Sneed Family - Names You Might Not Know Yet

The Sneed Family is from Glasgow, Ken. and consist of husband and wife, Jeff and Pam Sneed, their
daughter and son-in-law, Caleb and Amanda, Cowan and their sons Seth and Jacob. They are in the top five nominees for Favorite New Mixed Group for the Singing News Fan Awards. Get to know a little bit more about this family below and hear from Jeff Sneed!

Question: Did you grow up with a strong southern gospel influence? When did you first become interested in southern gospel?

Jeff Sneed: My dad was a Baptist preacher, and they took me to gospel singings all over the country. We went and heard professional and local groups on a regular basis. My wife, Pam, was also taken to churches all around Kentucky and Tennessee to listen to the groups. Neither of our set of parents ever sang in a group or played an instrument. As I traveled as a child I used to watch the piano player and pretended to be pushing the pedal every time the player would. I remember well pretending to play on our coffee table at home and on the back of the car seat while in the car. This set up a desire in my heart to want to be a part of a gospel group. Then Pam and I married we were already singing and our children have never known anything other than traveling with us and singing. Caleb, who is my son-in-law, his dad was a Baptist preacher, also and he would go and listen as a child too. That is why that I feel that it is very important that parent and grandparents take their child to concerts, singings and services to plant a seed of desire in their heart to want to sing for the Lord. I have often been ask how did I get my children interested...it's because it was important to us as parents and we encouraged our children by not just sending them but taking them...and it worked.


Question: How did you get started singing and traveling as a family?

Sneed: I started singing in a group when I was 15 years old. Then at 18 years old I was an original member of an all male quartet. As time passed and some began to leave the group to preach and do other things for the Lord. My wife, then girlfriend, started singing. As the years passed and the members were lead other directions, our daughter, Amanda started singing with us a harmony part at age 9. The rest is history, our son Seth then began to sing and play guitar, and our youngest son, Jacob began to play drums and sing. It just sort of developed into a family group and then Amanda started dating Caleb, who at that time was with the legendary, Naomi Sego. He was our latest addition to our group and family and we have been very blessed as the children matured over the years.


Question: What's the one thing that you want people who walk away from your concerts to know about the Sneed Family?

Sneed: The one thing that I want people to walk away from our concerts with is this main thing, I hope that they can feel the Spirit in the message of the songs or in something that is said or done. I want them to know and feel that we have been saved and born again, and if they haven't been saved I hope that it causes them to search the Lord for their salvation.


Question: Do you have a favorite song that you sing? And what song from another group has ministered to you?

Sneed: Probably "Hallelujah Square" - The song gives hope for a time beyond this life of another meeting place where there will be no more pain and sorrow for all of the REDEEMED.

Many songs have ministered to me from many groups over the years. A lot it had to do with where I was at in life and what I was going through. Many of the McKameys, Naomi Sego and the Hoppers have touched me over the years, along with many others. However, the Hoppers, "I've Come too Far to Look Back" has blessed my soul many times.


Question: What artists have been your biggest influence (musically and/or personally)?

Sneed: Well I guess for Caleb it has been Naomi Sego for the christian example she showed him on the road. It was at one of their concerts when he was singing with her that he was saved. For me, I guess the Hoppers have made a big impression on our family the most as a whole because of the love and support they have given our family. Their Christian love and friendship has shown bright on our family over the years.



Question: What has been your favorite memory so far in your ministry? Do you have a certain concert that stands out?

Sneed: I guess one of the most moving experiences for our family was when we sung on the National Quartet Convention for the first time. It was just amazing to think how God had brought us to that point. It was a place that I had always taken the children to each year and was hard to believe that we were actually singing on that stage. God is good!



Question: What new things are coming up for the Sneed Family?

Sneed: We have a lot of exciting things going on this year. We are still doing an hour long Southern Gospel TV program each week. Which by the way can also be viewed on our website, sneedfamily.com and then click on Glory Bound Jubilee. We are getting ready to do a weekly radio program. We are very excited about this. We are excited about being booked on Hominy Valley by the Primitive Quartet, singing again main stage at NQC. Also, we have been booked on the Bill Baileys Bean Blossom, and his Winter Convention next year. Also, an exciting thing for our family is Loretta Lynn hired me to plan and promote a Southern Gospel Festival on her ranch in Hurricane Mills Tennesse on September 28 and 29 of this year. It has been such an honor to work with her family on this event. That will be two days of packed southern gospel, southern style. Some of the groups that I booked for the event are: The Hoppers, Mark Lowery, Karen Peck and New River, Sneed Family, Gold City, Brian Free and Assurance, Freemans, Rambo-McGuire, Archie Watkins and Smoky Mountain Reunion, Singing Cookes, Michael Combs, Isaacs, along with Loretta Lynn herself. A VERY exciting time for our family. Also, were just found out that we were nominated in the top 5 for the Singing News "New Mixed Group" award and that our song "Hallelujah Square" just hit the Singing news top 80 charts. So thankful for Gods Blessings!

For more on the Sneed Family, check out their website at sneedfamily.com. Thanks to the Sneed Family for answering all my questions!