Southern Gospel News SGNScoops Digital

COUNTRY FAITH — SOUTHERN GOSPEL SALUTES THE GENRE’S BIGGEST SONGS, PAST AND PRESENT

COUNTRY FAITH SOUTHERN GOSPEL SALUTES THE GENRE’S BIGGEST SONGS, PAST AND PRESENT

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Country Faith Southern Gospel, a new collection featuring 15 timeless songs from some of the genre’s most beloved artists, is now available from Curb | Word Entertainment.  Showcasing a range of favorites, past and present, Country Faith Southern Gospel is highlighted by classics from such legends as The Happy Goodmans (“The Lighthouse”) and The Cathedrals (“Step Into The Water”), alongside Mark Lowry’s “What’s Not to Love,” The Nelons’ “Oh For A Thousand Tongues” and The Crabb Family’s career-defining hit, “Through The Fire.”

With eight albums to date and $2.5 million in retail sales, the Country Faith music line—part of a multi-faceted brand including books, jewelry and other products—unveils this debut Southern Gospel compilation following the success of Country Faith Hymns, Country Faith Love Songs and Country Faith Christmas, among other music titles. Previous releases have featured many of the format’s superstars, including Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw, George Strait and Brad Paisley. 
 
“Southern Gospel music is one of the genres I grew up listening to, and I love it,” says Deborah Evans Price, award-winning journalist and cofounder of Country Faith, LLC. “There are so many Southern Gospel songs that have been anchors in my life, and many of them are on this project. I feel like when people hear this collection, they’re going to be moved, encouraged and comforted. These are songs that people have known and loved and made a part of their lives, and I’m honored to have them on the Country Faith Southern Gospel collection.”
 
“Brand New Star,” a poignant tune from multi-genre icons The Oak Ridge Boys, resonated deeply with Evans Price following her mother’s death. “That one has been such a light and comfort for me after losing Mom,” she explains. “It’s the closing song on the album, and it will always be special to me.”
 
Longtime Southern Gospel fans will appreciate the inclusion of Greater Vision’s toe-tapping hit “My Name is Lazarus,” while The Florida Boys, Karen Peck & New River, Legacy Five and Canton Junction are also featured on the new release. Additionally, the project includes inspired performances from favorite soloists Jason Crabb, Michael English, Joseph Habedank and Janet Paschal.
 
“We are thrilled to have our song ‘God’s Got a Better Plan’ included on Country Faith Southern Gospel,” says Matthew Hagee, founding member of Canton Junction. “Music from The Cathedrals, The Happy Goodmans and The Oak Ridge Boys, along with so many others, filled our home growing up, so being on the same record as these Gospel music pioneers is an honor we do not take lightly.”
 
A sought-after journalist and recipient of the Country Music Association’s prestigious Media Achievement Award in 2013, Deborah Evans Price has interviewed numerous luminaries, including Dolly Parton, Don Henley, Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Dennis Quaid and Tim Tebow. She is the author of three books and serves as a contributing writer for Billboard, Redbook, People, Sounds Like Nashville, First for Women and Woman’s World, among other outlets. 
 
Country Faith, LLC partners Deborah Evans Price, Bob DeMoss and Wildfire7 launched the successful brand with Evans Prices’ acclaimed books Country Faith (2013) and Country Faith Christmas (2015). In addition to eight full-length albums, the brand’s growing catalog includes books, jewelry and other items celebrating country, Christian and Gospel music. Time Life Music features the Country Faith book on national television as a bonus product in its Faith, Hope and Country collection, while other brand partners include Curb | Word Entertainment, Regnery Faith Publications, Cracker Barrel, Bob Siemon Designs and New Day Christian Distributors. 
 
Country Faith Southern Gospel is available atiTunes and Amazon, among other digital retailers, as well as in select stores across the country. For further information, visitcountryfaith.com orturningpointpr.com.  

Happy WayBack Wednesday!

It’s WayBack Wednesday at SGNSCOOPS at we are going WayBack

to to 1987.  From the “Can He, Could He, Would He” Video… Here are The Cathedrals.

Can you name these guys?

Clarke Beasley: At The Helm Of The National Quartet Convention

The National Quartet Convention has long been one of the biggest and most prestigious Southern Gospel institutions. From its humble beginnings in 1957 in Memphis, Tennessee, this weeklong event sees fans and performers from all over the world descending on Louisville Kentucky for six days and nights of Southern Gospel Music. During this last year at Louisville, SGN Scoops is reprinting an SGMRadio feature on the NQC Executive Vice President, Clarke Beasley, about the man behind the helm of what JD Sumner called, “The Grand Daddy of them all”.

Clarke Beasley

Clarke Beasley, son of a man who is also a Southern Gospel institution, Les Beasley, took on the role of Executive Director of the National Quartet Convention in 1993.“It was a big challenge, but it was also very exciting”, Clarke says. “ I had been working at the GMA for two years and had received quite a bit of event planning experience there helping to produce GMA Week.  That really prepared me for the job at NQC… I was hired [initially] to bring all of the convention services in house, i.e. ticketing, advertising promotion, event management, etc., and move our headquarters to Louisville in preparation for the event’s move to Louisville in 1994.”

James Blackwood

When JD Sumner first conceived the idea of a three-day event, he wanted to bring together artists and industry personnel, which was a unique idea at the time. However, Clarke also pays tribute to another Southern Gospel legend for making the NQC come to life. “[JD] was singing for the Blackwood Brothers at the time and convinced James Blackwood that it was something the Blackwood Brothers should sponsor.  Much credit should be given to James Blackwood for being willing to take the initial risk.”

The National Quartet Convention is now a major production; a yearlong project directed by a board that oversees all of the activities, exhibits, concerts and showcases. What might appear enormously daunting to outside observers, Beasley finds exciting. “It is a multi-faceted event with many moving parts. The challenge is to keep all of the balls in the air without dropping any of them.  That aspect of the job makes it a continuous challenge.”

“I love the event itself, and I always have.  Even though I have enormous responsibilities now, I still love the event as much as I did when I attended the event as a kid.  The actual event itself always charges my batteries for the planning process that takes place throughout the year.”

There are always special occurrences at NQC that are not experienced anywhere else, and as both industry insider and Southern Gospel fan, Clarke has his favourite memories. “The moments that stand out were the Speer Family retirement celebration, the Singing Senators performance (Trent Lott, Larry Craig, John Ashcroft and Jim Jeffords) and of course the Cathedrals Retirement and Glen Payne’s [call-in] performance of “I Won’t Have to Cross Jordan Alone.”  That was probably the most special moment of them all.”

Cathedral Quartet

To those who think that this event has had it’s day, Beasley responds, “Some say that about our music in general.  I believe that as the music goes, so goes the NQC.  That is why I work really hard to expand the economic base of the entire industry through my work with the Southern Gospel Music Guild.”

“SGM is musically charming and unique…however, the most important component of our music is the overt, straight-forward presentation of Biblical truth within its lyric.  We must guard with all vigilance that component of our music to insure that never changes.”

Clarke has seen the industry from both a performer and a promoter outlook. He traveled for several years with the Florida Boys, and knows what it’s like to get on the road, week after week. “What many do not realize is how truly arduous the lifestyle is.  Traveling over 200 days a year is enormously taxing both physically and psychologically.  Those who do it are truly called and gifted.”

Les Beasley

Having this insight into the life of a Southern Gospel Artist has given Clarke great regard for many of the industry’s performers who have been traveling for decades. This includes his father, Les Beasley. He is grateful to have grown up as the son of one of SGM’s legends. “It was quite a privilege, not just because of his status in Gospel Music, but because of who he is.  I cannot imagine a greater example to emulate.” Clarke continues, “My favorite quote of his is, ‘There is no limit to what someone can do as long as he does not care who receives the credit.’ That is a belief he has lived by.”

The next generation will tell the tale of the future of Southern Gospel. What does Clarke see as the future of SGM? “I see a future where we are a regular component of Sunday morning worship in most churches.  I also see a future where high standards will be set and artists will be required to meet them. These high standards will be set not only in musical excellence but in ministry readiness and in personal conduct.”

“I believe that the next few years will be of critical importance to the next 20 years of the future of our music, and as I said before, as the music goes, so goes the NQC.” Clarke continues, “I am very optimistic on what we can achieve.  I am convinced our music will be used as a powerful tool of evangelism to reach the lost and encourage the believers.”

Clarke Beasley and his team are working hard to pull together an event that will, as always, surpass the year before it. That requires a day-to-day determination to keep to the vision and mission of the event, as they work toward September and the beginning of the next NQC. Even Clarke however, is aware that Southern Gospel and the NQC are rooted in an experience in the daily lives of the singers, songwriters, and all who are involved in this type of musical evangelism. He was reminded of this lesson again recently.

“With one of my close friends and neighbors losing his wife this week, I am reminded that life is precious and short, and I should strive every day to enjoy the God-given blessing of life and make each day contribute something to the Kingdom of God.”

For more information on the National Quartet Convention, click on www.natqc.com .

Edited from an SGM Radio website feature entitled “Clarke Beasley: At the Helm of the National Quartet Convention”, published July 2006 http://www.sgmradio.com/

Bill Dykes Signs Recording Contract with Pathway Records

{EHA-Nashville, TN}Newly launched, Pathway Records of Franklin, TN has added Bill Dykes to its roster. Dykes has a lengthy, successful history with some of the most notable groups in the Southern Gospel genre, including The Cathedrals, The Goffs, Coy Cook & The Senators, and The Rhythm Masters. He has performed in events led by Jerry Falwell, Pat Robinson, Rex Humbard, Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, and Paul Conn. Recording and performing on four #1 songs, garnering three Dove nominations, a Gospel Music News Award, owning his own group; Chariot, opening for Mike Huckabee, and achieving Gold status with his “This is Love,” is only a brief overview of his 45 years of dedication, contributions, and accolades that will be stamped in the pages of Gospel Music history.

Chart-Busting Release Week for Ernie Haase & Signature Sound A Tribute to the Cathedral Quartet #1 on Billboard Charts

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – November 3, 2010 – Gaither Music Group’s October 26th DVD release, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound: A Tribute to the Cathedral Quartet, currently sits at #1 on Billboard’s Music Video chart! This chart-busting release week is historic for Gaither Music Group because sitting at #2 is the Rolling Stones, and at #3 is the Beatles… an unprecedented victory for gospel music!
The DVD also currently tops Christian Music Video charts at #1, and the audio release is #1 on the Southern Gospel Music chart and #3 on the Contemporary Christian Music chart.
Also notable is the album’s #72 spot on the Billboard Top 200 Chart, and it is even #15 on the Christian digital album chart!
When Gaither Music Group delivered the news to Ernie Haase he was overjoyed, stating, “When I saw the Billboard Charts, my heart skipped a beat. We are so proud of this project which honors two of our heroes, George and Glen. As a group, we are humbled beyond words.”
Bill Gaither states, “I’ve always believed that truly great music stands the test of time and bridges generations. Now, to see the world respond to this incredible tribute by Ernie Haase & Signature Sound to George Younce and Glen Payne is a wonderful testament to the timelessness of The Cathedrals’ legacy. This release week success is another powerful reminder that gospel music is meeting a very special need in our world. People love good news….and this tribute is brimming with it!”
Ernie Haase & Signature Sound: A Tribute to the Cathedral Quartet, is distributed through EMI CMG Distribution, and is available online at gaither.com, ErnieHaase.com, iTunes and Amazon.com among others, and in retail stores where Christian music is sold.

About Ernie Haase & Signature Sound:
Combining 21st century ideas with the timeless quality of great quartets from the 1950s, this Grammy-nominated, Dove award winning group has broken the traditional mold of gospel quartets. With their unconventional approach to communicating the Good News, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound (EHSS) are blazing a trail through the heart of Gospel music with groundbreaking originality.
The group’s founder and leader, Ernie Haase, got his start in Gospel music as a long-time member of the renowned Cathedral Quartet, and his roots are deeply planted in the rich legacy of music that is both meaningful and thoroughly entertaining. After the Cathedrals bid farewell to their five-decade run in the music industry, Ernie put all his great training to work when he formed, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound.  With chart-topping DVDs and audio releases, the group’s success continues to gain momentum with each new release.
For more information regarding Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, visit www.ErnieHaase.com.