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Nov 15, 2008
The biggest change for us is that before becoming Crystal River we sang all acapella and now we have music. Other than that, the style of singing is the same. Great lyrics plus great harmony equals great songs Carbon Monoxide is odorless, colorless and tasteless. You don't even know when you are exposed until you show the symptoms. We had no way of knowing. We are just thankful to be alive! The original idea was to form a trio, and then add a bass singer later, as the finances became available. After recording a couple of CDs, and establishing a "sound", we decided to leave it like it was and remain a trio. God has certainly blessed our trio for the last eighteen years I was a very strong willed child and when Daddy died in the plane crash I hated the world and God. It took many many years for me to find peace with this and to know that God loved me and had a reason for all things that he ALLOWED to happen. Click on an image to change Feature Article
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 “Best Convention Ever”. Those words and sentiments were echoed again and again at the close of the Mid-America Gospel Music Association’s Ninth Annual Convention held November 7 and 8 in Farmington, Missouri.
 I have been so blessed to have lived long enough to have seen some of the great groups of yesteryear. I have great memories of seeing the Statesmen with Rosie, Jake, Doyle, Big Chief, and Hovie. I remember seeing the Blackwood Brothers singing in the Arthur Godfrey Show
 Most of the articles I have read have been more like advertisements from politicians running for office. The people in this industry who hold the reigns simply don’t care! The Government that is SGM has become a Communist Regime.
 We need to look into our relationships and remind ourselves that this is important and definitely worth fighting for! We aren’t to be fighting one another, but rather fighting FOR one another.
 Many think that getting your part is all there is to singing in a quartet. But, when you sing in a group for any length of time, you begin realize that if a quartet does not BLEND vocally, it will never really sound good, or minister to the crowd
 The gift of encouragement doesn't require a paid position or an office. As this boat we are all in gets bigger, it's more important than ever for us to cover each other in support. We need to encourage one another to press on, continue to walk forward, hold fast to our gifts and never, ever give up
 There is a logical and orderly method to succeeding in SGM and it works just like God’s law says it should…you start at the beginning and you grow from there. How does this compare to the current system in SGM? You know – Send a song to radio – Wait a few months – blah, blah, blah, blah
 I let you in on a private worship moment to let those of you who are perhaps living at mach 9 like I am currently that the Lord has you (us) in mind. He can be found in all of life if we just pay attention
 As we here in the Houston area recently braced ourselves for the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, many residents were wondering aloud the age-old question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
Something truly amazing happened to me at this year’s National Quartet Convention. It was so truly amazing that it changed the way I look at everything
 As Christian songwriters, we face a greater challenge today than we ever have. Time is running out. Jesus is coming again, SOON. We need to write NEW songs that proclaim that OLD message. But we can't just write the same old stuff the way we always have
This is definitely the most hurtful experience but it is from that experience that I changed my idea and perspective on the work of the ministry to what it is today. I no longer settle for what seems good but push to find out what is good and right and fitting.
I had the pleasure of meeting Lanny Wolfe a few weeks ago. Although I had grown up in California, and even taken piano lessons from one of Lanny's former students, I had never met the man who has written so many wonderful songs that have stood the test of time
This month I feel that I am writing about one of the most important elements of quality performance of songs before an audience. That is the element of INTERPRETATION such as how we express ourselves in front of the audience
The most important thing they learned was that cookies have to taste good for people to buy them. No matter how much you promote them…no matter how many ads you take out…the very first order of business is to make absolutely, positively, certain…
 Rarely in the history of hymnology has a composer been led to Christ by his own song, but such was the case with Ray Overholt. God literally picked him up out of the darkness and confusion of the nightclubs and brought him under his loving care
Remember what happened in the Garden of Eden when God exposed the sin of Adam & Eve? They quickly learned to play the blame game as Adam blamed his wife and Eve blamed the serpent
There are two great temptations that confront every Christian. Now, while you quickly try to pare down your list of allurements from the “Seven Deadly Sins” catalog to just two, remember, I did not say there were ONLY two temptations. I said there were two that every one of us faces
This transition was hard for me because it was a surprise and I wanted a chance to try to make the transition with the team that I had built. But, in retrospect I suppose that wasn’t in God’s plan and with the direction this church eventually took I know it wasn’t for me
 As fans and supporters, we need to do two things. One is to encourage the artists' work and talents. Let them know that what they do is valued and being used in the way in which it's intended. The other is to let God do the rest
The Bible, states and restates that Christ’s suffering as God’s sacrificial Lamb at Pilate’s Judgment Hall, followed by His death, burial, resurrection and ascension provided the “Double Cure” for humanity’s sin and sickness problems
I've been noticing that one of the hot topics these days is where Southern Gospel is going, and how to best describe it. There seems to be some disagreement as to what is "traditional", what is "contemporary" or "progressive", or even if those latter two categories should even be considered
 I know what it is to try to sing through allergies. These problems and the problem of the huge flu outbreak across the country have many singers reaching for the flu medicines and allergy pills to keep from sounding like frogs
I recently attended a high level committee meeting, with many of our SG leaders and it reminded me of the sad state of affairs in our nation’s Congress…leaders living in a bubble world, completely out of touch with the rest of the nation
 Radio airplay is the primary marketing outlet for gospel music. Stations pay for licenses from ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC and the proceeds are distributed to the songwriters and publishers. However, artists and labels have never been paid a performance royalty for over-the-air broadcasts
In my opinion, if Dianne Wilkinson accidently cut her finger she would bleed Southern Gospel music. “It is very dear to my heart”, she told me. She also loves her church, Springhill Baptist Church, in Dyersburg, Tennessee, pastored by her brother, James Branscum
We are smack dab in the middle of the infamous “rat race” and some days, it’s getting the best of us! On more than one occasion, we’ve felt worn out and a little overwhelmed at our schedules and all the while, we were promising ourselves we’d slow down, soon
REAL Southern Gospel is the greatest music this side of heaven…yet we keep trying to change it. We are allowing the Bizarro World infiltrators to make it progressive, or country, or contemporary, or heaven knows what next
Over a span of two decades the songs of Gordon Jensen have been recorded more than 2,000 times, and have been translated into fifteen languages. In an interview in July, 2001, I asked Gordon to tell me how he came to write "I Should Have Been Crucified."
Why do we feel that we have to throw the baby out with the bathwater? Why is it that something old seems to only have value when it has the word “antique” preceding it? Why do many of our worship leaders believe you must choose between either/or in song selection?
Since common sense is a vital ingredient to success, I’d like to offer my readers a Southern Gospel Music Common Sense Quiz to evaluate our industry. There are 10 questions with a simple “yes” or “no” answer. Take the test
A writer/artist told me, that if diesel hit $3.00 a gallon, they would have to park the bus and go into another area of ministry. Well, needless to say, that is exactly what happened. They could no longer break even, much less make a profit and a living
I cannot let this opportunity go by to write some of my remembrances of one of the all time greats of Gospel Music that went home to be with the Lord this month, Dottie Rambo. I want to dedicate the column this month to some of the memories that I have of this great lady of Gospel Music
 If you attend a lot of southern gospel concerts, this article is for you. Have you ever gone to a southern gospel concert and been disappointed with what you heard?
For the next few months I will be writing about transition. Seems vague, I know but specifically I will share stories of the various and sometimes hurtful transitions I have experienced while serving in church ministry
 I know everyone has felt the pinch with sky rocketing gas and diesel fuel. We are headed for some hard, hard times in the days to come. And, as promoters, we must be very diligent to continue to do things the right way in promoting Southern gospel music
For most of us, forensics and faith are never used in the same building, much less the same conversation. Society tends to see them as mutually exclusive. When it comes to our Christianity, it has seemed that the scientists scoffed at our faith and the people of faith were intimidated by science
When I can’t get to a show, I rely regularly on fan reports to learn how things went. Sometimes it’s a bit disappointing when the concert report I’ve been looking for consisted of only three words
The purpose of this story is twofold, (1) to let you see the heartbeat of the songwriters as they struggle to make Jesus Christ Lord of their lives, and (2) to let Gloria Gaither tell you about the writing of this wonderful worship song
It has now been one year since I moved to Nashville. I am indeed having a wonderful life out here. There are enough musical activities going on around town every night to make a person’s head spin
e are constantly trying to improve our craft and make the next song we write be the best song we have ever written. A lot of times, we can tell pretty quick if our new song is our best work or not. But sometimes it is not so easy to tell.
I got a call last week from a very discouraged and unhappy group. The recording they had saved up for turned out mediocre at best. Their company paid little attention to them and their career was going nowhere
 "A box of chocolates and fuzzy slippers!" There are no greater creature comforts on the planet than these simple pleasures! There is a way to accentuate these pleasures, and that is to share those chocolates in your fuzzy slippers with your best friends!
My love , of and for this music, started back around 1953-54 when The Weatherfords came to my home church in San Fernando Calif. There was something about the melodies and the spirit that drew me into this wonderful sound
Mosie Lister once said, "I sweat blood over most of the songs I write. I work hard at making them what I think they ought to be.” Yet, Mosie admits that there are rare exceptions when the songs almost seem to write themselves
Why do I write the things I do? Why am I continually discussing things that, in my view, are wrong about Southern Gospel Music onsidering the fact that I am inherently a positive person? The answer is simple. I honestly believe, with all my heart, that I can make a difference
It’s no secret that relationships between pastors and worship leaders are unique. I think pastors and worship leaders alike would agree that this relationship dynamic takes a huge amount of effort and communication
All of us who travel while ministering in our services and concerts understand that we are in a time of unparalleled prices at the pump. It is a situation that demands our attention, concern and appropriate actions
 When I stop, and look at how the world is revolving and evolving, it makes me wonder how long before God says those words, "It's enough." The culture we live in has evolved way beyond anyone's imagination.
Most all beginning singers are lax in their pronunciation of words when singing. Sometimes it is caused by just plain laziness, and other times it is the outgrowth of colloquialism . That means that we sometimes pronounce words like they are pronounced where we live
Mosie Lister had the good fortune of growing up in a musical home. Very early in life it was evident that he was going to be a man of music. Yet, there was little indication in those early years that he was grow up to be one of the most influential men of Southern Gospel Music
I was listening to a new Southern Gospel song on the radio the other day, and I had to shake my head in disbelief. Another well known major label artist has released a brand new song with the same old cliches we've been hearing for years
Many of my close friends know one of my closest mentors was Tiny "Tip Toe Thru the Tulips" Tim. In 1985 he walked into a radio station I worked in at WHKY in Hickory,NC and offered me a job. I turned him down and continued my spiral into drug addiction and depression
The next generation is a viable and important thing but it is not independent of the current generation. In fact, the next generation is a functional and important part of this generation. No generation is exclusive to itself
The truth is that you can’t make a career out of headlines. At some point in time I will have to step up to the plate and actually hit the ball…and keep hitting the ball… in order to keep my job in the Big Leagues
According to God’s Word, we are presently no longer slaves to sin and Satan. We are now “more than conquerors through Jesus Christ.” The only way you can be under the devil’s control is if you allow yourself to be under his control
I’m seeing a different kind of “Yours, Mine & Ours”. Couples are drawing very distinct boundary lines within the life that they share. They say they love one another, and yet husbands and wives have begun living completely separate lives
Albert Brumley was truly one of the great Southern Gospel songwriters of all time, and his songs began reverberating across America in the early1930s. He was a great encouragement to millions of people who were enduring extremely difficult times
Instead of a shiny bus, you are traveling around in a beat up old motor home, or maybe a van or a pickup with a trailer. You are nowhere near the main stage at NQC, and you hear about all the fans that love SGM, but none of them ever seem to attend your concerts.
Kirk Talley has been singing for audiences for more than twenty-five years. Although known primarily as a Southern Gospel musician, Talley has been able to cross into traditional and contemporary Christian music
 As a very important election year comes upon us, I have been traveling all over the country listening to discussions in airports, boardrooms, studios, shopping malls and everywhere in between
The biggest problems that I see in today’s contemporary music interpretations are the problems of POOR PRONUNCIATION and POOR ENUNCIATION of lyrics. This causes me, many times, to not be blessed
We wonder why CD sales have slumped 15 to 20 percent every year for the past five years. The reason is that we simply are not competing with other forms of entertainment anymore.
 As many of you know, we have learned over the last couple of weeks that Priscilla McGruder is facing another battle with cancer! We are so saddened to hear this and are praying diligently for her strength
Worshipers look for opportunities to honor God but sometimes the opportunities sneak up on them. Those are the authentic God moments in life that sustain and feed our faith.
 Lou and I discussed the passing of those "greats" and discussed who is filling their shoes. It's hard for me to imagine others being called "legends"
Decisions indicate choices are available. You find in life there are many “either/or” options you face. These contrasts are seen in the Bible as “eat/don’t eat, good/evil, God/ Satan, light/ darkness, right/ wrong, heaven/ hell, sin/ salvation, sand/rock”
One last concert memory. There's a very special framed picture in my home which was taken backstage at a Dallas, TX Gaither Homecoming concert of me with Taylor Mason, Mark Lowry and Anthony Burger
Songwriting is hard. If it was easy everyone would be doing it. Sometimes it seems like everyone is trying to do it. It's hard to believe how some songs ever make it to radio
Some fans manage to distort reality into their own fantasies, doing a very good job of convincing themselves, at least. I've been surprised to note that even gospel music also has its share of fan storytellers and potential fiction novelists
It is this author’s studied opinion that much of today’s sermonizing seems to be more like Simonizing; we simply gloss over the rust, the dings, the dents and the scratches in an attempt to “spit-shine” our imperfections and lack of holy living that is required by our Holy God.
We all begin the New Year with our list of resolutions taped to the refrigerator. Some of us succeed in meeting all of them, but most of us succeed with just a few. But a little success is better than no success when it comes to resolutions
For worship leaders Christmas can be excruciating. Productions, rehearsals, hours and hours of prep work, promotion in the community and…leading worship on Sundays of course. Christmas can be a very frustrating time to lead worship
I would like to encourage all of you who are singing for the Lord, to set your goals in 2008 to minister for the Lord in every way that you possibly can. I can tell you that if you truly want to do that, that He will provide for you in miraculous ways
For all of you “List Makers” and “New Year’s Resolutionists” I have an idea for you: Let’s make a resolution to love better. You may think I mean you should love more, and that would be good as well, but I do mean better.
Whenever people know they are wrong and can’t provide factual evidence to support their viewpoint, they revert to attacking the messenger. This works in politics, sometimes, but not with me. I really don’t care what you call me or what you say about me
It seems that we spend a lot of time discussing what is wrong with our industry. A lot is said about what needs be done to improve it. And I have joined in the discussions at times about what I felt was wrong with this industry
Over the years I have found myself the target of rumor, gossip and flat out lies. I even earned myself a National Enquirer story, a flash on Inside Edition and all the tabloid drama that comes with bad press. Today I look at bad press differently.
Having just celebrated Thanksgiving, my thoughts have turned to giving thanks. We’ve often heard that we need to live with a thankful heart, and that is true. But I realized that not only should we LIVE with a thankful heart, we also need to LOVE with a thankful heart
This is the time of year that we all look forward to the arrival of Christmas…The Advent season. In my home growing up, with few exceptions, the day after Thanksgiving the tree went up, the lights went on and Bing, Perry, Frank and Dean were crooning.
I would like to encourage each and every Gospel singer to sing about Jesus in order to grow the Kingdom. Never lose sight of this goal. No matter where you sing, whether it is in a Church or a Concert Hall, always let people know your reason for being there
One would be hard pressed to write a book of stories behind worship songs -- mostly contemporary songs -- and leave out the story behind Rise Again, written by one of the pioneers of the contemporary genre of Christian music
I glanced at my pocket calendar map of the U.S. the other day, the one in which I shaded in every state I've traveled to, lived in or just passed through. My current count of visited states is 21 (yes, I've gained another since last I spoke about this!).
Christmas is such a wonderful time to study the difference between the “divinity” and “deity” of Jesus. There is a vast difference, which seems to have escaped the awareness of many people. When the Christ-child was born in Bethlehem, He looked like us but He would live like God
Let me tell you what drives me crazy… networking or “working the room” at the most inappropriate time and place. I mention this first because this is so prevalent in gospel music. Here’s my primary example: A FUNERAL IS NOT AN INDUSTRY EVENT!
Many of you don’t have a clue. You don’t understand the recording process, radio promotion, marketing, booking or business and finance. You know very little music. This ignorance makes you an easy mark for those in SGM who will take advantage of you
Today I would like to talk about the way to attack tones, when you are singing. There are some tones that need to be attacked gently in songs. We have all sung songs where we need to attack tones in a lighter manner than usual.
 What are some stereotypical adjectives you would use to describe those employed in the Creative or Performing Arts? Eccentric…Emotional… Unpredictable…Moody…Temperamental…Reclusive…Ethereal…Weird…?
If you want your marriage to last a lifetime, you have to continue showing love to your spouse. Continue to make them feel attractive and special. Show respect and admiration. Let them know you still think they are strong and capable. Make them feel loved on a daily basis
I am not ashamed to say that for several years my goal was to open my refrigerator and be able to eat. I know a huge battle for me later in my career was food addiction. I starved for so long that when I could eat I ate all the time because I could
I know many of you are preparing for NQC and the fall to usher in another changing season. I have been busy this month finishing some of the American Idol audition cities and fighting a lot of setbacks in our Nashville office. We recently were attacked by a hacker
 I want to say, the thing that really has my attention today, is what I consider the worst thing in our business
An intelligent and marginally creative person can possibly establish, explain and theorize the complexities of a thing or topic. But, a truly creative and studied person can take the intricacies of the complicated thing and make them plain and knowable
The ALMIGHTY GOD is not a “half-mighty” God. He did not just go halfway at Creation. Birds do not just have one wing, lions do not hobble on three legs, the earth doesn’t wiggle on its axis and man did not get just one arm, one ear or one eye.
So you’re a fan of an artist or a group, you’re enjoying the music, you’re in touch with other fans sharing your joys and experiences. Maybe you’ve made contact with artists and they know you by your face or name. Then one day, it all changes or goes sour
I left this year’s NQC with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship of lifelong friends, but I also left with sadness in my heart and a great many unanswered questions. I know the Lord will help me deal with the sadness, and maybe some of you can provide the answers to my questions
Proper breathing is the main foundation for all quality sound production from the human voice. Inhalation is important as I have explained before, however, exhalation is what makes the actual sound ,as the exhaled air passes over the vocal cords
It's not the glamour job it may appear to be on the surface. But, it can be very rewarding to know that by simply being behind the table and helping to sell product, you might play a small role in leading people to an artist who may impact their lives.
 I get a kick out of reading what people put on their car, especially the ones with bumper stickers all over the backside.
How do I get my song heard? That question has been asked by every songwriter who ever picked up a pen. I've never met a writer yet that wanted to stock pile his or her tunes in a closet, piano bench or dresser drawer, and never let anyone hear them
Since his professional career began, Otis has played on over 3,000 albums. Including, but certainly not limited to, groups such as The Trav’Lers, Blue Ridge, Cathedrals, Kingsmen and over 20 albums for the Inspirations
 Watch a video log of a recent trip with Johnny Minick and Friends, Allison Durham Speer, Mike Allen, Aaron Minick and Sherry Minick.
Many friends and family gathered at the podium to share something about Allan & Alma, and I found myself more drawn into their lives as I heard how they have spent the last fifty years not only loving one another, but also loving those around them and making a difference in their lives
The McGruder’s new project By the Book was released at the UPCI General Conference in Tampa, FL. It has already been a product in demand! Their single “Heaven Too” has also shipped to radio on the Zion Compilation #41
There are many versions of “the going home song” that have found their way into our hearts and hymnbooks. Most of them invoke the use of symbolism to convey their message. We have songs about the crossing, the river, crossing the river
There seems to be so much offence among Christians over lyrics that do not blatantly and elementally spell out the gospel. Must our lives be lived wearing Christian t-shirts, our vehicles bearing Christian bumper stickers and constantly carrying a pocket full of tracts
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