Tag: Michael Booth

Michael Booth steps forward with new solo album, “This is now”

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

Gospel music lovers have another reason to celebrate. StowTown Records has announced the release of “This Is Now,” a new solo album from Michael Booth, longtime member of the Booth Brothers.

For Booth, the project represents a milestone in self-discovery as a solo artist. “After doing the solo thing for a number of years, I think I’ve finally found my voice; what works and what is effective for me as an individual,” he shares. “It took some time to figure that out, because it’s so different than the trio, but I’ve found the dynamics and lyrical content that I’m looking for.”

Among the album’s highlights are two songs penned by acclaimed songwriter Josh Wilson: “Dream Small” and “That Was Then, This Is Now.” Booth doesn’t hide his admiration for Wilson’s writing. “I could’ve done a whole tribute album to Josh Wilson,” he says. “He’s an incredible artist and writer. It’s like he gets in my head, pulls out my own thoughts, and turns them into songs. I really love these two songs in particular.”

Another standout track, “If Not Today,” carries a special personal history. Originally recorded by the Travelers Quartet, the song was brought back to Booth’s attention by his own father just before a tracking session. Booth then reached out to Charlie Waller, the man who helped introduce the Booth family to audiences years ago, to secure a copy and give the song new life for today’s listeners.

Booth took the reins on production for this album, working alongside Steve Mauldin, with Darrell Toney helping shape the musical vision. “It was a fun experience for me to take control of the whole thing and do exactly what I wanted,” Booth says.

StowTown’s Director of A&R, Mary Alice Lovelace, points to the project as a reflection of Booth’s lifelong calling. “Michael has spent decades developing his ability to connect with people through music and testimony, and this album captures that gift in a very personal way,” she says. “‘This Is Now’ showcases Michael’s distinctive voice and heart for ministry, and we’re honored to share it with listeners.”

Booth’s story in gospel music stretches back to childhood, starting behind a drum kit before he began singing alongside his father, Ron Sr., and brother Ronnie. That path led him to the Booth Brothers, where he’s performed on stages around the world and earned GRAMMY nominations, GMA Dove Awards, and Singing News Fan Awards, among other honors. Now, “This Is Now” gives listeners a closer look at Booth as an individual artist and communicator, carrying that same legacy forward.

“This Is Now” is available now worldwide on digital and streaming platforms.

Ministry, entertainment, or something the Booth Brothers settled long ago

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AMY TURNER

The question has been asked in sanctuaries and greenrooms, on fan forums and theology blogs, with the kind of fervour reserved for things of extreme importance. Is Christian music ministry or entertainment? It is the sort of question that sounds profound right up until someone like Michael Booth gets hold of it.

“I don’t think that’s a good question at all,” says Booth, one third of the Booth Brothers, the Southern Gospel trio that has spent decades doing something that defies easy categorisation. “I think it’s divisive and I think it’s distracting.”

He is not being dismissive. He is being precise, which is a different thing entirely.

The Booth Brothers, consisting of Michael, Ronnie, and Buddy, have collected GRAMMY nominations, Dove Awards, and Singing News Fan Awards the way other people collect regrets. Chart-topping songs, industry recognition, a reputation among listeners and peers alike as one of the finest acts Gospel Music has produced in a generation. And still, inevitably, someone in the crowd or the comment section wants to know: what exactly are you doing up there?

Booth’s answer reframes the whole conversation. He reaches for 1 Corinthians the way a craftsman reaches for a well-worn tool. “Whether we eat or we drink, whatever we do, we do unto the glory of God,” he says, quoting the passage with the ease of someone who has lived inside it. “And I believe that goes for… whatever we do, that’s everything. So that means if you’re a gospel singer, a preacher, a teacher, an evangelist, a comedian, a plumber, whatever it is, we’re to do it for the glory of God.”

The logic is elegant and it cuts straight through the debate. Ministry or entertainment? The Booth Brothers do both, without apology, and they do them simultaneously. Audiences leave their events with something harder to quantify than a setlist, hearts and minds refreshed, having moved through inspiring songs and genuine laughter in the same breath. It is a combination that sounds unlikely on paper and feels inevitable in the room.

For Booth, the binary question misses the point so completely it almost becomes a different question. “The question is not whether it’s ministry or is it entertainment,” he says. “The question is motive. Is my motive to glorify God?”

That single word, motive, does a lot of heavy lifting. It shifts the responsibility away from genre labels and industry taxonomy and places it squarely with the artist, in the quiet space between intention and performance, before a single note is sung.

The Booth Brothers have built their career in that space. Every note carries what their biography describes as “the utmost desire for each song and lyric to minister to audiences, touch souls, and ultimately point others to Jesus Christ.” That is not the language of people trying to win an argument about categories. That is the language of people who settled the question a long time ago and got on with the work.

“I’m not going to be able to solve this for everybody,” Booth admits, with the candour of a man who has no interest in pretending otherwise. “I’m not even going to try. I’m just going to share with you my thoughts.”

It turns out, that is more than enough.

Michael Booth Fills In with The Mark Trammell Quartet Amid Mark Trammell’s Family Emergency

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JEFF TURNER

This weekend, Michael Booth stepped in to sing with The Mark Trammell Quartet as Mark Trammell remained at the bedside of his recovering wife. Mark Trammell expressed his gratitude on Facebook, saying, “I want to personally thank my longtime friend and Gospel Music legend Michael Booth for his willingness to stand in my place this week! It humbles me that he would take his time away from home to help us. Thank you, Michael, the boys on the bus have enjoyed your company!”

Trammell’s heartfelt message reflects the deep camaraderie within the Southern Gospel community, where friends step up to support each other in times of need.