Author: Texas Gospel

Chuck wagon gang celebrates more than 90 years of gospel music

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CONSTANCE TURNER

Ninety years is a long time for any group to stay together, let alone stay relevant. But that’s exactly what the Chuck Wagon Gang has done since they first started singing on local radio back in 1935. Over nine decades, the group has built a legacy that includes performances at Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Grand Ole Opry, a level of recognition that few gospel acts ever reach.

Reaching a 90th anniversary is rare in any genre of music. In Southern Gospel, where so many groups have come and gone over the decades, it’s almost unheard of. The Chuck Wagon Gang’s longevity speaks to something deeper than nostalgia. It speaks to a sound and a message that has continued to resonate with listeners across generations.

Part of what has kept that sound alive in recent years is the addition of new voices to the lineup. In 2021, Josh Garner joined the group, bringing with him years of experience from his time with The Florida Boys and Dixie Melody Boys. Garner has always been drawn to groups with deep roots and lasting influence, the kind of acts whose music has stood the test of time.

That same appreciation for tradition is part of what made joining the Chuck Wagon Gang feel like such a natural fit, even though stepping into a mixed group wasn’t something Garner had ever planned for himself.

“One thing that I’ve always focused on is the history of gospel music and the groups that have lasted, that have stood the test of time. That they have a special place in my heart,” Garner said. “And I never dreamed I’d sing in a mixed group, never was on my list of things to do. But when this came open and they presented the opportunity, it just felt natural, like a hand in a glove.”

Since joining, Garner has brought a fresh energy to the group’s sound and stage presence, all while staying true to the classic style that has defined the Chuck Wagon Gang for nine decades. He described the adjustment as a welcome challenge.

“It’s been an interesting challenge because it’s a totally different way of singing, a totally different way of presenting a program,” he said. “But I’m having a ball. They let me have carte blanche to do and say what I want. We’re just, the gang’s having fun.”

That balance, of honouring 90 years of history while welcoming new voices like Garner’s, is part of what continues to set the Chuck Wagon Gang apart. The group isn’t simply marking time. They’re still creating music that carries the same spirit that made them a Southern Gospel staple in the first place.

To mark this milestone anniversary, the Chuck Wagon Gang has released a new single, “When All I Can Cry Is Holy,” from their album Made to Live Forever. The song explores themes of struggle and hope, offering a reflection on the promise of complete redemption, a message that has anchored the group’s music since the very beginning.

Ninety years in, with Garner’s fresh voice now part of the mix, the Chuck Wagon Gang shows no signs of slowing down.

The day is coming when believers will be fully transformed and glorified in Christ

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

Every believer already has everything they need right now in Jesus Christ, who lives within them through the Holy Spirit, and yet there is still something far greater ahead. When this earthly life comes to an end, God promises a transformation that will happen in an instant, changing everything about a believer’s body and existence into something that reflects the glorified body of Christ.

That coming change is described in Romans 8:30 as glorification, the final step in God’s plan for every person who has placed their faith in Christ. Right now, believers experience that reality in part, but one day it will be complete and whole. This is not just a distant hope to cling to but a firm promise that shapes how a believer can live today, knowing that the story does not end here and that what God has begun he will absolutely finish.

in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

1 Corinthians 15:52

Gary Casto on faith, gospel music, and the project nobody believed in

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AMY TURNER

After forty years in the industry, Gary Casto still lights up when he talks about gospel music.

Since 2006, Tribute Quartet, Casto alongside Josh Singletary, Gus Gaches, and Ian Owens, has built a reputation as one of southern gospel’s most reliable forces: a multi-Dove-nominated, award-winning act that’s managed to stay both beloved and dynamic in a genre that doesn’t always reward both at once. Now they’re back in the studio, kicking off work on their fourth Quartet Tribute project, having just wrapped a song selection session with longtime producer Gerald Wolfe.

Gary Casto (tributequartet.com)

Casto, a West Virginia native who’s spent decades in nearly every corner of gospel music, is the group’s manager and lead vocalist, and he’s the one who dreamed up the Quartet Tribute concept in the first place. It wasn’t an easy sell.

“I try to always pick the right songs,” Casto says. “You know, when we started doing the quartet series, several folks told me, industry leaders says, that’s a great idea, but you’ll never be able to mix those songs in with your national projects. There’s no way.”

He wasn’t deterred. If anything, the skepticism lit something in him. “I love a challenge,” he says. “And I just said, Lord, we’ve got to do this. And we do it nightly.”

That stubborn faith has paid off. Tribute Quartet has spent years proving that classic and contemporary material can share a setlist without friction, that southern gospel audiences don’t need to choose between nostalgia and novelty; they want both, often in the same evening. It’s a small rebellion against the industry’s instinct to keep things tidy and categorized, and it’s worked because Casto refused to back down when people told him it wouldn’t.

As the group dives into its fourth installment in the series, that same restless mix of reverence and reinvention is driving them forward: music built to feel timely without losing its center, relevant to the moment without forgetting what brought the audience there in the first place. For Tribute Quartet, the mission underneath the music hasn’t moved an inch, even as everything around it keeps shifting.

The resurrection of Jesus was real and physical, not just a feeling in our hearts

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

Some people try to soften the resurrection of Jesus by saying he lives on in the hearts and minds of his followers, or in the ongoing work of the church, but the Bible does not allow us to replace a real, physical resurrection with a kind of warm remembrance. Even in the early church, some people in Corinth were doing exactly that, and Paul pushed back firmly in 1 Corinthians 15:12, asking how anyone who claims Christ was raised could then deny that the dead are raised at all.

Jesus was not kept alive by the thoughts or devotion of his followers. He physically left the tomb. He was seen by people, touched by people, and worshipped as the living Lord. He is not a memory or an idea. He is alive in actual fact, having defeated death in a way that is real and historical. Reducing the resurrection to sentiment may feel more comfortable, but it strips the gospel of its power and leaves us with something far less than what the scriptures actually teach.

He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.

Matthew 28:6

One dead after tent collapses during Craguns performance in Moneta, Virginia

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STEVE MORGAN, SPECIAL FOR TEXAS GOSPEL

MONETA, Va. — A sudden, powerful wind gust collapsed a large commercial tent during an outdoor celebration at Eastlake Community Church on the evening of June 13, killing one person and injuring several others.

The church was marking its 20th anniversary with an outdoor service featuring The Craguns when the wind struck without warning, according to witnesses and a statement released by the group.

The victim has been identified by witnesses as Bob Stouffer, a longtime member of the church congregation.

A witness at the event said the wind lifted the tent into the air, estimating it rose roughly 100 feet before crashing back down on the crowd below. The witness said the church’s pastor, sensing the danger, tried to warn attendees to get to their cars, but the wind hit before he could finish delivering the warning.

The number of people injured in the collapse has not been confirmed.

The Craguns, who were performing under the tent at the time, said in a statement posted online that their family was unharmed.

“Tonight while singing outdoors (under a large commercial tent) celebrating the 20th anniversary of Eastlake Community Church in Moneta, Virginia, a VERY strong wind came through suddenly and without warning and blew the tent down,” the group wrote. “We are thankful to report that our entire family is safe and unharmed. However, there were multiple injuries and at least one fatality (that we are aware of).”

The group said they released the statement after receiving hundreds of messages asking about their safety, noting the incident had become national news.

“We ask that you help us pray for everyone who is injured, the church staff and all of the precious souls who attend this church,” the statement continued. “They are hurting tonight and they need our love and prayer support. Eastlake Community Church is a wonderful, God honoring church. After 20 great years, they will have a few hard weeks ahead.”

The Craguns expressed confidence that the church and its members would recover from the tragedy.

“But based on God’s word, we know that somehow, someway, God is working all things together for good to those who love him… and by God’s grace we believe brighter days are ahead,” the statement read. “Thank you for your prayers.”

Services for Mr. Stouffer were held June 20, 2026 at the EastLake Community Church.