Tag: The Guardians

A Journey of Faith: Paul Lancaster Journey to The Guardians Quartet

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

Life’s unexpected turns led tenor singer Paul Lancaster to join The Guardians Quartet, though the path was marked by both profound loss and divine timing.

Lancaster faced one of life’s most challenging seasons in early 2021 when his wife Michelle passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. As a newly single parent to three sons, including a 15-year-old who couldn’t yet drive, Lancaster knew his place needed to be at home.

Paul Lancaster courtesy guardiansquartet.com

“I was just kind of an emotional mess,” Lancaster shares. “I had to come home and actually go through the process of falling apart for a while and yet try to be there for my son.”

Through what Lancaster describes as “God’s healing,” he and his family gradually moved forward. His youngest son achieved an important milestone by getting his driver’s licence, marking a step toward greater independence for both father and son.

Just as 2022 was drawing to a close, an unexpected opportunity arose. The Guardians Quartet reached out to Lancaster about joining their group, following founding member Dean Hickman’s departure due to health issues.

“God just threw it in my lap,” Lancaster recalls. “The Guardians called and said, would I like the job. And I’m like, yes, had me at Hello, you know, I love Pat Barker and John Rousey and Scott. And it’s an incredible team and a dream.”

While Lancaster had originally envisioned a different path for his musical career, he sees divine intervention in how events unfolded. “Even though I thought I was going to retire with a book, brothers, that was my original plan. God had other plans and I love it here,” he reflects.
His story stands as a testament to how life’s most difficult chapters can lead to unexpected new beginnings.

Paul is featured in The Guardian’s new song Kick Up My Heels which was added to our music rotation this week on Texas Gospel Canada’s Southern Gospel Stream.

The Guardians Share Heartwarming Father-Son Moment on New Christmas Album

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JEFF TURNER

The Guardians are spreading holiday cheer this season with their latest release, “Christmas With The Guardians.” The new project features a particularly touching moment that brings together two generations of musical talent.

Paul Lancaster of The Guardians

Group member Paul Lancaster shares a special duet with his son on the classic holiday favorite “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” What makes this collaboration particularly remarkable is the striking vocal similarity between father and son. According to Lancaster, listeners have commented that the genetic connection is so evident in their voices that it’s often difficult to distinguish between the two singers.

“I love it, I just love Christmas,” Lancaster enthusiastically shares. “My son is on a duet with me and people tell me that the DNA sounds so similar on this thing that it’s hard to tell which one of us is which.”

The recording holds deep emotional significance for Lancaster, who reflects on how his late wife would have reacted to this musical partnership. “She would be thrilled to death,” he remembers warmly, noting that while his wife wasn’t easily excited by most things – “maybe a good sale at Macy’s” – she was always passionate about her children’s accomplishments.

This heartwarming collaboration serves as both a musical highlight of the album and a touching tribute to family bonds during the holiday season.

Listen for songs from “Christmas With The Guardians” on Texas Gospel Canada as we get closer to Christmas!

Exploring Second Chances in The Guardians’ Latest Gospel Song

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JEFF TURNER

The Southern Gospel group The Guardians has long been a beacon in gospel music, known for their harmonious blend and inspiring messages. Comprised of John Darin Rowsey, Pat Barker, Scott Mullins, and Paul Lancaster, the group has captivated audiences with heartfelt lyrics and harmonies that reach beyond the stage, touching lives with a message of faith and hope. They are no strangers to the power of gospel music, using it to uplift listeners and spark conversations on spirituality.

Their latest release, Another Life to Give, is a personal and spiritual project that revisits a song written by John Darin Rowsey nearly 40 years ago. This song has held a unique place in the heart of Dean Hickman, a founding member of The Guardians and their first tenor. As Dean recalls, it’s a song that he connected with deeply since they first recorded it with the legendary Larry Goss.

First tenor and founding member, Dean Hickman (The Guardians Website)

“John wrote that maybe 40 years ago, it’s been one of my favorite, the first song we ever recorded with Larry Goss,” Hickman shared. The song’s message, which reflects on what one might do with a second chance in life, resonates deeply with both Dean and fans of The Guardians. “If I had another life to give,” he mused, “you know, when I mess it up, when I do something better, when I be a better soul winner, what would I do?”

Dean’s reflections on the song delve into a common but complex thought—what it might mean to have another chance to live out one’s faith more fully or to take a different path. He shared the uncertainty that accompanies such reflections, saying, “sometimes that’s a scary thought, because would we go down this tree of life and make turns that we think are better and they’re not.”

This theme of renewal and second chances speaks to the heart of the gospel message, reminding listeners of the opportunity to grow and deepen their faith every day. For Hickman, this song’s reflection on whether he could “do it better and…be a greater somewhere for God” if given another life speaks to the universal desire to leave a meaningful legacy.

Another Life to Give is much more than a song for The Guardians; it’s an invitation to consider how each of us can use our lives to make a difference, drawing closer to a purpose that aligns with the gospel. The Guardians’ music continues to reach souls and inspire new reflections on life’s purpose, making this song an especially poignant addition to their enduring legacy in Southern Gospel music.

Dean Hickman’s Miraculous Recovery: A Testament to Faith and Resilience

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JEFF TURNER

Recently, Dean Hickman had the opportunity to perform with The Guardians and later appeared with The Hoppers at his home church. However, a serious medical issue struck several weeks ago. Pat Barker explains the harrowing experience and the miraculous recovery that followed.

“Things took a turn and he started having headaches. Dean doesn’t really deal with headaches often, and so they thought maybe some kind of sinus infection or something,” Barker begins. “So he went to a doctor, they sent him somewhere else, and they discovered a blood clot and then a brain bleed.”

The situation escalated quickly. “Within just a few hours, they had to do emergency brain surgery on our friend Dean Hickman. We kept that pretty quiet. We made the decision, along with them, to just tell a very small handful of people, mostly some pastors that we knew that could pray for Dean,” Barker continues. “Prayer works. It always works.”

The days following the surgery were tense. “We went about a week and Dean really didn’t say much of anything. Maybe a word here or there. It was very touch and go,” Barker recalls. “But the other day, John received a phone call. It was Dean. It was Dean who called and was talking now. His speech was a little slurred and he was very emotional and he struggled to get some things out.”

The next day brought even more hope. “Then the next day he called us and he sounded like Dean. He was happy, he was laughing. It was like having Dean right back with us only a week after the brain surgery. It was nothing short of a miracle,” Barker concludes.

We are so delighted to hear that Dean Hickman is doing better. Please continue to lift him up in your prayers. Dean is featured on the current song from The Guardians, “Another Life To Give.” Listen for Dean and The Guardians on Texas Gospel Canada!

Guardians’ Dean Hickman now cancer free

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SPECIAL: DAYWIND RECORDS

Dean Hickman of The Guardians gave friends and fans an update on his health  Friday on The Guardians Facebook page.

“SHOUT OUT OF PRAISE. I want to thank all of you who have prayed for me and as we know, prayer really works. I am free of cancer and doing very good. I am still recovering from my surgeries and a recent bout with sepsis. I am so very thankful and blessed – God has been so good to me.  I hope to see many of you occasionally at future Guardian events late summer and this fall.  Also, thank you so much for your unwavering support for the Guardians. Pat Barker has been doing an exceptional job managing the road and Amy Shepard, the GUARDIANS office manager, has very effectively managed the schedule and weekly itinerary for the group. Thank you both very much and again, thank all of you for your many many prayers for me.  Love to you all.. Dean”