Tag Country Gospel

Jeff and Sheri Easter coming to Strawberry Festival and Gospel Homecoming Singing

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Full day of gospel music to benefit Project Hero for the Elderly

From staff reports

Acclaimed gospel music artists Jeff and Sheri Easter are scheduled to appear at the Strawberry Festival and Gospel Homecoming Singing on Saturday, May 17. The all-day concert is  to be held on the Festival Grounds of Schwartz’s Family Restaurant in Eckerty, Ind., about an hour from Louisville, Ky.

Six other gospel groups will be appearing at the homecoming beginning at 11:30 a.m., EDT.  The Easters are set to take the stage at 6:30 p.m, 

The family-friendly event is sponsored by Highway 62 Jubilee and Schwartz’s Family Restaurant and is being organized as a benefit for Project Hero 62. 

According to a news release, Project Hero 62 is designed to benefit people over 60, many of whom live alone and depend on various social services to maintain their quality of life.  “With the generosity and support of our corporate and individual sponsors, we work year round to collect clothing, birthday and Christmas gifts, inspirational reading materials and music and personally deliver these items,” the release said. 

In addition to the concerts, the Homecoming Singing will feature a silent auction and other activities for the entire family. Attendees will also be able to pick strawberries during the day.

There is no admission charge but a $20 gate donation is appreciated, according to the release. Love offerings will also be taken during the day. 

IF YOU GO …

The Third Annual Strawberry Festival and Gospel Homecoming Singing will be held on Saturday, May 17 at  the Festival Grounds of Schwartz’s Family Restaurant, 6738 W. Governor’s Trace, Eckerty, Ind. Activities begin at 11:30 a.m. and are scheduled to last into the evening.

For more information see http://www.highway62jubilee.org or call 812-773-8939 or 502-276-3737.

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Winning the Struggle, Answering the Call

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Justin Cole sings at The Ark Encounter on August 20.

Glasgow native Justin Cole has found his niche in serving and singing

By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com

For Justin Cole, the struggle was more than real. 

That inner conflict of how to best use his God-given talents was more than a simple tugging at his heart. Should he continue to pursue a lucrative career straddling that fence between gospel and country music or should he listen to his heart saying to put all of his energies into pastoral ministry and singing a bit of Christian country when he can.

“For a while, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do,” Justin said not long before he took the stage at the Ark Encounter on August 20. Justin was part of a billing that included the Ark’s house band, TrueSong, along with bluegrass stars Authentic Unlimited as part of the 40 Days and Nights of Christian Music festival.

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Firm Foundation Quartet embarks on annual reunion tour

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Firm Foundation Quartet sings during the 2023 Reunion Tour at Taylor County High School, Campbellsville, Ky. From left are Jericho McCoy, Steve Bridgmon, Josh Teasley and Anthony Davis.

Group gets together for weekend of fun and Southern Gospel

By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com

It can be amazing to reminisce about the circles of life and the people involved that become an integral part of one’s journey.

Such is the case with Firm Foundation Quartet. 

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Fortner Brothers 4 Christ to Make Ark Encounter Appearance 3

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The Fortner Brothers 4 Christ sing during the Faith Country Bluegrass Music Festival at The Ark Encounter in June 2023.
Alabama family combines timeless gospel with 80s country sound

By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com

One of the best things about taking in the summer concerts at The Ark Encounter and Creation Museum is being introduced to those new artists who might not be popping up on my playlists, but are talented and making their own path in the various branches of Christian music.

Such was my experience with the Fortner Brothers 4 Christ, an Alabama-based band with a sound straight out of the 1980s. Think Diamond Rio or Restless Heart or Exile. Think the Eagles.  And of course, think Alabama, the megastars who made their hometown, Fort Payne, famous.

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A life of ministry, a life of joy

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The Joyaires, Ernie and Debbie Peters, sing at Sand Spring Baptist Church on Oct. 26, 2023.

Joyaires persevered through challenging times, continue to share the mesage of Christ however they can

By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com

LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. – Not too long before the Joyaires took the stage at Sand Spring Baptist Church on Oct. 26, we received a suggestion to interview the group’s owner, Ernie Peters, for a full-length feature on KentuckySings.com.

“He’s an interesting fellow,” we were told.

It was an understatement.

Interesting. Faithful. Incredibly faithful. Challenging. Inspiring. Or, more accurately, all of the above. 

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Fifty years of touring, an infinite impact

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The Oak Ridge Boys at the Kentucky State Fair, Aug. 20, 2023. From left are Joe Bonsall, Duane Allen, William Lee Golden and Richard Sterban. (Photo by John Herndon.)

Oak Ridge Boys’ farewell tour a time to reflect on their impact and personal blessings

By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com

I simply wasn’t ready for the news that hit my e-mail inbox last Tuesday.

The Oak Ridge Boys are finally saying goodbye. Almost 50 years after the current lineup first stepped on stage together, they announced their American Farewell Tour. 

“We are doing a farewell tour because we owe it to our fans to say goodbye,” William Lee Golden said in a release posted at http://www.oakridgeboys.com. “They have always been there for us through the good times and the bad. I will always be thankful to every person who came out to a show, bought a t-shirt, played our music, and overall, loved us enough to spend their hard-earned money whenever they could. This tour is for you!”

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64 to Grayson approaching the exit

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Zack Shelton in his office at North Madison Christian Church in Madison, Indiana.

Zack Shelton says group’s farewell concert to be a time of praise and thanksgiving

By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com

MADISON, Ind. – Zack Shelton & 64 to Grayson has never been a conventional gospel singing group. 

Not when the group formed at Kentucky Christian University. 

Not when it was traveling across more than 20 states, playing anything from local festivals – think the Swamp Cabbage Festival in Florida or the Delta Chicken Festival in Ohio – to summer camps and churches big and small.

Not when you try to pinpoint the group’s genre, either. There’s a heavy dose of country, some bluegrass, some rock, some contemporary Christian and even an old hymn or two in the repertoire.

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They never missed a beat

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Back together after 31 years, Girls Next Door bring an energetic set of gospel music at The Ark Encounter on Aug. 23, 2023.
80s country stars Girls Next Door are back together sharing the message of Christ’s love

By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com

WILLIAMSTOWN, Ky. – The history of country music might note that the group, Girls Next Door disbanded in 1991 but their performance during 40 Days and 40 Nights of Christian Music at the Ark Encounter indicated they had only been on a sabbatical.

A 31-year sabbatical.

The tight harmonies and innovative arrangements that had made Girls Next Door one of country music’s most popular acts were still there on Aug. 23. The energy created by their music had never left as they delivered a set featuring some of their country hits along with a heavy dose of heart-pumping gospel.

And even though country music fans might not expect it, the 2023 version – Girls Next Door 2.0 proclaims their new CD and website – is remarkably like the one that last sang in 1991. 

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He believes he’s where he should be

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Anthony Davis is mighty happy singing bass during the Firm Foundation Reunion Tour on July 7, 2023.
Anthony Davis still loves to hit the low notes, but is happy in his calling in law enforcement

By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – The smile on his face left no doubt that Anthony Davis knew he was where he should be for the weekend.

A Southern Gospel fan favorite, Davis can still go low with the best of them despite leaving rigors of traveling music ministry behind more than two years ago. That was more than apparent over the weekend as he manned the bass spot during the third annual Firm Foundation reunion tour. 

Davis spent nearly a decade with the Owensboro-based group prior to becoming a household name hitting the low notes for Tribute Quartet for another 10 years. 

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The song will continue

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Jeff Tolbert, center, leads in the finale of Primitive Quartet’s concert with Gold City and The Inspirations at Ashland’s Paramount Arts Center on April 1.
Primitive Quartet’s Jeff Tolbert thankful for the past 27 years, excited about the future

By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com

ASHLAND, Ky. – Jeff Tolbert will be the first to admit he’s not looking forward to May 20.

That’s the night Primitive Quartet will be performing its final concert, a sold-out affair at Lakeway Performing Arts Center in White Pine, Tenn. The beloved group has said it will continue to sing some, as the Lord leads, but is retiring from the traveling ministry that night.

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