After discussing 15 mainline recordings by the Bishops, we’ve come to #16, which would be the final album by the group. I don’t know if they knew it at the time, just how monumental “Stories” was, but when looking at it from a historical perspective, this was a career recording for the Bishops, and arguably their greatest piece of work. Produced by the Bishops and Jeff Collins, this would be the first major recording in 12 years that Steve Mauldin was not a part of. Since 1989, Mauldin played an integral part in the Bishops’ music as musician, orchestrator, arranger, producer and friend. At some point, it appears that Crossroads made the decision to keep things “in-house” and have Jeff Collins work with the Bishops on producing this newest recording. Collins was (and still is) a major player at Crossroads who has worked with many artists for the label as producer, musician, background vocalist, arranger, etc., and his distinct creative imprint is heard throughout “Stories”.

Musicians appearing on “Stories” are Jeff Collins (piano/keyboards), Roger Fortner (bass guitar), Tony Creasman (drums), Jeremy Medkiff (electric guitar), David Johnson (guitar, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, steel guitar, dobro) and Kingsmen musician, Randy Miller (harmonica). Another unique aspect of this recording is that outside of a couple of instances, the Bishops have never used background vocals, and they were utilized extensively throughout this recording. Background vocals were provided by Jeff Collins, Jeanie Cameron (one of my favorite vocalists), Zachary Cochran and Debbie Blair, and their voices seemed to enhance the overall feel and sound of “Stories”.

Since Steve Mauldin was not a part of this recording, the company brought in Milton Smith to handle strings, which was performed by members of the North Carolina Symphony. Milton is an amazing musician and arranger, whose work includes performing with JD Sumner & the Stamps, Elvis, Tammy Wynette, Singing Americans and Gaither Vocal Band/Bill Gaither Trio. After coming off the road, he started playing at Fayetteville Community Church in Fayetteville, North Carolina (which is where the Bishops recorded their first live album in 1988), and opened his own recording studio, producing and providing orchestral work for many artists including Dixie Melody Boys, Dove Brothers Quartet, Kirk Talley, Gold City, Kingsmen, Nelons, Booth Brothers, Dottie Rambo, Karen Peck & New River and many others.

Overall, “Stories” was a very energetic recording, and as I mentioned earlier, Jeff Collins had a huge influence on the sound of this album. The work the Bishops did with Steve Mauldin was absolutely amazing, and they maintained a beautiful partnership for over 12-years, but there is also a lot to be said about changing things up. That can be tricky though, as in doing so, things can go either way…really great or really bad (or simply just “meh”), but I think in this case, the Bishops created something that likely would not have been conceived otherwise. With the Bishops producing alongside Jeff Collins, I think that some fresh ideas came to light, and they created something that was musically delectable and lyrically strong.

The beautiful acapella performance of the chorus to the old hymn “I Love to Tell the Story”, effectively sets the stage for a recording filled with stories. What makes this a bit unusual is the Bishops always included at least 1 acapella song on each recording, and while this technically counts, it’s only the chorus (3 simple lines), and is basically used as a preamble for everything else that follows, and it’s a perfect use of the song, before we move to the easy feel of the wonderful story-song, “God Didn’t Come to Save the Angels”. Mark does an impeccable job delivering the storyline, and I love how the music track supports the narrative (ie-the appropriate musical pause and church bells), creating a wonderful marriage between lyric and music.

The tempo gets kicked into high gear with a rollicking banjo track, accentuated by a nice string section, on the up-tempo, “I Can’t Even Slow Down”. Written by both Mark and Kenny, this was inspired by something Kenny said from the stage one night by saying, “I can’t find a good place to slow down”, and Mark picked up on that, then the two batted ideas back and forth until the song was finished. The song recalls an earlier sound of the Bishops and was a perfect inclusion for this recording.

Slowing the pace down, Kenny steps up to sing the tender, emotion filled ballad, “I Know All About Scars”. Had The Bishops continued singing, this intimate song would have been their next radio single after “You’re Already Gonna Live Forever”. Kenny did a great job in his delivery of the song, and in fact, it was an emotional moment for Kenny to sing in the studio, as he so poignantly sang a lyric that every Christian can relate to…“I’ve been broken, I’ve been betrayed, I’ve felt rejected, I’ve felt afraid, I’ve cried out to God, ‘I don’t know where you are’…”. It’s a genuine and deeply honest lyric, that also parallels how Christ felt as He hung on the cross, and it’s a true highlight of the recording.

With the feel of a classic James Taylor ballad, “Perfectly Honest” became one of Mark’s most memorable performances and is the epitome of his storytelling songs. Its ingenious storyline reels you in, and the surprising hook at the end of the last verse is one of the cleverest I’ve ever heard in a song. This ultimately became the second single from this recording, as it was sent to radio after the Bishops disbanded and marketed as “Mark Bishop”, rather than the “Bishops”. The song did very well, peaking at the #9 position in the September 2002 Singing News chart, and is a song Mark still sings today in his concerts.

The invigorating “Woke Up This Morning” has lots of electric guitar work, a strong beat and accented with a nice string section, and the fake ending just adds to the overall excitement of the song. Written by John Darin Rowsey, the song was originally recorded by Rowsey’s group, New Journey, back in 1998, and has been recorded by several groups over the years including the Old Paths, Guardians, Talleys and Whisnants, with the Bishops’ version being my favorite rendition of the song. I think this could have been an excellent radio song for the Bishops, but the song did eventually enjoy tremendous chart action by the Guardians, as it went all the way to #1 for them in October 2018!

Written by Mark and Junior Williams, the medium tempo, “I’m So Glad I Found Jesus” is next and features both Mark and Kenny. With its dominant electric guitar and dobro track, giving it a bit of a rustic feel, it’s another tune that is reminiscent of their early years, and leads very nicely into the warm, acoustic feel of “Forever Springtime”. In keeping with the running theme of this recording, Kenny takes the lead for this emotionally tinged story-song, which was written by Pat Geary and published through Eddie Crook’s, Chestnut Mound Music. Kenny does a spectacular job delivering its beautifully written storyline, which always makes me think of the Dottie Rambo classic, “Come Spring”. I love the guitar and fiddle work on the song, as well as the haunting vocal call-backs on the chorus…“dry your eyes, don’t you cry”. This was a song Kenny loved singing, and after the Bishops came off the road and Kenny returned to singing for a brief time as a soloist in the mid-2000’s, he would always include this song in his concerts.

The fiddle infested, “You’re Already Gonna Live Forever” was such a fun song, and it was the perfect follow-up to “When You Change Your Mind” (which was the #2 song for the Bishops around the time this came out!). Released as their first single from this recording, it climbed all the way to #8 in the December 2001 Singing News chart. It likely would have easily made it into the top 5, but with the Bishops coming off the road in September 2001, the song basically lost its momentum and stalled out.

As the recording winds down, we come to the thought-provoking ballad called, “Michael’s Getaway”, which I consider to be one of Mark’s most intriguing tunes. With its dark and foreboding undertones and distinct Beatles/John Lennon/Simon & Garfunkel feel, musically this was one of the most unique songs the Bishops ever recorded. The song brilliantly tells the story of an ordinary man named Michael, who is frustrated with life and the cold world around him, but find’s Jesus through a radio preacher and discovers the greatest “getaway” known to man! This is a remarkably deep and thoughtful narrative, and with the penetrating strings and piano laden track, the song creates something exceptional and very unique for the listener, it paints a picture in your mind that affects multiple senses, as you can not only hear, but you can actually feel and see the story unfold in your mind’s eye!

As the recording wraps up, we come to a reprise of the hymn, “I Love to Tell the Story”. Under a warm acoustic musical bed, Kenneth provides a short recitation that comes across as genuine and meaningful as any recitation he has done in the past, before the guys gather around and sing the chorus of this old hymn once more. It’s been quite a while since we’ve heard Kenneth deliver a spoken piece, and this ranks as one of his finest, and it’s a very fitting and emotional close to a very deeply personal recording for the guys.

“Stories” ranks right alongside “More Than My Voice” (1993) as my absolute favorite recording by the Bishops (followed very closely behind by “Great Things” and a couple of others). There was something special about “Stories”, and in talking with Mark and Kenny, they feel it as well, in the music, vocals, arrangements and song selection. With 7 songs written by Mark, which includes 2 co-writes (one with Junior and one with Kenny), much like “Good Things”, I always felt “Stories” had the potential to enjoy a long “shelf life”, as several songs from this recording were “radio worthy”, and would have likely done exceptionally well for the Bishops in the charts. It wasn’t to be though, as during the National Quartet Convention in September 2001, the Bishops announced their immediate retirement. It was a very hard and emotional session of the NQC that year, as on Tuesday of that week, we all experienced the horror of 9/11, and then with the Bishops announcing their retirement and the Kingsmen going through a rather sudden overhaul with an ownership change and subsequent name change, it was an altogether wild week that year, leaving many Southern Gospel fans frustrated and a bit stunned.

The Bishops have re-united twice since they retired as a group…once during NQC in 2002, and again during the “Mark Bishop Homecoming” in Kentucky in July 2003. Since September 2001, Kenneth has enjoyed a more simple and normal life with his wife and family, even pastoring a church for about ten years. Kenneth has appeared with Mark on stage from time to time, and at the age of 82, he is doing great, and loving life and his family! Kenny (who had already been dabbling in politics prior to the Bishops coming off the road) worked for the Governor of Kentucky for several years, and he has continued to serve in politics, as well as in his local church. Back in 2006, Kenny released a solo recording for Daywind Music and enjoyed some radio success with such songs as “Lord, Have Mercy”, “The Prodigals Dad” and “It’s Never Too Late”. Mark began traveling as a soloist, and obviously the relationship the Bishops began with Crossroads in 2000 proved to be a fruitful one, as Mark still calls Crossroads Music home, and he has released nearly 20 solo recordings for the label! Now 25 years later, Mark (who was the only one in the Bishops who really didn’t have any desire to do anything in music, yet here he is!) has enjoyed a very successful solo career. In 2005, he took home “Favorite Soloist” during the Singing News Fan Awards, and has enjoyed many hit songs including “Perfectly Honest”, “Can I Pray For You” (#1 Song), “I Got Here As Fast As I Could” (#1 Song), “Bring Lazarus Back”, “My Name is Jesus”, “I’m Listening for the Call” (#1 Song), “I Can Rejoice”, “Pray on the Little Days” and many others. Additionally, Mark’s 2006 recording, “Everyday”, was nominated for a Dove Award, and his 2019 recording, “Beautiful Day”, received a Grammy nomination!

I am extremely blessed that I was able to experience the Bishops in real time, (meaning, while they were actively recording and touring) as I discovered their music when I was a teenager back in the late 1980’s, and I enjoyed them until they retired in 2001. By the same token, I am also old enough that I can experience their music “post era”, and to see how their music and influence has affected the genre as a whole! The Bishops’ music is still just as valid and impactful today as it was 25 years ago, and it’s still affecting souls and making a difference in people’s lives. I hope through this series we’ve been able to introduce (and even re-introduce) their music to a new audience so it can continue to thrive and not just become some old historical relic!

The final article in these discography pieces is always bittersweet for me. I invest a lot of time and effort into writing these, and it’s truly a labor of love, so the end of each series is always a mixed bag of emotions. I could not have done this series without the help of Mark and Kenny Bishop, who truly gave of their time, sharing their memories and stories, and helping me validate numerous facts. I am deeply appreciative of them both (as well as their dad, Kenneth), and the impact they have made on me personally through their music! Also, a huge “thank you” to Eddie Crook, Steve Mauldin, Larry Petree, Jerry Salley and Steve Perkins for sharing their stories as well! These gentlemen helped fill in gaps and share little known facts that truly helped make these articles so fun and informative. Thanks also go to SGHistory.com, Mark Bishop, Curtis Magee and Randall Hamm for album scans, and an extra shout out to SGHistory.com for their help with various stats.

I hope you enjoyed this walk down memory lane with the Bishops…but truthfully, this is more than just memories of past music, groups, songs and recordings…this music isn’t an ancient relic, as it’s still making its mark, and I am thankful I’m able to play a small part in keeping the history and these classic recordings alive!

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