The Real Thing
Ernie Haase & Signature Sound will perform with Gaither Vocal Band at the National Quartet Convention in Sept.
By Deborah Evans Price, Senior Music Editor, GospelMusicChannel.com
As much as we all love listening to a recorded music via radio, CD or iPod, there’s still nothing that compares to the chance to hear your favorite artist live. Whether your tastes lean toward the contemporary pop/rock side or classic southern gospel, two of the country’s biggest gatherings are coming up in September.
Now in its 26th year, Walt Disney World’s Night of Joy is one of Christian music’s top events. Where else can you enjoy the music of Chris Tomlin, tobyMac, Rebecca St. James, Brandon Heath, MercyMe and Casting Crowns as well as visit Mickey and Minnie Mouse? Slated for Sept. 5–6, this year’s event will feature 16 of Christian music’s most popular acts. After years at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Night of Joy is moving to Disney’s Hollywood Studios – which I must confess is one of my favorite places on the planet. How can you not love the Aerosmith Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster? But alas, I digress...
Concerts will take place after park hours from 7:30 p.m. till 1:30 a.m. on three stages. Fans can mix an evening of great Christian music with riding park attractions like the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. “From a band perspective, Night of Joy is probably one of our favorite festivals all year because the Disney people are so good to us,” Casting Crowns frontman Mark Hall tells GospelMusicChannel.com. “They are such amazing hosts and that is so important when you have your family on the road and you’re sort of a prisoner of where you land when you’re traveling by bus. They really are good to us and we’re friends with the people there.
“Other than that, you’re playing music at Disney World, what’s cooler than that?” Hall continues. “The last time we played there, we were right in front of Cinderella’s Castle, and it brought back memories of my childhood coming to Disney World. It was such a great night.”
In addition to the aforementioned acts, this year’s Night of Joy will include PureNRG, Matthew West, Fred Hammond, Red, Marcos Witt, Mandisa, Britt Nicole, BarlowGirl, Rush of Fools, and Aaron Shust. For more information, visit disneyworld.com/nightofjoy.
Now for those of you whose musical tastes run toward the southern gospel sound, you probably already know that the National Quartet Convention has become an annual pilgrimage for fans that love Legacy V, The Perrys, Greater Vision and all the great groups that keep the southern gospel tradition alive. This year’s convention will be held September 7–13 at the Kentucky Fair & Expo Hall in Louisville.
One of the most highly anticipated events this year is the “Together Showcase,” featuring Bill Gaither’s famed Gaither Vocal Band and Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, which will take place on Thursday, September 11. Both acts will also be part of Friday night’s concert lineup on the main stage at Freedom Hall. “It’s no secret that I love southern gospel music," Gaither tells GospelMusicChannel.com. “It’s an important part of my childhood and my musical heritage, so naturally there are few things that warm my heart quite like hearing four singers and a piano rev it up! In my mind, the only thing better than a great gospel quartet is a whole week full of them! So I’m looking forward to the opportunity to participate in the National Quartet Convention with great anticipation.”
Gold City, Mark Trammel Trio, Triumphant, the Hoppers, the Booth Brothers, Talley Trio, Brian Free & Assurance, Karen Peck & New River, Jeff & Sheri Easter, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, the Freemans and the Kingdom Heirs are among the many acts slated for perform. For more information, visit natqc.com.
Fans of the Florida Boys will be happy to know the group has taken up residence at the Smoky Mountain Showplace Theatre in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. The original members of the legendary southern gospel quartet came off the road last year following a farewell performance at the National Quartet Convention. New lead vocalist Charlie Waller is now shepherding the next generation as baritone Buddy Burton, bass singer Chip Cooper and tenor Dustin Bearden continue the group’s legacy, which spans more than 60 years. The new Florida Boys will perform six nights a week, Monday through Saturday, beginning Aug. 20 at Smoky Mountain Showplace.
“We are not just sleeping on our laurels here,” says Waller, who also serves as executive director of the Southern Gospel Music Association that operates the SGMA Hall of Fame and Museum at Dollywood. “We are going to bring folks a little bit of everything, hand clappers, tear jerkers, and songs that will leave a smile on their faces and joy in their hearts. How else can you leave them when you are singing about Jesus?”
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About the Writer
Deborah Evans Price has covered Christian/Gospel music for Billboard magazine since 1994. She also contributes regularly to Country Weekly, CMA Close Up, Devo’Zine, Christian Single, HomeLife, BMI Music World, and other publications.
A Nashville resident since 1983, Deborah has held editorial posts at Radio & Records, Country News, American Songwriter and Billboard. Amy Grant, Trace Adkins, Brad Paisley, Charlie Daniels, 3 Doors Down, Third Day, Don Henley, Bon Jovi, Chris Rice, Sandra Bullock, Mercy Me, Alan Jackson, Smokey Robinson, Carrie Underwood and Steven Curtis Chapman are among her many interviews. Additionally, she's a sought-after music industry analyst who has been interviewed on CNN, MSNBC, TNN, The Today Show, and ABC PrimeTime Live, among other outlets.
Deborah is a member of the Gospel Music Association's board of directors and a graduate of Leadership Music. She resides south of Nashville with her husband, Gary, and 18-year-old son Trey.
