A half-century of  bringing music to the people

Paul Belcher at his desk in his Tellico Plains, Tennessee home. He conducts most of the business for Paul Belcher Concerts from his home.

Paul Belcher ready for a big night in Ashland; Primitive Quartet to perform in Farewell Tour

By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com

TELLICO PLAINS, Tenn. — Paul Belcher can only laugh when talking about the first concert he promoted. 

He’d booked The Hopper Brothers and Connie for a night of gospel music in his hometown of Detroit and was waiting when the group arrived for the concert. Belcher chuckles as he picks up the story. “To this day, Claude Hopper still tells the story if I am in the audience,” Belcher says. “He says they pulled up to the auditorium and here comes this little fat boy up to the bus and says, ‘I’m Paul Belcher.’

“Claude says, ‘I drove 800 miles for a 17-year-old kid.”

Continue reading “A half-century of  bringing music to the people”

A Touch of Heaven Touching People for 50 years

Primitive Quartet at Sand Spring Baptist Church on September 23. From left are Reagan Riddle, Randy Fox, Jeff Tolbert, Mike Riddle and Larry Riddle.

Primitive Quartet in final months of amazing ministry, still giving God all the praise

By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com

LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. – Little did some fishing buddies know that a springtime camping trip would be the beginning of a career that has been reeling in accolades from almost every corner of the gospel music industry.

But that’s how God has worked through Primitive Quartet ever since April 1973. 

The Primitives have cast their influence through a true-to-their-roots music and a faithful-to-their-Savior faith that has led them to touch more people than could have ever been imagined when the Riddle brothers and Wilson brothers were sitting around a campfire picking and singing.

Continue reading “A Touch of Heaven Touching People for 50 years”

NQC was all I expected and more

By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com

I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I loaded the car Monday morning and headed to Pigeon Forge for the National Quartet Convention.

I had a sport coat and tie, just in case, but had mostly packed casual clothes. My 34 years as a sports editor had prompted me to pack my Dallas Cowboys’ windbreaker if the Leconte Center was like an icebox.  Thankfully, it wasn’t.

Continue reading “NQC was all I expected and more”