Category: Top articles

SPECIAL HeyYall! MUSIC

When asked why Old Tradition picked this 70’s Dottie Rambo penned tune, the group’s fiery soprano, Karen, is owed the credit.

“There’s a million empty mansions with the doors all swingin’ wide…”

For weeks, that phrase was all Karen could think about. After waking up with only that single line to go by, she knew she had heard it somewhere… but still couldn’t place it. After a month or more of humming the tune, she almost gave up!

Until randomly in the middle of the night… it dawned on her:

“He’s Already On His Way!”

Knowing God had given it to her, she brought it to the group. It was decided then and there, it had to be recorded.

“I knew the instant I remembered the rest of the song, these lyrics were something people needed to hear. I’ve always loved the Rambo’s and there’s just something so special about Dottie’s writing. In this season especially, another generation needs to hear it. As the song says, ‘Jesus isn’t coming back, He’s Already On His Way…’ and I believe that to be true now more than ever! He’s on His way, and when He comes to take us home… I want as many people to go with me as possible!!” says Karen.

Who is Old Tradition?

Saying that ministry runs in the family for this group would be an understatement. Old Tradition is continuing The Lord’s call into ministry that spans over four generations deep. I guess you can say they’re just carrying on the old family tradition.

As they embark on their fourth year as a group, Old Tradition is looking to the future with wide eyes and open hearts.

While the group may be newly formed… its members are no stranger to Southern Gospel. Their talent roster is comprised of family, Taylor (Drums) and Courtney Guffey (Alto), alongside Courtney’s parents, Karen (Soprano) and Jimmy Parker (Engineer), their cousins Ian (Keys & Lead) and Christian Helton (Tour Manager), with longtime family friend Steve Martin (Bass).

“In everything we do, operating under God’s calling over our lives is our top priority! We can’t wait to see what His will allows for our lives, ” Taylor says.

Rooted in family, the legacy and heritage of this group has given them a unique sense of what it means to sing gospel music. You could say they’re carrying on a good old family tradition… and they’re just getting started!

As evidenced by their newest radio single, Old Tradition is ready to make a lasting impression on Southern Gospel music.

SPECIAL CROSSROADS RECORDS

Arden, North Carolina (March 26, 2024) — “This album!!! Wow, what can I say??” enthuses Amber Eppinette Saunders, powerhouse vocalist with Sonlite Records’ 11th Hour. “We have literally watched God do miracles and wonders from the beginning process of this project to even now! This is probably the most personal project we have ever done, and we can’t wait for you to hear our hearts through these songs!”
Sure enough, one listen to the trio’s upcoming collection — now available for pre-save/add ahead of its May 17 release — is enough to justify the enthusiasm. With their first new music in more than two years, That’s Who He Is builds on the decade of successes embodied in last year’s A Collection of Hits to offer an album that blends full-throated proclamations of God’s strength and intimate meditations on doubt and faith, presented in a set of arrangements that range across equally broad musical ground. Yet each song, whether it’s given a straightforward Southern Gospel treatment or a more contemporary setting, is a vivid example of the inspired creativity and abundant talent for which 11th Hour has been known since their earliest days.

That deep craft and spirit is evident from the opening “Rock Bottom,” with a lyric that uses the title’s image in a clever, yet meaningful twist in its memorable chorus:

There’s a rock at the bottom
And it’s Jesus, the Rock of Ages
So stand up, the ground is solid
There’s a rock at the bottom
When you hit rock bottom

and a gripping lead vocal from Amber that soars over an expansive musical texture that has room for keyboards and banjo, too.

Similarly, the title track underpins emotive leads from Garrett Saunders and Amber with deft touches that include a soulful choir lifting up its message of a loving God who can supply everything the believer needs. Garrett leads on the album’s first single, too, delivering a prayerful “Dear Heavenly Father” that builds from a restrained, intimate opening to a triumphantly full texture over the course of its three and a half minutes, while Victoria Bowlin is well represented with featured numbers that include the pointed “You Can’t Tell Me That Ain’t God” and the serenely confident “Still Faithful.” There’s even a nod to sounds from beyond the Gospel music realm in the boldly contemporary, hopeful sound of “This Is Not The End.”

Adding to the excitement of the release, the entirety of That’s Who He Is will be available in immersive audio on platforms supporting Dolby Atmos, including Apple Music, Amazon Music and TIDAL. “It sounds like you’re sitting in the middle of a recording session hearing all these wonderful sounds,” says producer Roger Talley, who adds, “I thoroughly enjoyed working with 11th Hour on this, my first time producing a project for them. They did such a wonderful job on this project and I am so excited for you to hear it.”

SPECIAL CROSSROADS RECORDS

Arden, North Carolina (March 15, 2024) — The second Sonlite Records single from Sound Street centers its message right from the start, as the trio proclaims the chorus’s stirring final words, “God will move and mountains will fall.”  

While Jaylie Vanderslice was front and center on the group’s debut, “Mountains Will Fall” finds her father, Jarrod, taking the leading vocal role as the orchestration subsides and the familiar strains of a Southern Gospel piano come to the fore:

When only a miracle can change what you face
And it looks like a mountain stands in your way
Remember the Master can do anything
And nothing is impossible for a child of the King

After the revelation of a first full chorus, the trio harmonies — father, daughter and family friend Ryan Bilby —persist through the confident lyric of the song’s second verse and into a crescendo of choruses that affirm the lyric’s elemental simplicity:

Mountains will fall into the sea
When we come to the Father with faith to believe
Heaven hears and answers each call
God will move and mountains will fall

“Throughout our life we are presented with trials and situations that seem insurmountable,” notes Jarrod Vanderslice. “‘Mountains Will Fall’ encourages us that nothing is impossible with God, and we will be fine because He is our Father and He cares for us. So no matter the size of your problem, trust God to move and those ‘Mountains Will Fall!'”

Listen to “Mountains Will Fall” on Texas Gospel Canada!

SPECIAL DAYWIND RECORDS

The southern gospel community is mourning the loss of Phillip Hughes, vocalist with Real Truth Revival. Phillip was familiar to fans, also from tenures with  The Kingsmen, Anchormen, and Harvesters.

Phillip suffered a heart attack on Wednesday. 

His wife, Starla, shared this: “Our beautiful family… we need your prayers right now. For those that haven’t heard, we lost Phillip Hughes on Wednesday, January 24, 2024. Our lives were greatly blessed with his love, life and laughter. I am thankful for over 30 years with him. While I am feeling lost I have a wonderful family and great friends to support me during this time. Phillip loved many and was loved by many.”