Weight From time to time, industry observers will discuss the weight of Southern Gospel performers in various blogs and forums. This typically takes the form of a complaint that a good number of Southern Gospel’s marquee performers are overweight, some dramatically so. This is not ideal, but the alternative...

Singing News posts top 10 nominees Singing News posted the top 10 nominees in the 2008 Fan Awards yesterday. Unfortunately, I’m on the road and can’t access the Singing News website for a direct link. But GVfan posted the nominees on the Singing News forums here. The only notable problem with the list is that only nine names are...

Singing News goes Digital Singing News posted on their home page today that they are now offering a digital version of the magazine to print subscribers. They are also offering digital-only subscriptions for $5 less per year ($15 instead of $20). This is a fascinating move that could have long-term significance for the genre. Singing...

New Gold City lineup receives positive reviews Ever since Jonathan Wilburn left Gold City, numerous Gold City fans have been waiting for reports from the frontlines to see how his replacement, Bruce Taliferro, is doing. Though there have been brief comments here and there, we have our first detailed report, and it’s positive. The reviewer, DeeAnn...

Treasures: “The Old Country Church”: The Oddest Homecoming Moment With permission, I’ve borrowed an idea from Burke’s Brainwork (Hidden Gems). Every now and then, when there isn’t a pressing story, I’ll do a post on a song that perhaps hasn’t received the attention it deserved. Most of my entries will probably be serious cases for...

Dallas Rogers joins Cross 4 Crowns? A recent commenter on my post about Dallas Rogers leaving the Dixie Echoes notes that Dallas is now performing with the Cross 4 Crowns quartet. While there doesn’t seem to be any press release on the group’s website about Rogers joining them, concert reports indicate that he’s being...

Receive Posts via Email I am a fan of email newsletters. With as many websites as I monitor, it’s impractical to check them all on a daily basis. So for some time, I have been looking for (and, behind the scenes, testing) various options to convert this blog’s posts into a daily email newsletter. After trying several...

What is news? As some of you may have suspected, I posted a fairly routine press release yesterday for a reason. I’ve been wondering what exactly constitutes news, or, more precisely, what makes an item in our genre newsworthy. The standard press releases–website re-designs, label signings, publicity deals, et...

Gardners Renew Publicity Contract I received the following press release yesterday: The Gardners Renews Contract with Southern Spin Entertainment MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Zion Music Group recording artist The Gardners have renewed their contract with Southern Spin Entertainment. The group has signed on for another full year of exclusive...

Wesley Smith joins the Dixie Echoes Wesley Smith, who has been filling in with the Dixie Echoes since January 1, 2008, has accepted the tenor position. Dixie Echoes pianist Stewart Varnado stated, “Southern Gospel fans might remember Wesley from his tenure with the Palmetto State Quartet. His voice fits our style perfectly! Singing...