National Quartet Convention 2018 - Tuesday Night

The second night of the 2018 National Quartet Convention is in the books. I watched most of tonight's evening concert missing only a little bit at the beginning. I hate that I missed seeing the Kingsmen not getting a chance to see the new lineup of this group.

Here are my thoughts and highlights of the night:


Highlights and Commentary - 

• One of my favorite things is to see the "scrap iron" groups come together. Jim Brady organized the Confused Quartet with himself on lead, Chris Allman on bass, Susan Whisnant on baritone and Nick Trammell on tenor. They sang "Winging My Way Back Home." I was very impressed with Chris' bass! 
• There were sweet tributes tonight from Kelly Nelon Clark and Sheri Easter to their parents. Kelly talked about how she had lost both of her parents early before singing "Going Home." Of course, Sheri just lost her mother Polly about a month ago and they played a clip of her singing with the Lewis Family from a Gaither Homecoming video. 
• It was good to see a few of the daughters of gospel music get the spotlight tonight. Karlye Hopper sang her song "My Ransom" on main stage tonight and Jason Crabb's daughter, Ashleigh, came up to sing with him on "Short Are the Years."
• Again, it was good to hear some of the new songs from albums releasing this week. Joseph sang "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" with the Erwins from his new duet album. Riley Harrison Clark sang one from his new solo project, "You Will Be Found."
• Gerald Wolfe joined Legacy Five on "Champion of Love" tonight toward the end of the evening. It was good to hear he and Scott Fowler collaborate on this Cathedrals classic.

Favorite Performances - 

• "Going Home" - Nelons
• "Cheer the Weary Traveler" - Second Half Quartet
• "Wayfaring Stranger" - Jeff & Sheri Easter
• "I Love You This Much" - The Whisnants
• "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" - Joseph Habedank and the Erwins
• "Grace At Its Best" - Tribute Quartet
• "There Is Jesus" - The McKameys
• "Song of Moses" - The Hoppers
• "I Know He Heard My Prayer" - Greater Vision
• "Through the Fire" - Jason Crabb
• "Champion of Love" - Legacy Five

2018 Southern Gospel Picnic - Silver Dollar City - Day 4

This morning started off with hearing Dr. Dennis Swanberg speak in the Opera House. I also got to see The Old Paths and the Hoppers today. Here are a few highlights from the day -

The Old Paths

It's hard to narrow this list down to just a few. These guys are sounding better than ever. They did a mix of songs from their newest project with a few familiar favorites. Steve even was featured on a song that he did with Gold City, "Preach the Word." Daniel brought out his sax for a few songs as well. It was great to see the audience so responsive and into the sets after the quartet's return to Silver Dollar City after their time off the road.

• "God's Great"
• "Love Them to Jesus"
• "Tangled in the Middle"
• "Broken People Like Me"
• "I Wanna Get Closer"
• "Preach the Word"
• "I Bowed on my Knees and Cried Holy"

The Hoppers

The Hoppers took the stage with just Dean, Kim, Mike and Karlye for the first few songs. Dean introduced his parents and then Connie and then later Claude came out to join them.

• "Life Is Good"
• "Yahweh"
• "I Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now" - Love hear them singing songs from the first families of gospel music.
• "I've Come Too Far to Look Back" - Always a treat to hear Connie sing this song!
• "Jerusalem"
• "Something's Happening" - They knock this song out of the park every time. 
• "He Is Mine, and I Am His" - This has become one of my favorite songs. I love their version of this song. 
• "My Ransom" - It's good to hear Karlye step up and sing one by herself. She's got a great voice.
• "Shoutin' Time" - This is always a fun one to hear at Echo Hollow, and of course, they repeated the chorus several times. The entire audience was up clapping at the end!

In Case You Missed It - News and Tidbits - March 31

Here are news items from this week in Southern Gospel -

• Karen Peck & New River announced that Grant Gibson will join the group this week. Grant was with 11th Hour previously.
• Logan Smith will be filling in with 11th Hour during this transition time as they look for a new singer.
• The Hoppers will be inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place in October 2018.
• Season 4 of Main Stage started last weekend on TBN with Jason Crabb as the host. It has a refreshed format featuring performances from the 2017 NQC.

Anything I've missed?

Going Cruising - Abraham Productions Crystal Caribbean Cruise

Last week I had the opportunity to go on the Abraham Productions' Crystal Caribbean Cruise. It was an incredible week and experience. This was my first cruise and my first Abraham Productions event, but it won't be my last of either.

The groups who were on the ship were - The Talleys, Jeff and Sheri Easter, the Whisnants, Karen Peck & New River (who arrived a little late because of being at the Grammys), the Hoppers, Brian Free & Assurance and Ivan Parker. This was one of the best lineups I could have asked for!

Dr. Herb Reavis was the speaker for the event and spoke on Sunday morning, Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. He is the pastor of North Jacksonville Baptist. This was my first time to hear him speak, and I was definitely blessed and challenged by his speaking. The best news of the week was that 11 people were saved during the cruise! I love how Abraham Productions made sure that the gospel was presented not only through songs but also through preaching.

We had concerts each day where each artist sang around 20 minutes each. When we had the chapel services in the morning a few of the artists got up early and would sing twice on those days. We took over one of the lounge areas on the cruise ship. It was a more intimate setting that was packed full of gospel music fans. One of the things I noticed and loved to watch was how the artists supported each other. They all sat over to the side of the lounge and watched and encouraged each other. It was neat to see them singing along to other groups' songs or making special requests of their favorite songs or even joining other groups on stage.

I didn't take notes to recap everything, because I just wanted to enjoy the music. There was one night that stood out that was full of reminders of God's incredible love for us with songs like -

• "Jesus Loves You" - Jeff & Sheri Easter
• "I Love You This Much" - The Whisnants
• "For God So Loved" - Brian Free & Assurance
• "His Life For Mine" - The Talleys

I don't know if the artists planned how the night went or not, but it was amazing to see how God brought a clear theme to the night. 

A few other memorable performances were - 

• "Something's Happening" (The Hoppers) - Kim is still recovering from foot surgery so she was on crutches and sat to sing most of the week. Kim still nailed the end of the song sitting down early in the morning!
• "Goin' Away Party" - Jeff Easter pulled Lauren Talley on stage to sing the second verse with them.
• "Midnight Cry" - Ivan Parker got Brian Free & Assurance to join him for this one
• "All Is Well" - The Whisnants
• "My God Will Always Be Enough" - Karen Peck & New River

If you ever get the chance to go cruising, I highly recommend this one! It was a week full of great preaching and singing and one I won't soon forget. 

In Case You Missed It - News and Tidbits - January 6

Here are some news items from this week in Southern Gospel Music -

• Chris Jenkins has rejoined the Kingsmen Quartet at tenor.
• Prayers go out to the Younce family as Tara passed away this week.
• Prayers also go out to Gerald Wolfe's family. His father passed away Saturday.
• Kim Hopper is recovering from foot surgery. Please remember her as she recovers.

Anything I've missed?

National Quartet Convention - Thursday Night

Day four of the National Quartet Convention is in the books. I attended the afternoon showcase of Aaron Wilburn and the Gaither Homecoming sing-along. I have to say that the two-hour Homecoming sing has been my favorite part thus far of convention. I've never had an experience quite like that one. When I've been to Homecoming concerts in the past, there have never been that many artists on stage at one time.


So for the evening concert, here are highlights -

• Tonight was a sell out. Of course, the Gaither Vocal Band was the closer tonight. They had an extended set as well as the Hoppers.
• The reminder of Heaven was a major theme tonight. Jim Brady shared of his dad's passing and the song that came out of that. Mike LeFevre said goodbye to his mom only a few weeks ago and shared about her passing and then they sang a tribute to her.
• Patriotism was another theme of the night as it has been all week. The Nelons sang several from their recent Americana project. Selah actually joined the Nelons during their set. Of course, Legacy Five sang and played a couple as well. 
• Bill Gaither came up during the Hoppers' set talking about the new album he just worked on with them. Mark Trammell paid a touching tribute to Gaither before singing his song "The King Is Coming."
• The Gaither Vocal Band set was great tonight and gave us something different from what we had been hearing this week. Mark Trammell Quartet, the Hoppers and Tribute Quartet also had some of my favorite sets of the night.

Key Performances -

• "I'll Worship You Again" - The Taylors
• "To Say Goodbye" - LeFevre Quartet
• "When Grandpa Sang Amazing Grace" - The Nelons
• "Hallelujah, Praise the Lamb" - The Talleys
• "It Is Well" (a cappella) - The Isaacs
• "The King Is Coming" - Mark Trammell Quartet
• "Farewell, But Not Forever" - Jim Brady Trio
• "What a Meeting in the Air" - Tribute Quartet
• "Be An Overcoming" - The Hoppers
• "Facts Are Facts" - The Booth Brothers
• "'Til the Storm Passes By" - Gaither Vocal Band
• "It Is Finished" - Gaither Vocal Band

National Quartet Convention - Tuesday Night

Night two of the 2017 is now complete. The last few hours of the night were packed with highlights. For those who left before the power half-hour missed a lot of great up and coming groups. Here are my thoughts on the night.


Highlights and Commentary -

• I am really enjoying the longer sets for featured groups. Last night it was the Whisnants. Tonight it was the Jim Brady Trio and Greater Vision.
• The entire Daywind set was incredible. It featured Legacy Five, the Hoppers, Greater Vision, Joseph Habedank and Tribute Quartet. 
• If for some reason you didn't love Katie Erwin before, you would after tonight. She and Joseph Habedank hosted together. She looked just as comfortable and at home up there as he did. They did a great job!
• I was impressed by the unity and support of groups tonight. From artists in the artists circle supporting each other to actual on-stage support. Jason Crabb had several younger artists back him up on a new song. He returned the favor for Highroad's song. Jaquita Lindsey of 11th Hour filled in for Lisa Williamson, whose grandmother just passed away. Riley Harrison Clark joined the Talleys set for "What Grace Is Mine," a duet with Lauren.
• Josh Townsend of Legacy Five gave a stirring testimony before playing and singing "God's Been Good." Today was his 20th birthday and he told everything that he'd been through in his 20 years. He's a walking miracle. He gave such a touching performance singing and playing "God's Been Good." It's one of those moments people will be talking about for years to come. 
• The power half-hour tonight featured a lot of great playing and picking from the live music of Highroad and the Lindsey family to the incredible piano playing of Jacob Klutz with the Troy Burns Family.
• It was another night for a lot of new songs. The Perrys had all songs from Testament, their latest project. Jason Crabb sang a song he wrote after the recent hurricanes that had never been sung before.

Favorite Performances -

• "The Greatest of All Miracles" - Jim Brady Trio
• "It's About the Cross" - Ball Brothers
• "Give Me Jesus" - The Talleys
• "What Grace Is Mine" - Lauren Talley and Riley Harrison Clark
• "Find Me Faithful" - The Perrys
• "Love in Your Heart" - Jason Crabb
• "God's Been Good" - Legacy Five
• "Something's Happening" - The Hoppers
• "Still" - Greater Vision
• "Here He Comes" - Joseph Habedank
• "Beauty of the Blood" - Joseph Habedank
• "When the Prodigal Comes Home" - Tribute Quartet

Sunday Night at National Quartet Convention

Today we drove all day to get to Pigeon Forge tonight. We weren't sure if we'd make it in time or be able to go to the kickoff concert, but we made it! The Sunday night bonus concert featured the Hoppers, Mark Trammell Quartet, Tribute Quartet, Tim Lovelace, the Jim Brady Trio and Greater Vision. Each group came out and sang two sets. I have to say overall the second sets were better than the first sets. There were some incredibly powerful moments!

As is pretty typical, we got to hear some songs from some new projects. Mark Trammell Quartet sang several from their Great Moments project. Tribute Quartet also featured one from their quartet tribute CD.

Here are some highlights of the night -

• "Life Is Good" - The Hoppers - Dean is back on stage with them. For them to stand and sing "Life Is Good" with all they have been through with Dean back on stage, you couldn't help but smile.
• "Why Me Lord" - Greater Vision
• "God of the Storms" - Tribute Quartet
• "What a Day That Will Be" - Jim Brady Trio
• "He Is Mine and I Am His" - Mark Trammell Quartet
• "Come on and Go to That Land" - Tribute Quartet
• "Grace at Its Best" - Tribute Quartet 
• "Love of God" - Jim Brady Trio
• "Grace Will Always Be Greater Than Sin" - The Hoppers
• "The King Is Coming" - Mark Trammell Quartet
• "For All He's Done" - Greater Vision

I'm going to tie the two grace songs for the moment of the night with "Grace at its Best" and "Grace Will Always Be Greater Than Sin."

Can't wait for a week full of gospel music!

Reasons to Shout - Saturday recap of Silver Dollar City's Southern Gospel Picnic

Today was the first day I was able to be at Silver Dollar City for the Southern Gospel Picnic. My morning started at Red Gold Hall and ended at Echo Hollow with one of gospel music's most beloved family groups. Here's a look at who I saw and some highlights!

The Ball Brothers

• "It's About the Cross" - Forever a favorite song they sing! Always such a powerful response!
• "Forgiven"
• "Gentle Shepherd"
• "Count Your Blessings" - Love hearing them on the big band style songs!
• "Mercy Tree"

2nd Generation 

• "Blessed Assurance" - They started their set with this one a cappella.
• "On Business for the King"
• "Waving on the Other Side" - They set this one up by singing "How Beautiful Heaven Must Be" with the audience.
• "All Our Hope"

The Whisnants

• "I've Prayed Through It" - This is a brand new song from Susan's solo CD. She shared a little bit of testimony and how the song was written for her. What a moment this was!
• "Be Not Afraid"
• "Grave Mistake"
• "1+2+3" - I was glad to get to hear this song from Austin and Ethan's CD live.
• "New Day Dawning" - The audience was on its feet clapping only a few measures into the song!

The Hoppers

Given all this family has been through in the last few weeks, it was so good to see them. Dean, of course, is still recovering but the rest of the family was there. Shane McConnell, previously with Canton Junction, filled in for Dean.

• "Life Is Good"
• "Grace Will Always Be Greater Than Sin"
• "Grace Will Get You Through" - It was good to hear Connie on this song.
• "Jerusalem" 
• "I've Come Too Far" - Before this song is when they shared their testimony about the last few weeks and all they had been through. Dean had a successful surgery with the stent but Kim shared if they hadn't been able to do the surgery when they did, things could have been much different. They had so much to be thankful for. Also, where Dean had the stroke has caused no permanent damage. He's still walking, talking and will be able to sing again when the doctors release him.  
• "Something's Happening" - I love hearing this song live! So powerful! 
• "If I Could Help Somebody" - Claude dedicated this song to Silver Dollar City General Manager Brad Thomas. Such a sweet moment!
• "Shoutin' Time" - As soon as Claude announced it was shoutin' time, the audience was on its feet clapping along! 

In Case You Missed It - News and Tidbits - August 19

Here are some news items from this week in Southern Gospel -

• Legacy Five officially announced Josh Townsend as their new piano player this week. He's previously played for the LeFevre Quartet and The Old Paths.
• Dean Hopper had surgery this week to put a stent in his brain after having three strokes recently. The surgery was successful, but please keep him and the family in your prayers as he recovers.
• Trey Ivey has moved into a new role as staff pianst and arranger/ orchestrator for First Baptist Church in Indian Trail, North Carolina. He will continue to serve as producer and arranger for many gospel artists in addition to being in the band for The Music City Show.
• Gerald Crabb recently celebrated his 25th #1 song as a songwriter with "I Choose Christ" by Karen Peck & New River. 

Anything I've missed?

In Case You Missed It - News and Tidbits - August 13

Here are some news items in Southern Gospel music from this past week -

• Pray for Dean Hopper, who has three strokes in the last week. In December he had two strokes and doctors found that he only has one vertebral vein. This has now become 80-90% blocked causing the recent strokes. On Monday he will have surgery to have a stent placed in the vein. 
• Freedom Quartet announced the addition of Nathan Parrish as the group's new piano player. He formerly played with the Florida Boys.
• The Dove Award nominees were announced last week. See the full list of nominees here. 
• TaRanda Greene made a surprise appearance at the Grand Ole Opry last weekend with Dailey and Vincent. She sang "Go Rest High on That Mountain" in memory of Glen Campbell.
• Jason Crabb will be inducted in the Kentucky Gospel Music Hall of Fame as part of its 2018 class. The ceremony will take place in May 2018.
• Pray for the family of Lisa Hamblen Jaserie, CEO of Hamblen Music Company and singer/songwriter, who passed away this past week at age 79.
• Pray for Aaron Wilburn and family. His brother Jackie passed away on Thursday. 

Anything I've missed?

Fun Clip Friday - On the Couch With Fouch - Dean Hopper

Happy Friday! Matt Fouch released his latest video interview for his "On the Couch With Fouch" series. This interview is with Dean Hopper. Hear him talk about what it's like on the road with his family, tips for communicating song lyrics and what he might be doing if he weren't singing gospel music. Enjoy this for today's Fun Clip Friday!

Fun Clip Friday - On the Couch With Fouch

The latest On the Couch With Fouch interview features none other than Connie Hopper. Connie is the classiest lady in gospel music. She shares some history of the Hoppers and how they got started, the encouragement of Scripture in her life and more! And don't miss this Fouch Zone!

Enjoy for this week's Fun Clip Friday!

In Case You Missed It - News and Tidbits - December 17

Here are some news and tidbit items from this week in Southern Gospel -

• Congratulations to Ben Wolfe and Maria Kramer who married on Monday, Dec. 12. The two were married in a private ceremony by Dr. Charles Stanley. 
• Congratulations to Logan Smith and Jordy Hinson who got engaged at a recent concert!
• Singing News Magazine along with the Singing News Radio Network announced the Ultimate Talent Search. This contest to discover the next major artist of Southern Gospel music will start in January and will culminate with a "Sing-Off" in the Nashville area in May 2017. For more details, go to SingingNews.com. 
• Prayers requested for Dean Hopper. Last week, Dean Hopper was taken to the emergency room after experiencing unexplained vertigo symptoms. After several hours of neurological exams, a CT scan, MRI, echocardiogram and an extensive battery of other tests––it was determined that he had suffered two strokes in the cerebellum of the brain within just two days of each other. Thankfully, he has no permanent damage and his arteries are clear.
• Mark Lowry and Cana's Voice announced a tour this week, Diapers to Depends. The tour will begin in Spring 2017.

Anything I've missed?

Life Is Good - The Hoppers - CD Review

It's hard to believe that it's been four years since the Hoppers have released a CD. In those four years, the family has had some challenges with the health of Connie and Claude, but both are now doing well. The family has also added Karlye into the lineup full-time since the last release. It's just getting better for the Hoppers, and they are proving that "life is good."

Life Is Good was one of the last projects that Lari Goss worked on. After his passing, they brought in Lari's brother Roni to help them finish the album.

"Jesus, The One" was the first single from the project. The song went #1 for the group in August and had already gotten a lot of recognition even before the album release. It's definitely a highlight of the project.

The title track "Life Is Good" will remind you of the simple pleasures in life. Life is good, because God is. The uptempo track can't help but put you in a good mood.

Connie is featured on both "Grace Will Get to You" and "Before the Sun Goes Down." My favorite of the two is the latter. The song is really classic Connie. I hope that this one works its way into live concerts. Claude also steps up with the feature on the Rusty Goodman classic "Until You've Known the Love of God.

Kim shows why she's been the favorite female vocalist for so long on "Walk Two." Not only does she have a powerhouse voice, but she communicates lyrics so well.

"If We Ever Gotta Look" is one of my personal favorites. I think this song struck a chord with a lot of people when the Hoppers sang it at NQC. It's their new radio single, and I can see why. If we could see what Heaven is like, why would we ever want to stay here?

Karlye sings "My Ransom," a beautiful song that really shows what a great talent she has. The arrangement is simple to really let her vocals shine. She has a great future ahead of her!

We get to hear from Dean on "By and By." He and Karlye share the verses on this song. This is another great uptempo song. It's one that I found myself hitting repeat on.

Some things are just worth the wait. Even though it's been four years since their last release, this project is definitely one of my favorites from the beloved family group. It's a must buy CD of 2016.


Song List -
1. "Jesus, The One"
2. "Life Is Good"
3. "Grace Will Get to You"
4. "Walk Two"
5. "Brethren We Have Met to Worship"
6. "If We Ever Gotta Look"
7. "Until You've Known the Love of God"
8. "Song of Moses"
9. "My Ransom"
10. "By and By"
11. "Before the Sun Goes Down"

In Case You Missed It - News and Tidbits - November 5

Here are some news items from this week in gospel music -

• Ray Lewis passed away October 30 at the age of 79. Ray was a well-known songwriter in the industry. Ray was instrumental in the development of the Chestnut Mound Music catalog for the Eddie Crook Company for more than 10 years. The service will be held Monday in Nashville.
• The winners of the 2016 Songwriter Search have been announced. The Erwins, Kingsmen and Talleys have selected each a song to record. Congratulations to Debbie Davis and Bernadette Negus, Kevin Woolard and Melanie Watson and Bernadette Negus.  
• Oakland City University honored Kim and Dean Hopper a Honorary Doctorate of Music. Congratulations to Dean and Kim!

Anything I've missed?

2016 National Quartet Convention - Wednesday Night

Overall this has been the strongest night so far of the convention. I started watching during the end of the Mylon Hayes Family's set tonight. I was in and out a bit, but got to see most of it from then on.

Commentary/ Highlights -

• I am struggling to crown a set of the night. It's a toss up between the Hoppers and the Second-Half Quartet. It was good to hear from the Hoppers' new project as well favorites like "Jerusalem." I also was glad that the Hoppers included the Hopper Brothers 2.0 coming up and singing "I Know." I think after this week people are going to be interested in seeing more and more from the Second-Half Quartet. I think people love their sound and the voices with just piano and bass. 
• Kudos to the Ball Brothers for doing an a cappella number tonight. A cappella is challenging anyway, but especially at NQC. However these guys pulled it off with "I Shall Know Him."
• It's good to see Trey Ivey step out from behind the piano. I really enjoyed hearing him sing "In the Hands of a Carpenter."
• Susan Whisnant singing "I Love You This Much" was definitely one of the top moments of the night. It was sweet how she asked where her parents where in the audience before singing and how she paid tribute to her mom. 
• I don't know who came up with #DaywindBusKaraoke, but thank you. Hilarious, especially Legacy Five's impersonation of Tribute. 
• Ernie Haase joined Legacy Five on stage for "He Made a Change" for a nice Cathedral tribute. 
• The webcast cut out for me during the Talleys set. I saw the first song and then it came back in during them singing with the audience "What a Day That Will Be." 
• I would have rearranged the schedule a bit tonight. Nothing against the Browns, but the part where all the Daywind artists came back to the stage and sang some of their most popular songs felt like the finale. It was one of my favorite parts of the night. 

Favorite Songs/ Performances -

• "I Shall Know Him" - Ball Brothers
• "It's Almost Over" - Mark Trammell Quartet
• "Pray Now" - Karen Peck & New River
• "Sometimes I Cry" - Jason Crabb
• "I've Come Too Far" - Hoppers
• "Standing on Holy Ground" - Second-Half Quartet
• "After All This Time" - Talleys
• "I Love You This Much" - The Whisnants
• "God of the Storms" - Tribute Quartet
• "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" - Legacy Five
• "Jesus The One" - Hoppers
• "Christ Is Still the King" - Legacy Five joined by Tribute Quartet

2016 National Quartet Convention - Monday Night

The 2016 National Quartet Convention is officially underway. I should be able to watch most of each night except for Friday night. NQC started today with the announcement that NQC will be held in Pigeon Forge through 2021.

I tuned in tonight to the webcast just in time to catch the end of the McKameys set. Here are some of my thoughts and then some of my favorite songs and performances of the night -

Commentary/ Thoughts -

• Karen Peck & New River had the best set of the night in my opinion. From start to finish, it was solid. You can't go wrong with "Four Days Late." 
• Tribute Quartet and the Second-Half Quartet also had some of the best sets of the night. Tribute Quartet had a really nice paced set singing several of their newer songs from Here For You. The Second-Half Quartet is just pure quartet singing at its finest. 
• I did like having two "featured" groups of the night that had a bit longer sets. Tonight it was Ernie Haase and Signature Sound and the Kingdom Heirs. Loren Harris is sounding great with the Kingdom Heirs!
• Claude Hopper had one of the more touching moments of the night when he turned to Connie and said he was singing this part to her. It was the last verse of "Where We'll Never Grow Old." It was such a sweet moment!
• Peg McKamey Bean might throw her shoes off every night, but she is a class act. Her induction to the Southern Gospel Hall of Fame was short, sweet and very heartfelt.
• Every time I see the Mylon Hayes Family, I am more and more impressed!
• Viewing on Roku tonight, I had minimal hiccups with the broadcast, and they were short-lived. No complaints here!

Favorite Songs/ Performances

• "Grace at Its Best" - Tribute Quartet
• "Where We'll Never Grow Old" - The Hoppers
• "Blessed" - Karen Peck & New River
• "Soldier Fighting to Go Home" - Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
• "Chain Gang" - Kingdom Heirs
• "Love Medley" - Mylon Hayes Family
• "Cheer the Weary Traveler" - Second-Half Quartet
• "It's Still the Cross" - Gold City

Everything Is Beautiful on Day 3 - Silver Dollar City's Southern Gospel Picnic 2016

Brothers, Blood, Browns and Beauty can sum up today at Silver Dollar City's Southern Gospel Picnic. It was another day with six different artists, one soloist, two brother groups and three family groups. Here's a recap of who I saw -


Hopper Brothers 2.0

My day started at Red Gold Hall seeing the Hopper Brothers 2.0 for the first time. And I was impressed! The group consists of Mike and Dean Hopper, Matt Griffith and Reggie Smith.

They sang several familiar songs like "I Know," "Something Within" and "You Can't Give Up on God."

They started singing "The Baptism of Jesse Taylor" and were just getting into the chorus when the track messed up. They said "Thanks," and just started walking off the stage. Then somebody shouted to put another quarter in the machine. They were getting ready to just sing it again without the track when they got it start again. Loved hearing them sing this one!

Reggie went to the piano and started the hymn, "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus." It was the moment of the concert. This is my favorite hymn, and I loved hearing these guys sing it. They ended with "I Believe in a Hill Called Mt. Calvary."


Joseph Habedank

Joseph opened the concert last night in Echo Hollow, and it was good to see him again today. He sang a couple that he did with the Perrys, "He Is Good to Me," "If You  Knew Him" and "I Wish I Could've Been There," which had the audience on its feet at the end.

He told a little about his testimony and sang "The Beauty of the Blood." Love this song! He also sang another more personal song that he said challenged him to really live out what he was singing on stage, "When the Lights Go Down."

He also sang "Almost Morning" (Thanks, Joseph!), which is my favorite song he's written! I love the message of this song!


Ball Brothers

This was my first time seeing this group with new bass singer Matt Davis. He's only 21, but the guy can sing bass! He was featured on "Happy Rhythm."

They sang a few classics like "Victory in Jesus" with a Ball Brothers twist and "Gentle Shepherd." Their harmonies on the later were great!

Daniel started telling about their CDs and product and was showing the audience an a cappella project. He asked if anyone liked a cappella music. Of course, the audience clapped for it. He changed the plan and decided to sing "I Shall Know Him" a cappella. It was incredible! Daniel joked that it was probably the only time they had gotten a standing ovation in the middle of a product pitch.

They ended with "Mercy Tree," which is a more modern hymn. Love the message of the song and their rendition.


The Browns

The last show of the afternoon was the Browns. They started their set with "Soul on Fire" from their latest project. I really like their take on that song.

They had several songs where they played their fiddles including a medley of "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" and "Majesty" and then also "Let There Be Peace on Earth." It was beautiful!

They let Andrew loose on "What a Beautiful Day," which was a song he actually wrote. Then, they ended the set with "Everywhere I Go."


Hosea Bilyeu Family

This family opened the night. Hosea normally preaches one of the Sundays of the festival and sings with his family to start the service. They have a large family group, so they had many different combinations of people on stage singing.

Their group sang several gospel songs you would recognize including, "I Go to the Rock," "When Jesus Passes By" and "I Believe He's Coming Back."


The Hoppers

The Hoppers, Dean, Kim, Karlye and Mike, started the night with their most recent single and #1 song, "Jesus the One." I was glad I got to hear this one live!

They sang the Ray Stevens' song, "Everything is Beautiful." And Karlye and Mike pulled out the flashlights on their cell phones and started waving them. The audience then followed suite.

Kim was featured on "Grace Will Always Be Greater Than Sin." I love getting to hear her sing that one live!

Then Dean brought out Claude and Connie, and the audience was on its feet welcoming them with applause to the stage. Connie sang her signature "I've Come Too Far to Look Back." She is the classiest lady in gospel music. Later on Claude sang his "If I Can Help Somebody."

The Hopper Brothers 2.0 made another appearance and sang three songs for the crowd that night.

Of course it's not a Hoppers concert without "Jerusalem," "Yes I Am" or "Shoutin' Time," which is what they ended the night on. They did several turnarounds at the end and had everyone on stage including a few members of the Hosea Bilyeu family. The audience was on its feet clapping and singing along during the entire song!

Three days down, nine more to go!

Fun Clip Friday - Gatlinburg Gathering

This week has been Abraham Productions' Gatlinburg Gathering. Your favorite Southern Gospel artist has probably been there or will be there this week. For those of us who can't make it, there are plenty of clips floating around online. Enjoy just a few of them from Facebook courtesy of Global Promotions for today's Fun Clip Friday!

The Hoppers




High Road



The Whisnants