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

Day 11 and 12 - 2018 Southern Gospel Picnic - Silver Dollar City

Well, it's been back to the real world for me, so I'm getting up my recap of last two days of the picnic finally today. Sunday, I got to see a new group, the Arenos, and the Ball Brothers and Jeff & Sheri Easter. Sunday I made it out to see Spoken 4, the Diplomats and Poet Voices before heading to Arkansas.


Here are highlights from those days -


The Arenos

This was my first time to see this group in person. They are based in Louisiana and travel with a live band! The group consists of Jonathan Areno and his children Penny and Nathan on vocals plus band members. They write and sing a lot of their own material.

• "Thou Knowest" 
• "Jesus Lives Here" 
• "Still" 
• "Little Prayers" 

The group even had a little music duel with the mandolin and guitar between father and son. Expect to hear more from this group in the future!



Ball Brothers

• "Count Your Blessings"
• "Redeemed"
• "Victory in Jesus"
• "Smile"
• "Happy Rhythm" - Stephen was filling in for them last weekend, but not really as a bass. So they had Chad sing the bass part on this song, and he did a fantastic job!
• "It's About the Cross" - Always a highlight to hear them sing this one live!

Jeff & Sheri Easter

• "Small Town Someone"
• "Over and Over"
• "Like My Mother Does"
• "Sitting on Top of the World" - So glad they sang this one!
• "He Looked Beyond My Fault - Jared played this on steel guitar.
• "Wayfaring Stranger"
• "This Flight That Is Leaving Soon" - They payed tribute to Sheri's mother
• Jared shared an original song he wrote about fatherhood and his little boy. It was precious!
• "The Seeker" - Love to hear Sheri on this song!
• "Roses Will Bloom Again" - Of course, this was a request during the second half.
• "Why Me Lord" - Jeff said they had played around and sang this one in soundcheck one day. This was a new one for me to hear them sing. Morgan and Jeff each took a verse.
• "Thank You Lord for Your Blessings on Me" - Jeff asked Mike, the Echo Hollow stage manager, to join them on this song. For the past few years, he's pulled him on stage at some point during the concert.
• "Keep on the Sunny Side" - Thankfully Duane persuaded them to sing one more before the evening ended!

Spoken 4 Quartet

• "Standing on the Solid Rock" - Love hearing them sing these standard quartet songs.
• "Jesus Cried" - This was a brand new song that featured tenor, Brandon Britton.
• "He Set Me Free"
• "There Is a Light" - Cecil showed off his bass vocals on this song. He's one of the best. The lights in the Opera House theater started flickering at one point!
• "Because He Lives" - They did a great job on this classic hymn!

Poet Voices

I forgot how many great songs that Phil wrote. It was good to hear them sing a few and remind audiences of what a talented writer he is. I really love the way this quartet is sounding together. My first time to see them back was in Memphis, and it was good to hear them live again!

• "Jesus Built a Bridge"
• "I Saw the Light"
• "When I Get Carried Away"
• "Champion of Love"
• "Yes, I Am"

The Diplomats

• "Joy in the Storm"
• "I Wanna See Jesus"
• "Buried Our Sins in the Past" - Corey is one of the most talented and underrated people in gospel music.
• "There's a Light Shining for Me" - Alex is one incredible bass singer! It's always fun to see people who seem them for the first time figure out where the big sound is coming from.
• "I Wanna See Jesus"
• "Let Your Light Shine" - They had a lot of fun with this one getting the audience to use their phones as flashlights.

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

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

• The Kingsmen Quartet announced Chris Bryant as the group's new lead vocalist. As a Wiggins, Mississippi native, Chris has served in music ministry for several years in various capacities while operating his own business. Most recently, he has served as lead vocalist for the Mississippi-based quartet, The Bibletones. His first official date with the group was August 9.
• Prayers go out to the family of Polly Lewis Copsey. Polly sang with the first family of bluegrass gospel music, The Lewis Family. She is also the mother of Sheri Easter. She battled with Parkinson's disease for 16 years.
• The Old Paths announced that they will start a full-time touring schedule in 2019. The group returned to the road after a year and a half break in June 2017.
• Exodus has announced they will perform as a female trio in the future. The group is based in Gadsden, Alabama.

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. 

Singing and Surprises with Jeff and Sheri Easter - Concert Recap

The last concert I got to see in 2017 was Jeff and Sheri Easter. They made a stop in Arkansas around Thanksgiving, so I'm playing a bit of catch up today finally blogging about it.

I always love seeing this sweet family live in concert. You just never know what might happen with Jeff Easter or who might get called on stage to come join them. It was good to hear several new songs from Sing It Again along with a few surprises throughout the night. Here are a few highlights -

• I love that they are staging "Like My Mother Does" from Morgan's solo project. I think this song suits her so well and is such a sweet picture of mother and daughter.
• "Jesus Loves You" - I don't care how many times I hear this song, it never fails to speak to me.
• "The Seeker" - It doesn't get much better than Sheri Easter singing a Dolly Parton song!
• "On the Sea of Life" - This is a fun one to see and hear live that features Jeff. 
• "Thread of Hope" - I'm so glad someone requested this song. This is probably my favorite Jeff and Sheri song. Always love getting to hear it live!
• "Tis So Sweet" - Love this hymn that features Morgan.
• Two of the audience members that night happened to be the Martin parents. They called Momma Martin up to sing one with them. She sang "Amazing Grace" with Jeff and Sheri. They called a few more from the church up to sing with them as well including the pastor and Nancy Norris, the daughter of a local promoter who passed away a couple of years ago.

They ended the night with "Precious Memories" and "Keep on the Sunny Side." It was such a sweet night with great singing, fun surprise guests and a time of worship and encouragement.

Sing It Again - Jeff & Sheri Easter - CD Review

Jeff & Sheri Easter released Sing It Again in October of this year. The project is a collection of favorites and songs that you will probably be familiar with. The album is Jeff and Sheri at their finest. They put their Jeff and Sheri stamp and signature sound on this collection of songs.

The project is aptly named Sing It Again with that being the title track. They also do a reprise of the song as the final track. This might be the only track I didn't recognize, but it does a great job of setting the theme of the album.

The song selection of the project is definitely to be praised. While they select songs that audiences will be familiar with they don't chose songs that are "overdone" and they do a good job of making the songs their own.

"In the Sweet By and By" is a song I remember Jeff and Sheri singing on a previous Gaither video. I've always loved their version of this song. It's got some great fiddle and mandolin work. "Keep on the Sunny Side" is probably another song that you would have heard Jeff and Sheri sing before.

Let me just say it doesn't get better than Sheri Easter singing a Dolly Parton song. I love that they chose to include "The Seeker" on this album. This is such a fun, uptempo song that has some country soul to it. Sheri is also featured on "Wayfaring Stranger," which really shows the soulful side of her voice. The hymn "I Will Trade the Old Cross for a Crown" is another Sheri feature.

"'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" is my favorite hymn of all time, and I love Morgan's version. It really shows off the pure tones of her voice. This was a great song choice for her.

Jeff brings out the bluegrass with "On the Sea of Life." It's their style of bluegrass at its best. Jeff also is featured on the Hemphills' song "Sing the Glory Down" and "Where No One Stands Alone." Jeff turns in one of his best vocal performances on the latter. I love his version of this song!

Don't miss this new collection of songs from Jeff and Sheri Easter, it will have you wanting to play it again!


Songs to Turn Up - "The Seeker" and "On the Sea of Life"
Song That Will Take You Back - "In the Sweet By and By" and "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus"
Song to Put on Repeat - "Keep on the Sunny Side of Life"

Song List -
1. "Sing It Again"
2. "In the Sweet By and By"
3. "The Seeker"
4. "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus"
5. "On the Sea of Life"
6. "Wayfaring Stranger"
7. "Sing the Glory Down"
8. "I Will Trade the Old Cross for a Crown"
9. "Where No One Stands Alone"
10. "Keep on the Sunny Side of Life"
11. "Sing It Again" - Reprise

In Case You Missed It - News and Tidbits - October 28

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

• Congratulations to Morgan Easter and Landan Smith who got married on Wednesday, Oct. 25 in Lincolnton, Georgia!
• Former National Quartet Convention (NQC) board member and Director Don Shumate passed away on October 24, 2017 at age 88. The funeral service was held Friday, October 27, 2017 in Lebanon Tennessee.
• Karen Peck & New River was featured on Joni's Table Talk on Daystar on Thursday.
• Prayers requested for Down East Boys bass singer Rick Walls. He was admitted to the hospital in Monterey, California after experiencing severe abdominal pain. After evaluation by doctors he was admitted for a minimum of three days for further testing. 
• Tracy Stuffle is home after being in the hospital this week. Pray as he continues to recover from his Watchman procedure and heart cath and that his AFib will be controlled. Tracy will have to have a pacemaker later on. 

Anything I've missed?

National Quartet Convention - Friday Night

Tonight was my favorite night overall. Every group pressed through it being Friday night of NQC and put together amazing sets. There are a lot of highlights and standout peroformances, so here we go -

• The past two nights have been more quartet centric. Tonight it was more about family groups with the majority of the groups being mixed groups. But even with the quartets you had some family connections.
• The Erwins had one of the strongest sets of the night close to the beginning of the night. They brought Joseph Habedank up to join them for a sing since they are doing some tour dates together now. They also paid a sweet tribute to Vestal Goodman with "What a Lovely Name."
• We got to hear several new songs again tonight with Gold City singing "If Church Pews Could Shout" and Jeff and Sheri Easter singing several from their new project including Sheri featured on "Wayfaring Stranger" and Morgan on "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus," loved both of these old/new songs. I'd also never heard Ricky Braddy of Karen Peck & New River sing "I Bowed on My Knees and Cry Holy," but he did an outstanding job on that song!
• The Browders told the story of a woman who had been given a grim diagnosis listening to the song "Put It Into God's Hands." The song became an anthem for her and she called the Matthew Browder after a followup appointment. The Browders played the voicemail they received saying that all the tests were now completely clear. It was a powerful moment! They then had some help on the chorus of the song from Riley Harrison Clark, Lauren Talley and John Darin Rowsey.
• The Whisnants singing "New Day Dawning" on main stage never fails to disappoint. They were joined by Suzanne Taylor Hise (one of the hosts for the evening) and several members of Second Half Quartet with Rodney Griffin showing off his dance moves around the stage.
• It's too hard to crown a best set of the night. 

Key Performances

• "Heaven in the House" - The Littles
• "We'll Understand It Better By and By" - Dixie Echoes
• "I Can Through Christ" - Erwins with Joseph Habedank
• "I Will Stand" - Gold City
• "I've Won" - The McKameys
• "Cost of the Cross" - Kingsmen
• "I'm Trusting the Blood" - The Whisnants
• "Put It Into God's Hands" - The Browders
• "Going Home" - Second-Half Quartet
• "Wayfaring Stranger" - Jeff and Sheri Easter
• "Jesus Only Jesus" - The Rick Webb Family
• "Jesus Changed Everything" - Ernie Haase and Signature Sound
• "Four Days Late" - Karen Peck & New River
• "The Cross Is All the Proof I Need" - Triumphant Quartet
• "This Is My Father's World" (a cappella) - Collingsworth Family

Sundays are Family Days - Silver Dollar City Southern Gospel Picnic

I am currently back home working for a couple of days before heading north again to catch the last half of Silver Dollar City's Southern Gospel Picnic.

Sunday we started the morning at the Red Gold Hall for morning worship. We had a great service with the Hosea Bilyeu family. I was able to see four different family groups. Here is a look at some of the highlights.

The Lesters

This was the second time I have seen the Lesters since it became an all family group again with the addition of Bailee Lester. They are just getting better and better!

• "Hold On Tight"
• "Ain't God Good"
• "Call on Jesus Medley" - Great song that really got the crowd going. 
• "I Shall Know Him" - They did a great job on this old hymn!

Reggie Saddler Family

• "In Christ Alone" - Ingra sang this song solo from her new project. This was the highlight of the set for me! Absolutely beautiful!
• "Whiter Than Snow"
• "I've Got Me a Home"
• "Fill My Cup Lord" - This is the title song from their new project. Good to hear some of their new songs!

The Erwins

• "Isn't He God" 
• "I Choose to Be a Christian" - Katie knocked this one out of the park!
• "Plan of Salvation" - With all that Kody has been through recently, it was good to hear him bring the bass on this Cathedral classic.
• "Well Done"

Jeff and Sheri Easter

In true Jeff and Sheri Easter fashion, they didn't take the stage right away that night at Echo Hollow. They gave up part of their time to let the Erwins sing a few songs that night to a packed house of almost 5,000. The Erwins certainly got the crowd going with "Chasing After You," "He's Still Alive" and "What a Lovely Name." This was such a great opportunity for these talented siblings!

• "Small Town Someone"
• "Someone's Listening"
• "Sitting on Top of the World" - One of my favorite love songs they have recorded.
• "Jesus Loves You" - This has become one of my all-time favorite Jeff and Sheri songs. 
• Instrumental - "Beulah Land" and "I'll Fly Away" - Jared Easter is one of the most talented musicians on the road today.
• "Praise His Name" - So glad this was a request for Sheri to sing!
• "Thank You Lord for Your Blessings on Me" - It's such an incredible moment to hear Jeff and Sheri and a full amphitheater choir sing the chorus of this song.  

I can't wait to get back up there for the second half of the festival!

When Lyrics Speak - Anything But Happy

I'm reviving an older series today. This music is all about the message. It's about how the Spirit works through the music to encourage and draw people closer to him. It's about how songs minister to us when we need to most.

Today, I'm just going to focus on just a few lines -

"The windows of Heaven are pouring out blessings,
And here I stand with this tiny cup.
When will I learn that I cannot contain the love of God?"

This is from the song "Anything But Happy" by Jeff and Sheri Easter. I've always been drawn to these lyrics. But it's funny how words and phrases mean different things to you at different times. On the good days, it's easy to see how rich God's blessings are. You might sing along with a smile feeling and knowing how God has blessed you thinking about an answered prayer, time spent with a loved one and little extra money in the bank.

However, on the days that are just a struggle, it can be sung through tear-filled eyes. God doesn't change. His love doesn't change. His blessings remain the same. Even when we don't feel Him, when our prayers feel unanswered, when life is overwhelming, His blessings are still pouring out to us. His love is still uncontainable. His love is unfathomable.

So many times, I find myself standing ready with my small vessel waiting for God to drop this tiny blessing in there, whatever my human mind has been praying for at the moment. Because in my humanness, I dwell on these small, specific blessings and I miss the outpouring that God is giving all around me. I'm missing the chance for Him to move in a way that overflows my cup. He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly beyond what I can think or imagine.

The song is rightfully named "Anything But Happy" because when you think about all that God has in store, His blessings, His love, His faithfulness ... how can we be anything but happy?

Fun Clip Friday - Jeff and Sheri Easter's Homecoming

Well, I'm back. After a long week out of town for my regular job, I am back home and back to blogging.

Jeff and Sheri Easter have their annual homecoming this weekend in Lincolnton, Georgia. They had Triumphant Quartet last night. Apparently they had some fun yesterday with Jeff Easter before concert time. Check out these videos from Jeff & Sheri's Facebook of Jeff hanging out with the Triumphant guys for today's Fun Clip Friday!

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! It's a day when we celebrate the love we have with the people God has placed in our lives. For many that's a spouse or significant other or it could be children, parents or grandchildren or could even just be good friends. But let's not forget the greatest love of all. Here are a few love songs to think about the great love that God has for us!

Top Moments of 2016

Each year, I enjoy looking back at the top moments of the year. I look back at either memorable concerts or moments that I experienced live either in person or via webcast. This year they were all in person and it seemed that they either occurred toward the beginning of the year or toward the end. Here's a look at the top 5 moments of the year -


5. Home for Christmas Tour - It's no secret that I love all things Christmas, so when two top groups (The Whisnants and the Mark Trammell Quartet) team up for a tour chances are it's going to make the list of top moments. I was able to see them on their first night of the tour this year, and it was the perfect night to put you in the Christmas spirit. Not only was it full of great Christmas songs, but they had a few of their newer songs too that made for some great, worshipful moments. Here's the full recap.

4. Sheri Easter testimony - This was a moment that came early in the year in January actually. Jeff and Sheri Easter were in concert in Sherwood, Arkansas. Sheri spoke candidly about life-defining moments, her breast cancer diagnosis and the death of her father at a young age. Life happens to everyone, but it's what we do about it, how we come through it and the perspective we gain from it. She sang "Jesus Loves You," which made for such a touching moment. Read the full concert recap here.

3.  Crabb Family Reunion Concert - Last year this the moment of the year, and it was definitely one of the best this year as well. I love seeing this family together, knowing how much they have been through together and as individuals. It was an incredible night! It was very nostalgic hearing so many classic Crabb Family songs. Read more on the night here.

2. Tribute Quartet concert on Dec. 1 - Ironically, my first and last concert of the year was Tribute Quartet in Ward, Ark. The church liked them so well in January, they had them back in December. And I'm glad they did. You can read my full recap here, but it was one of the sweetest nights of worship I experienced this year.

1. Gospel Music Hymn Sing in Conroe, Texas - This moment was easy to identify. In October, I got the chance to visit a friend in Houston. It happened to be the same weekend as the Gospel Music Hymn Sing in Conroe, Texas. So I took advantage of that trip to pass through Conroe on my way home, and I'm glad I did! Because of the DVD taping, we were allowed to have our phones our during the concert, so I have no real photos or notes, but it's a night I won't forget. The choir from Mims Baptist was amazing. The artists on stage included Greater Vision, Mark Trammell Quartet, the Whisnants, Karen Peck & New River, Jim Brady Trio, the Mylon Hayes Family, Pat Barker and Stan Whitmire. There was such an incredible spirit that night. I loved the hymn singing, and you could hear the entire congregation singing along. I can't wait for the DVD to release soon.


What are some of the top moments you have seen this year?

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all! I hope you are all have a wonderful holiday celebrating the birth of our Savior. Here are a few of my favorite Christmas songs. Enjoy!

Getting in the Christmas Spirit with Jeff and Sheri Easter

Jeff and Sheri Easter is one of the groups that has made a stop in Arkansas recently. They were the first artist I got to hear break out the Christmas music.

Here are highlights of the night - 

• "Small Town Someone" - They opened the night with this song. It's a favorite of mine from their latest project. 
• "Someone's Listening" - Love hearing Morgan sing this song, another great one from Small Town.
• Live music - It's refreshing to see a group play several different instruments live on stage with Landan Smith on drums, Jeff on keys and harmonica and Jared Easter playing so many instruments I lost count (a few were guitar, steel guitar, mandolin and banjo)! It's great to see them incorporate so many different instruments into their lineup. 
• "Jesus Loves You" - I love this song. It never fails to minister to me. Sheri always sets this song up so beautifully reading from her devotional book and the inspiration for the song. The idea of the song is simple, something we have heard all our lives, but it's something we all need to hear.
• The Snake Song - The pastor made a joke early in the night about getting the snakes out later on. Jeff sang the song his uncle Ed wrote about singing at a church one time with snake handling. It always gets great laughs from the audience!
• "I'll Be Home With Bells On"- They started the second half with this song. Loved getting to hear a few Christmas favorites. 
• "The Greatest Gift of All" - This was so sweet seeing Jeff and Sheri sing this song to each other. It was the song that Jeff had playing when he gave Sheri her engagement ring.
• "Thank You Lord for Your Blessings on Me" - Sheri talked about having an attitude of gratitude. The song thanks God for the simple things that we so many times take for granted. Jeff's dad wrote the song as a new Christian when he didn't have much, but he had an attitude of gratitude for every blessing.

It was a great night of laughs, uplifting music and words of encouragement. If you get the chance to see Jeff and Sheri Easter in your area, don't miss it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! I saw Jeff and Sheri Easter Friday night. Sheri talked about choosing an "attitude of gratitude" every day. So many times it's easy for me to focus on what I don't have and what I want. I don't take time often enough to thank God for all that He has given me when I deserve nothing. May we not only have that attitude of gratitude today but every day.

This is one of the best Thanksgivings songs I know - "Thank You Lord for Your Blessings on Me." Enjoy!

In Case You Missed It - News and Tidbits - Oct. 16

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

• The Dove Awards were held this week in Nashville. The awards show will air tonight on TBN at 9 p.m., Central. Congratulations to these Southern Gospel winners - 
• Southern Gospel Artist of the Year - Karen Peck & New River, Daywind Record
• Southern Gospel Recorded Song of the Year - “I Am Blessed" by Karen Peck & New River; (writers) Karen Peck Gooch, Kenna West, Michael Farren 
• Country Recorded Song of the Year  - "Small Town Someone (Lunch)" Jeff & Sheri Easter; (writers) Sheri Easter, Kenna Turner West, Jason Cox 
• Southern Gospel Album of the Year - Still, Booth Brothers (producers) Jason Webb, Lari Goss, Ronnie Booth, Michael Booth, Jim Brady 
• Bluegrass/Country Album of the Year - Small Town, Jeff & Sheri Easter (producers) Madison Easter, Greg Cole, Jeff & Sheri Easter 
• Choral Collection of the Year - Southern Gospel Songs (10 New, Emerging and Classic Hits for Southern Gospel Choir) (arranger & orchestrator) Marty Hamby 
• Long Form Video of the Year - Hymns That Are Important To Us, Joey + Rory, (director) Daniel Grace (producers) Aaron Carnahan, Joel McAfee, Bill Gaither
• Prayers go out to Devin McGlamery of Ernie Haase and Signature Sound. He lost his father suddenly after a possible stroke. 
• Congratulations to Kasey (Allegiance Trio) and Haley Kemp who welcomed their first baby, a daughter, Avaline, on October 11. She was 8 pounds, 7 ounces. Both mother and baby are doing well. 
• Squire Parsons was honored with The Order of the Long Leaf Pine on Oct. 5. The event took place at Trinity Baptist Church in Asheville, North Carolina. According to the The Order of the Long Leaf Pine Society the award is among the most prestigious awards conferred by the Governor of North Carolina. It is awarded to persons for exemplary service to the State of North Carolina and their communities that is above and beyond the call of duty and which has made a significant impact and strengthened North Carolin,

Anything I've missed?

2016 National Quartet Convention - Tuesday Night

Night two of National Quartet Convention is now in the books. I got home in time to turn on the webcast as the Inspirations were on stage. Here are my thoughts and highlights of the night -

• If the Booth Brothers and Collingsworth Family went on tour together, that would be a concert I wouldn't miss. That was one incredible hour of gospel music. From the opening song together to the last note of "Jesus Saves," it was amazing. I loved Michael's sweet tribute to Jim and his time with the group. He even joined them on the last song. The two instrumentals from the Collingsworth Family, "Let There Be Peace on Earth" and "My Tribute," were also highlights. I also enjoyed Michael putting together the live band on "Life's Railway to Heaven."
• Jim Brady told the story of his sister's battle with cancer to set up "Every Cry Is Heard." Last year at NQC is when he found out his sister didn't have much longer to live, and this song written by Jim was a song that she heard on the radio after her diagnosis. It was one of the more emotional moments of the night.
• It was good to hear the Perrys sing "Calvary Answers for Me," probably my favorite performance by an individual group tonight. 
• Triumphant Quartet had one of the strongest sets of the night with "Love Came Calling" and "This Blood," both being highlights.
• "Jesus Loves You" is such a powerful song from Jeff and Sheri Easter. I'm glad they sang it tonight, definitely the highlight of their set. 
• Both Loren Harris and Trent Adams have just started with their respective groups, Kingdom Heirs and LeFevre Quartet. They are getting thrown in the deep end with this being the biggest event in gospel music, but both have been very impressive!

Favorite Songs/ Performances -

• "Every Cry Is Heard" - Jim Brady Trio
• "I Can Pray" - Kingdom Heirs
• "Calvary Answers for Me" - The Perrys
• "This Blood" - Triumphant Quartet
• "Then I Met the Master" - Booth Brothers
• "Blood of Jesus" - Collingsworth Family
• "Jesus Saves" - Collingsworth Family/ Booth Brothers
• "Jesus Loves You" - Jeff and Sheri Easter
• "He Left No Stone Unturned" - LeFevre Quartet

Day 11 of Silver Dollar City's Southern Gospel Picnic 2016

Yesterday we made it out to Silver Dollar City in time for the worship service with Dennis Swanberg. It's always a treat to hear him speak. We heard a great message and got our funny bones tickled a bit.

After the morning worship, we caught four other artists on park. Here's a recap of the day -

The Lesters

This was my first chance to see the Lesters again as a family group with Bailee Lester singing with them now. She is doing a fantastic job with them!

They opened with "When We All Get to Heaven" and then sang "Hold on Tight." Bailee was then featured on "Blessed Beyond Measure," love this song!

Brian said that he had a 10-year-old request a song at the table and any time a 10-year-old requests that they sing a song, he was going to do it. He loved seeing young people interested in Southern Gospel music. He said that Bailee had never sung this before, but they were going to try it. It was actually a medley arrangement of their hits like "Ain't God Good" and "Camp Meeting," for their reunion CD.

They sang "He Is" and then a great a cappella arrangement of "I Sing the Mighty Power of God" to end the set!


The Dunaways

After the Lesters, we made our way to the Opera House for the Dunaways. They had Jason Davidson singing with them for the weekend. He's a great vocalist and was featured on a song entitled, "Forgiveness."

They sang a lot of favorites like "Again and Again," "Church in the Kitchen" and "Didn't I Walk on the Water," which is a personal favorite!

They brought up the tempo a bit with "Muddy Mississippi," a fun one to see live. They also sang "When My Tears Wash the Scars," I don't remember hearing this one before. It's such a beautiful song!


Gordon Mote

I first saw Gordon Mote live a couple of years ago at Silver Dollar City, so it was a treat to see him again. He said that he was at Silver Dollar City today and then would be helping an up and coming country artist named Brad Paisley in the studio. He's played on so many country artists' projects, such a great talent!

He sang several from his recent hymns project, "Power in the Blood" and "Just a Closer Walk With Thee." He did an instrumental version of "When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder." It was a more jazzed up version of the hymn. He said that when he first played it for his mom she didn't recognize it and still wasn't sure she was a fan of this version, but the audience loved it!

He sang a few favorites before the end of his set, "Call Me Gone" and "Mercy Walked In," loved hearing these live!


Jeff and Sheri Easter

Dennis Swanberg opened for Jeff and Sheri to get the crowd going. It was good to hear him again doing more of his comedy stories, got to hear some I hadn't heard before!

Jeff and Sheri took the stage with their #1 "Small Town Someone," love this song!! Then they sang "Over and Over," and then Morgan was featured on "Someone's Listening," great song and reminder of how God hears us and gives us encouragement in sometime unexpected ways.

They did some instrumentals of "Amazing Grace," with Jeff on harmonica and then "The Lighthouse" and "I'll Fly Away, featuring Jared, who played about five different instruments on stage!

Sheri read an excerpt from one of her devotional books to set up "Jesus Loves You." I love this song!! Such a beautiful reminder of when we don't feel loved and feel alone, He loves us with an amazing and everlasting love, and we are engraved on the palm of His hand.

You never know who Jeff might pull on stage or what he might do in the second half. He'd helped a Keith Welcher make a CD at their studio in Lincolnton, so he let him play the guitar for the audience to start the second half.  He also brought up Mike, the stage manager for Echo Hollow, to sing lead on "Victory in Jesus." He did a great job! Then a young couple was celebrating their fifth anniversary by seeing Jeff and Sheri, so he let her join them on "Sitting on Top of the World."

They took several requests from the audience and sang "Roses Will Bloom Again," "Hallelujah From the Valley," "Party Time," "Lord, Send Your Angels" and "Thread of Hope," a personal favorite! They ended the night with "Thank You Lord for Your Blessings on Me." They had the audience stand on its feet and join them for the last part of the song.

I can't believe it's almost over, today is the last day of Southern Gospel Picnic!

Fun Clip Friday - Karen Peck and New River Homecoming

Happy Friday to all! Karen Peck & New River hold its homecoming each year during Father's Day weekend with multiple artists. Here's a recent clip from their homecoming where Jeff and Sheri Easter had a chance to sing and introduce their friends.

Check it out for today's Fun Clip Friday!