the glory and majesty of the truth, not on the magnitude of the error.

Worth Watching

Home video footage of the Cathedrals is rare enough to make any discovery a particular delight. Here’s a November 1991 rendition of “Wedding Music”:

Worth Discussing

It’s open thread Saturday—you decide!

Worth Knowing

• The Akins are looking for a new drummer.
• The Mark Trammell Quartet had an electrical fire on their bus. Though it was contained to one compartment, it did impact the generator and two air conditioning units. They posted a photo of a fireman and fire truck at the bus here. 
• StowTown records has arranged for their first end-cap in a major Christian retail chain; it features the new Collingsworth Family and Signature Sound records. (See photo on right.)
• They might not have a permanent tenor yet, but the Kingsmen do have a new bus driver. Daniel Branscum has been driving for the group since October, and was officially hired full-time last month.
• AbsolutelyGospel has announced the full list of performers and presenters for the 2012 Absolutely Gospel Music Awards. The awards will be held and streamed online on Tuesday, April 10th.
• Jaidyn’s Call has changed their name to Debra Perry & Jaidyn’s Call. Debra, Libbi Perry Stuffle’s sister, sang with the Perrys for eighteen years.
• West Coast concert promoter Jim Arneson was killed in a tragic car accident. His son, Thory, was injured and remains in critical condition.
• The Dove Brothers have joined Twitter.

Worth Reading

• AbsolutelyGospel has an excellent interview with Bryan Hutson of Soul’d Out Quartet.
• For several years, Legacy Five has made the story of the salvation of Hanna (a Muslim girl) and Patty (her mother) a centerpiece of their live concerts. Check out this testimony of another member of the family.
• Off-topic but also worthwhile: When Should Christians Engage in Civil Disobedience? and Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God?

Worth Watching

If you missed Thursday’s post, the final Statesmen performance, watch that video now!

Worth Discussing

It’s open thread Saturday—you decide!

Worth Knowing

• The Gospel Music Association is promoting the April 19th Dove Awards show by offering a free download sampler of several nominated songs, here. (The version I downloaded included Brian Free & Assurance’s song “Never Walk Alone.” I don’t know if different readers get different songs.) Their publicist also compiled a Spotify playlist of the Southern Gospel nominees for SouthernGospelBlog.com readers, here.
• Daywind distributed a press release yesterday announcing that Rick Shelton has been named Vice-President of Daywind Music Publishing. They have also hired Stephen Duncan as Creative Director; Duncan will focus on expanding Daywind Music Publishing’s role into Praise & Worship, Adult Contemporary, and Christian hit radio.
• The Crist Family has launched a polls feature on their website. They plan to offer a mixture of light-hearted and more serious poll questions. The first one is definitely light-hearted, asking what color alto singer Breana Crist should dye her hair in her upcoming wedding!
• Signature Sound will return to sing the National Anthem at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 night race on Sunday, Sept. 2. The press release quotes Haase as saying: “Doug, Ian, Devin and I are so excited to be coming back to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the third year running.” Pianist Wayne Haun, who has provided a fifth vocal, was not named; it’s not clear whether they will be doing a four-voice arrangement. (Hat tip, Josh.)

Worth Reading

• Check out new Southern Gospel blogger The View from The Pew.
• R.C. Sproul Jr. offers a thought-provoking take on whether Christians should love this country.
• Dan Wallace asks if we should love the Muslims as our neighbors—even the ones who want to kill us. He reminds us that Jesus loved those who sought to kill (and did kill) Him.

Worth Watching

Tribute Quartet has launched a new section to their website, Tribute TV, with several behind-the-scenes videos. Check them out here!

Worth Discussing

It’s open thread Saturday—you decide!