Comments on: We’re all post-Gaither now

By: John Doe

John Doe — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:36:10 +0000

I do believe what we have here is a failure to communicate! Benjy will arrive and take over! Come on peeps, get with the in knowledge and listen up for once in your life! It is Benjy all way! By the way, I used a fake name, to keep my source confidential!

By: Shari Chumley

Shari Chumley — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:27:17 +0000

Do you happen to remember the name of an album that they released in the 70’s that had Sunday School Songs? I grew up listening to them and would like to share it with my children. It had a song about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; David, and many many more.

Thanks

By: Poppi (Pop-eee)

Poppi (Pop-eee) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 05:47:49 +0000

cynical one:

I said we enjoy(ed) ‘most’ of the songs and singers, not ALL of them on the Homecomeing Videos. Also you said….”I can understand your concern for inappropriate volume, but it has nothing to do with the instrumentation used.”…. That’s hogwash! It most certainly does have to do with the instrumentation used along with the volume too loud. Just because there are some like yourself who likes loud banging drums and steel guitars drowning out the lyrics, does not justify your statement of ….. “has nothing to do with instrumentation”.
I hear and read about what is called SG music having its’ problems. If these groups, and there are several of them, would realize that this loud canned so-called music, which is a bunch of noise, has greatly contributed to SG’s problems. Listen to me now! The groups that have done well in the past and those who are doing well now are the ones who has the goods. Not a bunch of loud noise.

I cannot stand loud drums and steel guitars. Too much of Nashville sound.

By: Miss Priss

Miss Priss — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 01:20:14 +0000

Joe, I couldn’t agree with you more. You are right on target with what you said in post #9. God bless you!

By: cynical one

cynical one — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:14:38 +0000

Poppi — #46 — I’m surprised you like the videos, if you don’t like the concert. It’s the same music. Maybe not as loud, since I don’t know how loudly you play your TV at home. But the “canned” music in the concert is the same “canned” music you say you enjoy on the video.

I can understand your concern for inappropriate volume, but it has nothing to do with the instrumentation used. It may have to do with where you sit. I often see people sit right down front, directly in front of the speakers (especially at church concert — open seating), then complain it’s too loud. That irks me to no end.

The last time I went to a Homecoming concert, the idiots behind us gave a running commentary (not too softly, I might add) on each song and each performer. It was at Christmastime a year ago, and at one of the quietest, tender moments, the lights went down, and the harmonica began playing “Silent Night”. Real loudly, this old man (imagine the most hick southern accent you’ve ever heard) said, “I’ll bet that’s Jeff Easter playin’ the har-mon-eekee, right there!” It was as though they thought they were at home, watching a video, giving each other a running commentary on each song. At the end of “White Christmas”, one of them let out a real loud “AMEN!”

Sheesh!!!

By: Poppi (pop-eee)

Poppi (pop-eee) — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 01:52:14 +0000

I know this is a ‘pass the torch’ discussion, but I, my wife, and several of our friends do not care to attend the Gaither Homecoming Concerts. We did attend one eleven years ago and when we left decided we wouldn’t make that mistake again. Now hold on….wait just a minute. We do like good gospel quartet singing and have since the late 40’s. We purchased most of the Homecoming videos and enjoy most of the singers and songs. What we didn’t like was the deafening sound, especially the ‘canned’ background so-called music. There is no way the lyrics can be heard if one is not familiar with the song.

I am convinced all the LOUD background noise, oh I meant music, was added to drown out the mistakes. We’re not rock and rollers.

I like Ernie Hasse, but Ernie is not an emcee, not even for SSQ. Ernie tries to be funny like his father-in-law was, but that’s impossible. Mark Lowry would probably be a good replacement if he wasn’t overly silly. There’s a big difference of being funny and being silly. It gets old in a hurry.

Good gospel quartet sound of days gone by, has become tarnished with what is called SOUTHERN GOSPEL. SG is nothing more than a Nashville country/western sound and we’re not country music fans.

Give me good quartet harmony singing a song accompanied with a piano that reaches inside me and feeds my heart and soul……. and I still have my hearing when I leave.

Leave those drums and ‘crying’ steel guitars in Nashville!!!!!!!……….with the country/western sangers

By: Glenn

Glenn — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 05:17:05 +0000

CVH (#43),
I agree very much with your comment, and wachythinker, I don’t care what you say (althought I agree), I love your moniker.

By: wackythinker

wackythinker — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 22:11:18 +0000

ME has been on a few of the Homecoming projects, and has done some concerts with the troupe, but not as consistantly as I’d like to see. He is still a great singer. And my wife thinks he’s still easy to look at.

By: CVH

CVH — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 20:04:02 +0000

RE: #42 Brad…

English is still a pretty fair vocalist although I think his best work was done 10 or more years ago. Despite his personal struggles, he’s been working to come back for a while now and, for whatever combination of reasons, the industry hasn’t been overly impressed or receptive. I don’t know about fans. I’m not sure if it’s hesitancy over the morals questions (which, forgiveness/restoration assumed, shouldn’t be an issue…they wouldn’t be in any other genre of music) or that his new material just doesn’t have what it used to. Regardless, Gaither’s loyalty to people over the years exemplifies grace more than the actions of many in the industry.

By: brad

brad — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 12:45:09 +0000

I started watching the Gaither videos in the beginning but dont really watch them anymore but i think BG has done a great job keeping gospel music alive.i would love to see other artist on the videos.its always the same ones.But i believe one lead singer for Gaither gets over looked dont forget Michael English spent 10 years with Gaither and has a voice like no one else.i know that many of the new Gaither fans dont remember the beginning of the Gaither explosion.

By: dkd

dkd — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 12:38:33 +0000

#40 Faith….i don’t know who you are but you are my Hero!

By: Faith

Faith — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 15:16:56 +0000

EH??? YUCK. I totally agree with #35, Dee Dee. “…had his personal life not intertwined with those of the Younce family…” no one in SG would have wanted him! Ahh, gotta love nepotism.
EH is probably one of the most overrated individuals in SG today. Let’s face it, he couldn’t fit on any stage smaller than Gaither’s with that swollen Barry Bonds head of his.

By: BillyBob

BillyBob — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 02:05:32 +0000

Quite the thread, this. First, my opinion on things post-Gaither. I doubt that it would ever continue after Bill retires. He’s just too much the glue that holds it all together. Now if indeed it was to continue, I also think that Mark would be the one to carry it on. Guy Penrod is a great guy, no pun intended, but his emceeing work is just an unknown. As for Ernie, nah…I’ve seen him a number of times, and he’s just not the one who’d be able to carry on at the level that Bill has. Not to judge, but he and his men just seem way too full of themselves. Bill’s the master of the aw shucks kind of an impresario, and he makes the heavily scripted seem very off-the-cuff. His is a rare art form, for sure, at least in sgm. My two cents on Mark. Does he go a bit too far at times? Probably. But, I’ve also seen him enough to know that he’s the real deal, and has an honest desire to portray Jesus as both a real man, as well as the Son of God. He wants to make Him accessible, and to show Him as the loving Savior that He is. His concerts with Stan Whitmire and LordSong are seamless and thoroughly professional, and like him or not, he attracts people who have no clue who Jesus is. Some of his shtick does cross the boundaries, I think, but God forbid that I judge the man. But I’ve sat and cringed a few times myself, and wished that he’d back down around 15% on a few of his comments. To me, anyway, if he would, there’d be no one in his class. Shoot, there isn’t anyone even close to him as it is. Of all the Gaither alumni, no one has come as far as Mark. So, he gets my vote, for what it’s worth.

By: TLW

TLW — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 01:13:24 +0000

This topic has really stirred the pot! First off I think we need to remember that we don’t answer for ML. With that being said, If someone has such strong feelings about ML, well he has already solved his problem by saying he wouldn’t go see him. Done Deal! But if you feel ML is really doing all the terrible things stated, then why not pray for him? Now that’s a novel idea isn’t it? After all ML is reaching a lot of people. I like ML just fine. I think he makes fun of himself more than anything and his own shortcommings as a human. So ML is a little radical, SO WAS JESUS in his time! The religous didn’t accept Jesus either. ONe thing to remember that there is GRACE is God’s Kingdom. But I thought this topic was about when and IF BG is passing the torch. I’m sure if that does happen BG has someone in mind. But this topic sure has given many something to “chew” on.
Merry Christmas to all and Peace!

By: cdguy

cdguy — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 22:37:54 +0000

Ben, I don’t know about her having the plan, but I do know she has a heavy hand in selecting the songs. She has for many years, not just on the homecoming projects, or GVB, but even dating back to the trio days. Not saying it’s a bad thing, just saying that’s the way it is. In fact, I happen to think she’s done a good job. Except that they have been rehashing a lot of the same songs, in recent years. They could at least do new tracks and new arrangement, now and then.

In that regard, I think Suzanne and Amy could step in to help Bill. Suzanne seems to be similar to Gloria in writing style. Maybe she also inherited the gene that would help in the programming.

Don’t know if you’d noticed, but the earliest homecoming videos were not as structured, just sitting around the piano calling out song titles. Once they started programming them, I think the content got better. Probably Gloria’s influence, rather than Bill just playing with his friends.

I hear a lot of people who don’t like the newest videos from the last couple of years, but I think that’s mostly older people who watched for the Vestal’s and Jakes of the world. Now that they’ve passed on, there’s only so much footage you can rehash. I like the new ones, too. I’m a fan on contemporary s/g, as much as the traditional.