Soul'd Out Quartet Hires Piano Player

SOUL'D OUT QT WELCOMES NEW PIANO PLAYER

Soul'd Out Quartet (SOQT) announced this week.. the addition of Michael Howard as their piano player. Matt Rankin, owner and manager of the group had this to say about Howard, "SOQT is honored to have such a talented individual join our team! We couldn't ask for a better young man to be our piano player. Michael exemplifies the characteristics of a Christian and has the qualities SOQT looks for in its members."

Howard started playing piano when he was only six years old. He first enjoyed playing hymns but found a new love when he was introduced to Southern Gospel music. He has watched and listened to several of Southern Gospel's finest piano players and hopes to continue the rich tradition of excellent musicians.

Michael resides in Hebron, Ky., and at 19 years old is the youngest member of the group.

visit www.souldoutquartet.com

This will certainly add a lot to SOQT's sound and stage presence. Looking forward to hearing them with this new addition.

Pray For Steven Curtis Chapman

I was informed that Steven Curtis Chapman's five-year old daughter was killed yesterday after being hit by a truck that Chapman's 15-year old son was driving. It was accidental, and she was rushed to Vanderbilt hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

A situation like this hits very close to home, since I got my Learner's Permit only yesterday. Please keep the family in your prayers...

Announcing SouthernGospelAlbums.com

Seven of Southern Gospel’s most prominent bloggers announce the joint effort, SouthernGospelAlbums.com. This website features joint reviews from various combinations of bloggers, as well as summaries and links to the bloggers’ reviews on their individual sites. The site is intended as a primary resource for fans of Southern Gospel music to find reviews of their favorite artists’ recording projects. Participating bloggers are Wes Burke (Burke’s Brainwork), Brandon Coomer (Coomer Cove), David Bruce Murray (Musicscribe), Daniel J. Mount (Southern Gospel Blog), Adam Edwards (Southern Gospel Critique), Kyle Boreing (Southern Gospel View), and Aaron Swain (Swain’s Musings).

For more information on the site, check out www.southerngospelalbums.com.

For more information on review submissions, send an email to contact@southerngospelalbums.com.

Patrick Henry Hughes To Appear At NQC 2008

From an SN Press Release:

Louisville, KY - The National Quartet Convention has announced the special guest appearance of Patrick Henry Hughes to the 2008 National Quartet Convention. The event is set to take place during the week of September 8 through 13 at the Kentucky Fair & Expo Center in Louisville, KY.

According to NQC Vice President, Clarke Beasley, Hughes will make a special appearance on Thursday, September 11. “We are thrilled to have this extremely gifted young man as a part of the 2008 NQC. His life and the devotion of his family have literally inspired our entire nation, and we believe his performance and testimony at NQC will be talked about for years to come.”

Hughes is a remarkable young man who was born without eyes and without the ability to fully straighten his arms and legs, making him unable to walk. Additionally, steel rods were surgically attached to Hughes’ spine to correct scoliosis. Despite unfathomable circumstances, Hughes overcame many physical adversities and has excelled as a musician and student. Hughes first began playing piano at just nine months of age, and currently participates in the University of Louisville School of Music Marching and Pep Bands. A virtuoso pianist, vocalist and trumpet player, Hughes has competed in numerous musical competitions and has been featured on ESPN, ABC-TV’s Extreme Make Over Home Edition, People Magazine and Sports Illustrated, just to name a few.

To obtain complete information regarding the National Quartet Convention and to purchase tickets for the all NQC events, call 1-800-846-8499 or visit http://www.natqc.com

This guy has a pretty amazing story. Check it out. I'm looking forward to seeing him at Convention, and it should prove to be a blessed night.

Legacy Five's New Single

Noticed on SouthernGospelReporter.com's Front Page player that it has the first single off of Legacy Five's upcoming God's Been Good project, "Hello After Goodbye." According to a recent L5 newsletter, it is a tribute to the late Roger Bennett, written shortly after Bennett's funeral by Jim Brady of the Booth Brothers.
Very good, powerful song. I can see it making at least Top 5 on the charts. If it's any reflection of the rest of the project, this is gonna be a good 'un, folks. Their last release, Know So Salvation, was good, but not great. Although, it seems it was good enough to make the Top 5 in the Fan Awards this year....
Go over and give the song a listen!

Greater Vision Names New Tenor

From a SoGospelNews article:

Greater Vision has named Jacob Kitson as the group's new tenor. Jacob is from Yuma, Arizona, but has lived in the Nashville, Tennessee area for the last seventeen months, and will soon be relocating to Morristown.

Kitson, 24, is a graduate of Grace Baptist College in Gaylord, Michigan. He is the eldest son of Kevin and Gina Kitson, and has three brothers and eight sisters.

Jacob has traveled with the Tribute Quartet since their inception in 2006, and was a founding member of the group.

Gerald Wolfe states... "We are really excited about Jacob joining Greater Vision. The first time I met him, which was about one year ago, I knew he was a very special and gifted young man with a real heart for ministry. He was the first person to call me after the announcement of Jason's departure, and he is the only person we actually auditioned. We knew he was the right man from the start."

Rodney Griffin said... "I look forward to what the Lord has in store as Jacob joins our ministry. Jacob says he's been a Greater Vision fan since he was a teenager. Now that's he's joining us, we'll see how long he remains one! LOL"

Jacob commented..."I am looking forward to serving side by side each night with men who have dedicated their lives to a ministry of Christ-honoring Christian music. I can say this is a great honor and I'm pleased to be part of such a team."

Jason Waldroup, who will be leaving Greater Vision in August, said..."I'm glad we've found someone who I believe is, first and foremost, a man of God. I'm sure everyone who meets him is going to love him. I hope to be a help to him anyway that I can during this transition. God has great things in store for Greater Vision."

Jacob will begin traveling with Greater Vision in June, and his first official concert with the group will be August 6 in Lebanon, Missouri.

Greater Vision will be in the recording studio later this month working on Jacob's debut recording with the group.

Hmm.. interesting move. I enjoy Jacob's singing, especially on Tribute's new single, "When Those Gates Open Wide." I think he will be a good fit for Greater Vision.
Now, I wonder who Tribute's new guy will be....

Update: For those wondering what Jacob sounds like, visit www.tributequartet.com and listen to the song on their front page. He is featured on the verses.

More Of The New Group

User DinanaSN finally put up more videos of the debut concert of the new group consisting of Josh Feemster, Craig West, Chris West, and an unnamed tenor. Brent Mitchell fills in, and does a great job! No word on a group name yet, and none on who their tenor will be. In the meantime, enjoy!

Somebody Touched Me
The Prodigal Son
Going Home
Daystar
Singing With The Saints
Midnight Cry
He Came Down To My Level
I Bowed On My Knees

By the looks of things, we have another awesome quartet coming up! Josh Feemster and Chris West are still phenomenal at their respective positions, and that brother of Chris' is none too shabby either. Hopefully their tenor will be a stellar vocalist as well (I'm sure he will be). If they keep that band, that'd really be something!