Sat Mar 01, 2008
Jonathan Wilburn Leaves Gold City
Jonathan Wilburn the lead singer for nearly a dozen years has resigned his position with the Gold City Quartet.
Sat Jan 12, 2008
The Webbs Announce Engagement
Song Garden Music Group recording artist Rick and Phyllis Webb of the THE WEBBs are thrilled to announce the recent engagement of their son Parker Webb of Colfax, NC to Abby Everret of Anniston, AL. Parker recently began singing with the family group in the summer of 2007 along with his youngest sister Hannah Webb. Parker and Abby are both students at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas.
On New Years Eve the couple were surprised with an engagement party, hosted by the Webbs. Family and friends were gathered to congratulate the couple.
The Webbs are presently working on their sophomore recording on the Song Garden Music Group label which celebrates their 25th year of music ministry!
Tue Oct 30, 2007
Crossroads Welcomes New Gospel Trio: Voices Won
Arden, NC – Crossroads Entertainment and Marketing would like to welcome the Southern Gospel trio Voices Won into the fold of Crossroads artists. This trio consists of three brothers, Shantell, Jaron and Staclynn Faulkner, who are committed to spreading the Gospel of Christ through their music ministry. Hailing from the Dalton GA area, the brothers are not only excellent singers and performers but talented aspiring songwriters as well. Tenor singer Jaron penned 9 of the 11 titles on the new project, Easier to Live which is slated for a January release date.
Crossroads producer Jeff Collins adds, “We are very excited to have Voices Won as part of our family of artists here at Crossroads. These young men have the complete package; great song writing, beautiful family harmony and a strong desire to present Jesus Christ through their music. You'll be hearing many good things from Voices Won in the future!"
Tenor singer Jaron Faulkner also commented on the new partnership, "It is an absolute thrill and honor for Voices Won to be a member of the Crossroads family. My brothers and I are truly thankful for the opportunity we have been blessed with and are grateful to Jeff Collins and everyone at Crossroads for believing in our Ministry."
Look for Easier to Live in stores after January 15th and listen for the group’s new single on the January Crossroads Sampler.
Fri May 04, 2007
Asheville Music Publishing Honored with BMI Award
Pictured left to right Jody Williams of BMI, Greg Bentley of Asheville
Music Publishing and Thomas Cain of BMI
BMI Christian Music Awards-Nashville, TN
On April 21st, Asheville Music Publishing was honored to receive a BMI Award for airplay on the song "In the Twinkle of An Eye" written by Sandy Knight and recorded by The Inspirations.
The award show held at the BMI facilities in Nashville, TN was the kick off for GMA week. Asheville Music Publishing is part of Crossroads Marketing and Entertainment Inc., and has aligned itself with many of todays most sought after writers including Stephanie Brown, Jimmy Dooley, Adam Kohout, as well as Sandy Knight.
Greg Bentley, Director of Publishing for Crossroads states, "This was quite an honor for us since Asheville Music is a fairly young publishing company. We are honored to have one of the greatest writers of our era, Sandy Knight as part of our family".
Mon Mar 12, 2007
Please Pray For Roger Bennett
The following is a post from Roger's Blog by his wife Debbie. Please lift Roger & all the family to the Lord in prayer. I know the family would appreciate it so much.
************************
As of about 5 am this morning, Roger has been in the ICU here at MD Anderson. This will be a short update, just asking for prayer. We are not sure of what is causing the problems, but he is in respiratory distress, along with several other life-threatening issues. He is not conscious right now because of heavy sedation, and he will be intubated later today, so we can't talk with him. We do talk to him and tell him how much we love him, though.
Needless to say, it is a very hard day for us. Doug, his dad, is on his way down as well. Just pray for comfort for Roger, and grace for the rest of us. We know that God has everything under His control and
In His Grip,
Debbie
Mon Mar 05, 2007
After a quarter century, Greenes’ Jubilee enters new phase
BOONE, NC - The Greene’s Annual Gospel Singing Jubilee will be entering an exciting new chapter with this year’s activities, to be held on August 10th and 11th. North Carolina’s largest Gospel music event, which has always been an outdoor experience at the fairgrounds, will move indoors to the beautiful Holmes Center, located on Highway 321, at the entrance to Appalachain State University, in Boone, North Carolina.
According to Tony Greene, the reason for the transformation is due, in part, to his brother Tim’s ongoing health issues. “This move inside will make it possible for my brother to again participate wholly in the Jubilee,” he said. “I know Tim wants, more than ever, to be on stage with us. Of course, we want this, too. He also wants to be with fans and ministry friends he hasn’t seen in some time.”
Also, holding the event inside accommodates guests in a climate-controlled environment with superior acoustics, enlarged stage area and professional lighting. Giant suspended screens will assure that every Jubilee ticket-holder has a great seat; and with reserved seating for up to 4,000, along with a convenient and attractive facility, the change will create an even greater atmosphere for the powerful lineup of Southern Gospel artists who will be performing this year. On Friday night, for example, the Hoppers, Ivan Parker, Gold City, the Primitive Quartet and, of course, the Greenes are scheduled to take the Gospel music stage. The night will prove to be inspiring and encouraging for all who attend. Then, on Saturday night, Brian Free and Assurance, Jesse Dixon, Tony Gore and Majesty, the Chuck Wagon Gang, the Down East Boys and the Greenes will sing God’s praises. “This will be the biggest musical event in the Greenes’ Gospel Jubilee history,” Tony added, noting that every member of the Greenes family is excited about the upcoming Gospel music extravaganza.
“To cap off a wonderful weekend, we invite everyone to a Sunday morning service, at 10:30 a.m., on Aug. 12th, at our home church, West View Baptist Church,” Tony added. “The Lesters will join the Greenes for a humdinger of a service.”
For camping enthusiasts, the Boone KOA campground will be the Gospel Singing Jubilee headquarters, with shuttle bus service to and from the Holmes Center available. Fans are encouraged to bring lawn chairs for a special Thursday night worship service, on Aug. 9th, at 7:00 pm. The service will be focused toward Jubilee RV-ers. For camping or cabin reservations, call KOA at (828)-264-7250.
Boone and the surrounding area also features a variety of first class motel accommodations, including such favorites as Holiday Inn Express, Comfort Suites, Country Inn and Suites by Carlson, Best Western - Blue Ridge Plaza, Scottish Inn, Red Carpet Inn, Super 8 Motel, Fairfield Inn, Ridgeway Inn, Smoketree Lodge, Blowing Rock Victorian Inn, Hillwinds Inn, and Hampton Inn. For details, call the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce at (800) 852-9506, or email info@visitBooneNC.com
“We are all so thankful and blessed to have dear friends that continue to support the Greenes and this wonderful endeavor,” Tony concluded. “We expect this year’s Annual Gospel Singing Jubilee to be one of the most rewarding of our years in Gospel music. We cordially invite everyone to come, expecting a special blessing from above.”
Tickets for the 25th Annual Gospel Singing Jubilee will go on sale Monday, May 7, 2007, at 9:00 am. For reserved tickets, call (828) 262-6603. Artist Circle tickets: $24.50; Lower Arena, $21.50; and Upper Arena, $18.50. Church groups receive a $2.00 discount when ordering a minimum of fifteen tickets.
Mon Jan 08, 2007
TONY GORE OPENS RESTAURANT
"The man with a tear in his voice" is set to become "the man with a skillet in his hand." Tony Gore, an icon in Southern Gospel music for 25 years announces the opening of TONY GORE’S SMOKY MOUNTAIN BBQ AND GRILL. The restaurant is located in Sevierville, TN, on the famous HWY 66 that boasts over 2 million people every year traveling to Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, TN.
The opening of the restaurant doesn’t mean that Tony is coming completely off the road. He will continue to do select solo dates as well as the Tony Gore and Majesty dates. Also, he will continue promoting concerts like the annual New Year’s Eve event in Charleston, WV, and continue serving as a board member of Abraham Productions who offer great events each year as Singing In The Sun, Panama Praise, and The Gatlinburg Gathering.
"We are set to open later this week," Tony says, "And I would like to invite all my Gospel Music friends to remember me when they visit the Great Smoky Mountains. Come by and eat with me; I promise to feed them good!"
Tony is relocating to the Sevierville area and will be singing at the restaurant from time to time, and plans to have special guests in as well. Contact information for the restaurant:
Tony Gore’s Smoky Mountain BBQ and Grill
1818 Winfield Dunn Parkway
Sevierville, TN 37876
(865) 429-7771
To contact Tony:
Tony Gore Enterprises
PO Box 6099
Sevierville, TN 37864
(205) 755-1123
Busy Signals Greet Ticket Buyers For Once In A Lifetime Event
Based on the huge number of emails and phone calls coming into the Caraway Media Group office from frustrated fans it appears that the stage may be set for a record breaking sell-out of The Hoppers 50th Anniversary Concert set to take place on March 30th at the historic Reynolds Auditorium in Winston Salem, NC.
As tickets went on sale on Friday workers at the Ray Flynn Promotions office did all they could do to keep up with the tremendous call volume from fans across the nation wanting tickets for what will have to be one of the most memorable events to ever take place in gospel music.
I asked concert promoter Ray Flynn if he had ever seen anything like this before. Ray said: “Anticipation for this event has been phenomenal with interest nearly matching that of national events such as Singing In The Sun and The Gatlinburg Gathering. Many people who have been longtime fans of Southern Gospel and The Hoppers have watched over the last five years as icons and pioneers of the Southern Gospel industry have passed away and gone on to be with the Lord. When we look at those that we would love to see in person one more time, it reminds us of the importance of celebrations like this 50-year anniversary and why people are willing to travel hundreds, even thousands, of miles to be at the unique event on March 30, 2007.”
I had already heard of some of the video production plans from the Hoppers long time booking agent and business manager Dennis Sparks who had met with Ray and the Hoppers at the historic Reynolds Auditorium to discuss pre-production plans with the production company. This event promises to be one of the exciting productions ever for a gospel music event. When asked about the production element of this event Ray Flynn said: “What will make this night even more remarkable is the opportunity to capture this once-in-a-lifetime event on video with a production which is anticipated to surpass anything at any previous Southern Gospel concert or video.”
This very well could be the final calls for tickets to this extraordinary event! With tickets now officially on-sale to the general public it would be suggested that you secure your tickets right away and be apart of what everyone will be talking about on March 30!
For additional information, motel recommendations, and reserved seating call Ray Flynn Promotions toll-free at 1-888-238-6858.
Don’t Miss It!!
Charles Brady-Editor
Tue Aug 01, 2006
"Crabb Family Says Farewell"
HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn.--For over 10 years, siblings Jason, Terah, Adam, Kelly and Aaron, known collectively as the Crabb Family, have sang the Gospel around the world. With 16 number one songs, 3 GRAMMY Nominations, 10 GMA Music Awards and a lot of prayer, the Crabb Family as we now know it has decided to say farewell. Each member will keep with tradition and continue to pursue their separate ministries once their tour has been completed. The siblings feel it is time to move to a new season and are anticipating what God has in store for all of their ministries. The Crabb Family will set out on a tour immediately to thank their fans for their unwavering support . Their last day as a group will fall on August 1, 2007
Sat Jul 29, 2006
Hopper Biography To Be Released
MADISON, NC - The much-anticipated biography of America’s Favorite Family of Gospel Music, the Hoppers, will soon be available. In the works for more than two years, After All These Years, the Authorized Biography of the Hoppers, a handsome, illustrated hardback, will be nationally released at the 2006 National Quartet Convention, on September 11 - 16th, 2006.
In the account, author F. Keith Davis takes the reader on colorful adventures, beginning with Confederate soldier William Archer Hopper, to the post war years of family life, tobacco farming and forging out a living in rural Rockingham County, NC.
“This is the story of an American family—a wonderful and complex Christian family—who are concerned with living out their faith with poise and integrity. It is with great delight that we offer this book to the Southern Gospel fans,” said Tim Fortune, of Woodland Gospel Publishing, publisher of the book.
As the years are documented, the story soon locks in on the Hopper Brothers, and shares how Connie Shelton joined the group, and later married Claude. Readers will be travel through the decades and experience the obstacles, valleys and triumphs that this family has experienced. The book follows the Hoppers on the road as one of the nation’s most enduring Southern Gospel groups. There are also many rare and personal photos of the family from their beginnings in 1950 to today.
Dr. John Hagee wrote the foreword, and Dr. Charles F. Stanley penned the introduction to the biography.
“We’re all excited about the release of this book, and we hope our lives and experiences will somehow encourage others,” Claude Hopper said.
The Hoppers have established a Southern Gospel legacy over the last half-century. After All These Years, the Authorized Biography of the Hoppers is their story.
The Hoppers are a gospel institution. I remember hearing them when I was a kid and they were called “The Hopper Brothers and Connie.” Connie had her hair piled on her head in a Pentecostal style at that time. Not a high rise like Vestal’s, but a loose second story that would sway back and forth to the music as she sang. I can remember it vividly. But I was looking through the eyes of a twelve year old, so who knows? Everything is bigger when you’re twelve.
And, in the last few years I’ve had the privilege of getting to know Connie and all of the Hoppers while traveling with the Homecoming Tours. They are such nice people. Claude’s a great businessman. And Connie can cook! I’ve eaten in their home; I know. When they sing you see their hearts. They love Gospel music and The One they’re singing about.
— Mark Lowry
owe my whole Gospel music education to Claude and Connie Hopper. They will never know what they mean to my family and me. Actually, we love them and consider them our family.
— Roger Talley
The Hoppers are some of the finest people I have ever known. I have known them and worked with them for over 40 years and have enjoyed their friendship.
— Les Beasley
After All These Years- The Hoppers Biography!
**COMING SOON TO MUSICSTORE24.COM!**
www.musicstore24.com
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