TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

The Kingdom Heirs are back with their first new music since 2024’s No better time, and this one comes swinging. The Sonlite Records quartet, longtime Southern Gospel favorites out of the mountains of East Tennessee, just released “Jesus never met a sinner (that he couldn’t save),” an up-tempo, unpredictable number that grew out of a single line overheard in a small church in North Augusta, Georgia.

The song’s writer, and the group’s drummer, Dennis Murphy, remembers the exact moment it hit him. “This song was inspired by a quote from Pastor C.T. Townsend when we sang at his church,” Murphy says. “As he was introducing us, he simply told the congregation, ‘Jesus never met a sinner that He couldn’t save.’ It instantly tweaked my songwriter brain, and I was obsessed for the remainder of the service.”

He laughs about it now, sort of. “It’s a blessing and a distraction,” Murphy adds, “but I’ve learned to live with it. I began to build around this great quote as the Lord delivered the words.” He’s not alone in that habit, he suspects. “I’m sure this happens with other songwriters who hear a sermon and then begin to focus on a ‘nugget of gold’ from the preacher.”

The result, produced by Roger Talley, opens with snappy guitar and keyboard work before lead singer Chris Bryant takes over, his voice riding a propulsive drum line courtesy of studio veteran Tony Creasman. Murphy calls it fitting for the group’s sound: “I believe everyone will enjoy this up-tempo, unpredictable, and energetic tune,” he says, adding that Bryant “delivers an amazing fast-paced lead as the remainder of the quartet add incredible harmonies.”

That’s putting it mildly once the full quartet crashes into the chorus, four voices locking in behind a message that’s been the group’s calling card for over four decades: no one is too far gone.

Dollywood regulars know that message well. The Kingdom Heirs first started singing at what was then Silver Dollar City back in 1982, and when the park rebranded in 1986, the group became its resident gospel act, a role they still hold today. This year, both the Kingdom Heirs and Dollywood are marking more than 40 years in the family entertainment business, a milestone that says as much about the group’s staying power as any new single could.