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 - June 17

Here are news items from this week in Southern Gospel -

• Ed O’ Neal announced the addition of Jerry Skaggs to his legendary Dixie Melody Boys as tenor. Skaggs joins the quartet after an extensive search and will make his official debut at the Memphis Quartet Show. He most recently sang with the Skyline Boys Quartet.
• The 2017 Singing News Songwriters Search is now open. Find out more here. 
• Ivan Parker was a featured performer this week at “Sunday Mornin’ Country,” held at the Grand Ole Opry House on the final day of CMA Music Fest. It was hosted by Brenda Lee, and the event also featured appearances by Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, LuLu Roman, Joanne Cash Yates and more.
• Mark Trammell received his medallion for the Gospel Music Hall of Fame at the Memphis Quartet Show on Thursday night. He was unable to be present at the ceremony where Gold City was honored earlier this year. Nick Trammell was the one who got to present his dad with the medal.

Did I miss anything?

In Case You Missed It - News and Tidbits - March 11

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

• Prayers go out to the family of Jeff Stice who lost his dad last week. The service was held on Saturday, March 11.
• The Best of Ivan Parker from "The Homecoming Series," a Gaither Music Group collection returned to the Top 5 of Billboard’s Music Video Sales chart. The best-selling DVD is #4 on the publication’s March 11 chart. It was originally released in 2007.
• Roger McDuff passed away after and extended illness. He was featured on several Gaither Homecoming Videos and sang with The Stamps Quartet and with his brothers Coleman and John in the McDuff Brothers. Please keep his family in your prayers.
• The Absolutely Gospel staff announced that their awards show on April 11 will be hosted by Lauren Talley and Riley Harrison Clark. Tickets are now on sale for program. For more information on that, visit www.absolutelygospel.com or email seats@absolutelygospel.com. 

Anything I've missed?

Fun Clip Friday - Elvis Is in the Building

Happy Good Friday to everyone! I hope you all have a blessed Easter weekend.

For today's Fun Clip Friday, here's a look at some behind the scenes and practical joke that Ivan Parker recently pulled on Brian Free at a concert, courtesy of the Singing News Facebook page. Check out what happened when Elvis dropped by the concert! Enjoy!

Ivan Parker and Brian Free (Brian Free & Assurance) have been great friends for years. But if you think they won’t go to extreme lengths to play jokes on each other, just watch this.
Posted by Singing News on Saturday, March 19, 2016

Fun Clip Friday - Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving with family and friends. Many gospel artists took the time to share their Thanksgiving thoughts and wishes on Facebook this week. Check out a few videos from some of your favorite gospel singers -

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!FromThe Whisnants & T. Bear :)
Posted by The Whisnants on Wednesday, November 25, 2015

***GLOBAL PROMOTIONS WEEK OF THANKSGIVING*** Ivan Parker shares what he is most thankful for.
Posted by Global Promotions on Thursday, November 26, 2015

Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted by The Nelons on Thursday, November 26, 2015

Watch this special Thanksgiving video from lead singer Tim Rackley!
Posted by The Old Paths on Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Threads of Mercy - Ivan Parker - CD Review

Ivan Parker is definitely known as one of the greats in the industry. He's been consistently a fan favorite for decades. His latest solo project Threads of Mercy was released in January.

I think Ivan does a great job of finding songs and arrangements that fit his voice. He knows what works for him and knows what his fans enjoy.

"This Is How We Know" is probably the highlight of the project for me. It is an incredible ballad. It's written by Kenna West, Lee Black and Cliff Duren. Kenna and Lee both have three cuts each on this project. It has a bit of a praise and worship feel toward the end, but lyrically this song is a standout!

There are several uptempo numbers including "On the Solid Rock I Stand" and "Til the Shackles Fall Off." Both songs I found myself tapping my foot along and humming the choruses later on. They are great, catchy and high energy. I can see both of these being great in a live setting.

"Silent Prayer" is a beautiful story song. Ivan delivers the lyrics tenderly and simply so that the message of the song becomes front and center. It's a perfect arrangement of the song.

"Don't Hang Your Head and Cry" is stylistically very different from anything else on the project with a bit of "soft-shoe" feel. The song was penned by Jim Brady and was actually previously recorded a Jubilee album.

I thought the inclusion of "He Touched Me" was an interesting choice. I enjoyed Ivan's rendition of the song, but would have rather heard a new song than including the classic hymn.

For fans of Ivan Parker, this is definitely a project you'll want to add to your collection!

Song List -
1. "Til the Shackles Fall Off"
2. "God's in the Middle of It"
3. "Don't Hang Your Head and Cry"
4. "Silent Prayer"
5. "When Heaven Shakes the House"
6. "This Is How We Know"
7. "On the Solid Rock I Stand"
8. "He Touched Me"
9. "Wings"
10. "How Much Longer"

Feeling Patriotic

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our country this week, this post is just to share a couple of patriotic songs with you.

In my opinion, no one sings the Star Spangled Banner better than Karen Peck Gooch. She is so amazing on this song that is such a hard one to sing that causes many singers to fumble.

Probably my favorite patriotic song is Statue of Liberty. I love the songs that not only remind us of the freedom that we have in in America but also the freedom we have in Christ. Enjoy this rendition by Ivan Parker with some help from Kim and Dean Hopper.

What about you? What patriotic songs do you love to hear?