Tag: Southern Gospel Radio

Mark Bishop Celebrates a New Kind of Love with “Grandkids”

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JEFF TURNER

Mark Bishop, a well-respected figure in Southern Gospel music, has released a new song called “Grandkids”. This is his first new music with Sonlite Records since his album “Home” from last year. The song is a heartfelt tribute to the special experience of having grandchildren.

Before he became a grandfather, Bishop heard many people say that the love for a grandchild was unlike any other. He remembers thinking, “‘wait… I love my wife and my daughters as much as I could love anyone… so it’s like that right?’ They said, ‘no… it’s a whole new love.’ I immediately dismissed it, thinking, ‘yeah, right.'”. However, Bishop now understands this unique bond, saying, “But it turns out that they were right”. He explains that “It really is a whole new love,” and “that ‘new’ love… that’s what this song is about”.

The song “Grandkids” starts with a piano melody that appears before each part. The first verse and chorus feature Bishop’s voice accompanied by gentle finger-picked guitar. As the song progresses, more instruments and harmonies are added, but they never become too loud, keeping the focus on Bishop’s personal delivery. The lyrics describe simple and joyful moments like “Chasing butterflies without a hope of catching one” and “Holding onto little hands, wading in the creek”. It also paints pictures of “Sitting on the front porch swing… falling fast asleep”. The song is meant to bring joy to anyone who has grandchildren or looks forward to having them.

Mark Bishop has had a long and successful career in Gospel music, spanning forty years in 2024. He is a Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning artist. Before his solo career, Bishop was part of the family group The Bishops from 1984 to 2001, along with his father and brother. The Bishops were popular, appearing on television shows like TNN’s Nashville Now and The Grand Ole Opry. They had many successful songs and received numerous awards.

Many of The Bishops’ well-known songs were written by Mark Bishop. He continues to be a busy songwriter, creating music for his own albums and for other artists in the genre. After The Bishops retired, Mark started his solo career in 2001 and continued to have chart-topping songs. He was recognized as “Soloist of the Year” at the Singing News Fan Awards in 2005. His album “Beautiful Day” was nominated for a GRAMMY Award in 2020. In 2022, he received the “J.D. Sumner Living Legend Award”. Through his music, Mark Bishop aims to help people see the importance of God in their everyday lives. With “Grandkids,” he shares a deeply personal experience of love and joy.

A New Chapter Begins for The Guardians

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JEFF TURNER

The southern gospel quartet known as The Guardians is about to enter a new phase in their journey. Dean Hickman, who has led the group for a long time, has announced that John Darin Rowsey will become the new owner on April 1.

(The Guardians) Dean Hickman is a founding member of The Guardians. 

Dean Hickman reflected on the beginnings of The Guardians. He remembered a call in 1987 from Del Yurick, asking if he could help with some shows in Michigan with Del’s sons, the Yurick brothers. Dean then contacted his friend Harold Patrick, with whom he had previously sung as the Centuries. As Dean recalled, “So I called my buddy Harold Patrick and we had been singing as the centuries, but then we shut down So I said Harold, you still on the bus? He said yeah, I said let’s go up and help him So we did a few dates and then people started calling us and we said wait a minute. We can’t be the Yurick brothers So And it got together in 1988 and said, ‘Oh, let’s go ahead and see where God wants to take this.'”.

This led to the formation of The Guardian’s Quartet in 1988. Dean Hickman explained that they “always sang meaty songs, just loved to minister” as a regional group.

(The Guardians) John Darin Rowsey

Over the years, The Guardians faced changes. Harold Patrick passed away in 2001. Homer Fry, who had sung with the Gospel Harmony Boys, joined the group and stayed until 2012. Dean noted that both Harold and Homer continued to sing shortly before their deaths. John Darin Rowsey joined The Guardians in 2012, and Homer Fry passed away in 2014.

Dean Hickman recognized the potential of the group with John Rowsey. He said, “And then we did a CD and I called John. I said, ‘John, we’ve got blend. You know, maybe God’s wanting to take this somewhere.'”. Dean also shared his philosophy on leadership: “And when you don’t care who gets the credit for done it’s easy you know you get put people in great spots you give them in power you stand back you don’t you don’t need to really do anything just stand back and let them do it”.

Today, The Guardians consist of John Darin Rowsey, Pat Barker, Scott Mullins, and Paul Lancaster. Occasionally, founding member Dean Hickman still joins them on stage. They are known for their unique sound and tight harmony, and their main goal is to share the gospel through their music.

The Guardians have been blessed with three Dove Award nominations, multiple #1 songs, and Fan Awards. Their commitment as a group is to glorify Jesus Christ, and their guiding principle is John the Baptist’s words: “He must increase but I must decrease”. With the upcoming ownership transition, The Guardians are looking forward to continuing their ministry in southern gospel music. Dean Hickman has been involved in southern gospel music for over 60 years.

Jon Epley to Depart Greater Vision After Nearly Eight Years

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

After serving as the baritone vocalist for Greater Vision since April 2017, Jon Epley has announced his decision to leave Greater Vision. The announcement follows weeks of prayer and discussions as Epley sought clarity on his future path.

Gerald Wolfe, the founder of Greater Vision, expressed his full support for Epley’s decision. “Rodney Griffin, Chris Allman, and I fully support Jon’s decision, and we join him in believing God has a great plan for his life in the days and years ahead,” Wolfe stated. He went on to describe Epley as “like family” to the group and expressed confidence that Epley’s diverse talents would lead to new opportunities.

Epley will continue touring with Greater Vision until the end of February 2025. Meanwhile, Wolfe and his fellow members—Rodney Griffin and Chris Allman—will begin searching for a new baritone to join the group. Wolfe emphasized their belief that God is already preparing the right person for this role and requested prayers for guidance during this transitional period.

Epley’s tenure with Greater Vision has been marked by great vocals and songwriting. His work has added depth to the group’s music, which is known for its rich harmonies and spiritually uplifting messages. As he prepares to step away from this chapter of his career, Epley leaves behind a legacy of dedication and artistry within one of Southern Gospel’s most celebrated groups.

Texas Gospel Canada Top 30 – February 2025

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DAVID INGRAM

Welcome to the Texas Gospel Canada Top 30 Songs of February 2025! This list is meticulously compiled based on the actual number of plays each song received in the previous month (January.) The Texas Gospel Top 30 is proudly submitted to top Southern Gospel publications including The Singing News and SGNScoops.

1 On The King’s Shoulders – Steeles – StowTown/Provident-Sony
2 Grateful For The Gospel – Brian Free & Assurance – Daywind/New Day
3 When It’s Gone For Good – Gold City – New Haven/Provident-Sony
4 Keep Turning Your Eyes On Jesus – Booth Brothers – StowTown/Provident-Sony
5 Big Ole Stone (Victory) – Triumphant Quartet – StowTown/Provident-Sony
6 More Than You Know – Tim Livingston – Diamond Mill Music
7 The Good, Bad And The Ugly – Justified Quartet – Big Picture Records/New Day
8 What Are You Waiting For – Tim Menzies (with The Isaacs) – ARS/New Day
9 You’ll Find Him There – Ernie Haase & Signature Sound – StowTown/Provident-Sony
10 Glory Up Ahead – Hoppers – Gaither Music/Capitol Christian
11 Come On Let’s Go To That Land – Tribute Quartet – Daywind/New Day
12 No One Greater – Browns – StowTown/Provident-Sony
13 Jesus Walked In – Joseph Habedank – Daywind/New Day
14 Bigger On The Inside – Legacy Five – StowTown/Provident-Sony
15 Rock Bottom – 11th Hour – Sonlite/Crossroads
16 I Left It In The Water – Southbound – Daywind/New Day
17 Everything Good – Zane & Donna King – StowTown/Provident-Sony
18 Thank You Jesus For The Blood – Lauren Talley – Horizon/Crossroads
19 By Grace – Lore Family – Horizon/Crossroads
20 We Still Believe – Hyssongs – ARS/New Day
21 I Just Stopped By On My Way Home – Kingsmen – Horizon/Crossroads
22 I’d Rather Hear Preachin’ – Greater Vision – Daywind/New Day
23 Things We Cannot Change – LeFevre Quartet – New Day Records/New Day
24 My Name’s Already There – Inspirations – Horizon/Crossroads
25 If Not For Christ – Whisnants – Independent
26 Jesus 1 Death 0 – TrueSong – Daywind/New Day
27 Dear Lord – Darin & Brooke Aldridge – Billy Blue Records/New Day
28 Can He, Could He, Would He – Mark Trammell Quartet – Crimson Road
29 When The Saints Begin To Pray – Heart 2 Heart – Independent
30 Count For Something – Jay Stone Singers – ARS/New Day

Anthem Edition’s New Gospel Album Promises Kept

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

2024 has proven to be a transformative year for Anthem Edition, the gospel quartet formerly known as The Old Paths. Following the success of their 2023 holiday album, Here Comes Christmas, the group has undergone changes, including the addition of tenor singer Cameron Edens, and the release of three singles: “Graveyard,” “Still Under His Feet,” and “Running.” The group’s latest project is Promises Kept and is released through Sonlite Records.

Tim Rackley, founding member and lead singer of Anthem Edition, says this album represents a meaningful milestone for the group. “This album is special to us,” said Rackley. “It marks the first time we’re making music together as a team with Cameron Edens and Andrew Utech, alongside our longtime brother, Doug Roark. These songs are a testament to God’s unwavering faithfulness, and we can’t wait for you to experience the message of hope and promise we’ve poured our hearts into.”

The album opens with the energetic track “Every Promise Made Is a Promise Kept,” written by Kenna Turner West and Jason Cox. Featuring a country-inspired arrangement and lively quartet harmonies, the song’s lyrics introduces the album’s central theme of God’s steadfast faithfulness:

There’s never been a time that He’s not faithfulNever been a day His words aren’t trueNever been a moment that our God won’tDo just what He said He’d doHe’s never ever failed to keep one yetEvery promise made is a promise kept.

Roger Talley, the producer of Promises Kept, praised the group’s dedication and renewed energy during the project’s creation. “I thoroughly enjoyed producing this new EP for Anthem Edition,” Talley shared. “They approached this project with a renewed passion and more energy than they have ever had before. We found some great new songs to express their commitment to singing the Gospel with a new excitement that I can’t wait for you to hear. A unique feature of this project is the number of uptempo songs they have chosen. For anyone who has ever complained about too many slow songs, this project is for you!”

With Promises Kept, Anthem Edition builds on their storied history while embracing a new chapter with Edens and Utech as part of their lineup.