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Update: Please Keep Praying For Dean Hopper

Please Pray For Dean Hopper

**** DEAN UPDATE: His surgery has been postponed until next week. We will keep you informed as things are rescheduled.

DEAN HOPPER HEALTH UPDATE:

Many may know that Dean suffered two strokes back in December due to a physical abnormality. Where there should be two vertebral veins carrying blood into the brain, Dean only has one, and it is 80-90% blocked due to its shape. This, unfortunately, caused three more strokes in the last week.. Testing has determined that he is an excellent candidate for a stent to be placed in the narrow vertebral vein, and with this surgery, his continued heart healthy diet and medications, doctors hope this will keep him out of the woods. This is scheduled for Monday morning and, while we are thrilled with this “answer”, we still covet your prayers for Dean and the family at this time. In the impending weeks, he will be at home resting and recouping from surgery.

Keep Updated HERE

Please Pray For Dean Hopper

Please Pray For Dean Hopper

DEAN HOPPER HEALTH UPDATE:

Many may know that Dean suffered two strokes back in December due to a physical abnormality. Where there should be two vertebral veins carrying blood into the brain, Dean only has one, and it is 80-90% blocked due to its shape. This, unfortunately, caused three more strokes in the last week.. Testing has determined that he is an excellent candidate for a stent to be placed in the narrow vertebral vein, and with this surgery, his continued heart healthy diet and medications, doctors hope this will keep him out of the woods. This is scheduled for Monday morning and, while we are thrilled with this “answer”, we still covet your prayers for Dean and the family at this time. In the impending weeks, he will be at home resting and recouping from surgery.

Keep Updated HERE

Dean Hopper Becomes a Student of Down Time

Dean Hopper and The Hoppers

The Hoppers develop a new normal following Dean Hopper’s recent health scare

The Hoppers don’t have time for jigsaw puzzles. However, time and patience are exactly what has been required as they’ve carefully pieced things back together as of late.

In early December, America’s favorite family of Gospel music was shaken when Dean Hopper suffered a pair of strokes over a two-day span.

“Any time you have a stroke, it comes out of nowhere,” Dean says. “I knew I was tired. I was stressed. I opened a new business last year. You’re heading into the holidays, so you have extra concerts because of Christmas. We did some work in the studio. We were trying to make all of that happen. I was tired … tired as much as anything. Evidently, I wasn’t getting enough solid sleep at night.”

The unexpected episode began with vertigo-like symptoms.

“We were in a country club doing a Christmas program for a guy, and his chef had made us dinner,” Dean recalls. “It was about 4:30 (p.m.) on Dec. 6. All of a sudden, the walls started moving. It was like the earth moving below you, and you can’t stop it. It lasted for about 60 seconds, and it quit. I went, sat up, sang and did the program. We had been on the road about a week at that point.

“We went home, and we were trying to get ready to go again. I was up in my office, and Karlye (Dean’s daughter) was with me. Things started moving. It was about a minute and a half. I just thought I was tired, so I went to bed early. The next morning, I had to see an orthopedic specialist to get an MRI on my knee (for a torn meniscus), and I got up with double vision. We did a concert that night. On the second portion (of the concert) that night, I had double vision for about eight minutes.”

That prompted Dean to seek medical counsel.

“I called a doctor friend in Savannah, Tenn., and she said it might be an aneurysm,” Dean explains. “I had already had a CT (computed tomography) scan, and it came back normal. (At the emergency room), I was laying in the bed, and I had a (similar) episode. He said, ‘You have had a stroke.’ My symptoms were double vision, headaches, and what I call vertigo-like symptoms.”

Those symptoms of dizziness and feeling like the world was spinning actually lasted until early January before they ceased.

Read more »

Are You Blooming? by Lorraine Walker, Editor, SGNScoops Magazine

Dean Hopper in May 2017 SGNScoops Magazine

2017 May SGNScoops Editor’s Last Word By Lorraine Walker

It’s May and with this fifth edition of SGNScoops for 2017, I hope you will find a feature, an article, or even just a photograph, that is educational, entertaining or encouraging. We look for stories that will be intriguing to you and we believe we have included many this month.

A special thanks to Dean Hopper for sharing with Craig Harris the difficulties of his health scare recently. There has been so much written about this special family over the years and we hope you enjoyed this feature. Please remember to keep them all in your prayers.

We appreciate all of our writers and staff here at Scoops, and they have all performed beyond expectations this month. These ladies and gentlemen do what they do because they believe they are making a difference. I believe they are as well.

As I look out into our backyard and see all the flowers that are now in bloom, I see what a difference they make to a rather dull scene. Color and fragrance attract bees and birds, enlivening the yard and our street. I’m so glad everything is flourishing in the warmth and moisture of spring.

Bloom where you are planted

It occurred to me that our team here at SGNScoops are also blooming where they are planted. Have you considered where you are in your work, your home life, your hobbies? Are you changing your landscape with the scent and beauty that is Jesus in your life?

Perhaps you are finding things so difficult right now that your spiritual life feels dry and barren. The Bible uses water as an image of the Holy Spirit and His power in our lives to bring life. Let Him wash over you today and quench your thirst, moisten your heart so that your relationship with the Lord will grow afresh. Then not only will you feel rebirth in all areas of your life, but others will catch the color and fragrance of Jesus and seeds will be planted in their hearts.
If you feel you have talents that are lying dormant in your life in the area of writing or other skills you think you might be able to utilize here at SGNScoops, please let me know. We are always looking for fresh ideas and volunteers to enrich our publication. Write me today with any comments, questions or suggestions at lorraine@sgnscoops.com.

May 2017 SGNScoops Magazine

Listen To Today’s Gospel Music Online HERE

DEAN HOPPER FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Hoppers

Late Thursday night, after intermittently experiencing unexplained vertigo-like symptoms for several days, Dean was admitted to the emergency room here in Greensboro, NC.

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 two days.
With a sizable family history of strokes, doctors were able to conclude that a mild neck injury Dean sustained back in the spring, combined with his genetic susceptibility, was the culprit.

Hoppers by Craig Harris

Miraculously, all arteries are completely clean and Dean is fully mobile with no permanent damage. We are truly and wonderfully blessed! He was released from the hospital today, Monday 12/12, and is home resting as his brain begins to heal and the after-effects continue to resolve.

“I’m so thankful for my wife, Kim. She hasn’t left my side since one o’clock in the morning on Friday, and has not let go of my hand through one of the scariest times of my life. To my girls, my brother, Mom and Dad––I’m so grateful for all the love you have shown through actions, as they speak so much louder than even words.”

The Hoppers covet and cherish your prayers as Dean continues his recovery.

All of us at SGNScoops join with our readers in prayer for Dean and all the Hoppers.

The Dominion Agency Welcomes America’s Favorite Family of Gospel Music, THE HOPPERS

Hoppers

Waynesville, NC (March 26, 2015) – The Dominion Agency is thrilled to welcome America’s Favorite Family of Gospel Music, The Hoppers, to their fine roster of artists.

This multi-award winning family group has been singing to global audiences for 58 years with appearances ranging from presidential religious inaugural ceremonies and New York’s Carnegie Hall to singing conventions and church platforms. To begin working with such an outstanding group, with such a rich history in Gospel music, brings a new sense of excitement to the Dominion Agency.

President and CEO, Michael Davis, expresses, “I am so honored to be representing one of the most celebrated artists in the history of Gospel music, The Hoppers. With 58 years of ministry and still going strong, The Hoppers are thrilling and blessing audiences night after night. What a privilege to work with this Godly family for whom I have so much love and respect!”

“After 58 years of successful in-house representation, The Hoppers are excited to announce we are teaming with Michael Davis and The Dominion Agency,” states Dean Hopper. He continues, “This new relationship will allow us to reach many new audiences as we declare the Gospel through the unique sound our family is known for.”

To schedule The Hoppers for your church, concert, or ministry event call Michael Davis at 828-454-5900 or email him here: scheduling@thedominionagency.com.

To learn more about The Hoppers, visit TheHoppers.com.
Like them on Facebook HERE.
And, follow them on Twitter @hoppersmusic.

To learn more about the entire Dominion Agency roster of fine artists, visit thedominionagency.com.

Mailing Address:
PO Box 1277
Waynesville, NC 28786
Phone:
828-454-5900
828-454-5917
###

*Pictured: (l to r) Karlye, Connie, Mike, Claude, Kim, and Dean Hopper.

The Hoppers: Past, Present and Future

By Craig Harris

The Hoppers are one of Gospel music’s best-loved families. They have been given awards and accolades and number-one songs for many years as audiences embraced their powerful harmonies. After 57 years, they are still going strong and pause for a moment to remember the past, live in the moment and look forward to the future during a conversation with SGN Scoops. Excitement abounds as each of the Hoppers speaks of their history, current happenings and possibilities in the years to come.

“I remember when we started; we’d have probably paid somebody to let us sing,” Connie Hopper laughs. “We went to a church one night and sang and got $12.73 in the offering plate.” Needless to say, much has changed since the Hoppers starting performing in 1957. They were then known as the Hopper Brothers and Connie. “In 1970, we quit our jobs and went on the road full time,” she remembers. “It was three of the brothers and me.”

Connie joined the group as the pianist and eventually married Claude Hopper. She began singing when Claude’s brother, Steve, left the group. “We have been so fortunate to support ourselves through the work God has called us to do, and none of that has been by accident, nor any of our own doings,” Claude explains. “Every day that we are blessed to travel is attributed to the support and prayers of each individual audience. We’re like a turtle sitting on a fencepost. You know he did not get there by himself.”

Connie wasn’t the only current group member to come on board as a musician. Claude and Connie’s son, Dean, signed on as the drummer at the age of seven. “The only thing I knew was that I wanted to play drums, and I would do anything I could to play music,” Dean points out. “I had a chance to play all these guys’ big (drum) kits – Mark Ellerbee (of the Oak Ridge Boys), Rick Goodman, Ronnie Sego and Billy Blackwood. That’s when the big bands were the big thing. Everybody had a four-piece band.”

Dean lived the dream. He vividly remembers flying home from Portland, Ore., by himself as an eight-year-old in order get back to school after the group was out on a lengthy road trip. “Dean would sit and watch Ricky Goodman and different ones play the drums,” says Connie. “He’s always been a good boy. He worked and helped his daddy on the farm, but he wanted to travel all the time. But we kept him in school.” Dean began correspondence school after ninth grade and has been on the road ever since. Dean adds, “I played drums for everybody, played on lots of records, and played on stage with everybody that would ask.” He later played the bass guitar and eventually moved into a more visible role as a vocalist when his uncle Will Hopper left the group.

“(Claude) really leaned on Roger Talley a lot. Roger was an incredible part of this ministry for 10 years. Roger said, ‘you need to go ahead and put Dean into that part.’ At that time, I would sing one every now and again.”

When Dean – who is seven years older than Michael – began playing the bass guitar, the door swung open for Michael. Roger Talley and Roger Fortner were also a part of the Hoppers’ band at the time.

“Coming in as a 13-year-old kid, I was fortunate that I arrived when everybody still had a band,” Michael noted. “Every weekend, we would go out, and I could stand on the side of the stage and watch people I respected. I’m thankful.” However, he admittedly didn’t have the same passion for it as quickly as Dean did.

“Michael was a different story,” Connie explaines. “Michael wanted to stay at home and ride his motorcycle and hang out with grandpa. After Dean went out on the road, that just left Michael at home. His guidance counselor called me and said, ‘Michael is smart, but he’s just not doing his schoolwork. I think that’s because you guys are gone.’ We put him in correspondence (school). He was 13 years old when he started.”

Claude and Michael Hopper

Michael adds, “I didn’t envision a whole lot at 13 other than my dirt bike and my grandfather. I just loved spending time with my dad’s dad. I spent a whole lot of time with him. He was my best friend. I’ve been blessed.”

Michael is now singing the bass part during the majority of most concerts. “It seems to be working,” Michael says. “They like us all up there as a family.”

The current Hopper brothers have assumed different and more extensive roles in the day-to-day responsibility of the group. “I am proud, very proud,” Claude emphasizes. “We never pushed them to be a part of this as boys. But now, seeing what they bring to the group and family as a whole, I don’t know how we ever did it without them. Both are very talented in their own right and in very different facets. Where one is weak, the other picks up the slack, and vice versa. They know how to pry the very best from Mother and I, which is a wonderful asset to me as both a co-worker and a dad. God knew what he was doing when he blessed us with them.”

Connie adds, “We never said, ‘this is what you’re going to do.’ At this point, if one of them were to say ‘this has been great, but I’m tired of this road,’ that would be fine with me. I thank God for them. They’re just great, and they’re talented.” Read more »

Hoppers Enjoy Record-Breaking, Sold Out Crowds!

(NASHVILLE, TN) – The Hoppers, America’s Favorite Family of Gospel Music, has been delighting audiences for over 55 years and show no signs of slowing down. Recently the talented family group broke the record for the largest crowd ever at Silver Dollar City’s Southern Gospel Picnic concert series held at Echo Hollow Theatre. With a crowd of over 5900 the Hoppers concert was the most attended ever during the series.

Brad Thomas, Senior Vice-President of Silver Dollar City said: “Silver Dollar City’s Southern Gospel Picnic continues to grow. Guests enjoy daytime and nighttime performances for 11 days. Over the years, our Echo Hollow amphitheater has grown into one of the most popular venues for southern gospel fans. The Hoppers’ performance this week had an audience of 5900+ guests, topping previous southern gospel records for the theater. Our guests love southern gospel, and we all love The Hoppers and their heart for ministry.”

With no time for the bus tires to get cold, the Hoppers traveled to Dallas, TX for the first ever Gospel Fest at First Baptist. Birthed from an idea by Dean Hopper, this event was met with great anticipation! The event SOLD OUT several days before the first note was ever sung. With guest artists Mark Lowry, TaRanda Greene, The Booth Brothers and The Hoppers, audience members enjoyed a glorious night of Gospel music.

The Hoppers will pull into Louisville, KY for the final Louisville, KY edition of the NQC/National Quartet Convention on Monday, September 9, 2013 for a full week long of Southern Gospel music.

More photos can be found online at www.Facebook.com/TheHoppersOfficial. For all tour dates, visit www.TheHoppers.com

The Hoppers: New Award Honors & Global Embrace by European Audiences Give Fall 2011 A Memorable Start

(Nashville, Tennessee) – October 2011 – Freshly back from sold-out European concerts throughout Ireland, Scotland and Holland, The Hoppers repacked their bags for Pigeon Forge, Tennessee – the home of both Dollywood and the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame.

With excitement still fresh in the wake of Connie Hopper’s induction last year into the SGMA Hall of Fame, this year’s trip to the 2011 Singing News Fan Awards in Pigeon Forge produced a stunning triple crown win for the family.

The Hoppers’ awards of 2011 included:
• Favorite Mixed Group – an honor The Hoppers have now garnered as a 12th time recipient.
• Favorite Female Vocalist – Kim’s 8th acceptance of this top honor.
• Favorite Soprano Female Vocalist – Kim’s 14th repeat honor in this category.

Claude and Connie Hopper were also this year honored in Louisville during the National Quartet Convention with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Honor by the Southern Gospel Music Guild. SGMG President Clarke Beasley noted at a reception of industry VIP and friends, “Claude and Connie Hopper are the ultimate examples of class and dignity. The impact they’ve had in Gospel Music and in the lives of countless numbers of people is immeasurable.”

Equally exciting as Singing News Fan Awards and new honors for the group was their encounter of the throngs of Southern Gospel fans throughout Europe who eagerly packed The Hoppers’ overseas concert schedules. Many were seeing them in person for the first time after years of following their legendary family history and music. The special blessing of their time with friends new and old who live an ocean away was not lost on group matriarch Connie: “It is amazing that whether we are singing to an audience of Irish, Scottish, or Dutch, the presence of the Lord unites us all. Though we were nearly 4,000 miles from home, we were made to feel ‘at home’ as these wonderful people throughout the Europe tour opened their hearts to us as if we were family.”
Added Dean: “There were so many spiritually overwhelming moments for us. We were touched by the warmth of the people and the love they have for God and the music we were raised on back home.”

Capping the thoughts on their European successes, Claude Hopper – known for his homespun stories and Southern gentleman dialect – might have summed it up ideally: “It’s a big feat for a farm boy to make his way across the ocean! It’s an even bigger feat for that same farm boy to tell his jokes and get such great laughs out of those gracious folks in Europe who might have some trouble deciphering this Carolina dialect. After 54 years and many miles, I got to experience time with people who once seemed eons away – and now have become familiar faces that we love and appreciate.”
The Hoppers are already planning return concerts in Europe, including adding appearances in Norway and Sweden. They are also scheduled to perform in concert in South Africa in 2012