Category: Southern Gospel

Mark Bishop brings playful gospel message in new single “You Better Go Read It”

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AMY TURNER

Mark Bishop has released a new single through Sonlite Records, and it carries a message as timeless as the book it points to. Titled “You Better Go Read It,” the song follows his previous release “The Fishing Pole,” a quieter, country-flavoured reflection on life’s journey, and marks a clear shift in mood. This new track is upbeat and soulful, built on a syncopated rhythm and wrapped in a spirit of joyful urgency.

The idea behind the song came from an everyday moment most people know well. Bishop explained it this way: “How many times has a strange icon lit up on the dashboard of your car, and you have to fish out the owner’s manual in the glove compartment to figure out what’s going on? Wouldn’t it be great if we had a manual for when our lives needed some tune-up or repair? Guess what… we do!”

The answer, as Bishop sees it, has been there all along. “But it doesn’t do you any good if you don’t go read it,” he said.

“All of the answers are right there. It’s called the Bible, and it’s an owner’s manual for your life. Yours. Our newest song, ‘You Better Go Read It,’ is a playful, happy reminder that God has given us a gift… a roadmap… an instruction book… an insurance policy. But it does you no good if you don’t read it.”

That lighthearted but pointed tone comes through from the very first lines of the song, where Bishop sets the scene with a direct question to the listener: Can I have your attention? This’ll only take a minute. You’re runnin’ in the rat race. Now how ya’ gonna win it? Do you know where you’re going? When the journey’s through? Got any idea… who might be waitin’ for you?

The chorus opens things up further, with label mate Amber Lynn joining Bishop in alternating harmonies that give the song an energetic back-and-forth feel: You better go read it. It’s right there in the Word. You’re really gonna need it. Maybe you haven’t heard, There’s a hell and a heaven, there’s a right way and a wrong. By the end of the journey, who’s side will you be on? There’s a road map… you get to see it. But you better go read it.

The single also marks a milestone for someone close to Bishop. “I am especially excited for you to hear this new song,” he said, “because it also features my friend and live concert piano player, Tony Gross. If you’ve come to any of our concerts, you already know how talented this young man is on the keys. Well… now you can hear Tony play whenever you want to. Ladies and gentlemen… I present to you, recorded for the first time, the musical talents of Tony Gross on our newest song… ‘You Better Go Read It’!”

Sunday Drive releases new album “Rise and Shine” on StowTown Records

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AMY TURNER

A family trio rooted in Tennessee has a new album out, and it carries a message of hope and faith. StowTown Records has announced the release of Rise and Shine, the second full album from Sunday Drive. The group made up of husband and wife Jeff and Misty Treece, and Jeff’s brother Dusty Treece.

The album blends new original songs with reimagined older favourites and a well-known modern church standard, aiming to reach gospel music fans of all ages.

Sunday Drive is no stranger to success on the charts. The trio has earned Top 40 radio songs with “Grace and Glory,” “There’s Always A Place At The Table,” “God Will Be God,” and “Shine Down On Me.” They have also taken home multiple Vocal Group and Entertainer of the Year honours, and they remain a beloved name in southern and country gospel music. Beyond the recording world, they are regulars at Dollywood Theme Park, where they perform more than 40 dates each year.

Rise and Shine was produced by multi-award-winning Wayne Haun, whose personal connection to the Treece family runs deeper than the recording studio. Haun grew up in the same town as the group and shared his feelings about the project:

“While each album is special to me, this one is a little extra special. Most people don’t know, but I grew up in the same town as this talented family. As a child and even into our teenage years, our paths crossed many times at concerts and church services. Jeff and I would dream of making music together, and now here we are on the other side of it all these years later. I’m glad the Lord gives us the desires of our hearts.”

The album also holds a deeply personal meaning for Haun because of the Treece family’s matriarch, Violet Treece, who passed away before her time. He explained:

“This album is also special to me because as a child one of my favorite songs was written by Violet Treece, who left us way too soon. She was a mentor and encourager to me and even prayed over me that God would use my gifts. I was beyond happy that ‘The Way, The Truth, The Life’ was chosen from her song portfolio for this project. When I was a kid, they called it their ‘Taco Bell Song,’ and now it has a Caribbean feel, but the timeless message is still the same.”

Among the other songs on the record is “Through It All,” a classic written by legendary gospel artist AndraĂ© Crouch. The track features sweeping harmonies from Hillcrest Nashville alongside Misty Treece’s lead vocal, offering a powerful reflection on God’s faithfulness. Also featured is “Mountains Are Made to Climb,” written by Jeff Treece, Joel Lindsey, and Donna King. That song includes a guest performance from TaRanda Greene, whose voice weaves naturally into the group’s layered harmonies.

Dusty Treece captured the spirit behind the album simply and directly:

“We are so excited about our new album! We want it to feel like a burst of sunlight, full of joy & hope. We wanted every song to celebrate God’s faithfulness and His promise of brighter days ahead. We pray this project blesses you as much as it blessed us recording it.”

With Rise and Shine, Sunday Drive offers listeners music grounded in harmony, family, and unwavering faith.

A phone call Jonathan Wilburn will never forget

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AMY TURNER

Jonathan Wilburn has worked with producer Ben Isaacs for a long time. The two have a strong working relationship. Ben produced Wilburn’s latest project, Jesus Can. But their friendship goes beyond the studio. And one night, Ben proved just how well he knows his friend.

It started with a late-night FaceTime call. Wilburn wasn’t sure what to expect.

“I’m sitting at home one night, and this joker FaceTimes me, and it’s like a weird hour,” Wilburn recalled. “And Ben’s FaceTimed me. Oh, no, I hope he’s not in trouble. I’m going to get him out of jail or something. Again.”

When Wilburn answered, Ben wasn’t in trouble at all. He was somewhere far better.

“So he FaceTimes me. He goes, hey, man, guess where I’m at?” Wilburn said. “And I went, where? He went to Hawaii. And I went, you dog, you’re in Hawaii. And he went, yeah. I’m at Terry Bradshaw’s house.”

Wilburn wasn’t sure he’d heard right. Terry Bradshaw? The Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowl championships was on the other end of that call?

“And I went, Terry Bradshaw’s house? I was like, yeah right,” Wilburn said. “And he just goes, yeah. Here’s Terry Bradshaw. Boom.”

For most people, a surprise celebrity appearance on a phone call might be a fun story to tell later. For Wilburn, it was something more. He’s a lifelong Steelers fan, and Bradshaw is one of only two people who have ever left him truly starstruck.

“Well, he knew growing up and still I’m a huge Steelers fan,” Wilburn said. “I’m not one of these starstruck people, but there’s two people I’m starstruck over, and that would be Elvis and Terry Bradshaw.”

When Bradshaw appeared on screen, Wilburn was immediately moved, but so was Bradshaw, it turned out.

“So he puts Terry Bradshaw on there, and I’m looking, and Terry goes, hey, man, I love your singing. When you sang with Gold City, man, I just. And so he said, man, I love it.”

Then, in true fan fashion, Wilburn couldn’t help himself. He had to bring up the moments that had meant so much to him growing up.

“And I went, hey, Terry, you remember that time you threw that past the Lynn Swan in the Super Bowl, and you scored a touchdown? You remember that? Do you remember Jack Lambert? You remember him?”

Bradshaw, gracious and good-humoured, took it all in stride.

“And so Terry just kind of goes, yeah, man, it’s good to see you. Here’s Ben.”

It was a brief moment, but one that clearly left a lasting impression, a reminder that the bond between Wilburn and Isaacs runs deeper than music.

The broken leg tour: When life doesn’t wait for dad to get home

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JEFF TURNER

For southern gospel artists, the road is a way of life. But that doesn’t make it any easier when things fall apart back home. For Scotty Inman, two things fell apart at the same time.

Inman had actually enjoyed a long stretch at home before his troubles began. After a Christmas tour, he didn’t leave again until late January giving him nearly six weeks with his family.

“I was home for over a month and a half after Christmas,” he said. “I did a Christmas tour December 20th, and I left January 28th. I was home forever, fixing stuff and getting stuff ready and helping, you know, honeydew lists before I leave.”

Then came day two of a 10-day trip.

“The same day, my daughter breaks her leg and our dog runs away, and there’s a neighbourhood search,” Inman said. “They find the dog the next day. A cop in town finds it.”

Being hundreds of kilometres away while your family is dealing with a broken leg and a missing dog is the kind of helpless feeling that’s hard to put into words. Inman offered to drop everything and come home.

“I told Casey, I was like, you need me to come home. I’ll cancel the rest of the dates and come home,” he said.

His wife, Casey, had other ideas.

“She said, oh, no, no, no, no. She said, you need to stay out there. You have a broken leg to pay for.”

With a practical reminder like that, Inman stayed on the road — but he didn’t let the moment pass without finding some humour in it. While other gospel tours carry grand, faith-filled names, Inman gave his something a little more grounded in reality.

“I told her about it on the tour. It was the broken leg tour,” he said. “You know, people call theirs something real, you know, spiritual. I was like, but you folks, you’re on the broken leg tour.”

Thankfully, the story has a happy ending on both fronts. The dog made it home safely, and young Embry’s leg is on the mend.

New voice joins a Southern Gospel legend

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AMY TURNER

The Dixie Echoes have a new tenor, and he grew up listening to the very group he now calls home.

Jonathan Rigdon, 23, from Brandon, Mississippi, has been named the quartet’s new tenor vocalist. For Rigdon, this is more than a new job, it is the fulfilment of a lifelong dream built on a deep love of classic Southern gospel music.

“Growing up, I loved hearing groups like The Dixie Echoes, The Inspirations, The Hinsons, The Florida Boys and The Cathedrals,” said Rigdon. “I’m so honoured to now be a part of this legendary quartet.”

Those words speak to something important. Rigdon does not simply know the sound of the Dixie Echoes, he was shaped by it. That kind of foundation is exactly what the group says drew them to him.

Scoot Shelnut, speaking on behalf of the quartet, made clear the feeling is mutual. “We’re excited to have this great young man come aboard, and with his love of classic quartet singing, he’s going to fit right in with us,” he said.

At just 23 years old, Rigdon brings youth to a group with decades of history behind them. But it is his respect for that history and for the traditional quartet style that seems to matter most to those who know the Dixie Echoes best.

The group is already looking ahead. The Dixie Echoes are working on new music and hope to have a new recording ready by the Memphis Quartet Show.