Southern Gospel News SGNScoops Digital

Ronny Hinson: The Thread That Weaves It All Together

Ronny Hinson grew up in a home full of music. Folks from his little coastal hometown of Watsonville in Santa Cruz County, California, knew that the Hinson family had something special with their singing, but God knew just how far their songs would go and how many hearts would be changed by the message in them. Ronny Hinson’s songwriting talents grew from this special musical beginning and have touched countless lives over the 48 years of his music career. Today Ronny writes music, instructs songwriters, and travels to sing and preach Biblical truths. No matter what he is doing, though, Ronny knows that there is one thread that weaves the many strings of his efforts into one lifeline: and that is the call to change lives for Christ.

  Ronny recalls the special day that his family sang together for the first time. “All of my siblings and I grew up singing in my father’s little storefront church and in revival meetings that he would conduct. We would always sing as soloists or we’d do a duet, but never all together. It was on December 12, 1967, that we sang beyond the walls of our father’s church as the group that the people came to know. It happened in a revival meeting in a little Church of God in Freedom, California, through great efforts of arm-twisting! We sang the old song that The Goodman family made famous called ‘The Eyes of Jesus.’ We were all familiar with the words and the melody but never had sung it together in four-part harmony. Our singing was so well-received that night and we discovered what God already knew: that we were called to sing. We were invited to sing at another church about 40 miles away two weeks later where we received our first love offering. It was the grand sum of five dollars. Being siblings, we didn’t trust each other so we split it four ways outside on the church sidewalk. A buck and a quarter apiece!”

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The Kingsmen Quartet: Decades of Following the Call

The Kingsmen

Few groups in any genre of music have been able to enjoy such a longstanding presence in their industry as The Kingsmen Quartet. Since their beginning in 1956, this beloved group of singers has continued to bring us songs of hope for the Christian life. Their quartet harmonies have provided a constant soundtrack for decades in a world that is continually changing. Listeners have enjoyed their Southern Gospel style, their incredible musical talent, and their powerful testimonies for almost 60 years.

The Kingsmen

If you ask any member of this much-loved quartet what their secret is for remaining such a strong influence in Gospel music, they will tell you that there is actually no secret at all – The Kingsmen Quartet is simply following the call that God has placed on their hearts to minister for Him through song, and He is doing the rest!

Started by the three McKinney brothers in the hills of North Carolina, The Kingsmen would go on to steadily gain a large following in Christian music. Many renowned artists have been blessed to call The Kingsmen home for a time. Such artists include Eldridge Fox, Big Jim Hamill, Squire Parsons, Johnny Parrack, Anthony Burger, Ernie Phillips, Ed Crawford and Gary Sheppard. The group has received numerous awards, including Dove awards, Hall of Fame awards, and Singing News awards.

The Kingsmen have five members past and present in the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame, which are Eldridge Fox, Jim Hamill, Anthony Burger, Squire Parsons, and Ray Dean Reese. The group is also in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the Christian Music Hall of Fame. The Kingsmen Quartet currently consists of Ray Dean Reese, Brandon Reese, Bob Sellers, Chris Jenkins, and Randy Crawford. Read more »

Triumphant Quartet: Living In Harmony

Triumphant

By Paige Givens
​     Southern Gospel music has been blessed with an abundance of amazing quartets, whose sound and talent keep people coming back for more. There is something about quartet singing that goes beyond simple enjoyment for both the singer and the listener. Gospel quartets have the ability to take the songs of old, songs of our Christian heritage, as well as new and inspired songs, and wrap them tightly in beautiful harmonies before sending them straight to the heart.

In this industry full of wonderful quartets, there are some that especially stand out, and Triumphant Quartet is one such group. Since they formed in 2003, Triumphant Quartet has enjoyed an exquisite harmony both on and off stage. They demonstrate the joys of living in harmony with one another and with the Lord.
The group actually began as singers for Sunday services in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Tenor David Sutton recalls, “Eric Bennett, Jeff Stice, and I had been volunteering at the Louise Mandrell Theater in Pigeon Forge, singing at her Sunday morning worship services that she held for tourists. She had the vision of having a gospel quartet at her theater doing morning shows and a Sunday night show. She approached us about the opportunity of forming a group to do this. To be honest with you, when she did, we all said, ‘We are happy and not interested but we will keep it in our prayers.’ A little time passed and she asked again. This went on for several weeks and finally we agreed to sit down and talk with her about what her vision was. Because of her vision and lots of prayer, this group was formed, and God continues to bless.”

2015 SGNScoops Magazine

David goes on to explain how the group was named Triumphant Quartet. “The name Triumphant came from three fans. When the group formed we were known as Integrity. After a little over a year of singing, we received a letter from a well-known business that had the same name. They were in our same genre of music and felt because of the years they had used the name, there was a conflict of interest, so we decided to take a negative and turn it into a positive. We got with the management team at the theater and started coming up with ideas. We came up with the idea to let the fans pick our name. We started doing national marketing asking fans to submit names. We had over 3500 names submitted. We narrowed it down to our top five and went to Trademark attorneys to search the names out. Our top pick was Triumphant. We had three different people submit this name. We invited all three people to our show one Sunday night at the theater and presented them all with gifts.”

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Marty Raybon: Every Good Thing

By Paige Givens

Marty Raybon is a true artist whose music has stood the test of time. Whether listeners have heard the Grammy-award winning tenor as a solo artist or as lead singer of the popular Country group Shenandoah, they have quickly learned that Raybon’s heart and soul are poured out through his songs. Marty has enjoyed a long-lasting career in Country, Bluegrass, and Gospel music. Through all of his accomplishments, however, Marty will be the first to tell you where every good thing in his life comes from—and it’s from the God who loves him.

Marty was born in Sanford, Florida, but he grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. He recalls growing up with his brothers and sister there. “It was a wonderful childhood. Music always filled our house. My brothers, Rick and Tim, and I sang together a lot, especially songs about being brothers. So we loved ‘brother’ acts, like The Osborne Brothers, Jim and Jesse. Our father, Kenneth, was a fiddle player and he taught us harmony parts. He was my biggest influence in music, not just because he knew how to make it work, but because he knew how to love it. He taught me how to love it.”

Marty also recalls some of the biggest spiritual influences in his early years. “Billy Graham was the most soul-stirring spiritually. Also, my older sister, Kathy, has always walked very close to the Lord. She was such a wonderful example of how to be Christ-like.”

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The Browders: How Sweet The Sound

Browders

By Paige Givens

Twenty-five years ago, in the hills of Hiltons, Virginia, a unique and beautiful sound was born. It was a sound full of harmonies so close and sweet that they could only be connected by the blood of family. The sound produced words and songs that are full of hope and new life, words that point others to Jesus Christ. This sound became the music and ministry of The Browders, a family group that is rapidly gaining recognition and admiration in gospel music.

Tommy Browder, patriarch and founder of The Browders, grew up singing and writing gospel songs from a very early age. As an adult, he felt God leading him to start a ministry. “He felt the call to minister with his family. He prayed about it and God showed him what to do. We began singing in 1990,” says son Matt. “Actually, it all started in a 1990 Dodge Omni!”

Matt and David Browder were young when they began traveling and ministering with their dad in 1990. Matt recalls, “At the age of 10 or 11, I began singing with Dad. Then, at the age of 13 or 14 I began to learn to sing three part harmony with the group. The Hinsons, Happy Goodmans, The Rambos, The Paynes, and The Crabb Family were huge influences throughout my life.” David notes several influences of his early years, too. “The people that influenced me the most musically were The Original Hinsons, The Happy Goodman Family, Teddy Huffam and The Gems, The Spencers, The Crabb Family, The Paynes, Charles Johnson and The Revivers, Singing Cookes, Elvis, Johnny Cash and Carman.” Just to name a few! David recorded his first song at the young age of eight.

In 2005, Sonya, Matt’s wife, joined the group. Sonya says, “I started piano lessons at age four due to my interest in a piano we were storing at our house for our pastor’s wife. I began singing and playing in church shortly thereafter. I started singing full time with a group based out of my home state of Maine at age 15. We were booked for a concert with the Browders in Tennessee around the year 2000, and our families became friends.   Matt and I married five years later.” Read more »

Sweetwater Revival: It’s More Than Just Music

By: Paige Givens and Katie Paull

If you love Southern Gospel Music, tight harmony, and scripture-filled music, you are probably well aware of “The Female Quartet of Southern Gospel Music” known as Sweetwater Revival. They hail from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Yes, you heard that right, Minnesota! Many find it surprising that a Southern Gospel group of ladies would come from the far North, but Sweetwater Revival has found that people are hungry for Southern Gospel music everywhere, and Minnesota is no exception! This year their quartet will celebrate a decade of music ministry.

In 2004, founding member Katie Paull was living in Nashville, Tennessee, and singing with “The New Speers.” This was a ministry was formed by Faye and Brock Speer’s oldest son, Marc Speer. Katie states, “To even be a small part of the Speer Legacy was a phenomenal blessing. I had lived in Nashville for about four years waitressing and pursuing every music contact I could get my hands on. This included meeting with various A&R reps from record labels around town, doing demos with producers, pitching myself to songwriters to be a demo singer, and singing all over town in various venues. I learned so much during this time about the music industry and I will never regret my time there.

“I eventually felt the Lord leading me back to Minnesota,” Katie continues. “I had sold my bed and a lot of my furniture, and then I awoke one Saturday morning to a message from Marc Speer saying he’d heard about me from a friend. He was interested in me auditioning for his alto position. I almost fell off my couch! Upon auditioning and joining The New Speers, one of my greatest joys became reality. At that point I decided to stay in Tennessee indefinitely.

“Singing and traveling with The New Speers was one of the greatest joys of my life. Eventually Marc decided to disband The New Speers and I was heartbroken. During that time of transition, I felt the Lord leading me back to Minnesota. Moving home was very difficult in some ways because I thought that had to mean I was giving up my dream. In reality, God provided just the opposite. I moved home to discover my songwriting mother was in rapid speed, having written hundreds of gospel songs and my dad said, ‘Why don’t you just start your own quartet?’ And thus the vision for Sweetwater Revival began. I don’t think it would have happened without my parents’ belief in my vision for an all-female quartet.” Through much prayer and many auditions with various singers, Katie and her mother Cathie formed Sweetwater Revival. Their deepest desire was to find quality women who could sing and harmonize, but most importantly had a heart for Jesus Christ both on stage and off.

Through prayer and seeking the Lord’s guidance for their ministry, Katie and Cathie were inspired to call the quartet Sweetwater Revival. They took inspiration from John 7:37, “Jesus stood and said, if any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink.” Also Isaiah 55:1, “Ho, everyone who thirsteth, come you to the waters.” Cathie states, “I love the analogy of water and Jesus being the Living Water that quenches our thirst. He truly is the only One Who can transform our lives and revive us on a daily basis.”

The group currently consists of Katie Paull, Korissa Olson, Amanda Ellison, Kayla Krizek, and songwriter/manager Cathie Paxson. These ladies, known as “The Female Quartet of Southern Gospel,” work together to minister to people all over the country through meaningful lyrics and beautiful harmonies.

When an audience experiences Sweetwater Revival in concert, they will find out that the concert is much more than music alone. Katie says, “One thing that has been important to us is having scripture-filled music. That is a vital part of each project that we record. In addition to that, we have found that our music ministry is more than just music. Anyone who has ever attended a Sweetwater Revival concert will tell you that the sharing of God’s Word is a big part of our ministry. We also share our testimonies and words we feel God has placed on our hearts but as Isaiah 55:1 tells us, “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” I know and have faith that if we choose to be His vessels in this way, whether through the singing of a song or a spoken word, God’s Word will not return void. He promises us that.”

Radio personality Vivian Belknap enthusiastically applauds the group’s songs. “We’ve been playing their music for some time now at KKGM AM 1630 in Dallas, Texas, and also streaming at www.kkgmam.com. I’m live on the board for three hours on Sunday afternoon, and I play at least two, sometimes three cuts of their music during that three hours. I always get phone calls about their music, with people asking ‘Who was that?’ One listener even ended up calling our corporate office asking who was singing!” Vivian happily informed the listener who was singing. She adds, “One song that many listeners respond to is ‘Colossian 3:1-3.’ We also get a very positive response for ‘A Hallelujah Homecoming,’ ‘Until Then,’ ‘He’s The Alpha and Omega,’ and ‘Blessed Assurance.’ We love them in Ft. Worth/Dallas!”

Radio stations are currently playing “A Hallelujah Homecoming,” written by Cathie Paxson Music (BMI). The song just charted on the Singing News Chart at #55 in March. Other radio singles listeners may recognize are “When Someday Becomes Today”, “The Night is Coming”, “We Will Arise”, and “Daddy’s Hands”. Katie points out that without wonderful radio promoters like the group’s own Susan Whisnant and United Independent Artists, many spirit-filled, life-changing songs would never make it out to impact listeners.

Sweetwater Revival has released eight CD projects, a DVD, “LIVE at the Mall of America”, and a complete line of vocal tracks and sheet music. Any of these can be ordered online at www.SweetwaterRevival.com . Their brand new project Heirloom (A Collection of Hymns and Harmonies) was released this past spring. Listeners will find a fantastic array of beloved hymns, harmony filled original music, and a cappella favorites on this newest project, produced by multiple Emmy, Dove, and Certified Grammy Award winning producer Darren Rust.

Sweetwater Revival continues to minister at various concerts. Katie shares, “One event we are heavily promoting and excited about, is our Annual ‘Hallelujah Homecoming Concert’ featuring The Talleys as our special guests. This exciting night of Gospel music will take place on Saturday, June 6th at 6pm. The Concert will be held at Bethel University in Benson Great Hall, St. Paul, Minnesota. Tickets can be purchased through our website or through Bethel’s Box Office at 651-638 -6333. All seats are reserved, so please call now to get your best seats!”

You can find Sweetwater Revival online at www.SweetwaterRevival.com and on facebook at https:// www.facebook.com/SWRMinistries. For booking contact the group’s Nashville Booking Line (615) 300-1283, visit the website, or send mail to Gospeltown Records, c/o Sweetwater Revival 1934 130th Lane NW, Minneapolis, MN, 55448

By Paige Givens and Katie Paull

Photos Courtesy of Josh Stokes of http://stokesfoto.com and Katie Paull

First published March 2015 by SGN Scoops digital magazine. For current issues of SGN Scoops visit the main page.

Getting to know the ladies of Sweetwater Revival

Sweetwater Revival

By Paige Givens

Sweetwater Revival is forging a path into new territory as one of the only all-female quartets in the nation. They have been affectionately called “The Female Quartet of Southern Gospel Music” by their peers in the industry, and they definitely deliver spirit-filled ballads, toe tapping numbers, hymns of old, and new melodies with the tight harmonies they are known for. The group hails from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and proves to us that Southern Gospel music has roots all over the nation, and even the world! Take a few minutes and get to know these talented ladies who are serving with their music and heart in the ministry known as Sweetwater Revival.

Sweetwater Revival

Katie Paull, founding member of Sweetwater Revival, was raised in a musical Christian home, with a pianist mother and worship leader father, Charles, who also sang in a men’s quartet with Roy Tremble of the original Cathedrals. Katie shares, “Music was like breathing for me. I remember being in college, walking the aisle to get my diploma, thinking, ‘This is it? It’s time to grow up and get a job and forget music?’ Not long after that I made an announcement to my folks that Nashville was my destination. I waited tables by day and made music contacts by night. I did everything from sending out press packets, going to writer’s nights, songwriting, meeting with producers, A&R reps at record labels, and singing in places like the Bluebird Cafe. God helped me learn a great deal about the music business during this time. A memory I will always cherish was one weekend when my father flew down to visit. We were eating at a restaurant. I suddenly spotted Vestal Goodman, the Queen of Gospel Music. My dad about choked on his tortilla he was so excited! I went to speak with her and tell her about my music. Standing next to me, without any hesitation she grabbed my hand and prayed for me and my future in music. That moment will always stick out in my mind. God has placed people like her all along my journey and He can do the same for each of us as we seek His will for our lives.” Katie would go on to sing with The New Speers. After this group eventually disbanded, the journey of Sweetwater Revival began. “Little did I know that moving back to Minnesota and working with my mom would be the realization of my greatest musical dreams!” Katie has been married for seven years to David Paull and they have two children, Elizabeth and Ethan.

Korissa Olson grew up a pastor’s daughter in the mountains of Missoula, Montana with a family of six singers! She began singing at the tender age of two, traveling in the “Wally Wagon” and trailer, ministering at churches and camps all throughout the United States and overseas in Hong Kong, Japan, and in China. By the time she came to minister with Sweetwater Revival she had already professionally recorded three gospel albums with her family, The Erbele Family Singers; sung professional opera in Germany and New York, worked alongside producer Alan Moore (Sandi Patty, Amy Grant), and been honored at Estes Park Music in the Rockies. She is a sought-after vocalist in a variety of areas. Korissa does professional voiceovers on the radio and she is also a concert cellist. She and her husband Darren have two beautiful boys, Emerson and Everett. Everett was born with Galactosemia, a rare disorder discovered early by the newborn screen. Korissa has gone on to become a successful speaker and advocate for newborn screening, serving on the board for the Save Babies Through Screening Foundation

(www.savebabies.org). She is also able to spend time traveling with her husband, who is a full time professional European nature and landscape photographer (www.darrenolson.com), sharing God’s beauty from behind the lens. Korissa states, “No other genre of music has touched my soul like Southern Gospel music. I am so blessed to be back in my roots and part of Sweetwater Revival. I love my Sweetwater sisters! My prayer is that in every note of our music, the truth of the gospel, and the beauty of His Grace will shine through.”

Amanda Ellison has long been admired for her rich and soulful voice. She grew up a pastor’s daughter in Iowa and was saturated with music from a very early age. Amanda states, “As a little girl, music and love were poured into me. Some of my earliest memories involved my parents taking me to Singspirations, where people gathered to sing worship to God. As the melodies and harmonies filled the room, they filled the core of my being. I am so thankful to God for the gift of song. Music reflects my heart and my soul, it conveys every emotion when words will not do.” Growing up in a musical family she reminisces about memories such as washing the dishes with her sister, all the while singing and harmonizing. She states, “My brother used to say, ‘My life is a musical!’” Amanda is a well-known women’s speaker and worship leader with an amazing testimony. She considers her family her greatest achievement, calling her five children, “the most beautiful notes God has written in the song of my life.” Most of Sweetwater Revival’s audiences are intrigued to learn that four of those five children are two sets of twins! “God has certainly taught me to expect the unexpected!” she says. Amanda is often noticed for her sense of humor and remarkable ability to make people laugh. “If I had a motto, it would be words my mother has so often declared to me: Choose Joy. Those simple words filled with Biblical truth have affected my life at every turn.” Having sung at countless events, her deepest desire is to see others come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

Sweetwater Revival

Kayla Krizek, was raised in a Christian home and is a Minnesota native. She remembers first being introduced to Southern Gospel music in her grandma Erickson’s kitchen. It was always playing on Sunday mornings. Kayla states, “At first I just listened, then later started singing along, and eventually we were singing and dancing together in her kitchen. Grandma would share her favorite songs with me, we’d watch the latest Gaither special together on TV, and we often pointed out to each other basses or tenors we especially loved. Grandma, you left me a legacy, an heirloom of music.” Like many professional vocalists, Kayla began soloing at a very young age in church. She attended the well-known Minnesota Christian college, Northwestern, where she pursued a Music Education Major. She also participated in almost every music and drama ensemble imaginable, winning numerous awards and scholarships. There she developed an even greater passion for performing and soon began appearing in many musical theatre productions throughout the metropolis of Minneapolis and St. Paul. She has played everything from Beth in Little Women, Liesl in The Sound of Music, Belle in Beauty and the Beast, to The Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Kayla states, “The Lord’s timing in bringing together this particular group of ladies ‘for such a time as this’ is so exciting, and an overwhelming blessing! I leave every rehearsal refreshed, encouraged, and wrapped in love. We can’t wait to share God’s love and power with you through song!” Kayla recently landed her most starring role, that of being a mother, as she and her husband Elliott welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Cora (Cordelia Grace) last July.

Cathie Paxson is the Manager for Sweetwater Revival and also a gospel songwriter of close to 500 songs. Cathie states, “I am humbled by the thought that the Lord could use me in this way. It is a love and a passion for the Lord that drives me to my piano daily. I think back over the years and see how God has led my life. At the young age of five, my dear, beloved grandfather bought me a new piano! He was a milkman and one of the dearest people in the world to me. Looking back, I know it took much sacrifice on the part of my grandparents to buy me such an expensive gift. What a cherished heirloom I was given! I could have never known, all these years later, that the Lord would allow me to write songs for His glory on this very piano.” About 95% of Sweetwater Revival’s music are songs that Cathie has written. Cathie states, “I feel overwhelmingly blessed that God gave Katie and me the vision for Sweetwater Revival and that we are able to share in this journey together. It is a joy to hear the songs I have written, sung by these girls that I am also thankful to call my friends.”

For more on Sweetwater Revival, visit their website today at www.sweetwaterrevival.com. Follow them on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SWRMinistries.

Photos by http://EricVestPhotography.com/ and Josh Stokes of http://stokesfoto.com

For a full-length feature on Sweetwater Revival, read the story by Paige Givens in the March 2015 edition of SGN Scoops digital magazine.

November 2014 SGNScoops Magazine

November 2014 SGNScoops Magazine

It’s November and we are thrilled to present the latest edition of SGNScoops for you to read and enjoy. Creekside Gospel Music Convention was a blast and we have lots of pictorial coverage in these pages, as well as on the fabulous front cover. Inside we have an update on the event with a list of the Diamond Award winners and so much more. We say an extra thank you to all of those who went above and beyond to help make Creekside the best ever. If we were to make a list, we might leave someone out, so to each and every one of you: we are so grateful to have you as part of our team.

Christian Coaches Network Hosts IMPACT 2014 eSummit

By Paige Givens

The Christian Coaches Network will be hosting an online conference, the IMPACT 2014 eSummit on September 29 through October 3, 2014. This is a unique event designed specifically for Christian coaches and industry leaders. The official Christian Coaches Network website (www.christiancoaches.com) defines Christian coaching as “a professional relationship focused on empowering a person or group to effect change, create new awareness, move into action and step into abundant Christian life in business and in personal areas”.

“We’ve had physical conferences before, and we’ve had an online eSummit before,” says executive director Marcie Thomas, “but this by far is our biggest online conference up to this point.”

The conference is gaining interest and registrants from all over the globe, including those from Japan, China, New Zealand, Australia, and all over the United States.

The eSummit will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions and sessions from pioneers and experts in the Christian Coaching field. To see a full lineup of speakers, visit the conference website shown below. The event will include a kickoff with a pre-summit series on September 24^th. A special addition to this year’s conference will be an awards presentation, including recognition for Presenter of the Year Award and The Judy Santos Award for Coaching Excellence.

Each online session of the IMPACT 2014 eSummit will include proven strategies and best practices from industry pioneers and leaders that will equip attendees to improve their coaching practice. Those who should consider attending this event include Christian coaches, managers, leaders, and pastors who use a coaching approach in their endeavors to work with others. “Coaching is impacting businesses as well as church and non-profit ministries in a positive way. Lives are being changed as people are coached through life issues. Our goal is to provide the timely, relevant and practical information that will equip coaches and leaders to maximize this impact wherever God has placed them,” says Thomas.

As is stated on their website, the Christian Coaching Network’s mission is to further the advancement of excellence, professional coaching standards, and ethics in the Christian coaching industry. CCN endeavors to carry out this mission by credentialing coaches who coach professionally from a Christian perspective (eSummit attendees do receive CCEU’s); supporting coaches through professional development, networking, and business support; promoting ministries, organizations, and training programs that align with professional standards; sharing information on how Christians can enter the coaching field; and connecting Christians with professional coaches.

For more information on the IMPACT 2014 eSummit, visit http://christiancoaches.com/impact-esummit/ or call Marcie Thomas at 573-435-0080.

By Paige Givens