Terry Blackwood On Gospel Music Today

Terry Blackwood On Gospel Music Today

Terry Blackwood is the guest on Gospel Music Today for the week of May 22 and Ken and Jean Grady host southern gospel news and concert updates. The Feature Group is Steadfast Quartet, and Jean reviews new recordings by The Pine Ridge Boys and Lindsey Graham. An article about Canton Junction from Christian Voice magazine is the subject of this week’s News Notes and in the News this week are The Lesters, The Anchormen, Clearvision Quartet and Ivan Parker.  The show features a new music video by The Talleys, exclusive concert video of Chuck Day, recorded by Gospel Music Today’s cameras in Streetman, TX, and a visit to the Gospel Music Today Archives for an exclusive concert video of The Tacketts, recorded in Nashville, TN.

Christmas Prayers

Christmas Prayers from SGN Scoops and friends

For a different look at Christmas, we asked artists what their prayer would be this Holy season. Here is what a few of them had to say:

Terry Blackwood

“Heavenly Father, thank You for all You have done for us and for all You mean to us. Without You, we would have no hope; but because You sent Your Son, Jesus, as the perfect sacrifice for our transgressions, we can be reconciled to You. The Baby in the manger will soon come back as the conquering King to rule and reign over the whole world. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.” – Terry Blackwood, artist

“My Christmas prayer would be that the world would know Jesus in a personal way, that there would be no hungry people, no sickness and no dying.  Also, that this world would always be a happy place to live and raise our families. Sounds like Heaven!” – Kelly Nelon Clark, The Nelons

The Nelons

“My Christmas wish is for people to stop including the wise men in the nativity. THEY WEREN’T THERE! Seriously, my prayer is for my kids to see the love of Christ in everything I do this season. That I can help them realize the truest meaning of the season.” – Pat Barker, artist

“Funny you should write. Just a few days ago, I was digging out books to

Pat Barker

read about the stories behind Christmas carols in preparation for Christmas 2015. I came across a really old book of prayers by Peter Marshall who was Chaplain of the U.S. Senate from 1947 until his death in 1949 This is Peter Marshall’s prayer for world peace: ‘We pray for our troubled world. Impress upon the minds and hearts of our leaders that until we are at peace with Thee, we can be at peace with no one else, that freedom can exist nowhere unless it exists everywhere, that the strength of this nation does not lie in armies or navies but in the

Larry Ford

integrity of her people, that peace is born out of righteousness and nothing else, that the trouble with our world is still people, that peace is not possible until men’s hearts, our hearts, and the direction of our wills, are changed. Make us willing to be changed, whatever the cost to our self-sufficiency, whatever the price to our insistence on having our own way.’ Amen. The world events of November 2015 are nothing new to God. Human beings still suffer from the same sin-sickness that began with the first man and woman. Hosanna; save us now, Lord. We look for the return of the Prince of Peace.” – Larry Ford [Editor’s notes: The Prayers of Peter Marshall by Catherine Marshall; Hardcover, Published January 1st 1954 by McGraw-Hill Book Company, In; original title The Prayers of Peter Marshall; ISBN 00070405980 (ISBN13: 9780070405981)]

Robert York

“Dear God, thanks for sending Your Son to earth as a baby so many years ago. Thank You that He paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross and that He rose again proving that death was defeated. Thanks for family and friends during the time we celebrate His birth and for our freedom to worship.” – Robert York of SGN Scoops

“My prayer is that we would always remember the true reason for the Christmas season. It’s so easy to be consumed with all of the commercialism, the store sales, the gift giving.

LeFevre Quartet

Don’t get me wrong; I enjoy all that goes with the season but may we not forget JESUS!” – Mike LeFevre, The LeFevre Quartet

“My Christmas prayers, and Christmas wishes, have changed many times over the years. As a child, of course my wishes and prayers were for something

Ricky Atkinson

special under the tree. Then, in later years, as a young father, my Christmas wishes and prayers all became about my children; their well being, their aspirations, their dreams and hopes. Now many years later, they are all grown and gone. I sit here on Thanksgiving evening 2015, looking ahead to the Christmas season. At this time in life, my Christmas wishes and Christmas prayers are solely about the hurting people around me. The older I get, the more people around me, including my loved ones and family, are dealing with spiritual struggles, physical health issues, emotional problems, financial struggles, and even death. My prayers and wishes this Christmas are for those who need help that only the Lord can give.” – Ricky Atkinson of Ricky Atkinson and Compassion.

Mark Bishop and Forget The Sea

“My Christmas prayer for the season would be for a time of peace around our world and nation. I am a bit of a news junkie and sometimes I just sigh in disbelief at the things going on in our country. I would pray for peace among the different beliefs and races. I would pray for peace and love in broken families. I would ask God to give us a glimpse of His love for us, so that we would remember His love for us is not contingent on how we feel about ourselves. He loves us anyway! Merry Christmas everyone!” – Mark Bishop, artist, Forget The Sea

“My Christmas wish this year is that I will be able to put a smile on at least one person’s face. I have really caught the holiday bug and the Christmas spirit this year, doing more decorating of my small residence than usual and going all-out on gifts. I even bought a random ladies purchase at the dollar store. I really can’t say why or how I caught it, but this season has already been fun and if somebody gets a smile out of something I do this year, that’ll be worth it for me!” – Justin McLeod, blogger, writer for SGN Scoops

Sherry Anne

“This holiday season I think of the song I just released on my new Christmas CD: ‘Let There Be Peace on Earth.’ While I realize that complete peace is not possible as we enter the last days, I pray that people would find true peace in Jesus Christ, the One who came to bring peace, not as the world gives, but rather a peace that surpasses our own understanding and brings comfort to a lost, hurting world. (John 14:27)” – Sherry Anne, soloist, writer for SGN Scoops

Kingdom Heirs

“It may sound cliche but I wish what the multitude of angels proclaimed that first Christmas night: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward man.’” – Arthur Rice, Kingdom Heirs

“My wish for this Christmas is that the Church will put off its despondency and

Freedom Quartet

reflect Christ to an increasingly desperate world. It’s time for Christians to unite. All Christians, not just the Baptists or the Methodists, the Lutherans or Presbyterians, but everyone who is called by the name Christian. We have allowed worldly attitudes and ideas to separate and segregate the Church and it has taken a toll. There’s no better time for the Church to arise and boldly proclaim ‘I Am A Christian’ than right here at Christmas!” – John Rulapaugh, Freedom Quartet

Sylvia Greene

“The truth of the Christmas story is that on that long ago night, a Savior was born to save the world from their sins! This message of salvation and forgiveness, no matter who we are or how far in sin we’ve gone, is timeless in its beauty! But my Christmas Prayer for you this year, is that you will fully realize in the midst of your daily struggle, in your time of grief, when feeling hurt or betrayed, while experiencing sheer terror because you don’t know what tomorrow holds and you simply don’t know what to do….you have a Hope! That beautiful, starry, Christmas night, in the form of a tiny baby Boy named Jesus…Hope was born! I don’t know where you are in your life right now, you may have run out of answers, but I pray that you’ll realize that when you’re right in the middle of hopelessness…that’s when real Hope is the closest to you. What a wonderful gift to us all, I pray you will unwrap yours this Christmas! Merry Christmas!” — Sylvia M. Green, The Bradys

Amber Eppinette, 11th Hour

Selena Day

Yvonne and Bryan Hutson. Rescue Me Ministries

“Our Christmas Prayer is that we be a light in a dark world and help those in need this season, whether it be by helping the poor, comforting the widows, or sharing the greatest Gift of all: Jesus!” — Amber Eppinette, 11^th Hour

“My Christmas Prayer would be that people would begin to see themselves as Christ sees them; to know that Jesus IS the Hope of the world. ‘Christ in us – the Hope of Glory.’ (Col. 1:27)” – Selena Day, motivational speaker, writer at SGN Scoops

“Our prayer is that for the next year it wouldn’t take a holiday to remind us that no day is guaranteed, life is short and loved ones are to be cherished.” — Bryan and Y Hutson, Rescue Me Ministries

Blackwoods Celebrate 80th Anniversary of the Original Blackwood Brothers

Special Shows All Week Long During NQC!

Pigeon Forge, TN – The Blackwoods Morning Variety Show will be presenting an 80thAnniversary Tribute to the Original Blackwood Brothers Quartet, the week of Sept. 23-28 at the Smoky Mountain Opry.

The Quartet began their career in Choctaw Co., Miss., in 1934. The original members were Roy, Doyle, James, and Roy’s son, R.W. Blackwood Sr. They recorded over 200 albums and sold over 50 million records. They won eight Grammy Awards, four Dove Awards, and were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Gospel Music Association (GMA) Hall of Fame, The Southern Gospel Music Association (SGMA) Museum and Hall of Fame, and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. In 1954, R.W. Blackwood Sr., Bill Lyles and Johnny Ogburn died in a plane crash. R.W. Blackwood Jr., the son of R.W. Blackwood Sr., and his wife, Donna, now continue to carry on the legacy of the Blackwoods.

Each day of the Blackwood’s Anniversary Tribute Week will feature different guests. Schedule is as follows: Willie Wynn and Sue Dodge on Tuesday, Sept. 23; Charles Yates and Ann Downing on Thursday, Sept. 25; Jeff Stice, “Mr. Music Man” on Friday, Sept. 26; Kenna Turner Weston Saturday Sept. 27; and Tony Gore, on Sunday, Sept. 28. Special guest for the entire week will be Terry Blackwood (son of Doyle Blackwood, original co-founder of the Blackwood Brothers Quartet). On Wednesday, Country music star, Billy Dean and band will make a special appearance. R.W. and Donna are especially proud as their son, Robbie, is Dean’s drummer.

“R.W. and I and our group, The Blackwood Singers, are so excited to have everyone join us as we celebrate the 80thanniversary of the Original Blackwood Brother’s Quartet,” said Donna Blackwood. “We want to share this special anniversary with all of our fans and family by presenting a different show daily. We are thrilled to have these other gospel music legends join us. R. W. Blackwood said, “You will hear the songs the Blackwood Brothers made famous and share mornings of great music.”

R.W. and Donna Blackwood have been performing with The Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment Group since 2003 and in Pigeon Forge since 2001. They have entertained hundreds of thousands of fans with their gospel show.

Although most people associate The Blackwood name with outstanding gospel music, they have an award winning country music background as well. The dynamic Blackwoods Morning Variety Show is a mixture of country, pop, patriotic and gospel harmonious sounds that showcase the talents of Jonathan Lee Kunkle, Brad Smith, and the newest members of the group, Tana Lonon Rogers and Brian Norris in addition to the Blackwoods.

“Our production has a selection of country favorite songs sung as a tribute to the country stars that R. W. and I have worked with,” said Donna Blackwood. “In addition, the show has some Blackwood audience favorites that Blackwood fans expect to hear every show such as ‘Boondocks,’ ‘Turn Your Radio On,’ ‘Put a Your Hand in the Hand and ‘Still Feelin’ Fine.’” Each show is topped off with their stirring Patriotic Medley with special tributes to all veterans

They invite audiences to take a trip down memory lane to when the Blackwood Singers had songs on the charts. R. W. Blackwood said, “We have had six country hits in the top 100 Billboard and Cashbox Magazine Music Charts. We are performing some of our more popular country hits and yet not forgetting our gospel roots.”

The Blackwoods Morning Variety Show is open six days-a-week at 10 a.m. (preshow starts at 9:30 a.m.) at The Smoky Mountain Opry Theater (The show is closed on Monday). Adult tickets are normally $29.95, plus tax. Children 11 and under are $9.95, plus tax.

To honor all NQC attendees and anyone wishing to attend the shows, the theater is offering special ticket prices for $14.95 plus tax per ticket or $49.95 plus tax for a ticket that is good for all six shows all week long. Tickets are available by calling (865) 908-SHOW (7469). Groups of 20 or more qualify for group rates, available by calling 1-866-492-6972. The Smoky Mountain Opry Theater is located at 2046 Parkway in Pigeon Forge. For more information about the show, visit www.smokymtnopry.com/shows/blackwoods-morning-variety-show or call 1-800-768-1170 or(865) 428-7469 (SHOW).

The show is part of the Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment Group that includes: “The Comedy Barn®;” “The Smoky Mountain Opry;” “The Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Show;” Happy Days Diner; Chef’s Catering and www.SeePigeonForge.com.