NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A powerful new tribute honoring legendary gospel songwriter Dottie Rambo is set to reach listeners nationwide as Daywind Records celebrates the release of its new Dottie Rambo Tribute album and choral project arriving March 27th. In congress with the release, DMG’s Billy Blue Records will release “The First Time I Heard About Heaven,” reimagined by the award-winning ETSU Bluegrass Pride Band on the same day. We Shall Behold Him Tribute to Dottie Rambo
The album project will receive a major national spotlight when Bill Gaither’s Enlighten (SiriusXM Channel 150) airs an Album Spotlight April 10–12, bringing the tribute to SiriusXM audiences across the country. Additionally, The Gospel Greats dedicated a full episode to the project that aired weekend of March 20. Choral music products are available through www.daywindworship.com.
Celebrating the enduring legacy of one of gospel music’s most prolific writers, the album and choral project gathered acclaimed artists from the Southern Gospel world to revisit some of Rambo’s most beloved songs, including “Holy Spirt Thou Art Welcome Here”, “I Go To the Rock”, “For What Earthly Reason”, and 8 other heartfelt songs.
Additionally, Billy Blue Records’ will drop “The First Time I Heard About Heaven,” on March 27 as recorded by the ETSU Bluegrass Pride Band, the award-winning ensemble from East Tennessee State University’s Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Roots Music Studies Program. Their interpretation blends traditional gospel storytelling with vibrant bluegrass instrumentation and four-part harmonies.
“Dottie Rambo is the pinnacle of Gospel songwriters,” said Dan Boner, professor at ETSU and producer of the recording. “Her songs are timeless, and the Rambos’ musical arrangements cut deep into your soul. The band studied the original and found ways to give the song a more bluegrass feel. It’s a good day at work when you’re combining quartet singing, bluegrass triple fiddles, and a Dottie Rambo song.”
Professor Boner continues “’The First Time I Heard About Heaven,’ carries forward the group’s professional sound with a new partnership for broader distribution. This is the first Gospel single our band has ever released, and our first collaboration with Billy Blue Records. Having worked with the label and their A&R Director Jerry Salley, it seemed like a great way for us to connect our academic program with the label and teach students how the industry operates.” The song features vocals by Audrey Neel, Ethan Church, Walker Boone, and Professor Dan, with musical accompaniment by Boone and Professor Dan on guitars, Church on mandolin, Will Potts on upright bass, and fiddle harmonies by Neel, Professor Dan, and Ottawa native Reid Warren.
The tribute project also features contributions from leading voices in Gospel music, each offering their own interpretation of Rambo’s deeply spiritual catalog.
TRACK LISTING:
Holy Spirit Thou Art Welcome – Joseph Habedank
The Holy Hills of Heaven Call Me Home – Karen Peck & New River
I Will Glory in the Cross – Jim & Melissa Brady
I Go to the Rock – Southbound
For What Earthly Reason – Greater Vision
Sheltered In the Arms of God – Tribute Quartet
I’ve Never Been This Homesick – Adam Crabb
If That Isn’t Love – Lee Park Worship
He Looked Beyond My Faults – Mark Lowry, Scotty Inman, Riley Harrison Clark, and Marsh Hall
Calvary Will Never Run Out of Songs – Reba Rambo and Destiny Rambo Khouri (Rambo Women)
We Shall Behold Him/Behold the Lamb – Selah and Autumn Nelon
“It’s obvious that a major choral project of some of Dottie’s most memorable songs has been long overdue,” said Gerald Wolfe of Greater Vision, whose version of “For What Earthly Reason,” appears on the project. “The list of songwriters whose songs have impacted multiple generations and multiple genres is very short, and Dottie Rambo must be at the top of the list. We were honored to be included in this tribute.”
Southern Gospel favorite Karen Peck also shares a heartfelt interpretation of “When the Hills of Home Start Calling Me.”
“What a joy it is to be a part of this timeless, inspiring project,” Peck said. “There is something so special about the message in this song—the longing for heaven and the promise of the home that awaits us. I’m reminded that this world is not our final destination, and one day we’ll answer that sweet call to the hills of home.”
For Reba Rambo, the tribute holds deep personal meaning.
“My Mama was a listener,” she reflected. “She could hear the music in the trees, the rhythm in the ocean waves, and lyrics in the elderly couple holding hands at the local diner. Her songs have stood the test of time and generations. Nobody writes them like Mama. This spectacular tribute compiled by Daywind Records is one you will want to add to your collection. I know Mama is smiling, singing along with every artist, and playing her heavenly guitar.”
Artists across the genre echoed the sentiment, including Tribute Quartet, whose member Gary Casto noted the profound influence of Rambo’s work.
“It is truly an honor for Tribute Quartet to be part of this project,” Casto said. “Her songs have ministered to folks all across the world, and this project will ensure that her legacy continues to do so.”
From classic quartet harmonies to vibrant collegiate bluegrass interpretations, the tribute highlights the cross-generational impact of Rambo’s songwriting and the continued influence her music has across gospel and bluegrass communities.
“Dottie Rambo didn’t just write songs…she wrote hope,” states Dusty Wells, Direct of A&R for Daywind Records. “Her music found me as a young boy when I needed something real to hold onto, and those songs helped point my heart toward Jesus and a better life. This Tribute to Dottie Rambo recording is more than a collection of great songs recorded by amazing artists—it’s a reminder of the power of true Heart Music and how one life surrendered to God can touch generations. Dottie always believed songs should change lives, and I’ve seen firsthand how her music has comforted the hurting, encouraged the weary, and reminded countless people of God’s faithfulness. It has been one of the great honors of my life to help be a small part of keeping her legacy alive. These songs still speak; they still heal; and they still remind us all to guard our hearts and protect the gift she so faithfully shared with the world.”
Johnathan Crumpton, Director of Daywind Worship, says, “Creating the We Shall Behold Him: A Tribute to Dottie Rambo alongside Dusty Wells & Bradley Knight was a dream come true. These songs are still relevant to the church, and for us at Daywind Worship to present these updated arrangements for church choirs, praise bands and orchestras is a full circle moment for me as my mom use to sing Dottie’s songs in church all the time. My hope is the church will use this amazing resource for many years to come.”
Audiences at this past years National Quartet Convention were treated to a special treat as all the artists on the Dottie Rambo tribute project performed during a dedicated showcase event. This special worship time will debut on Daywind Record’s YouTube channel on March 27th.
With national radio features on SiriusXM and The Gospel Greats, along with the participation of artists spanning multiple generations, the Dottie Rambo Tribute stands as both a celebration of her timeless songs and a reminder of the enduring power of gospel music. Additionally, the ETSU Bluegrass Pride’s single will be delivered to Bluegrass radio and all DSPs March 27th. The honor of recording such a prolific and valuable songwriter will be in omnipresent this spring.
Find Southern Gospel News In Your Inbox Here
