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Just for fun, since I don’t have anything more serious on my mind today, I thought I would post my most embarrassing NQC moment.

Apparently (as I hear) at the urging of Blackwood Brothers bass singer Randy Byrd, my fellow blogger Aaron Swain put together an impromptu Southern Gospel Bloggers Quartet. He sings bass; the other three of us (David Bruce Murray, Nate Stainbrook, and yours truly) sing baritone or lead. We had no tenor.

Well, I believe my comfortable range is the highest, but it just as certainly is not a natural tenor. But I foolishly agreed to sing tenor anyhow.

So we stumbled through a rendition of Boundless Love. I did especially poorly; remember …that I was singing tenor and I’m not one. Anyhow, it was bad enough that the person in the booth next to our home base (the SouthernGospelForums booth) peeked through the curtain to see what the racket was.

Brian Free.

Here is a video Rich Crist took for the Crist Connect website:

The Inspirations’ new baritone, Donald Duck, who looks remarkably like their old baritone, Melton Campbell, was observed recording a radio liner yesterday:

The Ball Brothers have the most interesting NQC video of the week (so far). They make the case that the new Brian Free & Assurance CD is a home run. Literally.

Here’s a challenge for the groups exhibiting at NQC who may read this blog: Top that, let me know, and I’ll feature you here.

After seeing my April 1 post, a sent me this:

“Guyron, Martin’s Other Boy”

This morning, the Inspirations Quartet of Bryson City, NC announced the addition of multi-Grammy and Dove Award-winning artist Guy Penrod as their new lead singer. Penrod, who left the Gaither Vocal Band last year after over a decade with the group, had been at work on a solo recording; he will be doing some solo dates on days the Inspirations are not booked.

“His voice and contagious joy will be a blessing to our audiences,” said Inspirations pianist and manager Martin Cook, who added that Penrod graciously agreed to cut his hair in accordance with the group’s code of conduct. “And his passion for the Lord and for the Word of God will make him a welcome addition to the Inspirations family.”

* * *

When I posted that Guy Penrod was leaving the Gaither Vocal Band, you asked if it was April 1. Today it really is April 1.

I was serious then, but today…yes, I’m kidding.

I don’t have any serious posts in mind for the day, and I after a skim around Southern Gospel’s part of the web, I don’t see any stories of note either. So let’s take a break from serious posts and do something entirely off the wall.

This is an idea I got from Adam Edwards on Facebook, and the funny thing is…a few actually made sense!

The rules are pretty simple:

1. Put your mp3 player (iTunes, Windows Media Player, iPod, etc.) on shuffle / random.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. Write down that song name, no matter how silly it sounds.

IF SOMEONE SAYS ‘ARE YOU OKAY’ YOU SAY?
Climbing Up the Mountain – Speer Family

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Why Me – Gaither Homecoming Friends

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL
Where Could I Go – All American Quartet

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
Walk Right Out of This Valley – Gaither Homecoming Friends

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE MOTTO?
The Old Rugged Cross – Dixie Echoes

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Sunday Meetin’ Time – Cathedral Quartet

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
My Pilot – The Rambos

WHAT IS 2 + 2?
Danny Boy – Blue Ridge Quartet

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Some Good of Me – The Kingsmen

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
One of these Days – Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Through It All – Oak Ridge Quartet

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
I’m Standing on the Solid Rock – Florida Boys

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
His Response – Mercy’s Mark

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Only Jesus / Calvary’s Love – Steve Green

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
As it Was in the Days of Noah – Cathedrals (umm, ok…NOT!)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Stop and Pray – Blackwood Brothers

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
You Better Pray – EHSS

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
High Above This World – Chuck Wagon Gang

Let’s see your entries!

I recently purchased some LPs from a friend who had duplicates. He sent them through the U.S. Mail. Evidently the U.S. Customs and Border Protection / U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers thought Southern Gospel records must be suspicious, because they opened the box, apparently tearing the top off in the process. After they found only LPs (which, fortunately, they didn’t damage), they put the package in a massive and very official-looking box, taping the top of the old box on:

So did the Immigrations Officer think my friend had managed to fit an illegal alien into an LP-sized box?

Or maybe it’s just that he loved Southern Gospel and wanted to pirate copies for his mp3 player before the shipment continued on its way!

Blooper of the Day: Check out the interview of Kingsmen tenor Harold Reed with JoyFM / enLighten DJ Daniel Britt about how he memorably messed up “Look for Me at Jesus’ Feet”: http://www.danielbritt.com/blog/2009/02/videointerview-morning-joyride.html