THE LATEST
#NewsNuggets: 4-12-24
A new member for the Dixie Echoes and MORE in this week’s NewsNuggets!
Marketing Oddities: Gaither Music
Is it fair (or even right) to list a primary artist on an album, even if they’re not performing on it?
The Hemphills – “Excited!” (1985)
One of the coolest covers is this 1985 album by the Hemphills. Read all about it…
#NewsNuggets: 3-22-24
It’s a super-sized #NewsNuggets this week!
Bill Gaither’s enLighten
Does this mean only Gaither-associated artists will be played?
REVIEWS
The Hemphills – “Home Cookin'” (1979)
By 1979, the Hemphills were really cookin’, and this latest album spurred their very first #1 song with “I’m in this Church”. Check it out!
The Hemphills – “In God’s Sunshine” (1977)
With this remarkable album, the Hemphills really hit their stride. Candy found her signature song and there was just no stopping the Hemphills now! They were truly basking “In God’s Sunshine”!
The Hemphills – “Without a Doubt” (1976)
Though it was a bit of a transitional album for the Hemphills, “Without a Doubt” yielded not 1, not 2, but 3 Top 10 hits for the group! Click and read all about it…
The Hemphills – “One Live Family” (1975)
Released in 1975, this live album introduced SG audiences to the youngest member of the Hemphill family, Candy. Read all about it in this weeks’ article!
The Hemphills – “Together” (1984)
One of the greatest albums in the Hemphills’ discography is this gem, “Together”, which featured a #1 song, 2 other top 10 tunes and several concert classics. Check it out…
The Hemphills – “Louisiana Live” (1983)
One of the best live albums from the 80’s is this gem from the Hemphills. Check out what James has to say about it!
HISTORY
100-Year Traditions: Speer Family
100 years of Speers.
#TBT Album Review/Restrospective: The Paynes – “Live: Fire On Stage”
Kyle pulls another favorite from his collection.
StowTown Records Vault Series
On Friday, November 27th, 2020, StowTown records surprised SG fans by releasing a digital remaster of a long-out-of-print record by the Cathedrals, Smooth as Silk. This album, originally released as a table project in 1979, is noteworthy for being the first full...
#NewsNuggets: 4-24-20
Remembering Larry Hinson
My 2022 SGMA Hall Of Fame Nominees
The Southern Gospel Music Association is currently accepting nominees for the Hall Of Fame. Each member of the SGMA is asked to submit two living and two deceased individuals for consideration. Three of my 2022 nominees are the same as my 2021 nominees. (My other...
The Bakkers, PTL, and Southern Gospel Music
Aside from their very public downfall, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker had a large (and mutual) impact on southern gospel music.
VIEWS AND COMMENTARY
#NewsNuggets EXTRA: 9-30-23
2023 Fan Awards spark controversy, but all is well.
That time when the LeFevres “pulled a Taylor Swift”
If you think Taylor Swift is the first artist to re-cut entire albums out of spite, think again…
The Convoluted Cathedral Quartet Catalog Condundrum
The Cathedral Quartet is among the most well-loved and respected gospel groups in history. There isn't a quartet singer today who isn't familiar with the rich history of the Cathedrals, and you would be hard pressed to find many fans who don't own at least SOMETHING...
SONY’S DEVOTIONS
Remember!
"If you should say in your heart, 'These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?'--you shall not be afraid of them, but you shall remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt." ~Deuteronomy 7:17-18 Remembering. It seems like...
Turn Your Burdens to Prayer
I confess that I am guilty of taking way too many burdens upon myself. Family members who don't know the Lord, others making bad decisions, some having financial difficulty ... you name it, I feel it, and it can literally affect my health. In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus...
Looking Forward
"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians...
Come Worship the King
Still through the cloven skies they come With peaceful wings unfurled And still their heavenly music floats O'er all the weary world; Above its sad and lowly plains They bend on hovering wing. And ever o'er its Babel sounds The blessed angels sing. ~from It Came Upon...
There’s Power in Prayer
I've been thinking lately of some of the prayers that God has answered for me--both recently and in times past. I can also think of some that He hasn't, but I am increasingly convinced of the truth of James 4:2: "You do not have because you do not ask." It's also true...
Thankful for God’s Mercy
In reading through Exodus, I am struck by God's mercy--even to Egyptians who had no regard for Him whatsoever. Emphasis is often placed on the plagues that God sent their way, but more often than not, He warned them of what was to come if they continued to disregard...
Thankful for Memories
When people list what they're thankful for, the most common responses among Christians are God, salvation, and family, and I would affirm that I am thankful for those things. But I also realized last week that I am thankful for the gift of memories. If you have had a...
Overcoming Fear
In reading through Genesis for the umpteenth time in my life, I slowed down to better focus on the Patriarchs of the faith. Abraham is the one that many look to as the father of faith, but did you know that Abraham also had fears? I find it interesting that this man...
Listen to Our Hearts
When words are not enough to tell you of our love Listen to our hearts I've realized lately that "I love you" often sounds insufficient to express how I feel about the people I love. How much harder is it to tell my Savior how much I love Him! I'm glad that the Spirit...
Pray for the Persecuted Church
Voice of the Martyrs has called an International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church today and throughout the month of November. I don't think it was coincidental that my daily Bible reading this morning was Psalm 70. As I read the Psalms, my focus is typically on...
How about You?
In the Bible study Experiencing God, the question was asked, "What did God do to draw you to Himself, specifically?" The answer that popped into my head as I pondered this was a line from an old Happy Goodman Family song: "I came through tribulation. How about you?"...