Kentucky native Brady Jones delivers low notes, high hopes for Kingsmen
Morgantown, Ky. native Brady Jones sings bass during a Kingsmen concert at Sand Spring Baptist Church in June. (All photos by John Herndon.)
By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com
Brady Jones’ first appearance with The Kingsmen Quartet was one of those nights where everyone in attendance knew something special was happening.
What they didn’t know was how long the wheels would turn before the Kentucky teenager would be hitting the low notes every time the legendary gospel group stepped up to the microphones.
“He just blew the roof off the place,” remembers Kingsmen baritone Alan Kendall.
Joshua Tomlin is happy serving as Joseph Habedank’s keyboardist.
A decade after saying he would work with Joseph Habedank, Joshua Tomlin is doing just that
By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com
Editor’s Note: The concert at the Cathedral of Glory, Mt. Sterling was canceled because of flooding at the church building. A rescheduled date has not been released.
It’s been more than 10 years since Joshua Tomlin told his girlfriend he was going to work with Joseph Habedank some day.
And now Josh is coming home for three central Kentucky concerts over the next four months, reminding him of those dreams and the path on which God led him before taking his vast musical talent on the road with one of gospel music’s most beloved artists.
The first of the upcoming appearances by Habedank and his band will be on Saturday, March 15 at the Cathedral of Glory in Mt. Sterling. The concert, which was originally set for January before a snowstorm forced rescheduling, begins at 7 p.m.
Joshua Tomlin has been playing keyboards for Joseph Habedank since last May. He is shown during a concert at Bardstown in February.(All photos by John Herndon.)
Tomlin is also looking forward to an appearance in Danville in May and Lawrenceburg in July. A date at Symsonia Baptist Church in far western Kentucky is also on the schedule for Sunday night, March 16 at 6 p.m., Central Time.
Between his stops in Mt. Sterling and Lawrenceburg, Joseph Habedank’s Autobiography Tour is scheduled to stop in 13 other states. Later in the summer, the tour will also stop at the Ark Encounter as part of the 40 Days and 40 Nights of Christian Music.
But for Joshua Tomlin, who mans the keyboard and provides background vocals, it is a bit of an ironic trip home.
“When Joseph first came out with the ‘Welcome Home’ album, his first solo album, I wasn’t married yet, but Abby, my wife now, and I, we were dating,” Tomlin said before another central Kentucky stop at Bardstown Baptist Church in February. “We were going to get something to eat and I popped a CD in. I was a fan of Joseph before that – he was so good with The Perrys. When I heard that music, I looked at her and said, ‘I am going to work with this guy.'”
Tomlin knew the dream was improbable. Abby knew it was not impossible.
“She had the wisdom to say, ‘If you want to and it’s God’s will, you will,'” Tomlin smiled. “That was 10 or 11 years ago.”
Abby and Joshua Tomlin sing with Cumberland Thunder at Sand Spring Baptist Church in 2022. (File photo.)
The road to traveling as a full-time professional musician had varied stops, including time as guitarist for Cumberland Thunder, a progressive Southern Gospel group based in Russell Springs, where Josh and Abby Tomlin now live. The band combined elements of traditional gospel with country, rock and bluegrass to create a unique sound.
“Cumberland Thunder started almost nine years ago. It was a passion project, really. We just wanted to make music that we enjoyed,” Tomlin said. “If we enjoyed it, we knew that somebody out there would.”
But the dream was still to be a full-time professional musician. “I have had it since I was a teenager,” Tomlin says. “There were a lot of doors that I tried to kick down myself.”
He would find out that approach doesn’t work and decided to serve in local churches, learning to grow spiritually..
Along the way, Josh helped his parents, Richard and Reesie Tomlin, by teaching at Imparting Wisdom Christian Academy in Hustonville. Tomlin continues to work there when he’s home from touring.
Joshua Tomlin.
Eventually, Tomlin accepted a call from Flat Lick Baptist Church, near Somerset, to serve as the pastor. “They are some very dear friends we worked with for a couple of years. When you are pastoring a church, you have to have something prepared for every time you meet. You get into the Word!” he laughed.
But when the opportunity to pursue the dream arrived, the laughter turned to tears. “When we got the call, we cried on each other’s shoulders. I still love those people very much and I go back to fellowship with them when I can,” Tomlin said of Flat Lick.
Tomlin had always waited for the call, THAT call. It came last spring. And Joshua Tomlin was the only person Joseph Habedank called to fill the keyboard position when he decided to take some live musicians on his tour.
“We had been friends for a long time,” Tomlin said. “I used to work in Christian radio. I worked at WDFB in Danville. I worked there as a teenager. I got hired there as a summer job when I was 15 and did it for several years. When Joseph announced his solo career, he came by and we did an interview. Because of that interview, we exchanged phone numbers, developed a friendship. We didn’t talk often, but we would communicate every few months or so.
“I had no idea I would ever be considered or thought of in that way. When he called, I had been praying.”
And Tomlin says there is no doubt that the circumstances of getting the invitation to tour left no doubt that God was working. “I remember getting in the car, we were on the way home from church and I was a little discouraged. I felt like something was supposed to happen but I didn’t know what it was,” he said.
What Tomlin knew was that he longed to travel, yet he was content to serve as pastor of a small church.
Joseph Habedank in concert at Bardstown Baptist Church, Feb. 7.
“I looked at (Abby) and I said, ‘I wish God would just drop this in my lap because I am not smart enough to know what to do,'” Josh continued. “The words had barely gotten out of my mouth and in the same minute, I got a text message from Joseph. It said, ‘Can you start May 6?’ And I said, ‘OK, God, that’s dropping it in my lap. Message received.”
For almost a year, Tomlin has been on stage with guitarist Anthony Rogers every time Habedank brings one of his powerful concerts. The 90 minutes of music focus on God’s grace and forgiveness and offer hope for the downtrodden. There is a constant reminder of hope for those who have battled addiction, like Habedank’s much-publicized escape from addiction’s chains.
“When we get on the bus, there is something (Habedank) says to us on a weekly, sometimes a daily basis. He says, ‘Be real. Be real. If you are real, people will respond to it,'” Tomlin says.
And, as expected, there’s music. LOTS of music. While Habedank is considered a Southern Gospel singer, he’s sometimes paired with contemporary artists in concerts. The selections on the bus reflect that variety
“My influences are all over the place. His influences are all over the place,” Tomlin says. “We have two televisions in the lounge of the bus. We might be sitting there and pull up YouTube and we might watch a Michael English video and Russ Taff. Then we might go to something like Crowder to an old Cathedrals video.
“There’s an old cliche, ‘If it’s written about God, I like it.’ And that’s true.”
Joseph Habedank in concert with band members Anthony Rogers and Josh Tomlin at Bardstown Baptist Church, Feb. 7.
Tomlin says that traveling with Habedank has brought a special blessing that few can enjoy. “He has had life experiences that I have never had,” Josh said. “He has a lot of wisdom to offer, more than people realize. He’s very humble about it but what you see on stage is what you get on the bus. There have been moments where we have been going down the road and he will be driving the bus. I will be up there in the seat next to him and will be just the two of us up there at one or two o’clock in the morning and we will just start talking about spiritual things. He’s very empathetic with us.”
And there are undoubtedly times when Joshua Tomlin has to pinch himself to see if the last 10 months have been real. And Saturday is the first of three concerts close to home.
On May 18, Habedank will be at Hedgeville Baptist Church in Tomlin’s hometown of Danville. Then on July 10, the tour will stop at one of Kentucky’s premier venues, Sand Spring Baptist Church in Lawrenceburg.
“I am really excited about going to Sand Spring this summer because when Abby and I were dating, our date nights were concerts at Sand Spring,” Tomlin said with a huge smile. “We would go to Fazoli’s in Danville, then drive over to Lawrenceburg, go to a concert, then go to McDonalds afterwards. Then we would go our separate ways. I remember that so vividly.
“Somebody I knew said, ‘It’s a really good feeling to stand in a place where you used to dream, having realized the dream. Sand Spring would be that place.”
The Nelons perform at First Baptist Church of Cold Spring, Sept. 10, 2020. From left are Kelly Nelon Clark, Autumn Nelon Streetman, Amber Nelon Kistler and Nathan Kistler, who was filling in for Jason Clark that night.(Photo by John Herndon)
Common Bond lead singer’s ties to Nelons grew over 30 years
By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com
While the Southern Gospel music world was shocked at the tragic deaths of Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark, Amber and Nathan Kistler and three others, few could have been as devastated as Rick Melton.
When he got the news of the July 26 plane crash, Melton didn’t just lose a singing colleague. The ones lost were more than friends. They were like family. They were much, much more than professional colleagues, but had a bond that formed over 30 years ago and was continuing to grow at the time of the crash.
Chris Bryant is happy singing with the Kingdom Heirs.
After some time of transition, Chris Bryant’s journey has been better than he could ask for
By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com
LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. – To say Chris Bryant has experienced some changes over the last two years is kind of like saying Pigeon Forge is a Tennessee tourist attraction.
It’s a bit of an understatement. Just a little bit.
He’s left a job he loved. He started a career he loved.
Then, with inkling on how things would play out, Bryant wound up in what he calls “The best job in gospel music.”
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.
Bill Sowder, third from left, sings with His Heart in the quartet’s first concert of 2023 on March 19 at Shiloh Christian Church, Columbia, Ky. Members of the group are, from left, Kyle Harris, Jeremy Dickerson, Sowder and Bob Abbott. (Photo provided.)
Sidelined by horse riding accident, Sowder counts his blessings in return to His Heart Quartet
By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com
LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. – When he stepped on the stage with His Heart Quartet at Sand Spring Baptist Church, Bill Sowder hopped around with an energy that would belie the fact that he’s now 69 years old. He moved. He thrust his forefinger toward Heaven. He pumped his fist.
It was vintage Sowder, one of Kentucky’s best-known gospel music personalities.
And it’s certainly not what one would expect from someone who was supposed to just be learning to walk again.
“I tell you, I feel like a million bucks. I might look like a Dollar General store but I feel like a million bucks,” Sowder said shortly before His Heart opened for Triumphant Quartet.
Triumphant in concert at First Baptist Church of Cold Spring, March 16, 2023. From left are David Sutton, Scotty Inman, Clayton Inman and Eric Bennett.
Clayton Inman talks about Triumphant’s newest CD, one that ‘bridges the gap’
By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com
COLD SPRING, Ky. – There’s not even a group photo on Triumphant Quartet’s latest album.
The album title, “Hymns & Worship” along with the obligatory song titles and credits are there, but nothing else. Nothing, that is, other than a quote from the Old Testament book of Numbers.
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
– Numbers 6:24-26, New International Version ®
It’s more than fitting.
After all, Triumphant Quartet is about praising God and bringing people to a closer relationship to Him. Nothing more. Nothing less.
So yes, Triumphant’s newest project might seem to be somewhat different from anything the quartet has done, but the core of what someone hears is the same as it’s always been.
“It’s only different because people come to hear their favorite songs – ‘White Flag,’ ‘Somebody Died for Me,’” Triumphant lead singer Clayton Inman reflected shortly after the group sang before a full house at First Baptist Church of Cold Spring on March 16. “We have those songs and still sing those songs, but we were looking to do something that would bridge the gap.”
The Lore Family will be making its first visit to Sand Spring Baptist Church on Dec. 31. In front is Samuel Lore. Second row, from left, are Fayth and Jake Whisnant and Darren and Sandy Lore. (Photo courtesy thelorefamilyministries.com.)
Popular group writes most of its music; Sellers looking forward to return trip
By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com
They are separated only by about three hours of I-64 pavement. And they are both among the bigger names in their respective areas of service in Southern Gospel music.
So it seems kind of odd that The Lore Family and Sand Spring Baptist Church have never been able to come together for a concert. That all changes on Decemeber 31 when The Lore Family makes its first appearance at Sand Spring as part of the church’s popular concert series.
The Lore Family will be at Sand Spring along with soloist Bob Sellers in the church’s annual New Year’s Eve concert. The December 31 concert will begin at 7 p.m. and go for a approximately three hours.
The Lore Family, based in Sciotoville, Ohio, not far from Ashland, Ky., has wanted to be a part of the Sand Spring series for some time. Darren Lore, the founder of the group, says he had contacted Sand Spring “for a few years to get our family into this concert series, so we are thankful the door has opened up. We have been talking to Larry Briscoe (head of the church’s concert series) for quite a while. That’s where we will end the year and start the new year.”
The Lore Family will also be part of Sand Spring’s New Year’s Day services at 8:45 and 11 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 1.
“We are looking forward to being there and it is an honor to be included in such a well-known concert series with such well-known groups throughout the year. We feel very honored and privileged to be there,” Lore says.
Lore says that even though this is his family’s first trip to Lawrenceburg, fans who are accustomed to seeing groups like The Perrys, Gold City and the Mark Trammell Quartet at Sand Spring should feel right at home with what Darren calls the “straightforward Southern Gospel singing” his family is known for.
“We offer a traditional style of Southern Gospel music,” he says. “I bring a piano and my son, Samuel, plays the guitar and we sing traditional Southern Gospel songs.”
Lore says his family routinely sings some well-known gospel classics along with their own songs such as their most recent hit, “I Bring You Jesus” or their first Top 20 song, “He Still Bears the Scars.”
And Lore says his family spices that straightforward southern gospel with some variety through its concerts. “We do sing some more progressive songs such as ‘The Rock That Never Ages. We do sing some songs that have a different flavor like ‘Joyous News’ that has a jazz flavor to it. ‘The World Needs a Song,’ produced by Roger Talley, was a little bit more country sounding. The Lore Family, we have our own sound. We sing a lot of our own songs. We don’t do a lot of cover songs.”
Lore enjoys working New Year’s Eve concerts and says the events remind him of the special New Year’s Eve services many churches have hosted over the years. “I was raised on ‘watch night services,’” he says. “At least, that’s what we called them. My wife and I went to the same church Bonser Run Christian Baptist Church, which is similar to the Nazarene Conference. We would have watch night services starting at 7 o’clock praying the old year out and then at 11:50 praying the new year in at 12 o’clock. We would have three or four preachers and singing throughout.”
And the changing of the calendar is a time for something fresh, from a resolution to give up a bad habit to an opportunity to begin a new one. Lore says his family addresses that concept through music.
“Everybody likes renewal. Everybody likes a mulligan in golf. Everybody likes to wipe the slate and start again,” he says. “I don’t make an extremely large list of resolutions….But it is a good point that a lot of people like to start off with a new vision or a fresh start. We have a new single out called ‘You Love, I’ll Judge.’ We are going to be pushing that thought going into the new year, to love more, judge less. Love people where they are at.”
The Lore Family’s journey in gospel music has been one of faith and they believe God has blessed their reliance on Him.
While the family went full-time traveling at the 2015 National Quartet Convention, their story had begun years before.
“The Lore Family started out when (daughter) Fayth was 10 and Samuel was 9. We sang, ‘I’ve Come Too Far.’ I had taught them this as a trio with me. Samuel was singing tenor and Fayth was singing above him and then Fayth took the lead on the chorus. I was singing lead on the verses,” Darren says. “This was a surprise for my wife (Sandy) who had infertility. We lost a baby at Mother’s Day. We started out at Mother’s Day years later when the kids were 9 and 10 to honor her on Mother’s Day evening at Seventh Street Christian Baptist Church in Portsmouth, Ohio. I was pastor there for 14 years.”
The family began singing covers of popular songs, but about 15 years ago, Darren, who was working as a pharmacy manager in addition to his calling as a pastor, began taking things in a different direction.
“I started recording some original songs I had written,” he remembers. “I Had written songs all of my life but didn’t let anyone hear them until I was 40. ‘An Absolutely Good Day’ was our first project we recorded at Daywind in Nashville. That was our first radio release. From there, we started our radio ministry in 2009 and we have been consistent in releasing songs ever since.”
The Lore Family is a true family group that has seen its only personnel changes come when the children got married. Fayth married Jake Whisnant on Sept. 18, 2021 and he joined the group two weeks later. “He is not from the Whisnants who sing, but he is from that area of North Carolina,” Darren says.
Samuel married his wife, Rebecca, in 2019 and she travels with the group on occasion. “She has a full time job and goes behind the scenes.
The biggest change, however, came when the group decided to step out on faith and go full time in ministry.
Actually, the decision might have already been made.
“The demands on The Lore Family with revivals and the like made it harder to work the pharmacy schedule, working with other pharmacists,” Darren says. “It got to the point I just needed to make a decision and this is where the Lord led.”
It wasn’t easy. Darren went from a well-paying job with benefits to nothing guaranteed. He says God took care of things.
“We didn’t know if we would be busy or not that first year when we went full-time but in 2016, we did 240 dates,” he remembers. “We probably have averaged 190-200 dates since then. We don’t try to kill ourselves by doing tons of dates.”
Currently, The Lore Family brings the gospel in song and preaching or teaching in camp meetings, revivals, special services and seminars. Sandy heads women’s conferences and will be leading one with Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Famer Karen Peck.
Fayth leads girls’ conferences called True Purpose ministries and in 2022, she ministered to about 300 girls with a dozen saved. She will be leading another conference in 2023 with Lauren Talley.
In addition, The Lore Family works in youth conferences called “Determined.”
But Dec. 31, it will be “straightforward Southern Gospel” at Sand Spring Baptist Church. The next day they will be singing during the church’s morning worship services. “We are known for singing a blend, so we might sing some praise choruses with the church,” Darren says of what to expect on Jan. 1. “We might include ‘Because He Lives’ or ‘How Great Thou Art’ with some of our radio songs. I have found that we can sing on Saturday night to one crowd then on Sunday morning, 75 percent of the church wasn’t there the night before….So there is no crowd alike. There will be a service at 8:45 and there will be one at 11 and they will be different.”
One thing that won’t be different is The Lore Family’s focus on God. “When you listen to The Lore Family, we make it a worship experience, whether we are at Silver Dollar City or at a church,” Lore says. “We just want the Lord to be honored and people to be uplifted and encouraged.”
Bob Sellers sings at Sand Spring Baptist Church during an appearance with The Old Time Preacher’s Quartet in 2019. (File photo by John Herndon.)
Sellers feels at home at Sand Spring
Soloist Bob Sellers has made many trips for concerts at Sand Spring Baptist Church but his appearance with The Lore Family on December 31 will be his first since before the Covid pandemic arrived in 2020.
Sellers is anxious to get back to one of his favorite places to sing.
“I was with The Kingsmen nearly seven years,” Sellers said in a Facebook message. “I’m not sure when Larry (Briscoe) started having signings at Sand Spring, but it seemed like we went there every year. I believe I actually did a New Year’s Eve service there with The Kingsmen one year, as well.
“I also sang there once with The Old Time Preachers Quartet when I was helping them out. This is my first visit as a soloist and I’ve looked forward to it all year! I love Larry and Barbara both and I have a lot of wonderful friends in that area. I love Kentucky!
“The neat thing about Sand Spring is the built-in crowd. Bro. Larry works hard getting the word out about his concerts and they are always free admission with a love offering received.”
The Joyaires, Ernie and Debbie Peters, seek to bring the joy of Christ in their music ministry. (Photo by John Herndon)
After 43 years, joy in Christ continues to be the message they bring
By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com
You probably won’t find any artist of any genre with a more fitting name than The Joyaires.
They’ve been singing gospel music since 1979, bringing joy to anyone who hears their message about Jesus and the joy that is found in Him.
“We hadn’t thought about what we were going to call ourselves, so we just jotted down a bunch of names,” Ernie Peters says of how the group came up with its name.
Greater Vision sings at Sand Spring Baptist Church on Oct. 6, 2022. From left are Gerald Wolfe, Jon Epley, Rodney Griffin and Chris Allman.
Early detours led Rodney Griffin on road to SGMA Hall of Fame
By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com
LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. – Once he tells his story, it’s hard to miss the irony of where the detours along career paths have led Rodney Griffin on his way to a place in the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame.
“I was trying to get into med school,” Griffin says, remembering his days as a student at Berea College. “As I got into my studies, I saw that my grades were not going to be the straight A’s that are required to get into medical school. Those people were brilliant that I was in class with. “I thought I had better find something else because that is just not my thing.”
Kentucky Sings! 