JEFF TURNER

Mark Bishop, a well-respected figure in Southern Gospel music, has released a new song called “Grandkids”. This is his first new music with Sonlite Records since his album “Home” from last year. The song is a heartfelt tribute to the special experience of having grandchildren.

Before he became a grandfather, Bishop heard many people say that the love for a grandchild was unlike any other. He remembers thinking, “‘wait… I love my wife and my daughters as much as I could love anyone… so it’s like that right?’ They said, ‘no… it’s a whole new love.’ I immediately dismissed it, thinking, ‘yeah, right.'”. However, Bishop now understands this unique bond, saying, “But it turns out that they were right”. He explains that “It really is a whole new love,” and “that ‘new’ love… that’s what this song is about”.

The song “Grandkids” starts with a piano melody that appears before each part. The first verse and chorus feature Bishop’s voice accompanied by gentle finger-picked guitar. As the song progresses, more instruments and harmonies are added, but they never become too loud, keeping the focus on Bishop’s personal delivery. The lyrics describe simple and joyful moments like “Chasing butterflies without a hope of catching one” and “Holding onto little hands, wading in the creek”. It also paints pictures of “Sitting on the front porch swing… falling fast asleep”. The song is meant to bring joy to anyone who has grandchildren or looks forward to having them.

Mark Bishop has had a long and successful career in Gospel music, spanning forty years in 2024. He is a Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning artist. Before his solo career, Bishop was part of the family group The Bishops from 1984 to 2001, along with his father and brother. The Bishops were popular, appearing on television shows like TNN’s Nashville Now and The Grand Ole Opry. They had many successful songs and received numerous awards.

Many of The Bishops’ well-known songs were written by Mark Bishop. He continues to be a busy songwriter, creating music for his own albums and for other artists in the genre. After The Bishops retired, Mark started his solo career in 2001 and continued to have chart-topping songs. He was recognized as “Soloist of the Year” at the Singing News Fan Awards in 2005. His album “Beautiful Day” was nominated for a GRAMMY Award in 2020. In 2022, he received the “J.D. Sumner Living Legend Award”. Through his music, Mark Bishop aims to help people see the importance of God in their everyday lives. With “Grandkids,” he shares a deeply personal experience of love and joy.