SouthernGospelBlog.com

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 is worse.

In other genres of music, including some other Christian genres, record deals with major labels are determined as much (and, I suspect, sometimes more) by a singer’s appearance than by their vocal abilities. Top artists wear clothing to publicity and photo shoots (and all too often to concerts) that is form-fitting and revealing, meant to emphasize their appearance. The singers backed by big promotional budgets are often teens and twenty-somethings in peak appearance, never minding the fact that they won’t peak vocally for years. Contemporary labels today would turn down George Younce, Vestal Goodman, and Bill Gaither for recording contracts, no matter their voices, because they aren’t skinny 25-year-olds.

That, of course is the other extreme. A happy medium is undoubtedly possible, but until then, I for one would rather my favorite singers spend more time with vocal coaches than with attractiveness consultants.

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 mentioned in the Female Singer category. This will, of course, hold up the promised comparison with and statistical analysis of your guesses in this post. But that will hopefully be coming soon!

EDIT: Lauren Talley was the missing name on the female singer category. Thanks to a reader for clearing that up!

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 News was purchased by Salem Communications several years ago. Salem is a Christian media conglomerate that owns and publishes, among other magazines, CCM Magazine and Gaither’s Homecoming Magazine.

Why does any of this matter?

It matters because Salem has been shifting its focus to web-based content. In fact, CCM Magazine, the flagship magazine in its genre, just mailed its final issue. Could the same fate be in store for Singing News?

I doubt that it will happen in the immediate future. Too many Southern Gospel fans are older and either (a) have no Internet access or (b) only know how to use email to get the emails and pictures from the grandkids. Singing News and Salem have to know this fact, and I doubt that they would phase the print magazine out precipitously. That said, offering digital downloads of the magazine to print subscribers, as well as web-only subscriptions, marks the first two steps in that direction.

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 Bailey, has been a committed Southern Gospel fan for decades, long enough to know what she’s talking about, so the review is definitely worth reading.

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 re-examination of tracks that didn’t really receive the attention they deserved. But this first entry is about an odd moment. I may have mentioned it before, but now I have the opportunity to provide a link, so I thought the moment was worth revisiting this moment. It comes from the Down By the Tabernacle Gaither Homecoming; for the next few days (till Monday), the Gaither TV special with highlights can be viewed for free online here.

“The Old Country Church” was the second song on the recorded version (and on the special). James Blackwood, Jack Toney, and Squire Parsons all had solos on the the second and third verses. On the fourth verse, the Cathedrals (minus Scott Fowler, with Ben Speer filling in) came forward and sang the verse:

Now the years have gone by and so many have died
At that old country church
Now they’re on the other shore, where they’ll sing forevermore
As they did at that old country church

Now I’ve been told (by someone who was there) that despite its placement on the recorded version, the song was actually recorded toward the end of the event. The Cathedrals hadn’t been featured all night, and when they did come on, the audience was so excited to finally see them that they burst into enthusiastic applause.

Of course, the energy with which the Cathedrals sang that verse didn’t hurt. The song was uptempo to start with, and when they started that verse with their trademark tight harmonies, it was simply an exciting moment for a Cathedrals fan.

There was only one problem. Like the hapless church member who says “amen” at the wrong point in the sermon, the audience applauded at the wrong line. Specifically, the applause starts after the line “Now the years have gone by and so many have died,” and builds to its peak as the line is completed, with the words “at that old country church.”

It’s an exciting but odd moment, to be sure, and for the next few days, you can watch it here.

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 introduced as their newest member.

Based on the clips on their website, they seem to have the sound quality of a professional group. (Not just a good regional group, but a professional group.) Adding a higher-profile singer who has built fans during his time with a major group should help give them a chance to get attention on a national level.

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 options after the last few years, I finally found one that works the way I want it to work. It’s FeedBurner (yet another part of the world owned by Google…oh, well), and you can click here to try subscribing. It’s free, and the bottom of every email will have a link you can click to unsubscribe if you so desire.

If you faithfully visit the blog every morning, looking to see if there’s something new, this might not be for you. But if you are the sort that visits whenever you can remember, but you can’t remember quite as often as you would like, this might be for you.

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 cetera–form quite a bit of the news material on some websites. But are they newsworthy? Are they stories relevant to the average Southern Gospel fan, or are they just industry minutiae that only insiders care about?

What should constitute news in the genre, and if we apply that standard, how often does something happen that is truly newsworthy?

I’m not going to pretend to have all the answers. I’m just proposing the question and opening the floor. Sometimes blog posts resolve a dispute or answer a question, but often they are most useful when they start a discussion.

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 publicity from Southern Spin Entertainment. The up and coming artist will continue to have access to all media publications serviced by Southern Spin Entertainment, as well as marketing possibilities with the organization.

“What an amazing year it has been for the Gardners,” mentioned Chris Unthank, Executive Director of Southern Spin Entertainment. “This group is really starting to make some major headway in this industry. We are so excited that they are partnering with us for another year!”

Mitchell Gardner of The Gardners said, “We have really enjoyed our time with SSE. They are a fantastic company to work with.”

The Gardners had an eventful year in 2007. The group was recently the big winner at the United States Association of Gospel Entertainers and Musicians (USAGEM) Awards ceremony. The Gardners were awarded Artist of the Year, Group of the Year, Song of the Year (“Great Big God” written by Mitchell Gardner), and the Southern Gospel Crown Jewel Award.

Fans are encouraged to listen for The Gardners’ current radio release, “More Than Anything Else” at Southern Gospel radio now.

The group’s new single, “More Than Anything Else”, can be found on Zion Music Group’s Compilation 41, cut #6. “More Than Anything Else” is the follow-up single to “Great Big God” – the debut single from their Zion Music Group recording The Gardners.

More information on the Gardners can be found at http://www.thegardners.com.

About The Gardners
Based out of Huntland, Tennessee, the Gardners are a Southern Gospel music ministry that has spanned more than 40 years of musical excellence. Whether performing in small churches or major Gospel music events, the Gardners are a busy group, frequently performing and proclaiming their musical Gospel outside the traditional boundaries of the four walls of a church. Today the group is made up of twin brothers Michael and Mitch Gardner and Mitch’s wife, Regina. Together, they form a dynamic trio that features tight harmonies and well-written songs that are penned by the siblings.

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About Southern Spin Entertainment
Southern Spin Entertainment is one of three divisions of the 501c non-profit organization SSE Group, Inc. Southern Spin Entertainment focuses on publicity and marketing for Southern and Country Gospel artists. The company currently represents over 40 artists in all genres of Gospel music.

For more information on Southern Spin Entertainment, go to http://www.southernspin.com/.

SSE Group’s three divisions include Southern Spin Entertainment, SSE Design Group, and Southern Spin Radio. SSE Group currently owns and operates Glorious Creations, SGBlogNews.com, and TheBridgeLive.net.

For more information on SSE Group, go to http://www.ssegrouponline.com.

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 around the two mics with just the piano, and no soundtracks is the type of singing that we love, and I invite everyone to hear Wesley with us at a concert soon.”

Smith stated, “From the first night on stage with the group, things just felt natural. It is with great pleasure that I accept the tenor position with the legendary Dixie Echoes.”