Category: Southern Gospel

The Kingdom Heirs names John Young as new tenor

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DAVID INGRAM

The Kingdom Heirs has announced that John Young will take over the tenor position for the Southern Gospel group.

Young has been with The Kingdom Heirs for nearly three years. He currently works as a utility player and vocalist with the band. He will now join the front line of singers in his new role.

John got his professional start in music in 2016 at Dollywood singing and playing guitar in various shows on the park, according to the group’s website. John then worked for The Country Tonite Theatre for four years as a lead vocalist and lead guitar player. Along with singing and playing guitar, John also enjoys song writing. In recent years, John has written multiple songs with various hit songwriters in Nashville. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Lorle, and dog, Josie.

The group said the decision followed a two-month search process. They stated they spent time in prayer while looking for the right person for the position.

Provided to YouTube by Syntax Creative I Went Down · Kingdom Heirs No Better Time ℗ 2024 Sonlite Records Released on: 2024-11-01

The Kingdom Heirs has won multiple awards over the years. The group is based in Tennessee and performs traditional Southern Gospel music.

The band thanked people who applied for the tenor position during the search. They said they received many responses from interested singers. The group expressed appreciation for everyone who reached out and shared their abilities.

The Kingdom Heirs asked supporters to continue their prayers for the group’s ministry work.
Young’s move to the tenor spot marks a change in the group’s lineup. He will step into a lead singing role after his time working in different positions with the band.

The Kingdom Heirs did not announce who will fill Young’s previous utility player role.

Waylon Bayes to leave Debra Perry & Jaidyn’s Call after four years

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AARON TURNER

Debra Perry & Jaidyn’s Call has announced that vocalist Waylon Bayes will be departing the group after four years of service, effective 1 January.

Christopher Reed reflected on Bayes’s contribution to the group and the organisation’s history of launching talented singers. Reed noted that the group has featured several notable vocalists over the years, including Grant Gibson, who went on to join 11th Hour, as well as Carrapec and Jerich Grubbs. He described the group as one that helps artists get their start in the industry.

Speaking about Bayes specifically, Reed drew a comparison to past praise given to another musician. “He’s a diamond in the rough, and that’s what Waylon Bayes is,” Reed explained. He emphasised that Bayes was an unknown talent when he joined the group at just 17 years old, and that Debra Perry & Jaidyn’s Call gave him his first opportunity in the industry.

Bayes will leave the group to pursue his education at trade school, which represents the fulfilment of a long-held dream. The group has asked supporters to keep both Bayes and Jaidyn’s Call in their prayers during this period of transition.

Ronnie Booth rejoins The Booth Brothers

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AARON TURNER

Ronnie Booth is returning to The Booth Brothers after an extended absence, his brother Michael Booth announced this week.

The Grammy-nominated Southern Gospel trio will feature Ronnie Booth, Michael Booth and Buddy Mullins going forward, Michael Booth said. He joked about his older brother’s return, calling him “the quitter” who “has quit quitting.”

(C) 2006 Spring House Music Group

The group plans to maintain a limited touring schedule to accommodate Ronnie Booth’s desire to spend time with his grandchildren, Michael Booth said.

Jim Brady, who had been performing with the group, is not leaving but is pursuing other commitments, according to Michael. Brady and his wife Melissa are maintaining a full performance schedule, and Brady serves on the board of the National Quartet Convention. He is also touring internationally with Gerald Wolfe and the Hymnsing Singers.

Michael Booth said he will focus more on solo performances as the group enters a new season. The trio previously toured extensively, performing 150 to 160 dates annually.

The Booth Brothers have received numerous industry honors throughout their career, including Grammy nominations, Dove Awards and Singing News Fan Awards. The group has produced multiple chart-topping songs in Southern Gospel.

Finding light in the darkest valley: Hutch Jordan’s Journey from addiction to redemption

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JEFF TURNER

Addiction is an all too common affliction. Quite possibly, you or someone you love may be suffering an addiction right now. For Hutch Jordan of The Jordan Family Band, the struggle with addiction brought him to what he describes as “rock bottom” – but it was also where he found hope.

Hutch Jordan and family (Courtesy Daywind Records)

Jordan’s story is one of devastating lows and remarkable transformation. The multi-instrumentalist and producer, known for his talent across guitar, bass, drums, and vocals, had reached a breaking point that threatened everything he held dear.

“I hurt the people that I love the most. My wife, my daughter, my family,” Jordan recalls. “I lived in shame, guilt, complete lies, and in a darkness so deep that I couldn’t see a way out.”

On 4 August 2025, Jordan and his wife made the drive to Pikeville, Tennessee, to a facility called Our Master’s Camp. He arrived feeling “terrified, completely empty, and pretty sure that God had finally turned his back on me.”

But two weeks into his stay, something shifted. On 15 August, at what Jordan describes as “the bottom of rock bottom,” he experienced a profound moment of spiritual connection. “Jesus met me not with anger, not with resentment, not with rejection, but with a soft whisper in my spirit that said I’m here, trust me,” he explains. “And there in the lowest place that I had ever been, I surrendered to God fully and completely, and the peace of God that passes and defies all of my understanding washed over me.”

Jordan’s musical gifts emerged early in life. Born in 2000, he was playing multiple instruments and singing with his family by age nine. Now in his twenties, he has established himself as one of the industry’s premier multi-instrumentalists, handling stage sound, lead guitar, and acoustic guitar for the band’s live performances. His abilities have made him a highly sought-after session musician beyond his work with The Jordan Family Band.

In 2020, Jordan married his longtime sweetheart, Heather Sampson, who has since joined the family band. Through his darkest struggles, she remained by his side.

For those grappling with similar battles, Jordan offers a message born from his own experience: “If you’re listening and you feel hopeless, hear me out. There is forgiveness. There is freedom. And Jesus is enough.”

Southern Gospel legend Larry Ford passes away at 78

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JEFF TURNER

The southern gospel community is mourning the loss of Larry Ford, a beloved vocalist whose distinctive tenor voice touched hearts across the globe for decades. Mr. Ford, 78, passed away recently, leaving behind a remarkable legacy of faith and music.

Music video by Larry Ford performing Favorite Song Of All. (C) 2006 Spring House Music Group

Throughout his career, Mr. Ford became known for his exceptional vocal talent, which included notable stints with The Dixie Echoes and the James Blackwood Quartet. However, he will be most recognised for his work with The Gaither Homecoming Friends, where his Irish tenor voice became a cherished part of the beloved musical fellowship.

In his later years, Mr. Ford enjoyed a busy solo career that took him to more than 30 countries. The Grammy-winning former pastor made albums not just of hymns and praise music, but of patriotic American songs and Irish folk tunes as well. Larry had been a pilot, a pastor, and all of his life, a worshipper.

His passing was announced by his family on his Facebook page with a touching tribute:
“Our hero is Home — yes, that Home. The Home he sang about, longed for, and faithfully pointed others towards for nearly all his life. Larry led his family with quiet strength and tender grace. With his grand Irish tenor voice, he lived his faith with humility, carrying the Good News of the Gospel through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs all over the world. He believed that little is much when God is in it, labouring not for wealth or fame, but for the crown promised to those who go in Jesus’ name. And now, we know he has heard the words he sang and lived by: ‘You’ve been faithful, welcome home, My child, well done.’ We find comfort knowing that the voice who sang of Heaven and Home is now there. Thank you for the prayers, the love, and the support during this time. We are deeply grateful.”

Funeral services for Larry Ford will be held at the First Assembly of God Church in Fort Myers, Florida, on 27 December.