Memories of a wonderful weekend

Well, it's over for another year! But the memories of this year's recently concluded Great Western Southern Gospel Fan Festival are precious, and they'll remain with me for some time to come.

First, foremost, and finally...the music is the best kind to be found anywhere! There is no greater purpose music can serve on this earth than singing the praises of the Creator of all things(including the music!). And it is a blessing and privilege to spend three days and nights with people who have the gifts to make that kind of music particularly meaningful and compelling.

Along with that for me, though, is the opportunity to see dear longtime friends and to meet and make new ones. I was privileged to do a lot of that this year. It was a joy to see Herb Henry and his fine family, and I feel almost a parental sort of joy every time I hear them sing!

You see, we played Herb's family group on our radio program when they were just starting out in the early 1990s. At that time, the kids were young...and nothing near the kind of singers they would eventually grow into being. But they evermore are there now...and almost every time I hear them sing now, my eyes well up with tears of pride and joy. My pride in Herb and his family can't be put into words(an incredible phenomenon for me, huh?)...they are dear, special people to me. And Herb dedicating "I Know He Cares" to me from stage Thursday night will remain in my memory bank for the rest of my life.

Along with Herb, I renewed acquaintances with one of my newer good friends, Jim Weatherford of the Orange County group "Evidence"...Jim is a delighful, God loving man who loves to sing for people...and he is one of the frienfliest, most caring people I know...and it was a delight to spend quality time with Jim once again this year.

And one good friend I hadn't talked to in a while was there on Saturday night as well. Kat McVay, who I've known from the message boards for several years, was there as well...and I love to see and spend time with Kat! She is a tall(6'1"), talented young lady from Salinas who would love to start a gospel group of her own and maybe sing on the Save Mart Center stage someday! I always try to encourage Kat to never give up on her dreams...she has the ability and love of God to make her dreams come true...so Kat, it was great to see you...don't EVER give up! Your dreams CAN come true...just keep doing what you're doing...and being the way you are!

And I renewed old friendships with some of the singers as well...I was shocked that Josh Garner(Florida Boys' lead singer)remembered my name as he greeted me...Josh is a talented singer and a great person. It was also nice to talk to Derrell Stewart and Les Beasley again...they are men of skill and class...and they will forever be credits to the gospel music business.

As are Claude and Connie Hopper and that whole family...I always enjoy visiting with them. I had the privilege of doing an interview with Dean for our show the week before they arrived....a nicer, more friendly young man doesn't exist!

And the Isaacs are wonderful people, too...I had the pleasure of helping out at their booth(along with Kat)when they were here with the Gaither troupe last fall...what they bring to gospel music with their personalities and excellent musicianship cannot be beat!

Finally, it was a pleasure to have the booth next door to Shannon Young and her sister Kristin...Shannon is a sweet young lady from up Sacramento way that I also met on the message boards....and she now does articles on gospel music out West for John Lanier's new magazine "The Christian Voice"...needless to say, I'm always proud of any of my friends making an impact out in "the world"...keep up the good work, Shannon!

I also made some good new friends this year as well.

One is a regular reader of this blog...he sings with a group that I have said many times here is as good a quartet as there is in gospel music today...and since they're from out his way, I'm really proud of them, too! Keith Waggoner is the tenor for the Liberty Quartet from Boise, ID...and he is a personable, friendly fellow that I had the pleasure to meet and get to know better! I also spent a lot of quality time this year with their bass singer, Royce Mitchell...who is one of the finest bass singers going today. He is also a fine gentleman who loves the Lord and the fans of gospel music, and his leadership is one reason why the Liberty Quartet has come as far as it has so fast, not just musically, but in every other way that matters as well. Royce is a worthy successor to the likes of Neil Enloe, Duane Nicholson, and Dave Kyllonen as far as exemplifying in talent and personal integrity what a gospel singer should be...and I am proud to now call Royce and Keith "friend" as well.

I also met a man who I first saw when I finally met the original Couriers face to face.. his mixed trio, Chosen Vision, opened for Dave, Duane, and Neil when I saw them in Santa Cruz in February 2005. Hugo Shirley is a kind man, a good singer, and a joy-filled Christian who happens to have a very good group...consisting of himself and two ladies, one of whom is his lovely wife. It was a true pleasure to meet a fellow Courier lover and a fine man of God. I am likewise proud now to call Hugo Shirley "friend".

And as if that weren't enough, I had the honor of getting to know a talented family from Bonsall, CA(just north of San Diego)who were not on the program this year, but they've formed a family singing group comprised of the parents and their three boys, the youngest of which can't be older than 8 or 9...and one of the other sons is quite a gospel music history buff despite being only 18 years of age(he reminds me of myself at that age, and of Daniel Mount as well!). We had several spirited discussions about gospel music when we got together this weekend.

Anyway, this family gave me a private concert after everything had ended, serenading me with an a cappella version of "When I Survey The Wondrous Cross"...so if you ever hear of the Grier family from Southern California in the next few years, you'll know where you read about them first!:-) In addition, the aforementioned young history buff let me listen to an ipod of a barbershop quartet doing a VERY slick arrangement of "Mary Did You Know"...boy, was I blessed!

I was absolutely amazed at how many people recognized me and seemed to know my name...after all, I'm on the radio...and I'm not normally seen! Evidently a lot of people there notice my articles for Southern Gospel News, as well as visit this blog. So, Art Brumley, if you're reading this, howdy! Nice to have met you!:-)

See, Susan...Deon....people far and wide read SGN...I know this!:-)

I'll leave you with what I said to Royce Mitchell when all was said and done last night. There are a lot of people like me that attend these kinds of events, people who love this music for the inspiration and comfort(not to mention the entertainment!)it brings them. Like me, many of them have burdens or challenges in their daily lives. But at least for me(and probably for them, too)just being at an event like the GWSGFF for two to five hours in an evening is truly therapeutic. When I'm at a gospel concert, I have no problems...everything in my life is fine. And even now, 24 hours after it all ended, I'm still on that high from, as my good friend Neil Enloe put it 40 years ago, the "joy of knowing Jesus"...and even though I'm living the same life I was before it all, I don't look at things as I did then. I am renewed...and energized! My hunch is that most of the rest of those who attended feel much the same way!

NOW do you see why I love gospel music so much....and the people who make it?

Page 1 of 1 pages

Comments

Add Comments

Name:

Email:

Location:

URL:

Please enter the word you see in the image below:

* Note: Members of Southern Gospel News.com who are logged in do not have to fill in the above information each time they post

By posting you agree to our Comments Policy

Remember my personal information

Notify me of follow-up comments?